When We Went MAD! (2025) - Review of the Blu-ray

      When We Went MAD!, 2025.

      Directed by Alan Bernstein.

      Featuring Quentin Tarantino, Bryan Cranston, Howie Mandel, Judd Apatow, Gilbert Gottfried, Weird Al Yankovic, and The Usual Gang of Idiots.

      SYNOPSIS:

      After a 12-year journey, the documentary When We Went MAD! has finally premiered. It is available for purchase or rent across several streaming platforms and can also be bought on Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the disc doesn't come with any special features, but there may be a more comprehensive edition released in the future. I just hope it doesn't take another 12 years.

      This project has indeed taken a long time to complete. I contributed to their Kickstarter way back in 2013, a time when Barack Obama was just beginning his second term and Donald Trump was a reality TV figure (I’ve never watched his programs) who was known for his Twitter antics.

      I'm pleased to see this documentary finally released, but wow, 12 years is a long wait in today's culture. As far as I know, my Kickstarter pledge should entitle me to a Blu-ray copy of the film, but when the opportunity arose to review it through AV Entertainment, I decided to take a look. After all, it could be another 12 years before my Blu-ray arrives.

      Directed by Alan Bernstein, When We Went MAD! is an enjoyable nostalgic experience, particularly for those of us from Generation X and the Boomer generation who fondly recall the magazine. It's surprising to consider how controversial it once was, yet that was the context of its time; let’s not forget you could see Elvis Presley’s dancing on television as well. Who would think of the children?!

      Regarding the younger generation, the celebrities interviewed in this documentary include Quentin Tarantino, Bryan Cranston, Howie Mandel, Judd Apatow, Gilbert Gottfried, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. They all share similar memories of the magazine’s subversiveness, especially those who were around when it first appeared in comic book form in 1952 before evolving into a magazine, which allowed it to bypass the restrictive Comics Code Authority established due to the Estes Kefauver hearings.

      Naturally, each of them offers their own distinct perspectives on those memories, which helps prevent When We Went MAD! from becoming monotonous. The Usual Gang of Idiots, as they were known, are also well represented, including Sergio Aragones, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Al Jaffee, Dick Debartolo, Frank Jacobs, Arnie Kogen, Al Feldstein, Nick Meglin, among others.

      A fun anecdote: During a field trip to a museum with my daughter, I spotted some artwork that resembled Jack Davis’s style. It turned out it was indeed his work, but I felt the other parents wouldn’t recognize his name, so I kept it to myself. Alas, MAD Magazine didn’t reach all of us.

      Bill Gaines, the magazine's founder, passed away in 1992 but features prominently in various archival footage. He was quite a character, and this documentary effectively conveys the chaos and excitement from those Manhattan offices back in the day. He seemed to be a great boss, even when he was tracking down someone to pay 15 cents for a personal call made on the office line.

      Regrettably, this Blu-ray release is quite basic, lacking any bonus features. I'm sure there was plenty of interview footage that didn't make it into the final cut, so hopefully, it will be included in the discs sent to Kickstarter backers. Perhaps.

      In the meantime, this documentary is definitely worth a look, even if you just opt to rent it on a streaming service for now.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook