Dana Carvey Movies
Comic actor Dana Carvey led a near-monastic existence while growing up in Montana, not out of choice but because the truly popular kids were bigger and better-looking. "I was a fetus in shoes" commented Carvey on his high-school years. While attending San Francisco State University, Carvey launched his career as a stand-up comic. The going was rugged for a while, but by 1981 Carvey had built up enough of a reputation to earn second billing on the Mickey Rooney TV sitcom One of the Boys. Though the show was cancelled by mid-1982, Carvey was now on a roll. In 1984, he showed up as a regular on the TV police adventure series Blue Thunder, and was spotlighted in the parody rockumentary film This is Spinal Tap; two years later he was signed as a regular on NBC's Saturday Night Live. Carvey's gallery of comic characterizations is too vast to fully recount here, but his greatest popularity rested on two recurring characters. As "The Church Lady" (an amalgam of all the well-meaning pious neighbors Carvey had known while growing up), Carvey entered the Catchphrase Lexicon with his oft-repeated "Isn't that special?" and "Could it be....SATAN?" And as mop-topped teenage couch potato Garth (again drawn from life--this time based on Dana's brother Brad), Carvey was teamed with Mike Myers in a flawless on-going parody of cheap cable-access television. After a misfire movie vehicle, 1990's Opportunity Knocks, Carvey became a major box-office commodity by co-starring with Mike Myers in the megahit Wayne's World (1992). While the 1993 sequel Wayne's World 2 didn't quite match the take of the original, Carvey was artistically satisfied that same year with an Emmy award for his performance as H. Ross Perot (among others) on TV's Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash. Undaunted by the lack of response to Opportunity Knocks, Carvey once again took a stab at solo success with the similarly panned Clean Slate in 1994. After appearing in a pair of supporting roles (Trapped in Paradise and The Road to Wellville (both 1994)) and a cameo (1996's The Shot) shortly thereafter, Carvey disappeared almost entriely from the public eye until resurfacing in the 1999 Saturday Night Live; Presidential Bash and once again taking a small role in Adam Sandler's Little Nicky (2000). Eager to resume his once lucrative career and make a feature that his children could enjoy, Carvey returned to the silver screen as an Italian waiter who takes the art of mimicry to new and uncharted heights in The Master of Disguise (2002). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2008
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Former SNL funnyman Dana Carvey is back on stage doing what he does best in this hour-long stand-up comedy special that finds the Emmy-award winning comic performing before a live crowd. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey
- 2008
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Comic Relief: The Greatest... and the Latest features a number of performances by some of the most talented comics of their day performing for a charity that collects money for the homeless. Among the performers who appear on this release are Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, and David Cross. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- 2005
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Saturday Night Live: Lost and Found - SNL in the '80s documents a turbulent decade for the long-running sketch comedy show. The eighties began without creator Lorne Michales at the helm, but still produced Eddie Murphy. By the middle of the decade Michaels returned, but his first season back was a bumpy one for both fans and critics. This program features famous skits by a number of popular performers including Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, and Phil Hartman. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Hartman, Billy Crystal, (more)
Dana Carvey ventures into the world of PG-rated, family-oriented entertainment as star and co-writer of this light adventure comedy, which requires the actor to assume more than three dozen different identities. Carvey's primary role in Master of Disguise, however, is that of Pistachio Disguisey, an ordinary waiter with a hidden, mostly untapped talent for transforming himself into any persona he wishes. When his kindly parents, Mama (Edie McClurg) and Frabbrizio (James Brolin), are kidnapped by the evil thief Devlin (Brent Spiner), the usually meek Pistachio is forced to rescue them. Enlisting the help of his grandfather (Harold Gould), Pistachio learns that he is one of a long line of family members to have the power of "Energico," a mystical means of changing one's identity to suit any given situation, and Pistachio learns to use these powers to their fullest to defeat Devlin and win back his folks. Carvey's original idea for Master of Disguise was helped to the screen by executive producer Adam Sandler, a buddy of his from their time on NBC's Saturday Night Live. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Jennifer Esposito, (more)
- 2000
This 2000 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Dana Carvey and features musical guest The Wallflowers. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, The Wallflowers, (more)
The youngest child of the family often has the most problems -- so why should things be different for the Prince of Darkness and his offspring? Satan (Harvey Keitel) is considering retirement, and is pondering which of his sons should take over the family business -- ambitious Adrian (Rhys Ifans), strapping Cassius (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.), or Nicky (Adam Sandler), an accident-prone demon who prefers to stay in his room playing his favorite heavy metal tunes. When Satan decides to stay on for another 10,000 years, Adrian is outraged, and leaves Hell to go to New York, where he and Cassius attempt to round up enough souls to vote Satan out of power. Satan, understandably upset, sends Nicky to bring Adrian and Cassius back home, but Nicky finds life on Earth is more complicated than he expected. Things don't get any easier when he develops a crush on Valerie (Patricia Arquette), a good-hearted mortal woman. Little Nicky also features Michael McKean as a city official trying to put Nicky behind bars, Kevin Nealon as Hell's gatekeeper, Rodney Dangerfield as Satan's father, Robert Smigel as the voice of Beefy -- a talking dog who is Nicky's guide on earth, Allen Covert as Todd -- Nicky's new roommate, and Peter Dante and Jonathan Loughran as a pair of metalheads who dig Satan. Jon Lovitz and Reese Witherspoon play cameo roles, and Regis Philbin and Ozzy Osbourne appear as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, (more)
- 1999
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If Dana Carvey doesn't make you laugh until your side aches then few comics will be able to. Saturday Night Live presents a video showcasing Carvey and his best work from the show. Included are his hilarious parodies of President Bush, the Church Lady, Ross Perot, the weightlifter Hanz, Garth of Wayne and Garth fame, Johnny Carson and Arsenio Hall. This video will make it painfully clear how funny Saturday Night Live can be with good writing and a great performer. ~ Laura Mahnken, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey
- 1999
This comedy skit collection features Saturday Night Live stars Dan Akroyd, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and others lampooning the past 30 years of American presidential candidates. Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Al Gore, and Gerald Ford are among those parodied. In one skit about President Bill Clinton, Phil Hartman visits a fast food chain and keeps eating everyone else's food. Other clips feature Dan Akroyd playing a hyper Richard Nixon and an overbearing Bob Dole. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1997
While organizing a roast for Larry (Garry Shandling), Norman (David Paymer) invites Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, and Al Franken to take their best shot at the self-absorbed talk-show host. When Artie (Rip Torn) invites Carl Reiner to host instead of Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), the sensitive sidekick retaliates by practicing his heckler defense skills and inviting an unexpected guest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
This low-budget satire takes a shot a Hollywood as it follows two desperate, unsuccessful actors, Dern Reel and Patrick St. Patrick, who steal 10 recently shot rolls of film from Tinseltown's newest darling, the director David Egoman, and hold them for ransom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This 1996 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Dana Carvey and features musical guest Dr. Dre. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Dr. Dre, (more)
- 1995
This program pays tribute to distance runner Steve "Pre" Prefontaine in this video that charts the runner's career until the auto accident that killed him at age 24. By the time of his death "Pre" had broken every American record for distance racing between 2,000 and 10,000 meters and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated while still a college freshman. The video contains commentary from friends and fellow athletes and includes his failed bid for a medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he competed in the 5,000 meters. The race inspired him for the next Olympics, which he never attended due to the car crash. ~ Michael McGrath, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Left suddenly in the lurch when Darlene (Linda Doucett) leaves for a vacation, an overwhelmed Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) reluctantly takes Paula's (Janeane Garofalo) advice and hires a temporary assistant. A work dynamo, Brian (Scott Thompson) turns out to be just the kind of assistant Hank has been looking for, providing a well-timed permanent solution when Hank receives word that Darlene isn't coming back to the show. Meanwhile, Larry (Garry Shandling) begrudgingly permits Dana Carvey to perform an impression of him on the air. When Hank find out that Brian is gay, his sunshine and roses view of the workhorse assistant is suddenly dampened. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Dana Carvey and features musical guest Edie Brickell. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Edie Brickell, (more)
Three brothers who are inept criminals butcher one last attempt to pull off a big heist in this caper comedy. Bill Firpo (Nicolas Cage) is sick of thievery and has retired from crime to run an upscale restaurant in New York. But when his two brothers, Alvin (Dana Carvey) and Dave (Jon Lovitz), get out of prison, Bill is sucked back into their world of crime. The three end up on the run and hide out in the small town of Paradise, PA. The friendly townspeople include a bank president (Clifford Moffat) whose trust in people has left his bank an easy target. The brothers can't resist lifting $275,000 from the vault. Unfortunately, Alvin drives their getaway car in circles and they end up back in town and get in an accident. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Jon Lovitz, (more)
This adaptation of the comic novel by T. Coraghessan Boyle is the story of real-life Corn Flakes inventor Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins), an eccentric health nut in the early 20th century. Convinced of the benefits of holistic health practices (mostly involving irrigation of the bowels and colon), Kellogg opens a spa in Battle Creek, Michigan that immediately attracts the well-to-do of his time, including Will (Matthew Broderick) and Eleanor Lightbody (Bridget Fonda). A young couple with sexual and marital problems, the Lightbodys aren't helped much by the forced separation of sexes at Kellogg's sanitarium, and the situation is further exacerbated by Will's obliging nurse (Traci Lind) and Eleanor's encounters with a group of German sex therapists. Also at the spa are Charles Ossining (John Cusack), an ambitious con man who sees a fortune in Kellogg's cereal, and the unwashed, cretinous George Kellogg (Dana Carvey), one of the doctor's several dozen adopted children. A spoof as obsessed as its protagonist with its scatological subject matter, The Road to Wellville was an unusual effort for director-composer Alan Parker, known better for darker dramatic material and musicals. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Bridget Fonda, (more)
Dana Carvey plays a private detective who forgets everything when he goes to sleep at night, waking up each morning with a "clean slate," in this hit-and-miss comedy that plays like a companion piece to the much funnier Groundhog Day. Pogue (Carvey) is afflicted with his unique form of amnesia after getting injured in a car explosion. With the aid of a mysterious woman (Valeria Golino) who allegedly died in the bombing, he must find a priceless coin and evade the murderous clutches of the mobster (Michael Gambon) who executed the explosion and who wants to silence Pogue before he can testify against him. Carvey fares reasonably well in his role, but the best moments are provided by Pogue's dog, a one-eyed Jack Russell named Barkley who makes a habit out of running into things headfirst. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Valeria Golino, (more)
Everyone's favorite headbangers from Aurora, Illinois, are back in this sequel to the 1992 hit comedy Wayne's World. The success of their TV show allows Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) to finally move out of their parents' homes, but now they have to figure out what to do with their lives. Wayne's girlfriend, up-and-coming rock star Cassandra (Tia Carrere), is enjoying a career boost thanks to her new manager Bobby Cohn (Christopher Walker), but Garth thinks that Bobby is more interested in her body than her place on the charts. Meanwhile, Wayne is visited in a dream by the late Jim Morrison (Michael A. Nickles), who convinces him to promote a massive rock festival, "Waynestock," featuring Aerosmith as headliners. Garth, on the other hand, is finally relieved of his pesky virginity by femme fatale Honey Hornee (Kim Basinger), though it turns out that Honey has a hidden agenda. Drew Barrymore, Harry Shearer, and Charlton Heston play cameo roles in Wayne's World 2, and Jay Leno, Rip Taylor, and Todd Rundgren appear as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, (more)
Based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, Wayne's World is a wacky, irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey). From Wayne's basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called "Wayne's World" on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (Rob Lowe) who wants to produce a big-budget version of "Wayne's World"--and he also wants Wayne's girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (Tia Carrere). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Director Penelope Spheeris, Myers and Carvey hang a lot of silly, but funny, jokes on this thin plot, and the energy of the cast--as well as the wild pop-culture references--make Wayne's World a cut above the average Saturday Night Live spin-off movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, (more)
- 1992
Larry's (Garry Shandling) insecurities shine through in the fourth episode of HBO's The Larry Sanders Show. When comedian Dana Carvey's guest appearance turns out to be a rollicking success, Larry's nervousness over the solidity of his host status leads him to become a bit paranoid. In addition to Carvey, this episode also features a special guest appearance by Anne-Marie Johnson. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Saturday Night Live star Dana Carvey had his first leading role on the big screen in this comedy. Eddie (Carvey) and Lou (Todd Graff) are a pair of small-time con artists deep in debt to Pinkie (Mike Bacarella), a loan shark. During a lean period, Eddie and Lou resort to breaking and entering to make some money, but as they're clearing out a house, they overhear the answering machine announce that the owner is away on business for a few weeks -- and the housesitter won't be able to stop by. Eddie and Lou settle in and enjoy their good fortune, which just gets better when Milt (Robert Loggia) pays a visit. Milt assumes that Eddie is the housesitter, who is a close friend of his son. Eddie is soon introduced to Milt's beautiful daughter, Annie (Julia Campbell), and Milt decides that Eddie is executive material at his successful manufacturing firm. Soon Eddie starts to wonder if he should go on lying to the people he's come to like -- and there's the little matter of the 60,000 dollars that Eddie and Lou swiped from Pinkie's car. Opportunity Knocks also features Milo O'Shea and James Tolkan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Robert Loggia, (more)
- 1988
- R
A transit engineer and his family must face the gargantuan task of moving from New Jersey to Boise, Idaho in this lively comedy starring Richard Pryor. It all begins after he gets a really great job out West. Unfortunately, his family is less than thrilled with the prospect. The furniture movers, who prove to be crooks, and their crazy neighbors conspire to make matters all the worse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Pryor, Beverly Todd, (more)
