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
- 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
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)
This comedy extends and embellishes characters introduced on Saturday Night Live by regulars Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan in their sketch series of two head-bobbing losers who go on the town, looking for action, when they hear the What Is Love? disco tune. Looking cool, brothers Steve (Ferrell) and Doug Butabi (Kattan) always fail to pick up women in their hapless nightclub jaunts. In Beverly Hills, they work at a fake-flower store run by their father (Dan Hedaya). They are always denied entrance to the Roxbury, a leading discotheque, but an auto accident with Richard Grieco (portraying himself) gives them a foot in the door. Inside, they meet the club's owner (an uncredited Chazz Palminteri), and two gold-diggers (Elisa Donovan, Gigi Rice) believe they are wealthy businessmen. Steve finds his father shoving him into marriage with next-door neighbor Emily (Molly Shannon), but Doug keeps this from happening. Fortune smiles, and the Butabi brothers become the co-owners of a new nightclub. The real-life Roxbury on the Sunset Strip (once the location of the Imperial Gardens and the Players Club) was converted into a Japanese restaurant by the time this film was released. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, (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
Former Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" co-anchors Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-star in this baby-fever comedy about a single, career-oriented woman who previously put parenthood on hold, and is forced to hire a surrogate mother when she discovers there is only a one-in-a-million chance that she will be able to get pregnant. Kate Holbrook (Fey) is a 37-year-old business executive who has always put her professional life before her personal life, but these days her biological clock is ticking louder than ever before. As with everything else she has accomplished in life, Kate is determined to have a child on her own terms. Unfortunately for Kate, the chance of her ever becoming pregnant is slim to none. Undaunted, a willful Kate drafts South Philly working-class girl Angie Ostrowiski (Poehler) -- a woman who may just be her polar opposite -- to be a surrogate mother. Subsequently informed by the head of the surrogacy center (Sigourney Weaver) that her surrogate is indeed pregnant, the excited mother-to-be soon purchases every child-rearing book she can find and excitedly begins the nesting process. But life hasn't quit throwing Kate curveballs just yet, because when a pregnant Angie shows up on her doorstep with no place to live, the woman who once thrived on order finds her life descending into chaos. Now, as Kate attempts to transform Angie into the ideal expectant mother, this odd couple will discover that families aren't always biological, but occasionally formed through friendship as well. Writer Michael McCullers, who authored the screenplays for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Undercover Brother in addition to working on Saturday Night Live, makes his feature directorial debut with a self-penned screenplay. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, (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
Handsome, smooth-talking Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson) has everything going for him. A politician, he is engaged in a heated gubernatorial race with the feisty Governor Tracy (Christine Ebersole), a tough old bird who doesn't hesitate to play hardball with opponents. Unfortunately for her, things are looking good for Donnelly. Fortunately she finds his Achilles' heel with his young brother Mike Donnelly (Saturday Night Live alumnus Chris Farley), a fat slob gym teacher and hopeless imbecile who only wants to win his more successful sibling's respect. Unfortunately all he does is embarrass poor Al to death. In desperation, Al assigns the sardonic and prissy Steve Dodds (David Spade) to keep Mike under constant surveillance. The real trouble begins when Tracy's aids try to frame hapless Mike for arson. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Farley, David Spade, (more)
"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)
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)
- 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)
- 1980
- R
Director Mike Nichols makes no effort to inject camera trickery or "mise en scene" in Gilda Live. This is a live comedy concert by the peerless Gilda Radner, and that is enough; Nichols merely records this wonderful lady in action. All of Gilda's standard characterizations -- Emily Latella, Roseanna Roseannadanna et. al. -- are here in full force, a lot raunchier than when seen on TV. Everyone's favorite bit in this comedy catalogue is Gilda's specialty number "Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals." On hand to allow Gilda to take a breather once in a while is Don Novello, aka Father Guido Sarducci. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilda Radner
The comedy trio known as Lonely Island attempt their first feature-length comedy with Hot Rod. Andy Samberg stars as Rod Kimble, an inept would-be stuntman who believes his dad worked for daredevil Evel Knievel. His stepfather abuses him at every opportunity, but Rod keeps attempting tricks on his moped. After the stepfather becomes very ill, Rod gets the brilliant idea to attempt a stunt more dangerous that Knievel ever considered in order to raise the money to cure him. His master plan being that, after the stepfather improves, Rod will finally get his revenge and beat him in a fight. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, (more)
The Canadian sketch-comedy masters hit the big screen with Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, their send-up of psychopharmacology and its social ramifications. Each "kid" plays a plethora of roles; in fact, nearly every character in the film is played by one of the five "kids". When Roritor Pharmaceuticals finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy, research chemist Chris Cooper (Kevin McDonald) finds himself pressured to push his latest development to market without adequate testing at the risk of losing his job. The product -- Gleemonex, an anti-depressant bearing more than a slight resemblance to Prozac -- seems at first to be a wonder drug; users find themselves in a perpetual state of bliss as they relive their fondest memories time and again. Success goes awry, however, when a fatal side-effect surfaces -- users become catatonics. The craze has caught on, however, and the entire world seems to be taking Gleemonex, forcing Dr. Cooper to fight his employers and warn the masses before disaster strikes. The plot is really just an excuse for a series of funny, hallucinogenic sketches involving the memories and fantasies of its users; the funniest include a grandmother's all-too brief holiday visit with her family, and a married man's homoerotic experiences in the military. Another winning scene: a brooding grunge-rock idol (Bruce McCulloch) who's taken the drug unexpectedly changes his tune at a concert to the bewilderment of his angst-hungry fans. Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy is hit-or-miss satire, but much of the humor finds its mark in this humble, surprisingly intelligent film. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, (more)
The story of an intelligent, heroic collie and his young owner, previously featured in numerous films and a successful 1950s television series, was updated for the 1990s in this family feature. This time, Lassie is determined to help a cynical city boy named Matt (Thomas Guiry), who turns even more resentful when his family relocates to a small town in rural Virginia. Soon after this move, a bright collie enters the family's life and winds up with the name Lassie because of the television show, which Matt's younger sister (Brittany Boyd) watches passionately. Lassie sets out to cheer Matt up and introduce him to the wonders of nature, while also helping the family stand its ground against rich, unpleasant neighbors. There are also run-ins with vicious wild animals and a daring rescue over river rapids, but the main focus remains on the emotional relationship between Matt and the dog, a story that will seem old-fashioned and charming to some viewers while familiar and sentimental to others. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Guiry, Helen Slater, (more)
- 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
- 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
- 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)
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)
Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live wrote and appears in this comedy about the alternately funny and terrifying pecking order among teenage girls. Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is a 15-year-old girl who has spent most of her life in Africa, where she was home-schooled by her zoologist parents. When her family relocates to the United States, Cady finds herself attending a high school in suburban Illinois, where she gets a crash course in the various sub-strata of the student body: the jocks, the cheerleaders, the stoners, the "cool" kids, and so on. Much to her surprise, Cady finds herself embraced by a clique of rich and popular girls known to outsiders as "the Plastics," led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen Weiners (Lacey Chabert), and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried). While Cady is grateful for her new friends, it doesn't take long for her to realize how manipulative they can be, and she soon discovers she's violated an unwritten law when she goes out on a date with Aaron (Jonathan Bennett), who is charming, good looking...and Regina's former boyfriend. It isn't long before Regina and her pals are on the warpath, and Cady must face a level of vengeful behavior for which years in the jungle never prepared her. Joining Tina Fey in the supporting cast are fellow SNL players Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, and Tim Meadows. The screenplay for Mean Girls was based in part on Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence, a book by professional youth counselor Rosalind Wiseman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, (more)
Michael O'Donoghue, a writer for the original Saturday Night Live, was the mastermind of this collection of bizarre and often raunchy sketches featuring SNL cast members and numerous celebrity cameos. Originally intended as a late-night television special, network hesitation led to the special's release as a theatrical film. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Donoghue
- 1984
- PG
Tom Schiller, best known for the short subjects he wrote and directed for Saturday Night Live's early seasons, made his feature film debut with this offbeat fantasy. In the future, the city of New York is governed by the Port Authority, and aspiring artist Adam Beckett (Zach Galligan) is depressed because the powers that be refuse to grant him a creative license. Instead, Adam is assigned to direct traffic in the Holland Tunnel, where he meets a woman named Mara Hofmeier (Apollonia Van Ravenstein). Adam offers to show Mara a side of New York's underground that few people know about; however, they mistakenly board the wrong bus and find themselves on a trip to the moon, which has been turned into a shopping center. In time, Adam finds his way back to Earth, where at long last he finds artistic success and the love of his life, Ely (Lauren Tom). Incorporating clips from a number of classic silent films, Nothing Lasts Forever also features an interesting supporting cast, including Bill Murray, Sam Jaffe, Eddie Fisher, Dan Aykroyd, Lawrence Tierney, Imogene Coca, and Calvert Deforest (aka Larry "Bud" Melman). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Apollonia Van Ravenstein, (more)
- 2003
- Add Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music to QueueAdd Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music to top of Queue
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
