Another honor for one of the funniest men in film: Mel Brooks

I'm a huge Mel Brooks movie fan. Whenever I'm having a rough day, I either turn to a Mel Brooks movie or a Monty Python film to lift my spirits. It works, almost every single time. Oh, sure, some might tell you that Brooks' movies are just silly, and you know what I say to that? Exactly! That's the whole point. Sheesh, some people really need to lighten up a bit.

And lightening things up is exactly what Mel Brooks is so brilliant at doing. From the genius hilarity of Young Frankenstein to the over-the-top shtick of Blazing Saddles, my life is so much better because Mel Brooks has been in it for so many years.

Now today, I learned that Mel Brooks is receiving yet (another) prestigious honor: The American Film Institute’s 41st Life Achievement Award. To say that Brooks enriched American culture with his films is a gross understatement. Everyone I know has a favorite, and we love to quote them incessantly. What's your favorite? I have two, and don't ask me to even try to choose between them because I can't do it: Young Frankenstein and the 1968 version of The Producers. Oh, and High Anxiety. Oh, oh and History of the World - Part 1. And now that I think about it, Spaceballs is still pretty darn hilarious.

See? It's really tough for me to pick just one or even five favorites when it comes to Mel Brooks' movies.

Over his 50+ years in the entertainment industry, 86-year-old Mel Brooks has contributed his considerable talents with his wonderful films. In my humble opinion, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles are two of the greatest comedy films ever made. He deserves every film honor ever, including the AFI's Life Achievement Award, which he'll get from director Martin Scorsese in a special ceremony in Hollywood next month.

Again, I ask: What do you believe is Mel Brooks' greatest, funniest movie? I'm talking about the one you can see over and over and never, ever tire of watching.

Photo courtesy of NBC Bay Area