Sunday afternoon, as the rains came and the Lions weren’t on until 4 p.m., I decided to take a trip to the theater to watch the new Jason Reitman movie, Saturday Night. I hadn’t really heard much about it, but I’ve watched SNL for years, so it grabbed my interest. It wasn’t Terrifier 3, but it was solid.
A brief synopsis of the movie before I give you my thoughts on it. The film takes place between 10 pm and the start of the very first episode of SNL on October 11th, 1975. It shows the chaos and pressure on the cast but mostly follows a young Lorne Micheals and his quest to air something different, cutting and edgy, with a cast of unknowns. He nailed it!
Saturday Night
The movie is about perseverance and taking a chance on yourself. The deck was stacked against Michaels and the show almost didn’t go on. It did, and 49 years later is still on the air, although sometimes not as relevant as some seasons.
Sony Pictures
I’ve read that there were a few scenes that didn’t happen that are depicted in the movie. Apparently, Milton Berle didn’t flash Chevy Chase’s girlfriend, although that was something he was famous for. That’s just one example.
As for the Saturday Night, real or embellished, I really enjoyed it. The most impressive thing to me was the actors who played these iconic comedy stars. I was impressed by how much effort was put into making them sound like the people they were playing, as well as looking like them. You knew them the second they appeared on screen. From Dan Akroyd, who gave the movie big props, to John Belushi, to Gilda Radner, to the Muppets’ own Jim Henson, and so on. The character I thought missed the mark was George Carlin. I don’t know, I wasn’t as impressed with the depiction of him as the others.
Not many shows in the history of TV have the lore of SNL, and this movie captures the moments before most people knew who these young stars were about to become.
I’m giving it a score of 3.5 out of 5, partly because I would’ve liked to see more real events, as opposed to Hollywood fabrication. That being said, there was enough solid entertainment to keep me engaged. Go see it if you’re a fan, you won’t regret it.
Wayne's World: 10 Best Quotes from the SNL Movie
Wayne’s World hit theaters on February 14, 1992. It remains one of the best Saturday Night Live sketches that evolved into a film.
Per Box Office Mojo, Wayne’s World had a budget of $20 million and grossed over $183 million worldwide. Of that worldwide gross, $121.6 million came from the United States alone. Needless to say, that kind of profit made the producers say, “SCHWING!”
Wayne’s World represents many things. For starters, it’s a great buddy movie. Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar will forever be one of pop culture’s greatest best friend pairings. There’s such an inherent sweetness and silliness about both of them. It’s rather apt the film was released on Valentine’s Day.
There’s, of course, a more traditional love story at the center of Wayne’s World between Wayne and Cassandra that still has an unconventional twist. How many times have we seen stories of a woman chasing after a male rock star? In Wayne’s World, that gender dynamic is swapped. Then again, who could blame anyone for trying to win a total babe like Cassandra? Also, not enough is said about how perfect Tia Carrere is in this movie. Her comedic moments play perfectly with Mike Myers.
The other love story in Wayne’s World is that of rock fans with the music they love. From the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene to being backstage with Alice Cooper, this movie is a great example of rock fandom and how integral rock music is to the everyday lives of its fans.
Without a doubt, it is 95 minutes of comedic genius that still resonates to this day, especially if you’re a rocker. Want proof? Look at this selection of the best Wayne’s World quotes. They make us feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.
'Well, that's where I see things just a little differently. Contract or no, I will not bow to any sponsor.'
Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are masters of absurdity here. In case you weren’t keeping score, Wayne and Garth managed to promote five brands in this clip: Pizza Hut, Doritos, Reebok, Nuprin and Pepsi. It’s hard to choose which plug is the best, but there’s just something so unbelievably ridiculous about Garth wearing so much Reebok gear. No matter how many times we’ve watched this scene, it always delivers on the laughs.
'No Stairway. Denied!'
If you ever doubted Wayne’s World was a comedy for rock fans by rock fans, all you have to do is watch this scene. The way Wayne and Cassandra lust after that Fender Strat isn’t even an exaggeration. Of course, we can’t help but think of all the times after this movie someone used the “May I help you?” riff at a Guitar Center. It likely still happens to this day.
'I don't even own *a* gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I gonna do with a gun rack?'
An honorable mention is warranted for the line, “Oh, God, I made eye contact.” The delivery is perfect, and frankly, many of us can likely relate to the awkwardness. What some of us hopefully cannot relate to is how Stacy just doesn’t get how she and Wayne are really broken up. Most of us probably didn’t hear the phrase “psycho hose beast” before Wayne’s World, but what a perfect phrase!
'I NEVER LEARNED TO READ!'
Everyone involved in the making of Wayne’s World had to have known the gold they were creating when filming this movie. This scene alone is a prime example. The silliness of Wayne’s trying to win Cassandra back all while purposely creating an “Oscar Clip” is nothing short of brilliant. Sure, Wayne’s World might not be high-brow enough for the Academy, but screw them. We’d rather watch Wayne’s World any day than some snooty, pretentious drama.
'Actually, it's pronounced 'mill-e-wah-que' which is Algonquin for 'the good land.' and 'WE’RE NOT WORTHY!'
This might be one of the greatest cameos in film history. Sure, we may be biased, but Alice Cooper is outstanding here. Plus, in just two minutes, millions of people learned so much about Milwaukee. We also learned that in the presence of Alice, most of us aren’t worthy, but many likely already knew that.
(And yes, this entry counts as two quotes for those folks keeping a tally.)
'Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.'
If you’re reading this right now, we’d put good money on you saying this line accidentally in a professional capacity and it maybe did not go over very well. (At the very least, this author has, and her boss at the time had no sense of humor, and they did not appreciate the sentiment.)
Anyway, another honorable mention to, “Let me put it this way: I have an extensive collection of nametags and hairnets.” Honestly, don’t we all?
'Will you still love me when I'm in my hanging-out-with-Ravi-Shankar phase?'
RIP to Ravi Shankar, but here’s hoping he was aware of this reference to him in Wayne’s World. This is another prime example of how this movie was made for rock fans by rock fans. You either get this line, or you don’t. There’s is no in between.
Even people born, raised and currently living in Delaware have to laugh at this line. If they don’t, get over yourself. This is a silly and harmless joke.
Again, we can’t help but award an honorable mention to Garth and how he describes being in a real studio: “It’s like a new pair of underwear. At first, it’s constrictive, but after a while, it becomes a part of you!”
'I mean Led Zeppelin didn't write tunes everybody liked. They left that to the Bee Gees.
We know what you’re thinking: “How come ‘Game on!’ isn’t the quote you chose to honor with this clip?” Look, it was discussed, but there’s something magical about this observation on Led Zeppelin and the Bee Gees. It’s seemingly a throw-away line. However, it’s really profound the more you think about it. Call it a hunch, but after reading this, you’re going to think about it more and more, too.
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
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