By the 1990s, Mel Brooks was one of the undisputed kings of parody. His unabashedly tasteless comedies poked fun at almost every topic and genre. So it was no doubt a surprise when he released a movie that was an original story and not a spoof. I once found an entry for "Life Stinks" in a film encyclopedia, and the description began "So does the film." I will say that it's no "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" or "Spaceballs", but it has its moments (and it does draw attention to homelessness). We could be cynical and say that what it depicts would never happen in real life, but would ANY of Mel Brooks's movies happen in real life?
So even if we understand that it's probably his lowest movie, we can still enjoy it. It turns out that Theodore Wilson (Fumes) died of a stroke around the time of the movie's release. Damn.
So even if we understand that it's probably his lowest movie, we can still enjoy it. It turns out that Theodore Wilson (Fumes) died of a stroke around the time of the movie's release. Damn.