Spaceballs (1987)

Spaceballs yielded mediocre box office returns and was widely criticized as a creative misfire for director/co-writer/supporting actor Mel Brooks, but it quickly found an audience through home video and constant broadcasts on basic cable. By lampooning the culturally-omnipresent Star Wars franchise, Spaceballs served as an accessible entrypoint for younger people looking to get into Mel Brooks' filmography; for many born well after Brooks' heyday in the 1970's, Spaceballs is often the first Brooks film they see and form a connection with. Ryan is joined by Cheryl, Sylvan, and Toby for a closer look at this surprisingly durable little spoof movie. The first topic of discussion is whether Spaceballs' blend of lightly risque humor and mild satire makes it ideal for 12 year olds in the same manner that Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, and Weird Al have connected with tween audiences in the past (Toby, an actual 12 year old, was brought in watch Spaceballs for the first time in order to serve as a test case). Other conversational points include Spaceballs' connection to screwball comedies of the Golden Age of Hollywood, whether or not Brooks watered down his incisive edge throughout his 80's work, how Spaceballs plays into the blockbuster trends of the era it came out in, and how Spaceballs is unique in the Brooks catalog since he's poking fun at a younger colleague rather than the work of a contemporary or a predecessor.