Spaceballs Review

Spaceballs


Release Date: 10th December 1987 - Australia


Production Companies
Brooksfilms
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)


Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 96 minutes


Budget: $22,700,000

Box Office Gross: $38,119,483 (USA)


Plot Summary
The rogue mercenary Lone Starr and his faithful half-man/half-dog companion Barf set out to rescue Princess Vespa and save Planet Druidia

from the evil clutches of Dark

Helmet and his group of

Spaceballs. While at the

same time, the gooey gangster Pizza the Hutt is after them. It is there that Lone Starr comes across the wise and powerful Yogurt as he teaches him to harness the mystical power of the Schwartz that will be able to stop Dark Helmet from stealing the air of Planet Druidia and save the day.


Cast
Bill Pullman - Lone Starr
John Candy - Barf
Rick Moranis - Dark Helmet
Mel Brooks - President Skroob/Yogurt
Daphne Zuniga - Princess Vespa
Dick Van Patten - King Roland
George Wyner - Colonel Sandurz
Joan Rivers - Dot Matrix (Voice)
Lorene Yarnell - Dot Matrix
Dom DeLuise - Pizza the Hutt (Voice)

Sal Viscuso - Radio Operator

Ronny Graham - Minister

Jim J. Bullock - Prince Valium
Leslie Bevis - Commanderette Zircon
Jim Jackman - Major Asshole

Mike Pniewski - Laser Gunner

Sandy Helberg - Dr. Schlotkin

Stephen Toblowsky - Captain of the Guard

Jeff MacGregor - Snotty

Henry Kaiser - Magnetic Beam Operator

Denise Gallup - Charlene

Dian Gallup - Marlene

Gail Berle - Waitress

Dey Young - Waitress

Rhonda Shear - Woman in Diner

Robert Prescott - Sand Cruiser Driver

Jack Riley - TV Newsman

Tom Dreesen - Megamaid Guard
Rudy DeLuca - Vinnie

Tony Griffin - Prison Guard

Rick Ducommun - Prison Guard

Ken Olfson - Head Usher

Bryan O'Byrne - Organist

Wayne Wilson - Trucker in Cap

Ira Miller - Short Order Cook

Earl Finn - Guard with Captain

Mitchell Block - Video Operator

Tommy Swerdlow - Troop Leader

Tim Russ - Trooper

Ed Gale - Dink

Antonio Hoyos - Dink

Felix Silla - Dink

Arturo Gil - Dink

Tony Cox - Dink

John Kennedy Hayden - Dink

Dee Booher - Bearded Lady

Johnny Silver - Caddy

Brenda Strong - Nurse

John Hurt - Himself (Cameo)
Michael Winslow - Radar Technician

Terence Marsh - Spaceball Drum Beater

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Thomas Meehan - King Roland's Aide

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Rick Lazzarini - Pizza the Hutt/Ape #2

(Uncredited)

Crew
Writer/Producer/Director - Mel Brooks
Writers - Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham

Co-Producer - Ezra Swerdlow

Casting Directors - David Rubin and

Bill Shepard
Production Designer - Terence Marsh

Art Director - Harold Michelson

Set Decorator - John Franco Jr.
Costume Designer - Donfeld

Makeup Designer - Ben Nye III

Makeup Artists - Ken Diaz and

Melanie Levitt
Director of Photography - Nick McLean

Camera Operators - Stephen E. Bridge and

Michael D. O'Shea

Production Manager - Robert Latham Brown

Assistant Director - Dan Kolsrud

Location Manager - Michael John Meehan
Stunt Coordinator - Dick Warlock
Special Effects Supervisor - Peter Albiez

Barf Ear Animatronics - Rick Lazzarini
Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Donen

Special Visual Effects Producer: Apogee, Inc. -

Percy Angress

Visual Effects Art Director: Apogee, Inc. -

Stephen Dane
Chief Model Maker: Apogee, Inc. - Grant McCune

Model Department Special Design: Apogee, Inc -

Ron Thornton and Rae Burkland

Matte Painting Effects - Bill Taylor and Syd Dutton

Motion Control Camera Operators: Apogee, Inc. -

Mat Beck, David R. Hardberger, Douglas Smith

and John E. Sullivan

Optical Supervisor: Apogee, Inc. - Roger Dorney

Optical Camera Operator: Apogee, Inc. - Jerry Pooler

Video and Graphic Displays: Apogee, Inc. -

Richard E. Hollander, Gregory L. McMurry

and John C. Wash

Editor - Conrad Buff IV

Additional Editor - Nicholas C. Smith

Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer

(Uncredited) - Gary Rydstrom
Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer - Randy Thom

Production Sound Mixers - Don Coufal,

Jim Steube and Jeff Wexler

Sound Effects Editors - Sandina Bailo-Lape,

Ken Fischer, Ernie Fosselius and

Ronald Jacobs

Re-Recording Mixers - Richard Beggs

and Gary Summers

Foley Recordist - Tom Johnson

Foley Artist - Dennie Thorpe

Music - John Morris


Review

On May 25th, 2013, Star Wars celebrated its 26th anniversary, and I will travel back in time to review a movie that isn't related to the franchise: SPACEBALLS. This film makes fun of the original trilogy and is probably the best of all science fiction parodies. It spoofed the saga and many other sci-fi classics like Star Trek, Alien and Planet of the Apes, among a few non-sci-fi films. Mel Brooks' comedic masterpiece has brought us materialistic gags and intergalactic amusement of jokes. Complementing the film are decent makeup and old-school special effects. In the presence of a lighthearted motion picture, many moments and quotes are hilarious in every way possible. The cast consists of Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Mel Brooks, who are funny in their roles. Michael Winslow and John Hurt are among the cameo appearances of SPACEBALLS.

SPACEBALLS surrenders itself to the light side of laughter and requires Star Wars fans and audiences to have a sense of humour when watching this hilarious send-up. Even George Lucas knows that Brooks had given us the legendary comic-buster of the century, and I'm sure he got a laugh out of it. I loved this parody movie and took no offence to the jokes made at the expense of the franchise, as I am a huge Star Wars fan.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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