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High Anxiety (1977)

PG  |   |  Comedy  |  25 December 1977 (USA)
6.7
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 14,077 users  
Reviews: 102 user | 51 critic

Mel Brooks' parody of Alfred Hitchcock films.

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Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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The Desk Clerk
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Cocker Spaniel
Ron Clark ...
Zachary Cartwright
Rudy De Luca ...
Killer (as Rudy DeLuca)
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Bellboy
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Norton
Richard Stahl ...
Dr. Baxter
Darrell Zwerling ...
Dr. Eckhardt
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Storyline

Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on. When he's framed for murder, Dr. Thorndyke must confront his own psychiatric condition, "high anxiety," in order to clear his name. An homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock; contains many parodies of famous Hitchcock scenes from THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and VERTIGO. Written by Scott Renshaw <as.idc@forsythe.stanford.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The Master of Comedy takes on The Master of Suspense! See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 December 1977 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Alta Ansiedade  »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,400,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 5,632,505 (Sweden)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This picture was dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock. See more »

Goofs

Toward the end of the "BIRDS" scene when Dr. Thorndyke is sitting in the gardener's shed being showered by the pigeons above him, one gob of the 'mayonnaise and spinach' mixture enters the picture from the left and strikes him on his left shoulder. Who launched this horizontal projectile? See more »

Quotes

Nurse Diesel: Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Opening dedication: This film is dedicated to the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock See more »

Connections

Spoofs Blow-Up (1966) See more »

Soundtracks

High Anxiety
(1977)
(title song)
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Original music and lyrics copyright © 1977 Fox Fanfare Music, Inc.
Sung by Mel Brooks
See more »

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User Reviews

Dizzy parody is Brooks at his height.
2 May 2000 | by (London, England) – See all my reviews

Though often overlooked in favor of Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, I believe this to be the pick of Brooks' parodies. Whether you share this opinion would depend on your familiarity with all things Hitchcockian.

It is not only Vertigo, as the title suggests, that gets the Brooks treatment here, but The Birds, Spellbound and Psycho are all parodied to various degrees of subtlety. Many of these films key scenes are simply re-enacted with comic touches, whilst the Hitchcock formalae is very much in evidence. The style is particularly amusing in its parody. Highlights include a probing camera becoming all too literally intrusive when it crashes through a pane of glass in the window, and a dramatic sound composition turning out to be merely the didactic passing bus load of a touring philamonic orchestra.

Resisting the out and out farce of his earlier effort, Blazing Saddles, and managing not to evolve into simply being a one joke movie such as the tendency of his recent efforts, High Anxiety is Brooks at his most clever. The cast, mainly consisting of Brooks regulars, all display splendidly entertaining and aptly silly impersonations of recognisible Hitchcock stereotypes. It is Brooks' finest hour however, with not only directing, writing, and acting to his credit but singing as well!!!


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