Young Frankenstein

Arguably one of the top 10 funniest movies of all time, Mel Brooks' 1974 Young Frankenstein—filmed in glorious b&w—is both a loving tribute and an irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). The story revolves around Frederick Frankenstein's (Gene Wilder) efforts to resume the experiments in reanimation pioneered by his late father, with assistance from hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr). Once Frankenstein successfully creates his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend, as Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, the film boasts a great transfer, a sparkling 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, and a slew of extras (several exclusive to the Blu-ray release), including audio commentary by Brooks, several production featurettes, deleted scenes, cast interviews, a blooper reel, a “Franken-Track” viewing option with loads of trivia. A cornerstone comedy for any Blu-ray collection, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)