Posted on 06/30/2005 11:48:07 AM PDT by new cruelty
Some call it the "SNL" curse.
No, not the one where all the cast members die young and tragically. It's the one that dooms former "Saturday Night Live" (search) comedians to star in what may be some of the worst movies ever made.
And that's not just the opinion of a few disgruntled late-night television viewers. Comedian Chris Rock (search) — himself a former "Saturday Night Live" star — has made his castmates' post-show woes into the butt of one of his jokes, proclaiming that an ex-"SNL" player's name on the opening credits often might as well be a stamp of mediocrity.
"I'm looking at some of the most overrated people in the history of comedy," Rock said at the 25th anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live." "Some of the worst movies ever made were made by people in this room." ...
"They're like the movies you make when you're right out of high school," former "SNL" writer Tom Schiller said. "It's the first bite these guys get out of the gate in Hollywood."
Even Will Ferrell (search), who could do no wrong only last year, came in No. 2 at the box office in May with the release of "Kicking and Screaming" (behind "Monster-in-Law"), and the buzz for "Bewitched," (search) which comes out this weekend, hasn't been kind.
And reviews of Adam Sandler's (search) recent remake of the Burt Reynolds flick "The Longest Yard" have critics wondering why it was ever remade at all.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I remain very unimpressed with Chris Rock. All he is capable of is criticizing whites and feeling sorry for himself because he's black.
No offense intended to anyone.
I thought it was pretty funny, myself. Actually, a little better than the original.
I don't know...I liked "Animal House", "The Blues Brothers" and "Ghost Busters". Do they count?
Your analysis is not factual. People like you seem to hear what they want.
I've got a fever.
Rock completely overlooks the awe-inspiring cinematic oeuvre of one Al Franken.
I don't know about... judging from the actual show itself, their JOKES die a quick death every week.
Jimmy Fallon is no Bill Murray.
You have obviously never seen his "How to Not get Beat Up By The Cops" routine.
Whatever happened to Joe Piscopo and Kevin Nealon?
OK, why don't you tell us why you think this guy is the slightest bit funny...all in strictly factual terms, of course.
After a summer of remakes and mediocre sequels...
Coming soon to a theater near you: "Cowbell: The Movie"
"Tommy Boy" was silly, but I liked it. The SNL folks have been in a lot of good to very good movies too. Phil Hartman was also great in "News Radio." The SNL women are the ones who seem to fade into oblivion, although Nora Dunn has had some good supporting roles.
"I don't care what city you are in in America, if you're on Martin Luther King Boulevard... there's some violence going down!"
I personally think it is a matter simply that these are actors who are more effective in the format of improv than when the jokes are written out for them.
And let's face it, some of them are simply poor. Adam Sandler is really very over rated, although he was effective in Spandish. Chevy Chase is another over rated SNL actor who couldn't carry the shoes of the likes of Jack Benny, Red Skelton or the vast number of true comedians out there.
(Even Al Franken was really not half bad in improv, but a loser at what he's trying to do now.)
It's also the manner in which hollywood works. Get a script that is full of scatological, picking your nose type of material and throw in some SNL actors and you'll get people to invest in this crap, and then throw it up to the public.
nick
I hate Will Ferrel almost as a rule. I gave Bewitched 4 out of 5.
You mean Sandler was believeable as a Quarterback?
I would not be surprised if SNL did just that.
His early work was great, but then he got a regular show on HBO and became just another liberal butt kisser.
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