Will Blazing Saddles Ever Be Shown Again? Exploring Its Future
While I can't predict specific future programming decisions, broadcast decisions can vary based on factors such as content guidelines, audience demand, and licensing agreements. If you're interested in watching it, keep an eye on television schedules, streaming services, and local theaters for any upcoming showings.
Blazing Saddles: Enduring Popularity
It's never gone away. It still runs in repertory theatres, plays on HBO Max and various cable channels, and of course, there are millions of VHS, laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray copies in people's homes. The only ones offended by the movie are white supremacists who hate being portrayed as racist a-holes.
Watching and Availability
We watched it a couple of weeks ago on TCM and it was the uncut version, complete with the n-word and the fart scene around the campfire. Mel Brooks' magnum opus.
You can currently see Blazing Saddles on Amazon Prime, Vudu, or YouTube. It has not been shown in theaters in 45 years. Not sure why it would be now, and it has been on TV, though clearly edited for television.
Future Showings and Controversy
Will Blazing Saddles ever be shown again? Probably not, and definitely not the original uncut version. While it is a hilarious classic, the controversy surrounding it will likely keep it from being shown in theaters. However, it has a place in the world of home entertainment.
Ignored in theaters due to the potential damage of COVID-19, the theater industry is constantly worried about anything driving people away. Blazing Saddles, a masterpiece of a film written in part by Richard Pryor, would certainly upset the crybullies who protest on behalf of people who never asked for their help.
The Film in Detail
I recently saw it on TV, possibly on TCM or IFC. While I don’t make a habit of reviewing TV schedules, it may have been shown more recently than that. As for the future, I’m sure it will be on again soon enough. On television, perhaps as part of a late-night series or something like that. In theaters, a lot less likely.
References and Humor
There are many references to older racial slurs in the film. Mel Brooks plays a Sioux Indian speaking in heavy Yiddish in a heavy New York Jewish accent in the middle of the old West. That’s a fucking riot! The film is also anti-racist from beginning to end, remembering that it is the blacks, the Asians, and the Irish who save Rock Ridge in the end, and Bart who saves them from every assailant.
The problem is that the people who would protest this film have no idea what subtlety is. They don’t see that while all the people of Rock Ridge talked down to Bart, he outsmarted them with one of the dumbest ploys possible, taking himself hostage. After he deals appropriately with Mongo, they all come around to having some faith in him, though they won’t admit it publicly. The film is hilarious from beginning to end.
Even Mel Brooks himself said that he wouldn’t make this film today because people would burn down his house in an outrage if he did. I doubt it would fare much better when it came to the protests of the SJWs.
Conclusion and Recommendation
That being said, I’d pay to go see it. It, like many of Mel Brooks’ works, is a piece of art and Richard Pryor was heavily involved in writing a lot of the jokes and lines that people would take offense to today. While the film may not see the theaters in the future, it is worth watching, especially for those who can appreciate the humor and historical context.
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