Lorne Michaels Movies
Producer Lorne Michaels is almost solely responsible for introducing a staggering number of current celebrities into the world spotlight through his immensely popular weekly sketch-comedy series, Saturday Night Live: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Jane Curtin, Bill Murray, Phil Hartman, and Will Ferrell, just to name a few.A native of Canada, Michaels earned an English degree from the University of Toronto and proceeded to leave the country for a stint as an automotive salesman in England. He returned to Canada in 1966 and became half of a popular comedy duo, with fellow writer/comedian Hart Pomerantz who performed on a CBC satire show. The duo's success led to the start of a new show entitled The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour. In the late '60s, the pair headed south to the States and found themselves writing for The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show. While the show didn't last beyond six weeks, it did lead to assignments writing for such shows as Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. In 1975, Michaels was approached to create a pilot for a late Saturday night spot that had been airing reruns of The Tonight Show. He gathered some unknown writers and comedians together and Saturday Night Live began its first season. Michaels stayed with the show until 1980, left for five years, and returned in 1985 at the request of Brandon Tartikoff, then the NBC chief of programming, in order to save what had since become a failing show. Saturday Night Live has received over 60 Emmy nominations, has won more than a dozen of them, and Michaels has himself earned no less than eight of the awards, five of which were the result of Saturday Night Live.
In 1979, Michaels founded his production company, Broadway Video, through which he developed another sketch-comedy television series called The Kids in the Hall. First attaining success in Canada, the show launched the careers of David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Scott Thompson, Mark McKinney, and Kevin McDonald, and later aired in the US where it gained a huge cult following. With 1992's Wayne's World, a big-screen adaptation of a popular SNL sketch, Michaels added box-office blockbuster film producer to his resumé. Over the ensuing years, he continued to work on feature film projects while remaining the head-honcho of Saturday Night Live. His films have been a mixture of hits (Tommy Boy) and bombs (The Ladies Man). ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- 2010
Another Saturday Night Live skit makes the transition to the big screen with this Rogue Pictures production. Will Forte returns as MacGruber, a comedic spin on the '80s TV character MacGyver. Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, and Ryan Phillippe co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, (more)
- 2009
F. Gary Gray directs Eric Bana in this remake of France's 2004 heist film Le Convoyeur with this Millennium Films production. The pic surrounds a man who is let in on a heist plan by his co-workers at an armored car company, who are unaware of his intentions on the matter. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Father of the Bride co-stars Steve Martin and Diane Keaton re-team in this comedy from a pitch by Martin for Paramount Pictures. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, (more)
The lauded laugher's inaugural season introduces the offbeat staffers at "The Girlie Show," a TV variety program produced at venerable Rockefeller Center in New York City. Presiding over the show is TV scribe Liz Lemon (series creator and writer Tina Fey). But trouble looms upon the arrival of brash new honcho Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), the head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. Jack incessantly meddles with the series, hiring edgy but wildly erratic star Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and changing the show's name to the desperately hip "TGS With Tracy Jordan." All this exasperates Lemon and pushes the show's horrified starlet, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), to the sidelines. Not only does Jack creep into the writers' room and even appear as a sketch performer (only to plug products), but he referees Lemon's sour romantic life. He sets her up on a blind date (with a woman); interferes with her bumpy reunion with her boorish ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters); and intervenes as her love blooms for affable paramour Floyd (Jason Sudeikis). Love is on the horizon for Jack, too. He dates a Bush administration official; tangles with his ex-wife (Isabella Rossellini); and woos an auctioneer (Emily Mortimer). But Jack still has time for territorial warfare against his gravelly voiced archnemesis Devin Banks (Will Arnett), a Left Coast network exec who callously eyes Jack's job. Always an omnipresent figure is naive man-child Kenneth the Page (Jack McBrayer), whose misadventures include switching roles with bigwig Jack, scoring a prime spot in Tracy's posse and trying to help the pampered Tracy reach spiritual self-actualization. Alas, Kenneth's bright-eyed idealism prevails even while working for this cast of ego-fueled eccentrics. ~ Dean Maurer, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, (more)
- 2006
Debuting with two back-to-back episodes on March 8, 2006, the half-hour ABC sitcom Sons & Daughters was clearly influenced by Fox's Arrested Development in its depiction of a large, extended, and extremely dysfunctional American family. Series co-creator Fred Goss headed the cast as human-resources rep Cameron Walker, who lived with his second wife, Liz (Gillian Vigman), and their two children, eight-year-old Ezra (Noah Matthews) and four-year-old Marni (Lexi Gold Jourden). The "spoiler" in the Walker household was Henry Walker (Trevor Einhorn), Cameron's profoundly embittered 14-year-old son from his previous marriage to the bipolar Paige (Melinda Allen). Elsewhere, Cameron's sister, Sharon (Alison Quinn), was mired in a sexless marriage with Don Fenton (Jerry Lambert), an auto-parts salesman and frustrated actor. Sharon's stepsister, Jenna (Amanda Walsh), a single mom struggling to make ends meet as a waitress, seemed to have a gift for invariably choosing the proverbial wrong guy. Rounding out this family group were Cameron and Sharon's high-strung and highly judgmental parents, Colleen (Dee Wallace Stone) and Wendal (Max Gail), and their outspokenly anti-Semitic aunt Rae (Lois Hall). To maintain a semblance of spontaneity, each episode was only partially scripted, allowing the actors to ad-lib and improvise within the framework of the story (Fred Goss had previously employed this technique on his Bravo network series Significant Others). Sons & Daughters was executive produced by Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Goss, Gillian Vigman, (more)
- 2006
Along with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, 30 Rock was one of two NBC series of the 2006-2007 TV season to take place backstage at a Saturday Night Live-style comedy show. In the case of 30 Rock, "SNL" veteran Tina Fey served as series creator and executive producer, and also assumed the leading role of Liz Lemon, head writer of the ficitional comedy-ensemble series "The Girlie Show." Liz was placed in the none-too-skilled hands of novice network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), whose previous experience had been confined to the offices of the network's corporate owners (clearly General Electric). At Jack's behest, the long-suffering Liz was compelled to hire irresponsible and highly temperamental movie comedian Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). Jordan's intrusion upon the "Girlie Show" set did not rest well with lead comedian Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), and thus Liz ended up being less a writer and more a referee. A 30 Rock debuted October 11, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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Late-night comedian Conan O'Brien celebrated the ten-year anniversary of his popular talk show with this 63-minute special. Clips from past shows and celebrity guests highlighted the event, which was filmed at New York City's Beacon Theatre. Included in the retrospective were characters such as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the Masturbating Bear, as well as many legendary sketches and guest appearances by the likes of Jack Black and Will Ferrell. Also on hand for the celebration was the much-loved Andy Richter, co-host of the show from 1993-2000. ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
- 2003
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While its best known as one of the great living institutions of American television comedy, Saturday Night Live has also earned a reputation as a great showcase for popular music, and this five-volume collection features many of the show's most memorable musical moments. Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music features both musically oriented comedy sketches from the show -- from Bill Murray's over-the-top lounge singer Nick Rovers and "Tom Snyder" (impersonated by Dan Aykroyd) interviewing Mick Jagger to Ana Gasteyer's impression of Celine Dion and Aerosmith appearing on "Wayne's World" -- as well as classic performances from SNL's many musical guests. Performers include Ray Charles, Billy Joel, the Grateful Dead, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Neil Young, R.E.M., Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Nirvana, Metallica, Roy Orbison, and many, many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2000
- Add Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary to QueueAdd Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary to top of Queue
In the fall of 1975, NBC teamed up with an upstart writer and producer and a cast of promising unknowns recruited from improvisational comedy clubs and launched a brave experiment in late-night television. The show that resulted was called Saturday Night Live, and over the next quarter-century it broke all the rules and became an institution in American broadcasting. In 2000, SNL's past and present cast members, along with a number of friends, admirers, and musical guests, assembled to pay tribute to the show's rich history, and Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary preserves the show's celebratory anniversary special. Guests include Dan Aykroyd, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Al Franken, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Spacey, Christopher Walken, and many more. Al Green, Eurythmics, Beastie Boys, and Elvis Costello contribute musical performances. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien is your host for one of the most irreverent and innovative late-night talk shows ever to hit the airwaves. An impressive list of well-known celebrities, cutting-edge comedy sketches, and musical guests have made the Emmy-nominated Late Night With Conan O'Brien the show of choice for insomniac viewers who long for a little something different. Veteran drummer Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg Seven provide the backdrop for the show that has birthed such notorious characters as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Masturbating Bear, and Pimpbot 5000. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conan O'Brien
"The Coneheads" were a sketch on the Saturday Night Live television show of the late '70s which were expanded to feature-length proportions with this film. The story concerns Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat (Jane Curtin), who leave the planet Remulak to prepare for an invasion of Planet Earth. But due to a malfunction, they find themselves plunged into the Hudson River and forced to take up residence in Paramus, New Jersey where Beldar gets work as an appliance salesman and makes a deal for a phony social security card. Before long, all thoughts of invading Earth are left behind as Beldar and Prymaat quickly adapt to suburban life -- except for their coneheads and metallic-sounding voices, they become a typical middle-class suburban family. The Coneheads have a child, Connie (Michelle Burke) and Beldar becomes a New York cab driver and starts up his own driving school. Connie grows into a teenager and a neighborhood boy, Ronnie (Chris Farley), develops a crush on her because he likes to rub her conehead. But a nefarious INS agent, Gorman Seedling (Michael McKean), and his toady assistant, Turnbull (David Spade), are hot on The Coneheads' trail because of Beldar's false social security card. Not only that, but the Remulakian Highmaster (Dave Thomas) is beginning to wonder what ever happened to Beldar's invasion of the third rock from the sun. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, (more)
- 1993
Upon taking to the airwaves, the Lorne Michaels-produced series The Kids in the Hall quickly joined the likes of Monty Python's Flying Circus as one of the edgiest and funny sketch comedy shows on television. Featuring five Canadian men in the majority of the roles, the program aired on HBO and CBC from 1989 to 1995. This collection from Columbia/Tristar Video features Mark McKinney, Dave Foley, Scott Thompson, Bruce McCulloch, and Kevin McDonald in two complete episodes, portraying such popular characters as The Chicken Lady, The Head Crusher, and Buddy Cole. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1989
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Eagerly-anticipated and long unavailable on video, this pilot episode of the famous Canadian sketch comedy series Kids in the Hall prompted a half-decade run for the SNL and Flying Circus-inspired program. Sketches include: 'Buddy Cole,' Cabbage Head,' 'Brian's Bombshell,' 'Hey You Millionaires!,' 'Guys on a Break,' 'Crying Guy,' and 'Crush Your Head' Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, (more)
- 1987
"Good evening, I'm Chevy Chase-and you're not!" Maybe no one would want to be Mr. Chase these days (not with his recent string of box-office flops), but in 1975 and 1976, the world was Chevy's oyster. Those are the years that he rose to stardom on NBC's Saturday Night Live, and these are the years covered in this 60-minute video. Included are such classic bits of Chase-i-ana as Gerald Ford, the Land Shark, "Weekend Update" and innumerable precipitous falls. The next time your kids ask you "why does Chevy Chase get work?", show them this vintage video. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
The Best of Dan Aykroyd is a 60-minute compilation of highlights from the first five years of TV's Saturday Night Live. As indicated by the title, the emphasis is on the multitalented Dan Aykroyd. Arguably, Aykroyd's most memorable solo routine is his glib-tongued "Bass-o-matic" pitch; the collection's biggest laughgetter is Aykroyd's "Two wild and crazy guys" bit with Steve Martin. Best of Dan Aykroyd was assembled under the watchful eye of SNL mentor Lorne Michaels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Assembled long after John Belushi's death in 1982, The Best of John Belushi is at once hilarious and melancholy. From 1975 to 1979, Belushi was a member in excellent standing of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. This 60-minute video covers those amazing years, offering such highlights as "Samurai Delicatessen" and "The Honeybees." Best and most poignant of all the scenes is the elegiac "Don't Look Back in Anger". This is the one wherein an aged John Belushi strolls reflectively past the graves of all his SNL costars-then breaks into an exuberant dance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Belushi
- 1978
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A mockumentary of a Beatles-like singing group called the Rutles, The Rutles is a collaboration between Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle and Saturday Night Live filmmaker Gary Weis. The members of the "pre-Fab Four" are Nasty, Barry, Stig, and Dirk. There really isn't any plot, just a series of vignettes, unctuously narrated by Idle, which mercilessly skewer the Beatles mythology. Under the guidance of agent Leggy Mountbatten (before he tragically takes a teaching post in Australia), the Rutles rise to the top with such hit songs as "Please Please Let Me Hold Your Hand" and "I Am the Waitress." Mention is made of the Rutles' film successes: "A Hard Day's Rut," "Ouch!," "Tragical History Tour," "Yellow Submarine Sandwich," and "Let It Rot." We also see such career highlights as Nasty's declaration that the Rutles are more popular than God (he meant "Rod," as in Rod Stewart), the rumor that Dirk is dead (whereupon Stiggy starts his own rumor that he is dead), and Nasty's unfortunate liaison with a Yoko Ono counterpart (depicted as a Neo-Nazi dominatrix). The Rutles gains an added veneer of verisimilitude through the participation of such rock stars as Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, and Ron Wood, as well as George Harrison himself, who shows up as a BBC commentator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Idle, Neil Innes, (more)
The true story of a major breakthrough in intelligence technology created during World War II provides the backdrop for this blend of mystery, romance, and espionage, based on the novel by Robert Harris. Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) is a gifted mathematician who is working with the British government on the development and maintenance of the Enigma machine, an electronic device that allows Allied intelligence agents to decode scrambled messages sent by Germany military officers. But the emotionally fragile Jericho is buckling under both the pressure of his work and the collapse of his relationship with Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows), a co-worker with whom he's fallen deeply in love. After suffering a minor breakdown, Jericho is sent on a leave of absence, but when he returns to work, a crisis awaits: it seems the Germans have instituted a new code that the Enigma is not yet able to crack, and Jericho is needed to help unravel Axis communiqués before an important convoy of troops and materiel sets sail. It is also suspected that a German undercover agent has infiltrated the Enigma project, and Wigram (Jeremy Northam) is determined to ferret them out. In the midst of all this, Jericho receives troubling news that Claire has gone missing -- and that a file of German messages waiting to be decoded was found at her home. As Jericho works against the clock to crack the new German code, he forms an initially uneasy alliance with Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), Claire's roommate and a fellow member of the Enigma project, as they try to discover Claire's whereabouts. Enigma was co-produced by Mick Jagger, who has a keen interest in the history of the real-life Enigma project, and even owns one of the original Enigma decoding machines. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, (more)
