Gas cap

Blazing Saddles

(1974)

Well, I liked it better than the last time I started to watch it but gave up about a half-hour in, but with the exception of Madeline Kahn's tribute to Marlene Dietrich's saloon singer in Destry Rides Again, there's nothing here I'm much moved to see again.

Most interesting thing about the experience was watching an AMC feed for the first time in ages. Of course, Brooks himself plays with squeamishness over the n-word, to sometimes comic effect, but AMC's strategy, rather than have the word interrupted by recognition of inappropriate audience or a pealing church bell is simply to erase the soundtrack for the necessary length of time. Ditto with other vulgarities over a threshold that must be clearer to them than to me: that someone can say "ass----" or "bull----" makes it clear that they're not interested in concealing what word is meant, only in protecting us from actually hearing it. And it's only words that matter, not meanings: the AMCensor has no problem with "You use your tongue prettier than a $20 whore" or "Are we just jerking off?" Those lines are unmolested. Nor are we spared the auditory consequences of the cowboy's leguminous diet. But heaven forfend that we should be subjected to the alliterative poetry of Hedley Lamarr calling Lili Von Schtupp a "Teutonic ----." (Though I guess the fact that her name can be both heard and read indicates that only English obscenities are dangerous.)