22:
93:. They agreed to create a short film based on two points: the visuals of the film had to be fashioned in a style similar to that of McLaren, and Brooks would have no specific warning of the content. He intended to improvise his monologue. Pintoff and animator Bob Heath completed the visuals as agreed, then Brooks watched the result and improvised his
294:. And above them the voice of the old man provides riffing-style commentary, voicing what everybody else is thinking. He finds that the film addresses a key subject of audience reaction. The audience members have paid to see the work of an artist, and discovered that said work is "awful". Then why should they be expected to
259:
in a humorous way. When the old man complains about the two dollars he paid to see this worthless film, he is touching on two subjects: what does the film audience get for the money they spend on a film; how can the "cinematic value" of a film be determined? Monaco mentions the other film viewers,
136:
The onscreen images feature geometric patterns. The "cranky and clueless" old man is trying to make sense of them, and describes what he sees at various points, including a squiggle, a fence, a cockroach. The old man finds that certain images remind him of the
214:, Brooks serves as the narrator. He essentially reprises his role of the 2000 Year Old Man with minor variations. The tone of voice is "marginally deeper", the dialogue-style of the original role is replaced with a fragmented
830:
174:
He also wonders why the creator of the film wasted his time with this. He points that this creator could instead do something meaningful, like driving a truck, or do something constructive, like working in
163:
He eventually concludes that some of the images, depicting lips, are "dirty", obscene. He admits at some point that he was looking for "a hot French picture", which he hoped would involve
823:
260:
who seem to be enjoying the film within a film, which implies that there are subjective tastes when approaching a film, and consequently that the "cinematic value" is a matter of
78:. During the screening of this short, Brooks overheard another audience member "mumbling to himself", an old immigrant man who was voicing his disappointment at the lack of a
816:
1681:
1137:
1630:
1519:
316:(1963). The animated short received positive reviews by film critics, as a "spoof of the pseudo-art film". Positive reviews appeared in prominent newspapers such as
1691:
1607:
1471:
221:
Brooks voices a character who is heard but not seen onscreen. He is unnamed, identified only as an old man from Russia. The character is an audience member in a
1696:
1686:
133:. The voice of an audience member, who claims to be 71, complains throughout the film despite being told repeatedly by other audience members to keep quiet.
348:
839:
333:
51:
1701:
110:
1676:
1651:
1706:
528:
498:
472:
450:
426:
400:
1153:
1656:
1412:
1169:
1356:
1316:
870:
352:
1487:
1591:
1185:
543:
203:
1033:
910:
156:
When the scene shifts from the "mating" to other abstract images, the old man gets bored. He proclaims the images must be
98:
1711:
1666:
1244:
549:
727:
438:
In the Peanut
Gallery with Mystery Science Theater 3000: Essays on Film, Fandom, Technology and the Culture of Riffing
237:
filmmaking. Clearly unfamiliar and unappreciative of such films, the old man delivers witty and insulting commentary.
1661:
1420:
1161:
520:
490:
1495:
990:
918:
902:
435:
Murphy, Kevin (2011), "Foreword: Riffing and You (and
Riffing)", in Weiner, Robert G.; Barba, Shelley E. (eds.),
199:
298:". They can instead start riffing, in an attempt to make their film-going experience at least "tolerable, fun".
151:...They like each other. Sure. Lookit da sparks. Two things in love!... Could dis be the sex life of two things?
862:
1057:
596:
101:
and attempted to find lines appropriate for an old man "trying to find a plot in this maze of abstractions."
942:
418:
321:
1236:
1049:
442:
283:
555:
307:
934:
1599:
1439:
1129:
1105:
1017:
998:
878:
384:
267:
226:
126:
1671:
1348:
1332:
1292:
1260:
1145:
1073:
337:
1364:
1284:
1252:
886:
317:
195:
had a characteristic voice and manner of speaking; a "raspy", "gravelly" rambling voice with a
1543:
1404:
1388:
1372:
1340:
1276:
1209:
982:
854:
795:
524:
512:
508:
494:
468:
460:
446:
422:
410:
396:
376:
230:
188:
808:
482:
1447:
966:
436:
388:
196:
167:. The implication is that the old man is in the wrong movie theater, probably one screening
157:
79:
1567:
1479:
1308:
1177:
1065:
1041:
145:
boyhood. When two abstract shapes approach each other and unite, the old man sees it as a
1300:
286:. He describes the soundtrack as a droning and nondescript tune, somewhat reminiscent of
29:; grumpy narrator Mel Brooks speculates that this is birth with the thing being attacked.
1511:
1455:
1396:
1228:
1201:
1121:
312:
256:
207:
164:
142:
106:
86:
67:
47:
39:
1645:
1380:
958:
950:
362:
310:. The film benefited by being screened for weeks alongside a popular British comedy,
279:
246:
222:
102:
1615:
1559:
1089:
1025:
894:
359:
344:
306:
The film debuted on 20 May 1963, at New York City's Sutton
Theater, on Manhattan's
252:
242:
238:
75:
656:
1463:
974:
585:
291:
234:
122:
21:
1575:
1551:
1193:
926:
746:
633:
574:
392:
261:
176:
130:
71:
63:
43:
800:
1583:
1535:
215:
94:
770:
1527:
1503:
1081:
168:
789:
487:
Mel Brooks in the
Cultural Industries: Survival and Prolonged Adaptation
1324:
1097:
275:
138:
202:. To American audiences the accent implied a foreign-born background,
597:'The Critic': Animation at Its Most Pretentious - Animation Obsessive
271:
146:
121:
Simple, abstract, geometric shapes move and morph on the screen to
774:
20:
105:
points out that the comments themselves belong to a recognizable
62:
The film was reportedly inspired by an actual incident. In 1962,
1268:
465:
It's Good to Be the King: The
Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks
287:
270:
recalls the film as his introduction to the concept of riffing (
812:
82:. Brooks was inspired to create a film out of this experience.
38:
is an
American 1963 short animated film by director/producer
218:. But otherwise there is little to set apart the two roles.
187:
Mel Brooks came to prominence as a performer by playing the
509:"Accents of the future: Jewish American popular culture"
89:, who had experience producing animated works such as
747:"Shirley MacLaine presents Short Film Oscars in 1964"
517:
The
Cambridge Companion to Jewish American Literature
377:"Mel Brooks, Vulgar Modernism, and Comic Remediation"
1130:
728:"Cartoons Considered For the Academy Award – 1963 -"
575:
Shirley MacLaine presents Short Film Oscars® in 1964
1616:
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko
1431:
1220:
1009:
846:
1138:A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature
1631:Submissions for Best Animated Short Academy Award
1520:The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
274:). He describes the onscreen images as abstract
1472:The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation
296:"just... sit there, shut up, and just take it?
824:
379:, in Horton, Andrew; Rapf, Joanna E. (eds.),
255:suggests that the film approaches matters of
66:attended a screening of an animated short by
8:
415:How to Read a Film:Movies, Media, and Beyond
160:, then adds that they are symbolic of junk.
483:"Adapting the 2000 Year Old Man, 1961-1983"
349:British Academy of Film and Television Arts
97:for the accompanying soundtrack. He used a
840:Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
831:
817:
809:
334:Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
1682:Best Animated Short Academy Award winners
637:(six-minute animated work on youtube.com)
1608:The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
241:points out that with his "contemptuous"
567:
245:the old man unmasks the pretensions of
1692:Columbia Pictures animated short films
7:
1154:Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
704:
702:
700:
698:
1697:Comedy films based on actual events
1687:Best Animated Feature BAFTA winners
688:
686:
684:
674:
672:
670:
668:
666:
664:
620:
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
608:
606:
604:
278:animation, similar to that used in
375:Jenkins, Henry (9 November 2012),
14:
1702:Films directed by Ernest Pintoff
1357:Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase
353:17th British Academy Film Awards
347:for Best Animated Film from the
1170:Is It Always Right to Be Right?
771:BAFTA winners and nominees 1964
708:Symons (2012), unnumbered pages
411:"Film Theory:Form and Function"
1592:If Anything Happens I Love You
544:List of American films of 1963
1:
1677:American animated short films
1652:1960s American animated films
1034:Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
459:Parish, James Robert (2008),
1707:Films set in a movie theatre
550:Mystery Science Theater 3000
745:Oscars (27 February 2014).
16:1963 film by Ernest Pintoff
1728:
1657:1960s animated short films
678:Monaco (2009), pp. 434-435
624:Parish (2008), pp. 156-158
521:Cambridge University Press
491:Edinburgh University Press
381:A Companion to Film Comedy
193:"ancient Jewish gentleman"
1626:
1496:La Maison en Petits Cubes
1317:The Man Who Planted Trees
991:For Scent-imental Reasons
871:The Tortoise and the Hare
511:, in Kramer, Michael P.;
467:, John Wiley & Sons,
393:10.1002/9781118327821.ch7
52:Short Subjects (Cartoons)
1413:The Old Man and the Sea
1162:It's Tough to Be a Bird
1098:Ersatz (The Substitute)
943:The Yankee Doodle Mouse
443:McFarland & Company
419:Oxford University Press
322:New York Herald Tribune
262:relative points of view
225:which is screening the
111:stream of consciousness
717:Murphy (2011), pp. 1-2
647:Jenkins (2013), p. 151
507:Weber, Donald (2003),
409:Monaco, James (2009),
284:educational television
30:
1058:Magoo's Puddle Jumper
556:Independent animation
481:Symons, Alex (2012),
461:"Becoming the Critic"
385:John Wiley & Sons
99:Russian Jewish accent
42:and creator/narrator
27:The Critic (c. 00:56)
24:
1600:The Windshield Wiper
1488:Peter & the Wolf
1018:The Two Mouseketeers
999:Gerald McBoing-Boing
879:Three Orphan Kittens
692:Weber (2003), p. 139
387:, pp. 151–171,
1712:Works by Mel Brooks
1667:1963 animated films
1421:Father and Daughter
1074:Knighty Knight Bugs
804:on Internet Archive
732:cartoonresearch.com
338:36th Academy Awards
1365:The Wrong Trousers
1285:Sundae in New York
935:Der Fuehrer's Face
903:Ferdinand the Bull
887:The Country Cousin
513:Wirth-Nesher, Hana
318:The New York Times
229:. Said film is an
227:film within a film
31:
1662:1963 comedy films
1639:
1638:
1341:Creature Comforts
1186:A Christmas Carol
983:The Little Orphan
911:The Ugly Duckling
863:Three Little Pigs
855:Flowers and Trees
530:978-0-5217-9699-6
500:978-0-7486-6450-4
474:978-0-4702-2526-4
452:978-0-7864-8572-7
428:978-0-1997-5579-0
402:978-1-1183-2785-2
332:The film won the
233:, the product of
231:experimental film
189:2000 Year Old Man
85:Brooks contacted
1719:
1448:The ChubbChubbs!
1301:Anna & Bella
1245:Special Delivery
967:The Cat Concerto
833:
826:
819:
810:
777:
768:
762:
761:
759:
757:
742:
736:
735:
724:
718:
715:
709:
706:
693:
690:
679:
676:
659:
657:Internet Archive
654:
648:
645:
639:
631:
625:
622:
599:
594:
588:
583:
577:
572:
533:
503:
477:
455:
431:
405:
208:Eastern European
76:abstract imagery
1727:
1726:
1722:
1721:
1720:
1718:
1717:
1716:
1642:
1641:
1640:
1635:
1622:
1568:Dear Basketball
1480:The Danish Poet
1427:
1309:A Greek Tragedy
1237:The Sand Castle
1216:
1178:The Crunch Bird
1066:Birds Anonymous
1050:Speedy Gonzales
1042:When Magoo Flew
1005:
842:
837:
786:
781:
780:
769:
765:
755:
753:
744:
743:
739:
726:
725:
721:
716:
712:
707:
696:
691:
682:
677:
662:
655:
651:
646:
642:
632:
628:
623:
602:
595:
591:
586:1964|Oscars.org
584:
580:
573:
569:
564:
540:
531:
506:
501:
480:
475:
458:
453:
434:
429:
408:
403:
374:
371:
358:The film won a
343:The film won a
330:
304:
282:and supposedly
185:
141:classes of his
119:
60:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1725:
1723:
1715:
1714:
1709:
1704:
1699:
1694:
1689:
1684:
1679:
1674:
1669:
1664:
1659:
1654:
1644:
1643:
1637:
1636:
1634:
1633:
1627:
1624:
1623:
1621:
1620:
1612:
1604:
1596:
1588:
1580:
1572:
1564:
1556:
1548:
1540:
1532:
1524:
1516:
1512:The Lost Thing
1508:
1500:
1492:
1484:
1476:
1468:
1460:
1456:Harvie Krumpet
1452:
1444:
1435:
1433:
1429:
1428:
1426:
1425:
1417:
1409:
1401:
1393:
1385:
1377:
1373:Bob's Birthday
1369:
1361:
1353:
1345:
1337:
1329:
1321:
1313:
1305:
1297:
1289:
1281:
1273:
1265:
1257:
1249:
1241:
1233:
1224:
1222:
1218:
1217:
1215:
1214:
1206:
1202:Closed Mondays
1198:
1190:
1182:
1174:
1166:
1158:
1150:
1142:
1134:
1126:
1122:The Pink Phink
1118:
1110:
1102:
1094:
1086:
1078:
1070:
1062:
1054:
1046:
1038:
1030:
1022:
1013:
1011:
1007:
1006:
1004:
1003:
995:
987:
979:
971:
963:
955:
947:
939:
931:
923:
915:
907:
899:
891:
883:
875:
867:
859:
850:
848:
844:
843:
838:
836:
835:
828:
821:
813:
807:
806:
798:
785:
784:External links
782:
779:
778:
763:
737:
719:
710:
694:
680:
660:
649:
640:
626:
600:
589:
578:
566:
565:
563:
560:
559:
558:
553:
546:
539:
536:
535:
534:
529:
504:
499:
478:
473:
456:
451:
432:
427:
406:
401:
370:
367:
329:
326:
313:Heavens Above!
303:
300:
257:film criticism
184:
181:
125:music, from a
118:
115:
107:narrative mode
87:Ernest Pintoff
70:. It featured
68:Norman McLaren
59:
56:
40:Ernest Pintoff
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1724:
1713:
1710:
1708:
1705:
1703:
1700:
1698:
1695:
1693:
1690:
1688:
1685:
1683:
1680:
1678:
1675:
1673:
1670:
1668:
1665:
1663:
1660:
1658:
1655:
1653:
1650:
1649:
1647:
1632:
1629:
1628:
1625:
1618:
1617:
1613:
1610:
1609:
1605:
1602:
1601:
1597:
1594:
1593:
1589:
1586:
1585:
1581:
1578:
1577:
1573:
1570:
1569:
1565:
1562:
1561:
1557:
1554:
1553:
1549:
1546:
1545:
1541:
1538:
1537:
1533:
1530:
1529:
1525:
1522:
1521:
1517:
1514:
1513:
1509:
1506:
1505:
1501:
1498:
1497:
1493:
1490:
1489:
1485:
1482:
1481:
1477:
1474:
1473:
1469:
1466:
1465:
1461:
1458:
1457:
1453:
1450:
1449:
1445:
1442:
1441:
1440:For the Birds
1437:
1436:
1434:
1430:
1423:
1422:
1418:
1415:
1414:
1410:
1407:
1406:
1402:
1399:
1398:
1394:
1391:
1390:
1386:
1383:
1382:
1381:A Close Shave
1378:
1375:
1374:
1370:
1367:
1366:
1362:
1359:
1358:
1354:
1351:
1350:
1346:
1343:
1342:
1338:
1335:
1334:
1330:
1327:
1326:
1322:
1319:
1318:
1314:
1311:
1310:
1306:
1303:
1302:
1298:
1295:
1294:
1290:
1287:
1286:
1282:
1279:
1278:
1274:
1271:
1270:
1266:
1263:
1262:
1258:
1255:
1254:
1250:
1247:
1246:
1242:
1239:
1238:
1234:
1231:
1230:
1226:
1225:
1223:
1219:
1212:
1211:
1207:
1204:
1203:
1199:
1196:
1195:
1191:
1188:
1187:
1183:
1180:
1179:
1175:
1172:
1171:
1167:
1164:
1163:
1159:
1156:
1155:
1151:
1148:
1147:
1143:
1140:
1139:
1135:
1132:
1131:
1127:
1124:
1123:
1119:
1116:
1115:
1111:
1108:
1107:
1103:
1100:
1099:
1095:
1092:
1091:
1087:
1084:
1083:
1079:
1076:
1075:
1071:
1068:
1067:
1063:
1060:
1059:
1055:
1052:
1051:
1047:
1044:
1043:
1039:
1036:
1035:
1031:
1028:
1027:
1023:
1020:
1019:
1015:
1014:
1012:
1008:
1001:
1000:
996:
993:
992:
988:
985:
984:
980:
977:
976:
972:
969:
968:
964:
961:
960:
959:Quiet Please!
956:
953:
952:
951:Mouse Trouble
948:
945:
944:
940:
937:
936:
932:
929:
928:
924:
921:
920:
919:The Milky Way
916:
913:
912:
908:
905:
904:
900:
897:
896:
892:
889:
888:
884:
881:
880:
876:
873:
872:
868:
865:
864:
860:
857:
856:
852:
851:
849:
845:
841:
834:
829:
827:
822:
820:
815:
814:
811:
805:
803:
799:
797:
793:
792:
788:
787:
783:
776:
772:
767:
764:
752:
748:
741:
738:
733:
729:
723:
720:
714:
711:
705:
703:
701:
699:
695:
689:
687:
685:
681:
675:
673:
671:
669:
667:
665:
661:
658:
653:
650:
644:
641:
638:
636:
630:
627:
621:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
607:
605:
601:
598:
593:
590:
587:
582:
579:
576:
571:
568:
561:
557:
554:
552:
551:
547:
545:
542:
541:
537:
532:
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
505:
502:
496:
492:
488:
484:
479:
476:
470:
466:
462:
457:
454:
448:
444:
440:
439:
433:
430:
424:
420:
416:
412:
407:
404:
398:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
373:
372:
368:
366:
364:
363:film festival
361:
356:
354:
350:
346:
341:
339:
335:
327:
325:
323:
319:
315:
314:
309:
301:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
263:
258:
254:
250:
248:
247:art criticism
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
223:movie theater
219:
217:
213:
209:
205:
204:German Jewish
201:
198:
194:
191:(1961). This
190:
182:
180:
178:
172:
170:
166:
161:
159:
154:
152:
148:
144:
140:
134:
132:
129:(BWV 816) by
128:
124:
116:
114:
112:
108:
104:
103:Henry Jenkins
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
57:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
36:
28:
25:A scene from
23:
19:
1614:
1606:
1598:
1590:
1582:
1574:
1566:
1558:
1550:
1542:
1534:
1526:
1518:
1510:
1502:
1494:
1486:
1478:
1470:
1462:
1454:
1446:
1438:
1432:2001–present
1419:
1411:
1403:
1395:
1387:
1379:
1371:
1363:
1355:
1349:Manipulation
1347:
1339:
1331:
1323:
1315:
1307:
1299:
1291:
1283:
1275:
1267:
1259:
1251:
1243:
1235:
1227:
1208:
1200:
1192:
1184:
1176:
1168:
1160:
1152:
1144:
1136:
1128:
1120:
1113:
1112:
1104:
1096:
1088:
1080:
1072:
1064:
1056:
1048:
1040:
1032:
1026:Johann Mouse
1024:
1016:
997:
989:
981:
973:
965:
957:
949:
941:
933:
925:
917:
909:
901:
895:The Old Mill
893:
885:
877:
869:
861:
853:
801:
790:
766:
754:. Retrieved
750:
740:
731:
722:
713:
652:
643:
634:
629:
592:
581:
570:
548:
516:
486:
464:
437:
414:
380:
360:West Germany
357:
342:
331:
311:
305:
295:
268:Kevin Murphy
266:
253:James Monaco
251:
243:common sense
239:Donald Weber
220:
211:
192:
186:
173:
162:
155:
150:
135:
127:French Suite
120:
90:
84:
72:surrealistic
61:
46:that won an
34:
33:
32:
26:
18:
1397:Geri's Game
1253:Every Child
975:Tweetie Pie
345:BAFTA Award
292:Baroque pop
280:art classes
235:avant-garde
149:sequence. "
123:harpsichord
1672:1963 films
1646:Categories
1552:Bear Story
1194:Frank Film
1114:The Critic
927:Lend a Paw
802:The Critic
791:The Critic
562:References
212:The Critic
177:shoemaking
131:J. S. Bach
64:Mel Brooks
58:Background
44:Mel Brooks
35:The Critic
1584:Hair Love
1536:Mr Hublot
1221:1976–2000
1010:1951–1975
847:1932–1950
328:Reception
308:East Side
216:monologue
169:art films
158:symbolism
95:monologue
54:in 1964.
1528:Paperman
1504:Logorama
1106:The Hole
1082:Moonbird
756:6 August
538:See also
515:(eds.),
320:and the
183:Analysis
1333:Balance
1325:Tin Toy
1293:Charade
1261:The Fly
1229:Leisure
1146:The Box
751:youtube
369:Sources
365:award.
351:at the
336:at the
302:Release
276:pop-art
197:Yiddish
143:Russian
139:biology
1619:(2023)
1611:(2022)
1603:(2021)
1595:(2020)
1587:(2019)
1579:(2018)
1571:(2017)
1563:(2016)
1555:(2015)
1547:(2014)
1539:(2013)
1531:(2012)
1523:(2011)
1515:(2010)
1507:(2009)
1499:(2008)
1491:(2007)
1483:(2006)
1475:(2005)
1467:(2004)
1459:(2003)
1451:(2002)
1443:(2001)
1424:(2000)
1416:(1999)
1408:(1998)
1400:(1997)
1392:(1996)
1384:(1995)
1376:(1994)
1368:(1993)
1360:(1992)
1352:(1991)
1344:(1990)
1336:(1989)
1328:(1988)
1320:(1987)
1312:(1986)
1304:(1985)
1296:(1984)
1288:(1983)
1280:(1982)
1272:(1981)
1264:(1980)
1256:(1979)
1248:(1978)
1240:(1977)
1232:(1976)
1213:(1975)
1205:(1974)
1197:(1973)
1189:(1972)
1181:(1971)
1173:(1970)
1165:(1969)
1157:(1968)
1149:(1967)
1141:(1966)
1133:(1965)
1125:(1964)
1117:(1963)
1109:(1962)
1101:(1961)
1093:(1960)
1085:(1959)
1077:(1958)
1069:(1957)
1061:(1956)
1053:(1955)
1045:(1954)
1037:(1953)
1029:(1952)
1021:(1951)
1002:(1950)
994:(1949)
986:(1948)
978:(1947)
970:(1946)
962:(1945)
954:(1944)
946:(1943)
938:(1942)
930:(1941)
922:(1940)
914:(1939)
906:(1938)
898:(1937)
890:(1936)
882:(1935)
874:(1934)
866:(1933)
858:(1932)
635:Flebus
527:
497:
471:
449:
425:
399:
272:MSTing
200:accent
165:nudity
147:mating
109:, the
91:Flebus
1560:Piper
1544:Feast
1405:Bunny
1389:Quest
1277:Tango
1210:Great
1090:Munro
775:BAFTA
210:. In
48:Oscar
1464:Ryan
1269:Crac
796:IMDb
758:2023
525:ISBN
495:ISBN
469:ISBN
447:ISBN
423:ISBN
397:ISBN
290:and
288:Jazz
117:Plot
80:plot
50:for
1576:Bao
794:at
389:doi
355:.
340:.
206:or
153:"
1648::
773:-
749:.
730:.
697:^
683:^
663:^
603:^
523:,
519:,
493:,
489:,
485:,
463:,
445:,
441:,
421:,
417:,
413:,
395:,
383:,
324:.
264:.
249:.
179:.
171:.
113:.
74:,
832:e
825:t
818:v
760:.
734:.
391::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
