Best and Worst SNL Movies

In honor of the recent release of MacGruber, Saturday Night Live’s first film in over a decade, I decided to put together a list of the best and worst movies based on SNL skits.  SNL has had its fair share of hits and misses (mostly misses) and most of the films are critically panned.  But in SNL’s defense, these films are primarily made for the fans of the show, not the high-brow critics.  With that said, here is my list from best to worst.

1. The Blues Brothers (1980) – Rated R for language, alcohol/drug use, and frightening/intense scenes.

Turns out that SNL’s first film is also their best.  The story follows “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) as they take on a “mission from God” to save their Catholic orphanage from foreclosure by organizing a performance to raise the $5,000 needed to pay the tax assessor.  The film has everything you could ask for: incredible music, awesome car chases, and wild humor.  And some amazing performances by Belushi, Aykroyd, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin, among others. 

2, Wayne’s World (1992) – Rated PG-13 for sex-related dialogue.

Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar host “Wayne’s World” for a local cable-access channel from Wayne’s parent’s basement.  Popular with the locals, Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe) realizes he could get it sponsored and re-invent the show.  He also has his eyes on Wayne’s girlfriend, Cassandra, and her band, Crucial Taunt.  This film’s effect on pop culture has no boundaries.  Aside from starting catchphrases like “Schwing!” and “Schyeah, right!” it also popularized “Party on!” and “That’s what she said!” as well as saying “…not!” after an affirmative sentence to state the contrary.  Mike Myers and Dana Carvey shined in their SNL character roles.  And, this film is also responsible for single-handedly bringing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” back on the Billboard Top 10 Singles chart.  Can any other SNL film say that?

3. Wayne’s World 2 (1993) – Rated PG-13 for ribald humor.

To cash in on the first film’s popularity, SNL pushed ahead with its first sequel.  And though it wasn’t as warmly received as the first, I still think it’s an excellent film.  This time around, Wayne has a dream in which Jim Morrison and a weird naked Indian tell him that it is his destiny to put on a big concert called WayneStock.  It had the same impact the first film had on pop culture and it also kept some of the same elements as the first, such as the three different endings.  And I totally quote this film as much as I quote the first.  Party on, Wayne!  Party on, Garth!

4. A Night At The Roxbury (1998) – Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor, language, and some drug content.

This film was universally panned but it is one of my guilty pleasures.  Every time I channel surf and come across this film, I just have to stop and watch it!  The film follows night-clubbing brothers Doug and Steve Butabi, Chris Kattan and Will Farrell, as they try to open up their own club.  Their father wants them to run the family business, a fake plant store, but they dream of one day opening up the city’s newest hot club despite not being allowed in the current hottest club.  This film has a cult following and also had some influence on pop culture with the brother’s responses of “No!…Yes!” to answer questions.  Not to mention bringing Haddaway’s “What Is Love?” to the mainstream.

5. Coneheads (1993) – Rated PG for comic nudity and some double entendre humor.

Based on the classic 70s skits, this film follows the Conehead family as they try to assimilate into American culture and pursue the immigrant’s  ”American dream.”  Beldar and Prymaat, Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin, have been stranded on Earth after their ship was shot down by the New Jersey Air National Guard.  They try to fit in with the Earthlings, however, and even have a daughter, Connie.  They successfully blend in with their neighbors, despite their obvious cone heads, while being tracked down by an INS agent.  The script and storyline was bare but still had some humor.  Prymaat using her mouth as a vacuum and Beldar’s dentist appointment are some memorable scenes.  And how can you forget when they mistake condoms for chewing gum?

6. Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) – Rated PG-13 for exotic dancing and some language.

SNL’s second sequel follows Elwood, 18 years after the events in the first film, as he is released from prison.  He tries to reform the band despite his brother being dead to follow another “mission from God” to raise funds for a children’s hospital.  It lacks the same heart and soul as the first, but it still has its humor and great music.

7. Superstar (1999) – Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor and language.

Mary-Katherine Gallagher, Molly Shannon, is an Irish-Catholic school girl who wants to be a superstar so she can kiss her dream guy Sky Corrigan, Will Farrell.  I mean there’s only so many scenes that she could put her hands in her armpits and then smell them but they made this film anyway.

8. The Ladies Man (2000) – Rated R for sexual humor and language.

This film follows Leon Phelps, the late-night radio advice-show host.  There is pretty much no humor here.  And the few jokes they attempted just fell flat.  I really have nothing else to say.

9. Stuart Saves His Family (1995) – Rated PG-13 for language and substance abuse.

Stuart Smalley thought he was good enough, smart enough, and that, doggone it,  people liked him.  Too bad he was wrong.

10. It’s Pat: The Movie (1994) – Rated PG-13 for bizarre gender-related humor

Julia Sweeney’s Pat Riley, an obnoxious busybody of indeterminable gender, falls in love with Dave Foley’s Chris, a sensitive, caring person also of indeterminable gender.  Oy vey, where do I even start?  The pronoun games and slightly creepy costumes got pretty old about 5 minutes into the movie, which just happens to be the average-length of a skit.  Turns out what mildly works on TV just didn’t work at all in a feature-length film.  It was so horrible, it literally got pulled from theatres after only being out for a week.  A new definition of bad. 

So where does MacGruber fit in all of this?  I said in my review here, that it was comfortably in the middle.  I guess that would put it somewhere between A Night At The Roxbury and Blues Brothers 2000.  But I’ve only seen it once so I might change my mind after a second viewing.  What do you think of my list of best and worst SNL movies?  Agree or disagree?  Comment and let me know what you think!

MacGruber

MacGruber (2010) – Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, violence, language, and some nudity.

Saturday Night Live is pretty persistent in making films out of skits even though they’ve yet to have much success.  The Blues Brothers can arguably be considered SNL’s best effort and that was their first film back in 1980.  And I would also put Wayne’s World at a VERY close second.  Sure we all have soft spots for Coneheads, Superstar, and even A Night At The Roxbury, but we’ve also seen the monstrosities It’s Pat and The Ladies Man.  With that said, I would put MacGruber safely in the middle.  It was completely hilarious but I also felt myself losing IQ points from all the brain-dead humor. 

For starters, Will Forte really knows how to put himself 110% into his role.  He wore the mullet wig, exposed his hairy chest and belly button, and even showed his hairy ass.  Multiple times.  But he spent about 90% of the film not doing what his character is known for in his skits: mocking MacGyver by making useful gadgets out of household items.  Not to say that this was a bad thing, though.  They did find time to make fun of many 80s action-comedies, however.  In a classic “getting the team together” montage, MacGruber manages to put together a team of “killer stoppers” to aid him in stopping the evil Dieter Von Cunth, played by Val Kilmer.  Val Kilmer is hilarious in this role and he plays the villain wonderfully.  And in classic MacGruber skit form, he blows them up to smithereens.  Because of this, MacGruber ends up with Lt. Dixon Piper and Vicki St. Elmo, played by Ryan Phillippe and Kristen Wiig.  Kristen Wiig really shines in this role and gives a really unforgettable performance. 

For a while I couldn’t figure out what year this film was set in because of the style of clothes MacGruber and Vicki St. Elmo wear.  And in a nod to classic 80s nostalgia, MacGruber is quite attached to his removable car stereo in his Miata.  I finally realized that the film is indeed set in 2009 as it is mentioned that characters believed MacGruber to be dead for 10 years, and his gravestone reads that he died in 1999.  Much of the humor comes from the did-they-or-didn’t-they bits when mentioning Von Cunth’s name, which sounds similar to a certain lady part; “It’s time to pound some Cunth!” and “Screw you, Cunth!” to name a few.  There’s also a random scene with unnecessary subtitles that I laughed so hard on.  I won’t ruin it by telling you what was said. 

In the end, you will laugh when you watch this movie.  Will you feel any smarter?  No.  Will you feel better about yourself?  No.  But you will laugh and that is what this film is trying to make you do.  Mission accomplished.  Filmtastic review = 4 stars.

Happy Mother’s Day!

For those of you that didn’t watch Saturday Night Live last night, with host Betty White, you missed out on some great comedy.  It was, by far, one of Saturday Night Live’s best episodes this season.   The digital short was hilarious!  It was a special tribute to the classy Betty White by the cast, and then a hardcore death metal rendition of “Thank You For Being A Friend,” sung by Betty White!  She ends this EPIC video by saying, “Happy Mother’s Day Mother F*ckers!”  This is exactly why Betty White is the coolest “Golden Girl” in Hollywood!  Happy Mother’s Day from Filmtastic!