Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- What elements does Young Frankenstein borrow from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the 1930s films starring Boris Karloff? What scenes are an homage to these works, which scenes poke fun at them, and which scenes do both?
- What themes does Young Frankenstein share with Shelley's work? (Here's something to refresh your memory?) What themes does Young Frankenstein add? What themes does it ignore, and why doesn't it address them?
- Why did Mel Brooks insist in filming Young Frankenstein in black and white? How would it feel different in color?
- How does Young Frankenstein compare to other parody movies you've seen? What makes it better (or worse)?
- Young Frankenstein's authentic feel is enhanced by the use of lab equipment from the original 1930s films. How would the movie look if it were made today?
- Do all the jokes stand the test of time? Are there some jokes you just don't get? Why do you think you don't understand them – is it a generational thing? Would they have been funnier in 1974?
- What's the effect of all the running gags in the film?
- Which do you think adds the most humor: the visual gags or the dialogue?
- Is the film's portrayal of women sexist? Was Brooks even thinking about this?
- Was Gene Wilder born to pay this role or what?