Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11127 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-12-26
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Mel Brooks's 1981, three-part comedy--set in the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, and the French Revolution--is pure guilty pleasure. Narrated by Orson Welles and featuring a lot of famous faces in guest appearances (beyond the official cast), the film opens well with Sid Caesar playing a caveman, then moves along to the unlikely but somehow hilarious juxtaposition of Caesar's soldiers (the other Caesar, not Sid) with pot humour, and ends on a dumb-funny note in the French bloodbath. This is a take-it-or-leave-it movie, and it works best if you're in a take-it-or-leave-it mood. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
In this spoof of great moments in history from the dawn of humanity through the French Revolution, director Mel Brooks delivers a twisted history lesson through his signature satirical, madcap humour. Funny, vulgar, and narrated by the great Orson Welles, 'History Of The World - Part I', tells the progress of humankind as cave dweller, tap-dancing slave, and biblical hero. The most famous bit in the film features Moses coming down from Mount Sinai. Other highlights include a hilarious Hitler On Ice sequence and other outrageous comic situations, unbelievably silly jokes, and inspired casting with the film itself mimicking several historical Hollywood epics, most notably 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' and 'The Ten Commandments', as well as a brilliant parody of '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

Customer Reviews

stoopid but great fun
This is not sophisticated comedy, but it takes real talent to make proper use of such terrible jokes - it's the way he tells 'em and give or take a very few gags so groanworthy that they do fall flat, it will keep you in stitches for 90 minutes, with highlights including the French Revolution and the great all-singing and dancing Spanish inquisition sequence. While many of Mel Brooks's regular collaborators are present, this film is a particular delight for British audiences due to having been filmed in the UK and featuring a wide range of British talent including Pamela Stephenson, Spike Milligan (as her father), John Hurt (as Jesus in a hilarious Last Supper gag) and many others. Definitely one of Mel Brooks's best.

Timeless classic
I had totally forgotten about this film until I saw a clip on TV, so time to check it out again. I have to say, although I had not seen it for about 15 years, I forgot how timeless and funny this is. A parody on famous movies and times in history, with some suprisingly good effects for the time. For me, Mel Brooks can be quite hit and miss, but this film was a definate hit. Who else could do a musical number about the Spanish inquisition?

Never gets old!
I grew up with this film. My nan had it, and we loved putting it on and watching when we went to hers. Fortunatly I never knew what half of the things meant, and watching it recently, it is quite rude in places.
Now Im older and have purchased and watched again, I understand it haha, and its alot more funny.