Saturday Night (2024)
January 6, 2025 6:48 AM - Subscribe
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. This is the story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.
Shepherd and I watched this on, well, Saturday Night. We liked it even though I am very sure a lot of it is fabricated, but the casting is spot on and uncanny.
And I mean, where else are you gonna see JK Simmons (playing Milton Berle) whip out Berle's famous fictional hog?
I found myself getting anxious to see if they would pull it off despite knowing that, duh, they pull it off.
Shepherd and I watched this on, well, Saturday Night. We liked it even though I am very sure a lot of it is fabricated, but the casting is spot on and uncanny.
And I mean, where else are you gonna see JK Simmons (playing Milton Berle) whip out Berle's famous fictional hog?
I found myself getting anxious to see if they would pull it off despite knowing that, duh, they pull it off.
That pleases me too because it shows him as talented but a huge huge asshole.
posted by Kitteh at 8:54 AM on January 6 [2 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 8:54 AM on January 6 [2 favorites]
Do people actually like this film? Lots of talented people involved I guess but it frankly looks like hot garbage.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:12 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:12 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
It does seem like people have different levels of enthusiasm/tolerance for impersonation/dramatization.
This seems to be getting high marks in that category. I plan on checking it out.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:31 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
This seems to be getting high marks in that category. I plan on checking it out.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:31 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
What struck me, watching that scene between Chase and Berle, is that Chevy Chase has spent the entirety of his career just replaying that scene with everyone he works with. Except he thinks he’s Berle.
posted by wabbittwax at 12:32 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
posted by wabbittwax at 12:32 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
I had heard this was not very good, and so went in not expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised. I'm fine with dramatizations that stray from the truth as long as I'm aware of that, and as long as they don't take themselves too seriously.
I was impressed that this captured what I expect is the frenetic energy behind the scenes when trying to pull off live TV. I don't find the timeline of the events captured in the film particularly believable, but the impression of panic that timeline creates for the viewer? That, I enjoyed.
posted by neutralhydrogen at 12:46 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
I was impressed that this captured what I expect is the frenetic energy behind the scenes when trying to pull off live TV. I don't find the timeline of the events captured in the film particularly believable, but the impression of panic that timeline creates for the viewer? That, I enjoyed.
posted by neutralhydrogen at 12:46 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
Didn't love it. Something about it felt really forced, I think the fake high stakes concept of "we're down to the WIRE and only NINETY MINUTES to air" and all the silly made up anecdotes was just conceptually poor and uninteresting, none of it nearly as thrilling and chaotic as it set out to be. Diet Safdie brothers energy without any of the actual stress, Diet Sorkin "witty" jokes that were way too winky and pleased with themselves. Don't think I smiled or laughed once. Felt like a big waste of phenomenal casting and acting.
Don't waste YOUR Saturday night watching Saturday Night, folks, C- this has been Windbox at the Movies
posted by windbox at 1:01 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
Don't waste YOUR Saturday night watching Saturday Night, folks, C- this has been Windbox at the Movies
posted by windbox at 1:01 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
Mods, please arrest this person and vanish their family for they are guilty of: leaving a Negative Comment
posted by ginger.beef at 7:20 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
posted by ginger.beef at 7:20 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
Yeah I've gotten slammed for leaving negative reviews on Fanfare, not cool. You don't have to be a fan of a film to discuss your opinion of it. I thought Saturday Night stole the Andy Kauffman saves the day ending from the Weird Al biopic. Heck, it's practically a remake of Putney Swope with Lorne Michaels swapped in for Putney. Well not practically, imaginatively. But see, I just offered some daft opinion, it's allowed.
I thought the movie is way, way too kind on edgelord Michael O'Donoghue. It's as if they use him to grant a modern take on things but really he's just an asshole.
posted by Catblack at 8:11 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
I thought the movie is way, way too kind on edgelord Michael O'Donoghue. It's as if they use him to grant a modern take on things but really he's just an asshole.
posted by Catblack at 8:11 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
Y'know, I had forgotten Michael O'Donoghue existed until I watched this? And then I was like, "Oh yeah, that guy. Huh." Again, I was born a year after SNL premiered but I do have fuzzy recollections of seeing humour books by him in the mall bookstores.
As I mentioned above, I feel the movie is pretty hagiographic in a lot of ways, as well as likely fictionalized to a certain extent. For me, I enjoyed it for the casting and it led me down a rabbit hole of the lesser known original cast members. Garrett Morris really was too good for the show!
posted by Kitteh at 4:05 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
As I mentioned above, I feel the movie is pretty hagiographic in a lot of ways, as well as likely fictionalized to a certain extent. For me, I enjoyed it for the casting and it led me down a rabbit hole of the lesser known original cast members. Garrett Morris really was too good for the show!
posted by Kitteh at 4:05 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Rosie Shuster was one of the most compelling people of this film. Somehow it became the Lorne show.
posted by edithkeeler at 4:29 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by edithkeeler at 4:29 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
edithkeeler, I did not know who Rosie Shuster was at all until I watched this and read up on her! She was really instrumental to the initial success of SNL but it took a movie made nearly 50 years later from the first aired episode for me to even heear about her. You see there in the bones where SNL made itself a boys' club from the jump, sidelining its female actors and Black actors, no matter they were also integral to its success.
posted by Kitteh at 4:48 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 4:48 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
I remember being very excited about it when the trailer dropped. Then I found out the movie is kinda awful to both George Carlin and Jim Henson, two of my favorite human beings of all time. So I don't know if I'll ever get around to it now.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 6:00 AM on January 7
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 6:00 AM on January 7
I hope my comment above was taken as the stupid little joke it most definitely was, see the recent MeTa for more info in case you've missed out
posted by ginger.beef at 7:27 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by ginger.beef at 7:27 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
ginger.beef, we know you're just doing it for the clout.
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:25 AM on January 7 [5 favorites]
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:25 AM on January 7 [5 favorites]
I don’t think the film is unkind to either George Carlin, or Jim Henson. The cast and crew and especially Michael O’Donoghue are really unkind and dismissive to Jim Henson, and the most you can say is he seems like a passive victim in this telling. Carlin has himself said that he was not in a good place that week and he was full of cocaine the entire time. That just seems accurate.
Two things I enjoyed about the portrayal of Dan Ayckroyd in this: the way he would repeat rehearsed bits at people as a substitute for flirting. And that in a couple of occasions he’s portrayed as an encyclopedia of drug knowledge and safety procedures, which is exactly the gag in his Jimmy Carter sketch a few years later. And it’s hilarious to hear him talk about cocaine in the same tone as the lore from Toben’s Spirit Guide. Dylan O’Brien nailed it.
posted by wabbittwax at 7:10 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Two things I enjoyed about the portrayal of Dan Ayckroyd in this: the way he would repeat rehearsed bits at people as a substitute for flirting. And that in a couple of occasions he’s portrayed as an encyclopedia of drug knowledge and safety procedures, which is exactly the gag in his Jimmy Carter sketch a few years later. And it’s hilarious to hear him talk about cocaine in the same tone as the lore from Toben’s Spirit Guide. Dylan O’Brien nailed it.
posted by wabbittwax at 7:10 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
I have been a fan of Dylan O'Brien (or as he is called in our house, affectionately, "Dilbo") since Teen Wolf, and Shepherd has said that he expected him to be Dylan O'Brien but as Dan Ackroyd. But he was pleasantly surprised to see nothing of his usual persona in the role and only saw Ackroyd.
posted by Kitteh at 4:34 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 4:34 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
I just saw this on an airplane and in that context I thought it was great. I may have even teared up a bit. It totally captures the zany "the thespians are in it together" vibe. Sure it's fiction, and a bit overdone in places, but it's good entertainment. At least if you're stuck on an airplane.
I was mesmerized by the performances. It must be really weird being a working actor and playing another working actor who's still alive, but 40 years older. Knowing they're going to watch and critique. Particularly comedians who are going to be ruthless in their critique and who know impressions.
Best gag: “If you want a comeback, you'll have to scrape it off the back of your mother's teeth.”
posted by Nelson at 5:31 PM on January 10
I was mesmerized by the performances. It must be really weird being a working actor and playing another working actor who's still alive, but 40 years older. Knowing they're going to watch and critique. Particularly comedians who are going to be ruthless in their critique and who know impressions.
Best gag: “If you want a comeback, you'll have to scrape it off the back of your mother's teeth.”
posted by Nelson at 5:31 PM on January 10
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:52 AM on January 6 [12 favorites]