And that, dear reader, is perfect comedy.
Mark Blankfield plays Blinkin, the blind servant who thinks a stuffed bear is Robin. “Did you say ‘Abe Lincoln’?” he asks. The physical comedy—walking into pillars, mistaking a mannequin for a friend—is pure vaudeville. But it works because the character is never cruel; he is just tragically helpful. robin hood in men in tights
Maid Marian wears a chastity belt to protect her virtue. The Sheriff steals the key. Robin must pick the lock. The gag runs for nearly three minutes—using a feather, a tuning fork, and eventually a bolt-cutter—while Marian reads a book. It is absurd, juvenile, and a perfect example of Brooks extending a single visual joke until it transcends comedy into art. And that, dear reader, is perfect comedy
Searching for usually leads a person to one of two places: nostalgic memory or curious discovery. If you have never seen it, imagine Monty Python and the Holy Grail but with better production value and a distinctly 90s American flavor. The Sheriff steals the key
is a quintessential parody that skewers the legend of Robin Hood, specifically targeting the then-recent blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves . Starring Cary Elwes as the dashing Robin of Loxley
Released in 1993 and directed by the legendary Mel Brooks Robin Hood: Men in Tights