46/25
Matt Wood plays John Belushi on Saturday Night
Story
On October 11, 1975, at 11:30 p.m., a wild group of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what went on behind the scenes in the 90 minutes before the premiere of Saturday Night Live (1975). Check out the rest of the cast and their real-life counterparts… Dan Aykroyd was the only original SNL cast member to read the script. As the show goes live, John Belushi walks into the picture through the door 39 seconds late.
Doorman: All night?
In fact, he jumped right in. Lorne Michaels: Look, my name is Lorne Michaels, I’m a producer of Saturday Night. Lorne Michaels: [sarcastically] Yeah, all night. The film opens with a quote from Lorne Michaels: “The show goes on not because it’s over, but because it’s 11:30.” Featured in Eddie Murphy, le roi Noir d’Hollywood (2023). Ixoo “Chickenweed” Chawz Written by Don Cento and Martin Garner, Performed by Don Cento and Martin Garner.
Until it wasn’t
Directed by Jason Reitman, this film features great progression, something Reitman no doubt learned from his father Ivan Reitman (“Stripes,” “Animal House,” “Ghostbusters”). In that sense, with its long kinetic takes, it reminded me of an otherwise different film, “Birdman.” It’s a comedy of perfect errors that culminated in groundbreaking television at the height of the media’s influence on over 90% of Americans. Johnny Carson hated the idea on *his* network. Milton Berle, er, expected loyalty from the hippie generation. It was a glorious failure.
Who could capture the bravura of Dan Ackroyd?
I was skeptical of this film until I was in the dark theater. Who could imitate the facial features of Chevy Chase and John Belushi? Who could dare imitate Gilda Radner’s often captivating charm? The cast, led by Gabrielle Labelle as visionary fool Lorne Michaels, does it all with gleeful aplomb. There are laughs galore for those who remember the mid-’70s, and even for those who don’t.
It was a fun and turbulent time between the Nixon and Reagan eras
But out of it came a revolution in television comedy that continues full force today.