As proved by this new mashup from Dominick Nero
I’ve got a pretty unpopular opinion about HBO’s latest tentpole drama, the Westworld reimagining: I think it’s kind of silly. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy it, but I think that it takes itself a bit too seriously, and in doing so becomes unintentionally funny. Michael Crichton’s original film had less artifice to it. The robots were obviously robots, there were more worlds than just West in the park, and there was no mythology to the story, the robots just went haywire and killed everybody, it was a glitch, a malfunction, not an supposed evolutionary miracle. This lack of artifice acted as a buffer between camp and high-drama, we were in on the joke, so to speak, and so the resulting film never strayed too far into either territory, instead balanced itself nicely in the middle.
But HBO’s take on things, as expected and as it should be, is significantly more complicated, more nuanced, less straightforward and tons more dramatic, despite the fact that it’s still basically about people paying a shit-ton of money to bang robots. By going full-throttle psychological techno-epic and (for the most part) turning their backs on the campier aspects of the world they’re in, Westworld invites those aspects to exist unhindered, manifesting in over-the-top and desensitized spectacles like the various bloodbaths and that super-creepy orgy.
Again, I don’t dislike Westworld, in fact I think it’s crazy intelligent and narratively labyrinthine in the best way, I’m as hooked as the rest of you, I just can’t help but chuckle sometimes at the unintentional humor the show conjures from all its borderline-melodramatic posturing. Which is why I fell out of my chair laughing at the following mashup made by our old friend Dominick Nero for Cafe that blends the conflicting realms of Westworld and Mel Brook’s comedy classic Blazing Saddles with results that are both hilarious, and scarily cogent.
Nero’s taken images and dialogue from Brooks’ film and spliced them into the trailer for Westworld, cutting out all visuals from the series but leaving the music, the ambiance, the themes, and a choice line or two of dialogue to really tie it together. Consider this your treat for making it through another week, and this Sunday, remember it when you watch Westworld, and see if you don’t catch my drift about the humor hidden ‐ kinda like that maze Ed Harris is looking for ‐ within the world of West.
It's kind of insane how well Blazing Saddles fits in with the trailer for HBO's Westworld. (by @filminick) https://t.co/fOnSp3K8Y0
— @cafedotcom
Related Topics: Comedy
