Norm MacDonald Movies
Fired in bitter haste from Saturday Night Live and following up with two career-crippling film credits, Norm Macdonald's career has been spiraling into disaster since 1997 -- "or so the Germans would have us believe." Though he began his career as a stand-up comedian in Ottawa, most people's familiarity with MacDonald derives from his three-year stint as Weekend Update anchor on the ever-enduring Saturday Night Live. Realizing that a change in location was the key to success, MacDonald packed his bags and took his routine to L.A, where he continued to refine his specific brand of acerbic wit through his stand-up act. In addition, MacDonald became a writer for the popular sitcom Roseanne, as well as The Dennis Miller Show.It was a long road to following in the footsteps of Chevy Chase and Dennis Miller in dragging the current headlines through the mud (and a not so happy ending to cap it off). Beginning his SNL career as a bit player in the 1993, the torch was passed from Kevin Nealon to Norm MacDonald in the beginning of the show's 1994 season. After an exhausting barrage of O.J. Simpson and Frank Stallone jokes, however, NBC president Don Ohlmeyer pulled the plug on MacDonald's Weekend Update career, citing that the anchor was simply "not funny."
After taking small roles in Adam Sandler comedies and bit parts on The Drew Carey Show, MacDonald continued the cursed SNL tradition of tackling feature films. MacDonald's awkward attempts at feature-film stardom in Dirty Work and Screwed did little to please mainstream audiences (Screwed failed even to recuperate its 10-million-dollar production costs) but pleased his loyal fans nonetheless. In early 1999, Norm MacDonald became the star of his very own television sitcom, The Norm Show. Cast as a scheming ex-hockey star-turned-social worker who never fails to get himself into constant mischief, The Norm Show -- later shortened to just Norm) -- co-starred Laurie Metcalf, Ian Gomez, and former Dirty Work co-star Artie Lang. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Master of infantilism Adam Sandler stars as the title character, an overgrown rich kid who wiles away his days poolside, swilling kegs of beer and appreciating fine nudie magazines such as "Drunk Chicks" -- that is, until his father (Darren McGavin) decides to test his mettle as future head of the family business by posing a challenge: retake and pass grades K-12 in 24 weeks or watch control of the business pass to the requisite conniving underling (Bradley Whitford). Forced into action, Billy vows to change his drunken ways. He enrolls in kindergarten, makes new friends, pelts pint-sized kids with playground balls and develops a love interest in a pretty teacher (Bridgitte Wilson). The action culminates in an academic showdown between Billy and the purportedly Harvard-educated underling for the future of the family enterprise -- no small feat for a man fresh out of the first grade. There's gross, moronic, off-color low humor galore in Billy Madison, particularly in one subplot involving a romantically forward elementary school principal (Josh Mostel, son of theater great Zero Mostel) and his secret former life as a professional wrestler; another scene includes the hypertense school bus driver (Chris Farley, in a typical over-the-top cameo) lying in the meadow with a hallucinatory penguin. As one might suspect, Billy Madison is not for every taste; Sandler fans will laugh from start to finish; others beware. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Darren McGavin, (more)
Yet another Saturday Night Live alumnus makes his bid for big-screen success as Rob Schneider, best remembered as the "Making copies!" guy, tackles his first leading role in this broad comedy. Deuce (Rob Schneider) earns a meager living as a professional fish tank cleaner until he's asked to housesit for a gigolo. Deuce mistakenly answers the gigolo's business phone and finds himself having sex with a woman he's never met and getting paid for it (not a bad deal, since women generally avoid Deuce like the Ebola virus). It's not long before Deuce learns that there's more to selling your body than one might expect: for example, being re-styled by your pimp or having to explain your new source of income when the owner of the house gets home. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was the first feature film produced by Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison; Sandler himself makes a cameo appearance, while Oded Fehr, William Forsythe, Eddie Griffin, and Marlo Thomas highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Schneider, William Forsythe, (more)
Shortly after leaving the "Weekend Update" anchor slot on Saturday Night Live, Norm Macdonald resurfaced in this comedy about smart-aleck Mitch Weaver who teams with buddy Sam McKenna (Artie Lange of Mad TV). They open a revenge-for-hire business (Dirty Work Inc.) in order to raise $50,000 so Sam's father (Jack Warden) can get a heart transplant. After they bring down a dictatorial movie theater manager (Don Rickles), they next hire prostitutes to pose as dead bodies during an auto dealer's live TV commercial. Millionaire real-estate developer Travis Cole (Christopher McDonald) is bothered when Mitch and Sam interfere with his plan to wipe a woman's home out of existence. Cole hires Dirty Work to trash a building, so he can have it condemned. However, Cole doesn't own the building, and problems arise, mainly since the grandmother of Mitch's girlfriend lives in the building. The feud escalates. Cameos by Chevy Chase, the late Chris Farley, former child star Gary Coleman, Adam Sandler, and John Goodman. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norm MacDonald, Jack Warden, (more)
Betty Thomas directed this adaptation of the classic children's stories by Hugh Lofting (1886-1947), updating the original concepts into the present day. When noted surgeon Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy) swerves his car to avoid hitting a dog, he hits his head on the windshield, triggering his long-dormant gift for holding conversations with animals. Friends, associates and his wife Lisa (Kristen Wilson), all express concern, but Dr. Dolittle is happy as he takes on new animal clients. Soon Dolittle's clinic becomes a haven for talking rats, birds, and other assorted members of the animal kingdom, and Dolittle's new four-legged and furry friends, in turn, teach him a few things about being human. The effects seamlessly combine Jim Henson Creature Shop animatronics, computer graphics, and real animals, but some viewers might yearn for a return of the Great Pink Sea Snail and Lofting's other imaginative creatures. The 1967 20th Century Fox musical Dr. Dolittle starred Rex Harrison in a strange storyline that began with Dolittle escaping from a lunatic asylum and leaving the Victorian village Puddleby-by-the-Marsh, England, to search the South Seas for the Great Pink Sea Snail. Along the way, he gathered diverse Dolittle denizens and animal anomalies, including the Giant Moon Moth and the famed, two-headed Pushmi-Pullyu. The earlier film spawned the Oscar-winning popular song success, "Talk To The Animals," along with numerous now-forgotten toys, books, and collectibles. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Ossie Davis, (more)
Eddie Murphy returns as a doctor with a gift for talking to animals in this sequel to a box-office blockbuster. Murphy is John Dolittle, who this time around attempts to save an endangered Pacific forest from lumber industry forces by reintegrating an endangered species of bear back into the wild. Unfortunately, Dolittle's candidate is a performing bear (voice of Steve Zahn) with a taste for junk food and no natural skills in the wild. If Dolittle is going to save the species and its habitat, he must get him to mate with a fussy female (Lisa Kudrow) by providing lessons in winning the heart of the opposite sex. Dr. Dolittle's problems are compounded by a local animal work stoppage and furry woodland creatures who have organized their own version of the Mafia. Norm Macdonald returns as the voice of Lucky the Dog, co-starring with Kevin Pollak, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Rapaport, Molly Shannon, Reni Santoni, and Kristen Wilson. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wilson, (more)
Animal Planet aesthetics get infused with blush-inducing blue-humor sensibilities as director Bob Saget teams with an all-star cast of comics including Lewis Black, Tracy Morgan, Jason Alexander, Dane Cook, and Whoopi Goldberg to prove that sometimes penguins aren't as sweet as they appear to be on the silver screen. Film star Samuel L. Jackson narrates as actual footage of penguins going about their business in nature is backed by the kind of twisted voice-over work that could only come from the biggest names in comedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Saget, (more)
- 2001
Like its predecessor, this installment to the popular Laughing Out Loud series offers viewers the experience of a standup comedy club from the comfort of home. This production features a variety of comedians performing some of their funniest bits; among those included are D.L. Hughley, Jason Alexander, Rhonda Shear, Bruce Bannin, Jeff Altman, John Fox, Norm MacDonald, Paul Rodriguez, and Chris Rock. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Comedian Andy Kaufman gave performances that were bizarre and difficult to categorize, in which he might do or say almost anything: show cartoons, impersonate Elvis Presley, play conga drums while singing children's songs, read aloud from The Great Gatsby, or take the audience out for milk and cookies. Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and directed by Milos Forman (the team behind The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)), this biopic takes an in-depth look at Kaufman's life and art, with Jim Carrey as Kaufman, who could (and would) be any number of different people onstage: the quiet and childlike man, the little foreign guy, the overbearing showbiz "professional," the violently obnoxious wrestler, or the world's worst lounge singer. As Kaufman rose from comedy clubs to guest appearances on Saturday Night Live and a spot on the TV sitcom Taxi, his performances became more complex and dangerous -- so much so that when word got out in 1984 that he was suffering from lung cancer, many fans and associates thought it was just another bizarre stunt; the disease took his life later that year. Man on the Moon features Danny De Vito as Kaufman's manager George Shapiro, Courtney Love as his girlfriend Lynne Margulies, Paul Giamatti as his friend Bob Zmuda, and David Letterman, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Carol Kane, and Christopher Lloyd as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, (more)
- 1993
The Conners and the Tildens go on a trip to Los Angeles, CA, in a motor home. Roseanne wants to go to Hollywood to watch The Jackie Thomas Show (starring her then-husband Tom Arnold). Dan thinks about adding to the family. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
D.J. joins the Junior Hockey League team. Meanwhile, Roseanne butts in to fix things between Jackie and Fisher (Matt Roth). In the original broadcast version of this episode, the closing segment featured the Conners watching the premiere of The Jackie Thomas Show (starring Tom Arnold). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1999
This 1999 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Norm MacDonald and features musical guest Dr. Dre. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norm MacDonald, Dr. Dre, (more)
- 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
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the screenwriting team who penned Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Man on the Moon, made their debut as directors with this broad comedy. Norm MacDonald stars as a chauffeur who decides to get revenge on his wealthy boss by kidnapping her dog. Produced under the titles Pittsburgh, Ballbusted, and Foolproof, Screwed also stars Danny De Vito, Dave Chappelle, Sherman Helmsley, Elaine Stritch, and Sarah Silverman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norm MacDonald, Dave Chappelle, (more)
Larry Miller, Tara Reid, and Lea Thompson star in this rowdy party film about a high school senior who hatches a plan to throw the ultimate skip-day bash. Adam is determined to end his high school career with a bang, and what better way to do that than to throw a party in Principal Dickwalder's home? Principal Dickwalder is a strict disciplinarian, and when he overhears Adam and his friend discussing the details of their plan he comes down on them all with an iron fist. Now Adam's only hope for redemption is to throw the party himself, but Principal Dickwalder isn't about to let that happen either. Who will come out on top in this fierce battle of wills, the student with a terminal case of senioritis or the principal who forgot what it means to be a fun-loving teen? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Miller, Tara Reid, (more)
- 1996
Drew (Drew Carey) is saved from being pummelled in a bar fight by Simon Tate (guest star Norm MacDonald), the former high school bully who'd once made Drew's life a living hell. Convinced that Simon has turned over a new leaf, Drew arranges to get the ex-bully a job at Winfred-Louder, just as the contentious Mimi (Kathy Kinney) is being banished to the dreaded sub-basement for refusing to cut down on her garish facial makeup. Alas, old habits die hard, and Simon proves to be just as nasty and menacing as ever--making Mimi almost saintlike by comparison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Picked as the spokesman for Florida Orange Juice after assuring their representative that he's a straight-arrow, meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) soon finds himself facing controversy after Phil (Wallace Langham) finds a revealing video in the newfound spokesman's desk. After viewing the tape and witnessing Hank celebrating his birthday sans pants and in the company of a feisty pair of hookers, Phil sends a copy to a friend and plans a screening for the whole crew. After walking in on the screening, Hank panics at the thought of losing his spokesperson job and attempts to salvage his reputation before it's too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
