HotToastyRag Hollywood loves to make movies about itself. Audiences love to watch them; it makes them think they're all secretly true stories. In Silent Movie, Mel Brooks plays a has-been director desperate for another hit. He pitches the idea of creating a silent film to his studio, and once given the green light, he has to recruit movie stars to act in it.The entire movie (except for one spoken word) is silent, but the gags get old fast. It really isn't Mel Brook's finest hour. I was so bored I kept fast-forwarding sections of the film. This is one of those Hollywood movies that seem like it actually happened. When Mel Brooks has a hard time getting studio approval and actor interest in his film, it feels painfully realistic. The only bright spots are the actors who play themselves in cameo roles: Paul Newman, Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Caan, Marcel Marceau, and of course, Anne Bancroft.

851222 Greetings from Lithuania."Silent Movie" (1976) surely has it's moments, and the whole idea was great, although this is not very funny movie. Acting was, OK i guess for this material, and there were some cameos from very famous starts, but they almost felt flat. At running time 1 h 25 min movie dragged a lot, i almost managed to watch it in like 4 days. Overall, i really wanted to like this satire on of movies and studio system, and "talkies", but this movie is just silly to me. It has some laughs, but most of them aren't really funny or smart. All in all this is not a good movie. Disappointing picture.

Dalbert Pringle Get this! Silent Movie's tag-line was - "The only sound you'll hear is laughter!".... (Oh!? Really!?)... And, of course, when it came to that laughter, the only one you're likely to hear chuckling merrily away would be director Mel Brooks (all the way to the bank) 'cause his $4 million movie had just grossed $36 million at the box-office.Yep. That's the only laughter you're gonna hear in regards to this unfunny dud. 'Cause, believe me, it didn't provoke any laughter in me.And, speaking about slapstick comedy - If this particular genre wasn't already dead by the time Silent Movie was released in 1976, then, to be sure, this film certainly succeeded in killing it, once and for all.With the exception of but a few good sight gags - I swear Silent Movie's storyline (which came across like a Made-For-TV movie) was being made up as they went along. And cameo appearances by the likes of Paul Newman, James Caan, and Burt Reynolds did nothing to compensate for the utter stupidity of this picture.And, finally - This dumber-than-dumb movie lost itself some very serious points for its blatant (and very unwelcome) product placement of the all-familiar Coca Cola logo.

Bill Slocum Don't expect too much from this Mel Brooks send-up of silent comedy and, well, you'll probably still be disappointed. Just not as much.Mel Funn (Brooks) is an out-of-work movie director who has an idea for how to get back in the business: Make the first silent movie in over 40 years. To get the backing of Big Picture Studios, Mel and partners Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman) and Dom Bell (Dom DeLuise) set about signing Hollywood stars to the project. Can Mel stay off the sauce long enough to see it through?"Silent Movie" was Brooks' first film after owning 1974 with "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein"; as a result he could do pretty much whatever he wanted. You want to do a silent movie, Mel? Sure, why not? Well, maybe because Brooks' type of comedy was more verbal than visual. "Silent Movie" too often plays like a movie whose maker thinks it's funnier than it really is.Take the cameo appearances of several big-name stars, another sign of Brooks' clout. Burt Reynolds has fun playing up his own ego, and so we do, too, while mime Marcel Marceau gets the funniest line in the picture (also the only line.) But the other stars brought in - Paul Newman, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, and Anne Bancroft - showcase their amiability more than their comedy potential.The physical comedy gets really labored and obvious at times, not what you got watching the silent clowns, or even "Blazing Saddles." When Mel and his two buddies try to recruit Liza, for example, they dress as knights in bulky suits of armor. Instead of engaging Minnelli in conversation while trying to look natural in their odd attire, the three just bumble around in a commissary, knocking down tables and chairs until Liza pulls a face, recognizes Mel, and asks to be in his movie. End scene.This strained gagginess extends to various sight gags. When we see a nurse in a hospital reading a smutty book, we can see patients on monitors behind her falling out of their beds, crying for help, etc. It's not much of a joke, but Brooks the director then pans over to put these monitors in close-up for a few seconds.The movie does have moments of genuine funniness, albeit in the same patchy way as the later Brooks' comedies "High Anxiety" and "History Of The World Part I." When we first see Mel driving down a street, a card tells us we are in "Hollywood, Film Capital of Greater Los Angeles." The plaque on the door of Big Pictures' boss (Sid Caesar) reads "Current Studio Chief."Caesar is pretty funny, too, as is Bernadette Peters as a sexy vamp who is sicced on Mel to take his mind off the movie. I love her big entrance, on stage inside a giant banana, from which she is peeled to deliver her silent catchphrase: "Ba-Ba-Loo!" Both Marty and Dom make for enjoyable company throughout, although they don't do much more than ogle ladies (Marty) or eat (Dom). In the technical department, John Morris's score and Paul Lohmann's cinematography are non-distractingly enjoyable.The big negative in this film, as with "High Anxiety," is Brooks. There is no funnier white person in living history, but he doesn't work as an actor, even in a farce. He's always smiling too much, pressing too hard to show us what a nice guy he is. Of course, it doesn't help that he's his own director here. (Brooks did better work as the lead in the 1983 remake of "To Be Or Not To Be," which he didn't direct.)"Silent Movie" is funny enough in spots and has enough of that old Brooks magic to make it pleasant if forgettable viewing. You can't help wanting more, but if you are like me, you're almost satisfied to get what you do.