SNL alum movies Best? Worst?

[3LB]

I got to thinking that some of the funniest and some of the worst comedies of the past 40 years or so are from SNL alum (yes, I'm including all casts). Not so much supporting roles but starring roles; movies that were meant to be vehicles for old SNL characters or the actor themselves.

Poor Dan Ackroyd - for someone who was considered to be the Orson Wells of comedy by his peers, this guy has been in more stinkers (My Stepmother Is An Alien, Doctor Detroit, Dragnet, Caddyshack II, Spies Like Us and on and on...) Chevy Chase hasn't been much better. Mr over-rated himself, Will Ferrel is closing in on these two - has this guy starred in a movie that didn't lose money? Other than Tommy Boy, niether David Spader or Chris Farley made anything that didn't get on my nerves. Adam Sandler is also a chore for me to watch.

NL's Vacation, Animal House, Caddyshack and Stripes, though not SNL ventures, were heavily influenced by sketch comedy (many comedies from the '80s play like an excuse to string together a series situational sketches, rather than a coherent plot). A few SNL sketch characters have been (for better or worse) tranferred to the big screen (Blues Bros, Wayne's World), but most of these are duds (Superstar, Coneheads, Stuart Smally, Pat, etc). Other a handful of entries, most movies involving former or current SNL alum have tanked big time, but still they come.

What's your fave SNL laced movie? What's the worst SNL member vehicle you've seen?

My fave - Caddyshack
worst - Its Pat

SNL member for whom I am most embarrissed for - Dan Ackroyd.

[Mr Peabody]

My top pick would have to be Eddie Murphy, although he has had some bombs too. 48 Hours and Trading places are classics. And, don't forget Coming To America.

Bill Murray, close second, Scrooged, Catty Shack ( I have to agree with you on that), I even liked his bomb, What About Bob. I wasn't big on that elephant movie he done, memory lapse....

I really have to disagree on Dan Ackroyd. I loved My Stepmother Is An Alien. The scene where Kim Bassinger comes out of the bathroom after researching sex........... He wasn't stellar in this movie but My Girl is an awesome movie. I liked Dragnet. 3LB, old enough to have seen any originals? I'm trying to think of a movie big Dan has carried by himself and I can't. Any? My Girl is close.

Adam Sandler is hit and miss. It depends on his script. I tend to like more of his stuff like Wedding Singer, 51st Date & Big Daddy.

I vote for the worst and there's no contest, Will Farrel. He sucks! Every movie he was in, sucks!

Not a big Chevy Chase fan but the National Vacation movies alone keeps him from total suckadation. Him and Goldie did a couple movies together that wasn't too bad as well.

[Smokey]

My favorite from SNL charactors have to be Tommy Boy, Stripes and Nutty Professor II.
Least favorite is GhostBusters and Nothing But Trouble.

[3LB]

3LB, old enough to have seen any originals?

Oh my yes - first run ones at that. Its one of those things where it sounded way better on paper than it did on screen; a one joke plot - ok ok Ackroyd doing Jack Webb, I get it, it just wasn't funny. I am embarrissed to say I actually paid to see My Stepmother Is An Alien; that ending is still cringe inducing.

[poppachubby]

Off the top of my head, Coneheads was the worst piece of chit movie I've ever seen, let alone for SNL. I always enjoy Wil Ferrel flicks, there's just something about him that's funny. I mean, just the way he looks can make me laugh.

In "Old School", when him and his wife are at the wedding party table eating, there's a banner hanging behind the table with his picture. Look at his face on it, that to me is one of the funniest things about the whole movie. It still makes me laugh out loud.

Anyhow, I'm hardly an authority on movies.

[ForeverAutumn]

I hated Will Farrel on SNL, but I have to say that his movies turned me into a bit of a fan. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Elf. I think it’s one of the funniest movies ever. When he’s in his father’s office and answers the phone, “what’s your favourite colour!”, I howl. I also liked him in Anchorman and Old School.

Plains, Trains and Automobiles is a classic as is Uncle Buck. I love both those flicks.

I’m not a big fan of Bill Murray’s goofiness, but I really liked him in Rushmore and Kingpin.

And, although it’s not a movie, I loved both Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz in News Radio.

[Troy]

Yeah, almost all movies based on SNL sketches suck. Night at the Roxbury, anyone? Without a doubt, It's Pat was a floater too.

Caddyshack is probably my favorite too, even if it wasn't because of Chase / Murray specifically. That movie is all about Dangerfield / Knight. Everything else in it was gravy.

Member I'm most embarrassed for? That's hard, since so many of them were absolutely horrible when they were on the show and worse after they left: Rob Schneider, David Spade, Joe Piscopo, Chris Farley are all total losers that were never worth a damn. Is Charles Rocket still alive? I can't stand Kevin Nealon either. He's OK on Weeds (first 2 seasons only), but otherwise, he's a stiff that can't play anyone that's not himself. His stand up routine is unbelievably dull. Adam Sandler blows too. Just awful, even if he was in the vastly under-rated, totally surreal and virtually unseen Punch Drunk Love. PDL will be a huge surprise to people like me that otherwise HATE Sandler. Paul Thomas Anderson makes cool movies, no matter who's in them (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Hard 8 etc.)

The member that I think never reached his potential? Dana Carvey. He never did anything outside of SNL worth watching, yet he carried SNL for several years.

And no one's mentioned Mike Meyers yet. No love for Austin Powers? Those movies were funny as hell. Like every other SNL alum he's made more than his share of baaaaad movies too. Did anyone like The Love Guru? Did anyone actually see it?

For the most part, every major cast member has done something worth watching, even if they may not be comedies.
Chevy Chase: Caddyshack / Vacation.
Murray: Ghostbusters / Groundhog Day / Lost in Translation
Ackroyd: Ghostbusters / Blues Brothers / Trading Places
Belushi: Blues Brothers / Continental Divide
Ferral: Anchorman / Step Brothers
Sandler: Punch Drunk Love
Murphy: Trading Places / Bowfinger / 48 Hours

All of the above have made terrible movies too.

I recently rented the first season of SNL and part of the second and it's truly SHOCKING how bad it actually is in the light of day when you're not loaded. The best cast member by far was Ackroyd. So much of it was utter crap though. It really surprised me.

Does anyone actually watch SNL anymore? It's been lame for decades.

[ForeverAutumn]

I still like to watch the news and sometimes the musical guest, depending on who it is. Otherwise, I haven't really watched it in years. I'm surprised it's even still on. Mad TV was way better in it's day. Lord knows how Mad TV was cancelled and SNL marches on.

I meant to mention Mike Myers. I like both Wayne's World and Austin Powers. And I agree about Dana Carvey.

The Love Guru was filmed in Toronto and I have a couple of friends who were on the crew. The word is that Mike Myers is a total a-hole to work with.

[Auricauricle]

I'm really pleased with some of the features Bill Murray has released recently: Lost in Translation, The Royal Tenenbaums and Broken Flowers, tap into a staid, almost straight humor that is (for me) far more interesting than the stuff of his younger years (i.e. Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters) that were more slapstick. Murray's quiet approach, now, is more dry, perhaps, but I like my humor like I like my martinis, I reckon...shaken and with a Bond Girl on the side.

[Troy]

I'm really pleased with some of the features Bill Murray has released recently: Lost in Translation, The Royal Tenenbaums and Broken Flowers, tap into a staid, almost straight humor that is (for me) far more interesting than the stuff of his younger years (i.e. Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters) that were more slapstick. Murray's quiet approach, now, is more dry, perhaps, but I like my humor like I like my martinis, I reckon...shaken and with a Bond Girl on the side.

Try Punch Drunk Love.

[ForeverAutumn]

Try Punch Drunk Love.

I second that recommendation.

[dean_martin]

Tim Meadows - The Ladies Man. I actually saw it. Can't really name a fave or least fave. There's been so many I'm sure I'll not consider something. Oh wait! That Dana Carvey movie where he plays a master of disguises. That was soooooo bad even the sets looked like they could fall over at any time.

I saw Dennis Miller hosting an old stand-up show from the 80s recently. I can't believe I once liked that guy. Remember Monday Night Football with Al Michaels, Dan Fouts and Dennis Miller? Who came up with that?

Hot Rod isn't that bad of a movie. When Andy Samberg's on, I think he's really on, but his stuff doesn't always work. The digital shorts can go either way for me. Some are genius like the Chronicles of Narnia rap, I'm on a Boat, D*ck in a Box, but others are hard to watch.

Speaking of the old cast, anybody remember this little diddy:

Star wars
Nothin' but star wars
Talkin' 'bout star wars
Star wars

[Mr Peabody]

I caught Dana Carvey on Comedy Central way back and he was hilarious. One of the things he was doing his Chopping Broccoli.

Yip, forgot Mike Myers.

What was the Bill Murray movie where he went to visit his brother in England and he sent him on this interactive play thing and he got mixed up in a spy plot? That was a great movie that I think didn't get it's just recognition.

There's some Will Farrel you all mentioned I haven't seen. I'll have to watch for them. Although I don't know if it will help, I just don't think he's funny. But I will remain open minded. I saw Land Of The Lost

[Troy]

Star wars
Nothin' but star wars
Talkin' 'bout star wars
Star wars

We used to sing that at work for hours and hours. I got pretty good at it, shoulda been a crooner.

[Jack in Wilmington]

My top pick would have to be Eddie Murphy, although he has had some bombs too. 48 Hours and Trading places are classics. And, don't forget Coming To America.

Bill Murray, close second, Scrooged, Catty Shack ( I have to agree with you on that), I even liked his bomb, What About Bob. I wasn't big on that elephant movie he done, memory lapse....

I really have to disagree on Dan Ackroyd. I loved My Stepmother Is An Alien. The scene where Kim Bassinger comes out of the bathroom after researching sex........... He wasn't stellar in this movie but My Girl is an awesome movie. I liked Dragnet. 3LB, old enough to have seen any originals? I'm trying to think of a movie big Dan has carried by himself and I can't. Any? My Girl is close.

Adam Sandler is hit and miss. It depends on his script. I tend to like more of his stuff like Wedding Singer, 51st Date & Big Daddy.

I vote for the worst and there's no contest, Will Farrel. He sucks! Every movie he was in, sucks!

Not a big Chevy Chase fan but the National Vacation movies alone keeps him from total suckadation. Him and Goldie did a couple movies together that wasn't too bad as well.

Finally someone else that says that Will Farrell sucks. He almost ruined Wedding Crashers.

A couple of good Chevy Chase movies besides the Vacation movies. Foul Play with Goldie Hawn and there is one where his ex-wife puts him up above the garage without her husband knowing. Very funny.

[3LB]

Star Wars
talkin 'bout Star Wars
if they should bar wars
Please let these Wars stay

You know, that first SNL season is really hit and miss, but they were so edgy; nothing else like them at the time. And yes, Ackroyd carried those first two seasons. Much ado was made when Chase left but the show improved when he did. Chevy Chase was never anything but Chevy Chase - in fact, I don't think he was a Second City veteran like the others, if I remember correctly.

I think Bill Murray's body of work is the best among any of the rest. He can do comedy and drama when he wants to. Yeah, he's mugged his way through a few movies, but he has such a sublety about him. Belushi coulda been great, but his last movie grossly underachieved (Nieghbors).

Meyers is a creative dynamo of sorts; he had a bunch of funny characters on SNL and outshined Carvey his last two seasons. But Love Guru never evolves past the premise of the initial pitch - we're just supposed to accept Meyers dressed up like a guru telling the same kinda Benny Hill jokes he got away with on the last two Austin Powers movies. He aped the Cowardly Lion from Oz for his Cat In The Hat role. Talk about resting on one's laurels.