El. knyga: Parody as Film Genre: Never Give a Saga an Even Break

Focusing more closely on one of the five comedy film genres he identified in his 1988 Handbook of American Film Genres , Gehring (film, Ball State U.) begins by reviewing the overall components and history of the spoofing tradition in US film. Then he looks at western parodies by several pivotal comedians, a trilogy of Bob Hope spoofs, the burlesque misadventures of Mel Brooks, and films in the 1990s. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Parody is the least appreciated of all film comedy genres and receives little serious attention, even among film fans. This study elevates parody to mainstream significance. A historical overview places the genre in context, and a number of basic parody components, which better define the genre and celebrate its value, are examined. Parody is differentiated from satire, and the two parody types, traditional and reaffirmation, are explained. Chapters study the most spoofed genre in American parody history, the Western; pantheon members of American Film Comedy such as The Marx Brothers, W. C. Fields, Mae West, and Laurel and Hardy; pivotal parody artists, Bob Hope and Woody Allen; Mel Brooks, whose name is often synonymous with parody; and finally, parody in the 1990s. Films discussed include Destry Rides Again (1939), The Road to Utopia (1945), My Favorite Brunette (1947), The Paleface (1948), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) and Scream (1996).

Gives parody its deserved place in film history, by defining the genre, differentiating it from satire, and demonstrating how a well-executed spoof provides an educational blueprint of its target genre.