In Contention

Tag: Saturday Night Live

  • Wayne and Garth make their Oscar picks

  • Zucks on SNL

    I haven’t even watched this yet. I hear it was a grand show, though:

  • Jim Carrey sends up ‘Black Swan’ on SNL

    I liked last night’s episode well enough but it couldn’t touch his 1996 stab. I blame the cast and writers more than anything, but as usual, Carrey put his heart into each bit, especially this one (which was kind of weak but mostly saved by his effort):

  • Jim Carrey on the rise?

    I’ve been pulling for Jim Carrey the whole way, I tell you.  I was a massive fan in the 90s, starting with “the white guy on ‘In Living Color’” days, through the silly comedies critics loathed and the eventual Oscar-baiting (some of it actually worthy).

    The last decade has seen ups and downs for the actor.  Things started nicely with box office smashes like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Bruce Almighty,” but things really wore thin on “Fun with Dick and Jane” and “Yes Man,” to say nothing of the abysmal “The Number 23.”

    There was the peculiar pre-break-up breakdown earlier this year to cause concern, but then there are the career-topping performances in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and this 2010’s “I Love You Phillip Morris” to consider as well.  The latter, I think, might be his best work to date.

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  • Set your DVR

  • Jeff Bridges to host SNL in December?

    So Tom O’Neil is reporting at Gold Derby that Jeff Bridges will be hosting Saturday Night Live on December 18.  I did some poking around and it looks like he was supposed to host some time next month, but I guess that’s been pushed closer to the Christmas release date of “True Grit” and, more fittingly, the day after the release of “TRON Legacy.” (Good on this guy for calling it.)

    Whatever the case, if true — AWESOME.  Obviously a hosting gig on SNL does plenty to boost the awareness of a big holiday or awards season film, but to the best of my knowledge, this would be the actor’s first time hosting solo.  He apparently co-hosted with brother Beau back in 1983.

    And really, who doesn’t want to see this?  Alright, let’s take bets.  There’s sure to be a silly “TRON” send-up.  Probably some Dude material (cast members dressed as The Dude in the stands during the monologue, perhaps).  Etc.  Anyway, can’t wait.

  • Samberg as Zuckerberg on SNL

    A different, but related clip after the jump.

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  • “I’m trying to take this seriously!”

    To preempt the inevitable, no, probably not worth a separate post, but I caught up with SNL on the DVR last night and it made me laugh:

  • FRIDAY FORECAST: Is it ogre yet?

    *All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

    That fat, green face to the right is the most successful animated character in the history of film. You guys have made him an icon of cinema greater than Don Corleone, Marty McFly and Jack Sparrow as far as box office receipts are concerned. Whatever hilarious adventure he undertakes with his wise-cracking donkey sidekick, you are game for. His latest batch of hijinks comes with the laziest pun title ever and a general feeling of distaste from the third installment.

    “Shrek Forever After” is the big debut this week and will easily win the weekend. There hasn’t been a big family film released in eight weeks (Sorry Brendan Fraser) and the market is ripe for a new blockbuster. The thing is opening in every theater across the country with 3D prices ballooning up to $20 in some places. All the ingredients are there for the film to best the $140.5 million opening of “Shrek the Third.” Except that people generally thought “Shrek the Third” was terrible. How these discerning viewers found anything different at all from film to film in this series is beyond me, but I gave up after the wretched first so what do I know?

    Any time a franchise entry disappoints, the next film takes a hit and so I’m thinking that “Shrek Forever After” will hover around the $100 million mark for the weekend. Could do $95 million or could do $105 million, but nowhere near that $140.5 million. Regardless, the film will make oodles of money for DreamWorks and Mike Myers will continue to confuse doing a Scottish accent for funny in more films.

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  • Long live Betty

    Facebook users got their wish last night as Betty White took the stage on Saturday Night Live…and absolutely KILLED it.

    Seriously, has there been a better episode in the last five years (or more)?  I tend to find myself enjoying SNL more often than not lately because I really dig most of the cast, but we still get stinkers.  Gabourey Sidibe’s try a week or so back is the most recent example of one that just fell on its face.  But the creative invigoration of last night’s telecast was something to behold.  Everyone was firing on all cylinders.

    I think we have to look to White for that, not only for the material she herself was responsible for performing (she never missed a beat, mind you), but for the obvious inspiration she brought to the writers and the cast.  Bringing a few of the former female faves back was a shrewd move, and falling the day before Mother’s Day was perfect.  “MacGruber,” meanwhile, got a hell of a boost leading up to the May 21 release of the film.

    It really just doesn’t get any better.  I proud of and happy for all involved.  It goes down, for me, as an all time classic.  And perhaps I’m not alone.  The New York Times’ Melena Ryzik (better known as The Carpetbagger around these parts) Tweeted after the show that White “left the SNL afterparty to standing ovations and castmembers calling it a historic show.”

    What left to say, but: Bravo.  (Full episode, courtesy of NBC, after the jump.)

    [EDITED TO ADD: I also can’t remember the last time a host was literally in every single sketch, including the Weekend Update.  Maybe it’s more common than I know, but it was something that struck me.]

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  • James Cameron’s ‘Laser Cats 5’

  • 8/11 Web Round-up

    MacGruberApologies for the lateness today.  I’m hammering this out on the plane en route to Los Angeles.  God bless Virgin America/on-board Wi-Fi.

    • Alan Duke talks to the Jewish Eli Roth about his pro-Nazi short “Nation’s Pride.” [CNN]

    • Saturday Night Live star Bill Hader on why a hard R “MacGruber” might work. [Vulture]

    • The top 10 gangster films ever. [Daily Telegraph]

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  • Tom Hanks on SNL

    One of the stories we linked to in this morning’s round-up was a Noah Forrest riff bemoaning the complacency of Tom Hanks in his recent work.  While that might be a valid point, I still have a soft spot for things like this because Hanks is a natural.  It also helps that the “Jeopardy” sketch has always been one of my favorites and made for a nice 90s blast from the past on Saturday night’s Will Ferrell-hosted season finale.

  • Addressing the concerned Trekkies on SNL

  • Biiiiitchhhh, pleeeeeezzzee…

    Michaela Watkins has definitely been my least favorite cast member on “Saturday Night Live” as of late. A combination of “she’s kinda creepy” and an honest-to-God lack of any exciting comedic spark.

    But then this “Bitch Pleeze” riff on film blogging and online film criticism had me laughing pretty damn hard:

  • “When Bruce Willis was dead at the end of ‘Sixth Sense’ I…”

  • Live from New York, it’s a nose dive

    Boy, John McCain didn’t seem to get the joke last night on Saturday Night Live.  Having him on the show was the final nail in the coffin.  The show’s writers, though smartly avoiding hitting it too squarely on the nose, basically succeeded in making him look sad and desperate.  Borderline Dole desperate.  And not in the ironic, self-deprecating way either.

    It’s in the subtle glance Seth Meyers gives him on Weekend Update when McCain asks, “You know how they call me the maverick?”  Easily painted as a joke — “Duh, of course I know they call you that, you always talk about it” — that kind of thing.  But the “look” was so strangely unnecessary that it seems to be working on another level.  If the boos during that segment didn’t sell the moment enough, that is.

    Anyway, just caught up with it on DVR and it’s the first thing that popped into my head.  Other than, “Give Kristen Wiig her own show already,” that is.

  • Not such a little bitch after all…

    By the way, as noted by some commenters already, last night’s SNL proved Mark Wahlberg to be a stand-up guy.  Maybe my sarcasm radar was suffering last week, but I was worried there for a second.  It was slightly awkward, but I think that’s because they were a bit rushed to film something.  Regardless, it worked, and I laughed my ass off.  Plus, a number of my favorite sketches: Surprise Sue, MacGruber, Jean K. Jean, etc.  And Palin really worked.  Best first half of the show in a long time.