Spaceballs (1987)

About this episode

The hosts and guest discuss the 1987 film Spaceballs, evaluating its humor and nostalgia.

May the Schwartz Be With You: A Spaceballs Deep DiveWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Adam Marshall Rini to close out Season 8 with Mel Brooks' 1987 sci-fi parody Spaceballs. The trio explores whether this childhood favorite still holds up with "grown-up eyes," debating everything from Rick Moranis' concussed helmet performance to Pizza the Hut's grotesque puppet design. Spoiler alert: opinions are divided, with ratings ranging from a nostalgic seven cans of Perri-Air down to a disappointed four.What Really Works (and What Doesn't)The hosts agree that Spaceballs operates on a hit-or-miss ratio—about 50-50, which they concede is pretty solid for parody films. Nathan finds himself pleasantly surprised by how much heart the film retains compared to other spoofs, noting that Mel Brooks maintains character development even while throwing jokes at the wall. The merchandising gags, the "now/then" video scene, and Rick Moranis playing with dolls all earn praise as moments that still land decades later. However, Adam feels the weight of having seen Brooks' masterpieces like Blazing Saddles…

People in this episode

Hosts: Krissy Lenz, Nathan Blackwell

Guest: Adam Marshall Rini

Topics covered

• Spaceballs
• Mel Brooks
• parody films
• nostalgia
• film analysis

Keywords

• Spaceballs
• Mel Brooks
• Rick Moranis
• parody
• film review

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Perri-Air

More episodes of the Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast

• The Untouchables (1987) · June 3, 2026 · 1h 2m
• The Right Stuff (1983) · May 20, 2026 · 52 min
• Invasion U.S.A. (1985) · May 6, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Purple Rain (1984) · April 22, 2026 · 1h 4m
• The Dark Crystal (1982) · April 8, 2026 · 58 min
• Season 9 · April 1, 2026 · 1 min