The legendary Mel Brooks needs no introduction, but he does need a doc about his life and career twice the size of a usual one. And HBO is happy to supply it later this month, with another comedy legend, no doubt influenced by Brooks, behind the camera.
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Co-directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the new two-part documentary is an exhaustive and all-encompassing look at one of comedy’s greatest living legends, from his Broadway hits to his Hollywood stardom, and beyond.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!,” courtesy of HBO:
MEL BROOKS: THE 99 YEAR OLD MAN! explores the life, career, friendships, and loves of legendary writer, director, producer, and performer, Mel Brooks. One of Hollywood’s most daring satirists from the early years of television sketch comedy through his film and stage hits, Brooks has held a funhouse mirror up to the human condition and used laughter as a path to resilience, connection, and joy for nearly a century.
Anchored by Apatow’s candid conversations with Brooks and rare archival footage of his performances and television appearances over decades, the two-part film chronicles his early sketches, landmark films and Broadway hits, such as “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Spaceballs,” and “The Producers,” and highlights how he turned personal pain, postwar trauma, and the absurdities of life into bold, hilarious satire that subverted norms and reshaped American comedy.
Apatow and Bonfiglio’s doc features new interviews with Brooks, as well as several professionals he’s inspired. Comedians interviewed include Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Dave Chappelle, Conan O’Brien, Josh Gad, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Tracey Ullman. Filmmakers interviewed include Rob Reiner, Robert Townsend, Peter Farrelly, Jerry & David Zucker, Barry Levinson, and David Lynch. Actors Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Cary Elwes, Matthew Broderick, and Nathan Lane are also interviewed, as are Brooks’ children Stefanie, Nicolas, Eddie, and Max, and granddaughter Samantha.
“Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man” is an HBO Documentary Films production, with Wayne Federman and Olivia Rosenbloom leading producers.
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man” premieres on HBO and HBO Max on January 22. Watch the trailer for the doc below.
