National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1987, Spaceballs was Mel Brooks's affectionate send-up of the science-fiction blockbusters that had come to dominate the decade, chief among them the Star Wars saga. Brooks aimed his particular brand of pun-heavy, fourth-wall-breaking comedy at an entire genre, and the result has endured as a beloved parody. Its cast, including Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, gave the film a warmth that keeps audiences returning to it long after the movies it teased.

This cell captures Princess Vespa and her droid companion Dot, a pairing that gently mirrors the space fantasies of the era. Holding an actual frame that passed through a projector connects you directly to the film itself, a small physical piece of a comedy that still earns laughs.