Mel Brooks honored at Los Angeles premiere of two-part documentary

Mel Brooks joined fellow comedians and guests at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles for the premiere of the two-part documentary "Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!" The film, directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, offers a deep look at Mr. Brooks’s life and work; it chronicles his romance with his second wife, Anne Bancroft, and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner, and it includes interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller, Dave Chappelle and Adam Sandler alongside clips from "Get Smart," "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles." Mr.

Brooks, who turned 99 last June, said on the red carpet, "I'm very happy about anything that has to do with me that's positive," and called the film "very busy-making." The premiere included remarks from Mr. Apatow and other comedians: "He’s the funniest person who ever lived," Mr.

Apatow said, adding that Mr. Brooks attacks racism and fascism and has a "real moral center" to his work. Patton Oswalt said, "He wasn’t afraid to show his influences, which is really ballsy." The documentary also gestures toward the sadness and loneliness of a long life, featuring commentary from several friends of Mr.

Brooks who have died since recording their interviews, "a group including David Lynch, Mr. Reiner and Mr. Reiner’s son Rob, who was murdered last month," the report said. At the end of the screening Mr.

Key Topics

Culture, Mel Brooks, Academy Museum, Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Anne Bancroft