Life Stinks! (Or so the movie goes…)

This was written for Maglomaniac, circa July 2, 2014

I’m a fan of Mel Brooks.  His movies are hilarious beyond question.  Some are just a little bit much (Blazing Saddles for example), while others are satirical genius (Spaceballs, for example).  But, if there’s one movie I feel is his best work, and I mean his best work, it’s his 1994 classic, “Life Stinks”. 

Here’s a quick synopsis for you:

Goddard Bolt is a ruthless billionaire who owns a good portion of Beverly Hills, among other land tracts.  With his vision, he hopes to take a good chunk of slum areas and turn it into “Bolt Center”.  However, his rival, Vance Crasswell owns part of those slum areas.  Seeing as how they are at an impasse when it comes to who will own the other portion, a wager is made.  Crasswell feels that Bolt couldn’t manage as a homeless person, even if he tried.  So, Bolt agrees to live in that slum area with no contact to anyone he knows, no money, and no other valuables for 30 days.  If he wins, he gets Crasswell’s part of the slums.  If he fails, he loses his portion to Crasswell.  What follows is a 90 minute hilarious film where Bolt learns to appreciate that there is more to life than being filthy rich, while being filthy.  He does so by meeting new friends, a love interest, some dangerous enemies, and the possibility of losing everything, before and after the bet is over.  It makes for one amazing film.

What I like most about this film is its earnest nature.  I got the message loud and clear from Brooks as he wants people to understand how to treat your fellow man, be it rich or poor.  He also wanted to convey the massive divide in the rich and the poor in 1990s.  I also like the fact that it was a nice change of pace from just spoofs and parodies.  You hear about a Mel Brooks film and that’s the first thing you expect: what form of pop culture are they parodying this time.  But, instead, he made an original film that talk about something meaningful with a great life lesson in the end.

Sadly, the movie bombed and was given harsh criticism.  But, like most movies that turn out better after a few years and/or different viewers, it received a cult following.  I first saw it on cable and had to make it a point to get it on DVD.  Now, I can watch it as many times as I like, and without fail.  It’s definitely a Mel Brooks movie you should see to add to your collection.  If there’s one lesson you can get from this film, it’s that whether you’re rich or poor, life stinks….but not always.