Zero MostelA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

i have watched this movie more times than i can count. you have an all star cast. a witty script.i have the dvd. but it was easier to bring it up on prime tonight. this is a movie to add to yourcollection.

Classic writing and direction, wonderful songs and a talented cast. What's not to like?

This fast-paced film is fun from the opening scene through to the closing credits. Four of the principal characters perform like a finely-tuned string quartet, never missing a beat, and keeping the action going until the final curtain. They are the slave Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) whose constant goal is to gain his freedom ("Give me, me!"); his Master Senex (Michael Hordern) whose goal is to succeed in his lecherous pursuit of the new "maid" (referring to his wife, he advises "Never fall in love during a total eclipse"); Hysterium, the Slave in Chief (Jack Gilford, who assures his Mistress "I live to grovel"); and neighbor Marcus Lycus (Phil Silvers) who runs a slave emporium specializing in attractive young women ("You eunuch! How many times do I have to tell you not to fan the girls when they are wet? You'll always be a eunuch!") There are no extras on the disc aside from subtitles and a trailer. I would have liked an interview or commentary that told me if these actors were enjoying themselves as much as it appeared that they were.Funny Thing is a musical comedy written by Stephen Sondheim, but the songs are so light and funny that the net effect is more on the side of comedy. Starting with "Comedy Tonight!", then "Lovely", "Everybody Ought to have a Maid", to "I Am Miles Gloriosus", the songs delight with their wit and actually contribute to the storyline. Michael Crawford, later to become world famous as the Phantom of the Opera in Lloyd-Weber's Broadway musical, is Hero, the improbably adolescent son of Senex, smitten by Philia (Annette Andre) a denizen of Marcus Lycus' house next door. Hero agrees to give Pseudolus his freedom if Pseudolus can acquire Philia for him. Crawford appeared to do most of his own stunts and is endearingly naive and clumsy. This is a hard act to depict with the grace and humor exhibited by Crawford. Except for his mobile face, he is reminiscent of the young Buster Keaton.And yes, Buster Keaton is in this movie too, his very last in a long career. He is Erronius, a befuddled old man who has searched 20 years for his lost children kidnapped in infancy, his only hope of ever finding them based on the family ring they wore, depicting a gaggle of geese.The action unfolds rapidly over the course of a half day: Pseudolus wants to be free, Hero wants Philia, Philia wants Hero, Senex wants the "maid" (Philia), Marcus Lycus owns Philia and has sold her to the Captain coming this very afternoon to claim her, Hysterium wants to avoid being ratted out by Pseudolus for having Rome's largest collection of erotic pottery, and Erronius wants to find his children. Would you believe it, all of the plot lines involving these eight characters are resolved before the end of the film?Funny Thing is light-hearted and light on its feet, with continuous laughs and a frantic pace that can be attributed to its director, Richard Lester. Indicative of this humorous approach is the way the film deals with the very noticeable presence of flies in several of the scenes. The closing credits are among the most beautifully artistic and entertaining in film history, with the flies given prominent notice. And the Blu-ray from Kino-Lorber makes it all clearly and brightly enjoyable. This is one of those rare films, last viewed more than forty years ago, which is as good as I had remembered it.

Between this one and The Producers, there are no better Zero Mostel movies.The disk quality was very good also.

A funny thing happened on the way to my cable "on demand" service. I saw this title in the listings, but for some reason kept skipping over it. I had heard of the Broadway version, and generally am disappointed in movie remakes of stage musicals. Then I thought of the fantastic few movie musicals I loved and found better than the stage versions: "Cabaret", "Evita", the amazing "Chicago", "The Phantom of the Opera" (yes, I loved it as much as the Broadway version) and "Sweeney Todd". Historically, 75% of musical plays do not make the same "intimate" connection on the big screen. Regarding "Forum", I was hooked during the opening titles, with Zero Mostel singing "Comedy Tonight" as all kinds of hilarious mayhem is taking place, letting us know this is NOT going to be a Shakesperean experience. Who knew Michael Crawford (22 years before "Phantom") was such an expert comic, and was not above taking a few tumbles and playing such a dim-witted yet entirely loveable Hero to Zero Mostel's Pseudolus, a sly, fast talking slave? This is a movie you must see again and again, because there is so much going on, and it's just impossible to give it a fair review the first time around. Once you get the crazy plot in your head, the real fun begins when you don't have to concentrate on the story, and the action gets funnier and funnier though you know exactly what's going to happen...and then you see a flash of slapstick you missed before. There's a lot of almost inaudible little "wise cracks" that evade us, perhaps several times, and then...zing!...you hear them while still trying to keep track of the circus-like shenanigans happening non-stop. One thing I especially liked was the art direction...splashy hot colors, some realistic studio sets, plus a few deliberately not realistic sets (e.g. Hero's bedroom, which is painted in an almost child-like manner, reflecting the naive simplicity of its occupant). I have a hard time wondering why some of the reviewers just don't "get it" and take such an uppity attitude. Come on guys, "Forum" is what it is, and pretends to be nothing else but pure fun! Forget the play; how could a stage in a theater convey one of the weirdest, wackiest moments in which the four main characters are singing and almost "conga-line" dancing high atop a real Roman aquaduct? And mare's sweat for a love potion? And I've just barely touched on the sights and sounds of this crazy "Producers"-like film, where nothing is sacred, rarely makes sense and pours its heart out to do its primary job: entertain, entertain and entertain. No heavey social messages, forget political correctness and check your prior expectations at the door. I have to say that this could have been an abyssmal flop were it not for the genius direction of Richard Lester. Check out his credentials, and that alone may make the skeptics understand what "Forum" is all about. And it's definitely not about logic, sanity or high theatre. It's all about fun! And what's wrong with that?

I saw Zero Mostel perform this on stage many years ago. I was too young to appreciate much of the humor. Now I do. FTHOTWTTF is a pastiche of several Roman Empire plays, notably Pseudolus and Miles Gloriosus, rendered in modern English and still fresh after 2,000 years.

文芸坐のキートンとリチャード・レスター特集のオールナイトで見た。普通のテレビじゃダメだけど、英語字幕しか出ないが楽しめる。これはスティーヴン・ソンドハイムの作詞家ではなく、作曲家としてのデビュー作だ。キートンはいい。晩年なのに走っているだけ。最高！

Película con escenas desternillantes que ya vi cuando se estrenó (hace años) y que tenía ganas de volver a ver; aunque entonces me gustó más. Película recomendable.

Un film complètement déjanté à la Mel Brooks ! On aime ou on déteste. Si on apprécie l’humour absurde alors on est gâté, un regret cependant, il n’y a pas assez de musique donc ce n’est pas vraiment ce qu’on appelle une comédie musicale.

Too bad they don't make comedies like this anymore. I first saw this movie on TV when I was in my teens and loved it. Watching it again on Blu-ray, it was even better than I remembered - and no commercials! Glad I bought it.