Reviews (2)

this is the best fukin SNL movie ever
this is one hilarious gut busting comedy with all of chris farleys greatest SNL moments. GET THIS DVD

Mostly great for boring times
I saw this at a friends house. It's pretty funny, but some is not. ... Read more

Reviews (239)

I Give This Four Barks Out of Five
Best in Show is a clever 'mocumentary', a delightful satire of the dog show world. Director Christopher Guest and co-writer Eugene Levy also star in the movie, along with a slew of other comic actors. As writers, Guest and Levy are throwbacks to kinder, gentler times. Their brand of satire is funny and sometimes biting, but it is never brutal. They allow the performers to improvise a lot. This doesn't always work out, but when it does, the results are hysterical. The movie succeeds because the dogs' owners, not the dogs themselves, are the real characters. It shows that in the bond between man and dog, man may be the strangest and funniest half.

At the start, we meet several couples and individuals who will be showing their dogs in the Mayflower competition in Philadelphia. Some are shown in real scenes, other in fake interviews. Christopher Guest is Harlan Pepper, a down home North Carolina boy who runs a fishing supply store. He also raises champion blood hounds and dreams of being a ventriloquist. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara play the Flecks. He literally has two left feet, and she is an aging hot babe, who is constantly running into men from her past, much to Mr. Fleck's annoyance. Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock are the Swans, a couple of yuppie lawyers who have channeled way too much emotion into their dog. Sherri Ann [Jennifer Coolidge] is a very buxom and very wealthy matron who, along with her trainer, Christie [Jane Lynch], has entered her pom-pommed poodle. Finally, we met Scott and Stephan [John Michael Higgins and Michael McKeen], a gay couple who has entered one of their beloved toy dogs. In their spare time, Scott and Stephan produce calendars, using photos of their dogs dressed up like characters in famous movies.

The movie follows the characters before, during and after the competition. The show itself is quite authentic looking. It even spoofs sports announcing. One of the announcers is a proper Englishman, full of knowledge about dog shows. The other is an American who is completely clueless. Their scenes are among the film's funniest.

The humor is Best in Show is too dry for some viewers. It's often subtle comedy. I enjoyed it, but I like my humor from broad to dry and everything in-between. I also think I share Guest and Levy's point of view. They seem to be dog lovers who think that what goes on in the world of championship dog lovers is somewhat over the top. What the characters in the movie express towards dogs isn't exactly love. It's more obsession and a need to be noticed. In fact, these people require more attention than their mutts do.

Funny Mock-u-mentary
There's a shallow gold-digger married to a wealthy but mute 90 year old. There's a flamboyantly perky hairdresser (a most amusing character!) who is coupled with a hairdresser. There is also the two lawyers, married, dysfunctional, and highly high-strung. Then there's the former "popular" and experienced prom queen married to the nerdy and self-conscious salesman with two left feet (literally). And finally, there's "Harlan", the ventriloquist wannabe. What do they all have in common? Besides being hysterically human and flawed, each enter their prize dogs in a "Best in Show" contest. With excellent dry humor and in the mode of a documentary, "Best in Show" displays very aptly the human condition, relationships, ambition, and quirky but spunky dog owners and how they react to life, to thier self-worth and to winning (or not winning). I loved this movie for many reasons. The acting was superb; the storyline was choppy but worked very well; and the humor was intelligent and some of the one-liners hit you 5 seconds after they're said--the most powerful form of comedy. This is not for those who like fast moving movies; it's for those who like intelligently quiet humor and can read in between the lines by taking a simple process of entering a dog show and making it into a social, psychological, and fun story. You'll enjoy it!

Not quite "Best"
Christopher Guest has a rare misstep in "Best in Show," the follow-up to comedy classic "Waiting for Guffman." While "Best" is still a fun and frenetic mockumentary, it isn't up to the standards of its sibling mockumentaries -- it's a little too repetitive and over-the-top.

Welcome to Philadelphia, the home of the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Among the crazy dog owners are Starbucks yuppies Hamilton and Meg Swan (Michael Hitchcock and Parker Posey), gay couple Scott and Stefan (John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean), ventrilogist hick Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest), and buxom airhead Sherri Ann (Jennifer Coolidge) and her lover/trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch). Front and center is two-left-footed Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy) and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara), whose sexy past keeps coming back to haunt her.

All these people converge at the dog show, and face difficulties ranging from wrenched knees to televised lesbian smooches to lost squeaky toys -- and some of the dogs are getting a bit crazy as well. With an obnoxious commentator watching over it all, they all strive for the ultimate prize. Poodle, Norwich terrier, bloodhound, Shih Tzu or emotionally scarred Weimaraner -- who will be best in show?

"Best in Show" does for dog shows what "This is Spinal Tap" did for old metal -- it makes affectionate fun of them. Christopher Guest returns to mockumentary turf in the moderately funny "Best in Show" -- it's flawed, but still far above the average comedy.

The biggest problem with "Best in Show" is that Guest tries too hard. The jokes and goofiness are over-the-top, belying the mockumentary format. And the jokes get a bit repetitive. How many times can Cookie run into old boyfriends? Isn't the gay humor both cliched and overdone? But, the humor itself is quite funny, with plenty of strange lines like "We have so much in common! We both love soup... and the outdoors... snow peas... talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about."

No flaws can be found in the veteran mockumentary cast -- these people look like they're having a good time. Hitchcock and Posey are chillingly good as the couple who met over J. Crew catalogues in a Starbucks, while Coolidge is deliciously dumb as a bisexual Anna Nicole Smith clone. McKean and Higgins, despite being cliched, play their roles with unadulterated delight. Fred Willard's vulgar commentator is over-the-top stupid, but still amusing.

Despite repetitive humor and the occasional dud joke, Christopher Guest's follow-up to "Waiting for Guffman" is an amusing look behind the scenes of dog shows. It's not "Best in Show," but it's one of the best of breed.

Definitely the funniest of the mockumentaries
This is a fast moving and funny movie that's a truly great comedy, worthy enough to stand alongside This is Spinal Tap.
This one has everything. Conflict-who will win the dog show? Humor, and lots of it. Fred Willard again proves he needs his own TV show (nay, his own channel) as a dog-show commentator so obliviously stupid he's lovable. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are perfect as your typical, middle-class east-coast family; Eugene's plays somewhat of a "loser", Catherine's great as the promiscuous wife. Jennifer Coolidge is pretty funny as the "glamorous" lesbian who can be aggressive in subtly funny ways.
The best thing about this movie is that it's truly humorous with truly funny actors. These people aren't puppets for lame sex jokes (well, not counting both gay couples) they're funny because they (as in the talented actors, the whole lot of 'em) inherit their characters and give them a life of their own. I mean, I bet that Eugene Levy came up with his character's two left feet on the spot because he knew he had to make a somewhat pathetic character even more pathetic. There's an absolutely pointless scene where Guest's character, a southerner/hunter/ventriloquist, talks to the camera about how he used to stay up all night naming nuts. It's funny though, because it makes no sense but somehow falls in line with the character.
This is a great comedy that makes few cheap shots but is consistently funny through and through.
The DVD has a pretty entertaining commentary with Guest and Levy, and some funny deleted scenes (look for the one where Hamilton tells Posey about "a saying my father used to say"). Those extras are enough for this disc though, and the price is great. Buy this inspired and funny comedy.

Best in Show
BEST OF SHOW was a little disappointing. I couldn't connect with Christopher Guest's hillbilly character, Eugene Levy's character lost me behind his buck teeth and two left feet (No, they really are two left feet!), and I thought Fred Willard's ringside color-man bit was more irritating than slashingly satiric. Bummer. It was because they were in it that I got this one.
On the other hand the movie is filled with strong characterizations and funny bits. Larry Miller has a hilarious scene as one of Catherine O'Hara's ex-lovers who, to husband Levy's obvious discomfort, describes things in graphic detail. Ed Begley Jr. hits the right note as the quietly helpful hotel manager. The bickering yuppie couple and the gay couple were fun, too. ... Read more

Reviews (333)

JUST THE BOX ART WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!
Christopher Guest is Corky St. Clair, small town Blaine ("The Stool capitol of the world"), Missouri's resident community theater director. With plans of getting back to Broadway, he has created a musical extravaganza "Red, White and Blaine" to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary.

This sly, often hilarious, mock documentary features Guest's resident troupe of improvisational actors -- Eugene Levy (co-writer), Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard and Bob Balaban as the stage-struck locals who pin their amateur hopes on being discovered when Corky hints that legendary talent scout Mort Guffman will be in the audience.

If you appreciated "Best In Show," than check out its predecessor. Over 80 hours of film were shot in Super 16mm and edited down to a brisk 84 minutes. The widescreen print is especially sharp and the sound is clear. Co-writers and stars Guest and Levy share a loose and funny commentary and there's at least 30 minutes of whimsical and surprisingly poignant deleted scenes with optional commentary. Recommended.

"Is it karma? - Maybe."
This is what director 'Corky St Claire' has the NERVE to say, congratulating himself on the progress of his self-penned show, 'Red, White and Blaine'. This 'mockumentary' is THE FUNNIEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN! It has it's own 'groove', and once you get onto the Guffman wave-length, you soon become an addict! Christopher Guest delivers his finest performance ever as small town Blaine's resident 'creative type', a tubby, autocratic drama teacher with 'off-off Broadway' experience. The fictional town of Blaine is so 'small town' that the fact that Corky is obviously gay never enters their thoughts; he's 'creative' (and 'from New York'!) The supporting cast, however, are in danger of stealing the movie from under his feet! Parker Posey is pathetically delightful as 'Libby Mae', a Dairy Queen employee who dreams of hitting Broadway so she can "meet Italian guys". Also praisworthy are the characters of "Ron" and "Sheila", a married couple of zero-talents who "Corky" dubbs 'The Lunts of Blaine'. Yet the real prize has to go to Eugene Levy as "Dr Pearl", the local dentist who lands a starring role in 'Red, White and Blaine'. "Dr Pearl" fancies himself as a comedian ("At family functions, I love breaking people up.") and Levy SOMEHOW manages to be hilariously funny playing a character who TRIES to be funny - and ISN'T! Anyone who has ever been involved with local theatre on any level whatsoever will ADORE this movie! Not only does it take a playful stab at Middle America, it ALSO pokes fun at the documentary genre itself (those tense close-ups, those hand-held cameras!) The cleverest, most intelligent comedy in years - 'Waiting for Guffman' has become a cult movie, and quite rightly!

After years, and years of clinical research.
I have determined that this is funniest movie of all time. If you don't agree with me, or even worse, if you don't
"get it", you are part of the problem, and deserve everything
you have coming to you.

"I find I have no feeling in my buttocks."
Hey Amazon censor - "buttocks" is not a bad word. Lighten up :-)

"Waiting For Guffman" is another Christopher Guest-and-ensemble-cast mockumentary, this time involving community theater in Blaine, Missouri, "the stool capital of the world."

There was no real script, but the actors did have certain plot-points to work around, and they pull off a very funny movie.

The musical in the movie, entitled "Red, White, and Blaine" is to be performed on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the town of Blaine, which involved cross-country wagoneers who at night believed they had reached the Pacific ocean, but when the sun rose they discovered they did not quite make it, subsequent quality stool manufacturing, and alien abduction.

There is the crop-circle scientist who explains that although the diameter and circumference change slightly, the radius is always the same, as is the weather - "when you step into that circle it is always 67 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain - always".

There is the alien abductee (perhaps my favorite part) played by Paul Dooley. He had the misfortune to be probed by many aliens (though not all at once) which leads to his buttocks being numb on Sundays.

Cast regular Eugene Levy plays a Jewish dentist, and Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara are husband and wife travel agents who have never been outside Blaine. Bob Balaban plays the straight-laced local music teacher who is somewhat put upon trying to get Christopher Guest (Corky, the show's director) to hold proper rehearsals. Parker Posey is the local Dairy Queen employee with dreams of stardom and a father in prison.

The group goes through the audition process for their role in the musical, then rehearsals, and finally the performance, during which they anticipate the arrival of an influential NY drama critic, Mort Guffman - hence the title.

There are a lot of funny little moments, such as Corky wearing those big pants and doing his little dance, or Levy singing "I Dream of Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair", or rehearsing his "how high a ridge I could not tell" line, or Willard talking about his reduction surgery and trying to show it to Eugene Levy who retorts in a Johnny Carson voice..."Medicin man not go near...'Dances With Stumpy'.

Much of the show music was written by Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer from "Spinal Tap" fame.

The DVD had deleted scenes with optional commentary, a text-based behind the scenes, a commentary by Guest and Levy, subtitles and a trailer.

"I'll tell you why I can't put up with you people. Because you're (...) people. That's what you are. You're just (...) people, and I'm goin' home and I gonna - I'm gonna bite my pillow, is what I'm gonna do!"

What time is it?
Haven't you been paying attention? It's Midnight at the Oasis!
I originally wrote that this film is too deadpan and straight for my liking, especially coupled with a commentary that I still find rather boring. However, I think this is the best thing about these movies and Guest's personality in general. Most movies like this play down to their audience, continually winking at them and patting them on the back for getting all the jokes. Waiting for Guffman is so off the wall that it can play to any audience but a certain kind of people will get all the jokes and non-jokes (a term that I use for dialogue and scenes that don't have explicit jokes in them but have a humorous bent: take the scene with David Cross, for example).
Anything with Fred Willard is classic. Eugene Levy saying he was not the class clown, but sat near the class clown and studied him. And of course, "what do your keen and perceptive eyes see?"
Bestin Show is probably the funniest (not counting This is Spinal Tap), while A Mighty Wind is probably the most touching, feels the most complete and polished. Waiting for Guffman is so subdued though, which is why it's great. There's still a lot of laugh-out-loud (especially if you're a first time viewer, or the first time in a while) moments, and the ending is one of the best comedy endings of all time.
I love the little moments here, (Catherine O'Hara's little speech about "less is more" acting, Fred Willard telling Dr. Pearl "this is my wife Sheila, you may remember her from previous bills") there's just something so pure about these movies that makes them rewatchable. It's a pretty good movie, but keep in mind it's pretty rough and in my opinion the "worst" of the mockumentaries.
On the DVD side of things, I couldn't help but think the commentary was, well, boring. There was a lot of dead time. Guest seemed so bored during the recording, then again he could've just been kidding. We learn of the movie's incredibly small budget and cramped shooting schedule, however. And the deleted scenes are a treat, my favorite probably being the "Nothing Ever Happens in Blaine" song. Aside from that, there's little else, though. But the disc is pretty good (and cheap), so it's a no-brainer purchase. Get it. ... Read more

Description

Documentary-style Comedy. Christopher Guest follows up his acclaimed ensemble comedies Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman with a docu-comedy about three folk groups from the 60s who reunite for a memorial concert in New York City following the death of a legendary folk manager. ... Read more

Reviews (147)

Guest just keeps on going, and going, and going....
Christopher Guest first came to prominence in 1984, as an assistant and star in Rob Reiner's hilarious "This is Spinal Tap".

Guest learned at the hands of the master, and the last 20 years of his career have been spent on mockumentary efforts ("Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and, in 2002, "A Mighty Wind", where he decided to satirize the 60's folk music movement, something he and his fellow Spinal-Tappers had once done as a skit on Saturday Night Live). There are hallmarks in Guest's work. He utilizes a co-writer, the newly popular Eugene Levy (the best part of Steve Martin's recent "Bringing Down the House"), he has a regular cast of character actors that ad-lib their way through zany and satirical situations in all three films, and he conquers the art form of teasing fans and popular culture icons with gentle spoofing, double entendres, hidden meanings, and really great filmmaking.

Although I enjoyed the film in the theater, it really came into its own when I was able to watch the DVD where I could marvel at the details and depths of Guest and Levy's imagination, and the brilliance of their comedy. It's strewn throughout the film, but a lot is captured and hightlighed in the DVD's special features.

The premise of the film is simple:

Irving Steinbloom, aged icon of the 50's and 60's folk music scene, has died in New York. His son, who followed him in managing folk music acts, Jonathon (Bob Balaban)endeavors to create a "PBN" concert in his dad's memory, bringing together three of dad's oldest and most famous acts. We get to see the faded stars in their lives today, deciding to do the show, then practicing, traveling to the Big Apple and enduring some mild hoopla and memories. Finally, we see the big event.

It was easy to pick out the most outstanding performance of the film, it belonged to co-writer Levy (as Mitch), who completely convinces you, iron gray wig and all, that he is an unhinged, deer-in-the-headlights folk icon, with much of his early musical promise deadened by the cornucopia of meds he's taken over the last three decades, to try to capture some mental stability. To fully appreciate his performance, and the droll wit that drives Levy, see his ad-lib in the Special Features press conference, where Mitch does a completely credible and incredible speech, comparing Rap music to folk music. You gotta see it to believe it!

Strolling through the DVD also brought out the idiosyncrasies in the film and let me marvel at the comedic turns of the delightful Jennifer Coolidge (as Amber Cole, eastern European escapee and PR agent) and John Michael Higgins (as Terry Bohner. Leader of the "New Main Street Singers"). Both were completely over the top in "Best of Show", and even more laughable here. Both are amazing scene stealers, but you have to think back over the scene to realize it.

In the Special Features, you're really crushed to find deleted scenes that should have survived the film's editing (particularly Coolidge in a deadpan "piccolo" joke), memorable songs ("The Good Book", by the New Main Street Singers, is hilarious) and the unmatched wry and acerbic humor of commentators Guest and Levy. Guest, with amazing attention to detail, even filmed the concert portion of "A Mighty Wind" with TV cameras to be able to recreate the concert as it might have appeared on PBS or public access.

"AMW" is not for everyone. Those who won't want to probe for the humor or the double entendre or can't reminisce about the golden age and the innocence of folk music will probably think it dull, dull, dull. I've rated it four stars, because it pales in comparison to Guffman and Best in Show, but I must say, I really enjoyed the film.

Guest is a genius at understated, satirical comedy and at making gentle, loving jibes at pop culture stereotypes. Although "AMW" may be the lesser of his three films, it still proves that he is truly the king of film comedy. Can't wait for his next one!

A Mighty Wind.... A Mightier DVD!
Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean came down to Sydney, Australia for a special screening of 'A Mighty Wind' with a Q&A session afterwards. I was lucky enough to attend and was even luckier to hear the plans they had for the DVD.

First off, if you're not familiar with Christopher Guest's movies you simply have to know one thing, they are all Improvised. No script just acting on the spot. All Guest's movies (Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman) are in the style of a documentary (Mockumentary) where the storyline is plotted out before hand and the scene is just given an outcome which the actors then have to Impro. This makes the movie fresh and funny plus its what differentiates itself from other films, giving it a unique element.

The movie itself centres around when folk icon Irving Steinbloom passed away, he left behind a legacy of music and a family of performers he had shepherded to folk stardom. To celebrate a life spent submerged in folk, Irving's loving son Jonathan (BOB BALABAN) has decided to put together a memorial concert featuring some of Steinbloom's best-loved musicians.

There's Mitch & Mickey (EUGENE LEVY and CATHERINE O'HARA), who were the epitome of young love until their partnership was torn apart by heartbreak; classic troubadours The Folksmen (CHRISTOPHER GUEST, MICHAEL McKEAN and HARRY SHEARER), whose records were endlessly entertaining for anyone able to punch a hole in their center to play them; and The New Main Street Singers (featuring JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS, JANE LYNCH and PARKER POSEY), the most meticulously color-coordinated "neuftet" ever to hit an amusement park near you.

Now, for one night only in New York City's Town Hall, these three groups will reunite and gather together to celebrate the music that almost made them famous.

Christopher Guest stated that the DVD was set to release in 6 months, making it around Christmas time or early January (Depending if Warner Bros decides to push it forward or hold it back).

The DVD is set to have feature commentary by both Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy (Writers). Also the whole 'Ode to Irving' show at New York City's Town Hall will be played in its entirety for all those fans of Folk Music out there. There will also be around an hour of Deleted Scenes (Additional Commentary), Trailer and Production Notes.

This DVD is definitely worth the buy. It may not be packed with Special features but the film itself is whats worth the money. If you loved Reiner's spin on Rock music with Spinal Tap wait till you see (if you haven't) Guest's take on Folk Music. With over 80 hours of footage shot and around 8 months to edit it, it really shows how passionate Guest is about his films and what he feels is the Creme da la Crème to make into a 5 star movie.

A must see movie. A must buy DVD.

Funny + folk-music + Eugene Levy
Why only 4 stars and not 5? I cannot believe that in 2004 there are still companies that package DVDs in flimsy cardboard cases rather than plastic clamshell keepsakes. And this is a film you'll want to keep.

If you only know Eugene Levy from the American Pie films, you will be pleasantly surprised with A Mighty Wind. I had no idea Eugene Levy could sing so well, or was capable of a serio-comic performance. I usually love his bit roles in films, and this one was way better than I expected. Aside from Levy, this is another of director Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, albeit an extremely good-natured and lighthearted one centered around a PBS folk-music concert. Guest is one of the few filmmakers who can make the mockumentary format work (aside from Woody Allen), and he leads a brilliant cast into a largely improvised framework that contains laughter and sentimentality.

I'm not a folk-music fan at all, but I enjoyed the music in the film a lot. It's pleasant rather than annoying and preachy.

"You can't get to heaven on the wings of a gun"
I got a lot of enjoyment out of this movie, and basically agree with most of the other positive reviews on this site, but my main reason for posting this review is to highlight the hilarious "Children of the Sun" video which is one of the special features. This is a Folksmen tune that they released in 1968, from their "Saying Something" LP (where they broke their covenant with the fans by not hyphenating the album title.) This was when the true folk era was dying out and bands needed to make the transition to something just a little more psychedelic sounding. (Of course, this is all fictional...) But the video just had my whole family (teenage sons included) doubling over with laughter, with the primitive but "far out" video FX, the trippy-cheesy lyrics and the earnest delivery of the songs Transcendent Message. As a 7-year old kid in 1968, my consciousness was saturated with that stuff, as my parents were into Donovan, the Fifth Dimension, the soundtrack to "Hair" and all the other earnest performers out there singing similar Anthems of a New Generation. The whole disc is full of great amusing material, but "Children of the Sun" really did top it all off quite brilliantly.

Very subtle and very funny!
Compared to WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and BEST IN SHOW, the humor in this mockumentary is a bit subtler. It is funnier every time I watch it, as I catch more of the wry, understated humor with each viewing. The songs are catchy, too. You really care about what develops with the central characters played by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. This is a great comedy in keeping with Christopher Guest's other masterpieces! BUY IT! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good, but pales in comparison to "The Best of Will Ferrell"!
Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon were like two peas in a pod on "Saturday Night Live." They had good chemistry and when they combined forces they could induce plenty of laughs. Of course, Will Ferrell is equally funny without Molly Shannon. "The Best of Molly Shannon" proves it is exactly the opposite for her.

Yeah, she's a funny lady, but she pales in comparison to such "SNL" comediennes as Gilda Radner, Jane Curtain, and even Chery Oteri, who is very goofy. Molly Shannon's "Best Of" collection is fine, I suppose, but I didn't laugh that much -- and not nearly as often as I did with Will Ferrell's "Best Of" DVD.

Here she plays her most famous (and mostly original) characters: Salley O'Malley, Mary Katherine Gallagher, Courtney Love and Anna Nicole Smith (in a disgusting but funny segment with Ben Affleck), among others. But they're never exactly laugh-out-loud funny; I smiled a few times. I enjoyed some of the gags. But I was only really laughing when Will Ferrell was interacting with Molly.

Whether or not they are good films is definitely arguable, but there's a reason that Will Ferrell has been cast in virtually every mainstream Molly Shannon film. They go together. She cameos in his movies, he cameos and/or stars in hers. Remember "Superstar"? Remember "A Night at the Roxbury"? Maybe they're not good, but at least Lorne Michaels was smart enough to realize that the two have some sort of chemistry.

I noticed that Molly Shannon likes to move around a lot. I watched the Conan O'Brian interview with her (included on the DVD), and she absolutely could not sit still at all, just like her "Joyologist" character, who, in the DVD's outtakes, flipped over her chair from moving around so much.

She's good as Courtney Love, and Molly Shannon is undoubtedly a good comedic actress, but to say that she deserves her own collection of best moments at this point in time is a bit presumptuous, especially considering the fact that classic "SNL" actors have yet to appear in any sort of "Best Of" DVD collections. (Or am I just not finding them on Amazon and in the stores?) Besides, most of the compiles sketches aren't even that great -- or is it just that Molly Shannon herself isn't that great? I hope it's the former.

If you're a fan of Molly Shannon and/or "Saturday Night Live," I would definitely pick up this DVD. I bought it for fourteen dollars, and I've got to say that I'll probably return to it once and a while for some good grins. But not nearly as often as I am already returning to "The Best of Will Ferrell," which still stands as the best "Saturday Night Live" DVD I own at the current time (only three, but I'm getting there).

"Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon" runs 76 minutes. It contains outtakes, a deleted dress rehearsal scene, a picture gallery, two TV interviews with Conan, and so on. It is not rated, but contains some language and sexual content/partial nudity. The feature's guest stars include, among others: Val Kilmer, Matthew Broderick, Gabriel Byrne, Tina Turner, Alex Baldwin, et al. It is now available on video and DVD.

Molly: One of the all time GREAT TV ladies of comedy!
Molly Shannon's presence is sorely missed on "Saturday Night Live" but not you can relive some of her finest moments with this DVD. Although I personally would have chosen some different sketches , this DVD is sure to put a big smile on even the grumpiest of faces.

Included are:

"Mary Katherine Gallagher"- Mary auditions for the school variety show and sings "Sometimes When We Touch" and does a Meredith Baxter Birney tv movie monologue. (with Gabriel Byrne)

"Helen Madden, Licensed Joyologist"- "I love it! I love it!" Helen appears on "Pretty Living", hosted by Ana Gasteyer. (with Matthew Broderick)

"The Courtney Love Show"- Courtney's got a talk show, and she interviews Julie Andrews (played by Christine Baranski)

"Elizabeth Taylor"- Elizabeth picks the winning lottery numbers on Weekend Update ("Gladiator!")

"Jeanne Darcy"- the very unspontaneous and over rehearsed comedienne makes an inappropriate appearance at a nursing home.

"Monica Lewinsky"- Monica addresses court, with Hillary watching.

"Sally O'Malley"- Sally auditions to be a Rockette! "I'm 50 years old! And I like to kick! Stretch! And kick!" (with Danny DeVito).

"Veronica & Co."- The European supermodel has a talk show whose set is located in the middle of a fashion show runway (with Val Kilmer).

"Delicious Dish On NPR"- Molly & Ana Gasteyer as the very low-key hosts of a radio cooking show. This is the famous "Schweaty Balls" episode (with Alec Baldwin).

"Leg Up!"- Molly as Ann Miller, and Cheri Oteri as Debbie Reynolds. (with Phil Hartman as a very cranky Frank Sinatra)

"MTV FANatic"- Molly as Anna Nicole Smith (with Ben Affleck as an obsessed fan who looks to Anna Nicole for a mother figure).

"Mary Katherine Gallagher"- Mary meets the real Tina Turner by hiding in her dressing room. (with Alec Baldwin)

"Rae Murphy"- an awkward blind date at an airport bar goes horribly wrong (with Will Ferrel and Chris Kattan).

"Dress Rehearsal Sketch"- that was cut from the final broadcast features Molly as an odd, accent loving girl who brings home date Bill Paxton to meet her parents (with Ana Gasteyer and Horatio Sanz).

Also features a photo gallery of Molly in different costumes, outtakes: Molly as Xena, Princess Warrior (with Brendan Frasier), as Helen Madden (with Ben Stiller), NPR's Delicious Dish (with Alec Baldwin), 70's Ladies In Bar (with Calista Flockhart), Dog Show! (with Will Ferrell- it's just a teeny blooper clip), and Jeanne Darcy on Weekend Update.

Two more goodies: two appearances on Conan O'Brien. On the first one she discusses how Courtney Love didn't seem pleased to be parodied and how Gary Coleman once trapped her in his hotel bathroom and tried to put the moves on her; the other appearance is with Will Ferrell and she talks about dating and a new sketch she was working on called "Hot Cocoa Girls."

Great collection! I would have given it five stars had it included some "Goth Talk" and "Dog Show" sketches on it. My absolute favorite Mary Katherine Gallagher sketch isn't here either (Gwenyth Paltrow was the host that week)- but it'd be nearly impossible to include everyone's favorites. I'd say that Molly Shannon definitely deserves a second "Best Of" DVD!

Good, but brief.
I believe that most people buy a "Best of" title mainly to see some of their favorite skits. Don't set your expectations too high here. This is just 76 minutes long, which includes outtakes, tv interviews, a dress rehearsal, and some recognizable skits. One can always argue about what should be on a "Best of", but this is so limited as to leave one convinced that this was made short to allow for other "Favorites" to be bundled up by producers for other DVD's to be released later. Disappointing.

Query about review
What happened to the review I wrote two weeks ago?

Molly Shannon at her most hilarious!
Out of all the Saturday Night Live collections that I have viewed, this one is the most consistently funny. Like some of her fellow SNL alumni, she may not have carved out a film career for herself, but she still does some of the most side-splitting routines. This DVD contains two Mary Katherine Gallagher sketches, her Betty Broderick monologue and her meeting Tina Turner; her Sally O'Malley "I'm 50 years old" bit with Danny De Vito; her spot-on impression of Courtney Love; the giddily over-the-top sketch about "joyologist" Helen Madden; her impression of a spaced-out Elizabeth Taylor randomly spewing out lottery numbers; her Jeannie Darcy bit in the elderly ward ("Don't get me started"); and the "Schweaty Balls" sketch with Alec Baldwin. Some of the other routines, such as the Veronica & Co. clip, the Anna Nicole Smith scene (poorly developed) and the airport bar scene with Will Ferrell, are less consistently funny. However, the first 45 minutes or so of this DVD more than compensate for the last 20 minutes. If I wanted to cheer up a friend, I would give him or her this DVD. In fact, I know that I will give it to some of my colleagues in the future. This DVD is heads above my Dana Carvey, Steve Martin, and Will Ferrell DVDs. How much do I like this Molly Shannon? Don't get me started! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

so so so funny
I could not stop laughing its adam sanlers version of kings of comedy very funny good thing to watch whiel your eating not really for seating down and watching it like a film or by urself its better if your having a party or something to put it on. ... Read more

Description

Nancy Archer has had an alien encounter and it?s left her 50 ft. tall! Now she sees the men in her life from a new angle - looking down on them - and it?s time to fight back. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

cult movie in the making
Who the hell would remake the 1960's turkey starring Allison Hayes? HBO, that's who!

Daryl Hannah makes for the perfect new giantess in this fine update of ATTACK OF THE 50FT WOMAN.

In the tiny Western town of Archer, Nancy Archer (Daryl Hannah - SPLASH, STEEL MAGNOLIAS) lives under the thumb of her wealthy father, Hamilton, and her philandering husband Harry (Daniel Baldwin - KNIGHT MOVES, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY). For years they have chipped away at her self-esteem, making her feel very small, but all that's about to change...

A chance-encounter with a UFO leads to Nancy growing into a 50-ft giantess, and she goes on a mission of delicious revenge against her louse of a spouse.

Needless to say, the material has not aged well. The creaky plot is slow-moving and only gets going during the last 15 minutes during the "killing spree" sequence. But no doubt this little film has it's appreciative audience, who love the film for what it is....a fun little piece of fluffy schlock!

With Frances Fisher, Cristi Conaway and William Windom.

They made 'em better in the 50s...
So I was browsing through the TV guide when I came upon a listing for ATTACK OF THE 50 FT WOMAN. Could this be that 50's science-fiction film that I've always been meaning to see but never got the chance? Well, turns out it was an HBO made-for-TV remake and, having just seen it, I can almost guarentee that I'll never watch it again...

The main problem with it is that the film is way too short on action and heavy on uninteresting soap-opera rubbish. Daryl Hannah does what she can with the material but I never at once felt sorry for the her, which is what the script tried to keep hammering in. In fact, for the first half of the film, we only get two brief glimpses of a flying saucers (both not very impressive... I still prefer Ed Wood's paper plates on strings). Finally, when Hannah's character starts growing, the narrative is given a brief jolt, but not enough to make it that interesting... It's basically just more of the same old but with Hannah getting increasingly bigger.

When the action finally does kick in near the end, it's not particuarly satisfying... I'm not sure how this compares to the 50s original but I doubt it's as ineptly staged and dull as this remake... Despite the title, the 50-foot woman here never really does any attacking... she just strolls down the street and we get a bunch of close-ups of people screaming and running around blindly... I'm not expecting her to act like Godzilla and smash the place up (although that would have been appreciated) but the way that these climactic scenes were handled were pretty disappointing. There's also a brief encounter with a pair of helicopters that produces similarly mundane results... Perhaps the best scene in the movie is when Hannah peers over a Drive-in movie theater where they're showing clips from the original ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN... It's a shame that I wasn't watching that one instead...

And that's the real problem with this film... There's nothing really all that satisfying about it, except for the novelty of watching a 50-foot tall scantily clad woman cause a curiously restrained amount of havoc, if you could even call it that... Daniel "the forgotten" Baldwin is fairly amusing as the slime-ball husband, but that's about it. Right before the credits at the end of the film, we get a few brief paragraphs on the characters and what happened to them after the film ended... The fact that I could care less about what was written there speaks worlds about my indifference to this film...

Better than the original.
Remakes can never compare to the original film. This one is the exception. I found the 1993 Attack of the 50ft woman to be much more entertaining and funnier than the original. Plus a lot of women can relate to the characters in this movie. The movie is mostly a statement about how mistreated women are around the world, yet it doesn't go too far and totally attack men and make them all villans like other feminist movies. Hannah who plays Mrs. Archer does a great job as a cheated and mistreated wife who never gives up on trying to save her relationship with her low life husband played by Daniel Baldwin. Hannah has an encounter with a UFO and then grows giant and eventually realizes that she is tired of being pushed around. There are many funny situations and characters in this remake. In my opinion, I thought that VICTORIA HAAS stole the show as she played a cute, tom boy, deputy named Charley. The most funniest scenes in the movie involved Haas(i wonder why she never came out with any more films). Well, this film is wildly entertaining. The ending was a little disapointing and didn't explain the scene in the beginning, but I still recommend this film.

Daryl Hannah finally hits the big time in this HBO remake
"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" finds Daryl Hannah in the titular role of this HBO remake of the 1958 exploitation cult classic. Director Christopher Guest goes whole heartedly for a retro Fifties look in this 1993 which tries to take the best parts (so to speak) of the original and enlarge the rest into a feminist allegory. Once again the story is about poor little heiress Nancy Archer (Hannah), who has been abused all of her life by men from her father, Hamilton Cobb (William Windom) to her swarmy husband, Harry (Daniel Baldwin), who is devoting his limited attention to local bad girl, Honey Parker (Cristi Conaway). Out driving around in the desert to relieve her sexual frustration, Nancy encounters a flying saucer that zaps her, thereby starting the growth process that will level off at the 50 ft. level (note: the original is "Foot" but the remake is "Ft."). The teleplay by Joseph Dougherty (who did his first script for "thirtysomething") borrows as much from "The Feminist Manifesto" as it does from "King Kong." What becomes important is that not even the U.S. military is going to stop Nancy from getting some much needed attention from hubby Harry. Sure, she could do a lot better than Harry, but that is not suppose to be the final payoff of this little feminine fantasy.

This remake does not have the same sort of tacky charm that makes the original so compelling. But there is still the great unanswered question from both of these films as to how the giant woman's underwear manages to keep up with her growth spurt. Daryl Hannah is a lot angrier than Allison Hayes was in the original, and it was the latter's decided sense of disinterest during the final rampage (along with the cloth bikini) that made it one of the enduring images of Fifties science fiction. Ultimately, this is more Guest's film as director, because the entire art direction and visual style of the film is as much a homage to the genre in the Fifties as the original storyline. The remake does not stand alone because there is too much that works off of the original to allow that to happen, so you have to have seen the 1958 version to fully appreciation this one. The main thing is that "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" does not take itself seriously, and that makes up for a lot of the film's shortcomings.

Attack of the 50ft. Woman
Nancy Archer (Darryl Hannah) is a rich but troubled young woman, who is married to a cheating lowlife who only stays with her for her money. One night, she is driving home by herself, when an alien spaceship lands on the road. She is irradiated by the ship and over the next few days, starts to grow taller and taller, until she reaches a height of 50 feet. She uses her newfound height (and power) to take revenge on those who have wronged her - especially her sleazy husband Harry (Daniel Baldwin) and the trashy, gold-digging bimbo (Christi Conaway) he has taken up with.

This HBO made-for-cable remake of the 1957 cult classic of the same name is updated with an even more feminist slant and has a more thoughtful (and clever) script. The effects and acting are still every bit as cheesy though. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hilarious
When one sees the opening sketch, "Total Bastard Airlines", one is suddenly reminded of the wit and humor that "SNL" skits once possessed...This is the first "Best Of" dvd to be devoted to more than one cast member. Here, 5 cast members get their due: Adam Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock and Chris Farley. And it stays true to the title, showing each cast member at their raunchiest.

Sandler seems to get the most coverage, appearing in about half the sketches. His are probably my favorite. I enjoyed every minute of his sketches, from "Operaman" to "Canteen Boy" to "The Hanukkah Song", I laughed my pants off. I only wish they'd included "Cajun Man" and "The Present Song".

Spade gets some coverage as well. In addition to a well - thawed "Hollywood Minute Montage", he captures the audience with his witty sarcasm in "Total Bastard Airlines" and the one in which he plays Dick Clark's snotty receptionist who is able to absorb catchy comebacks from Roseanne Barr.

Scheider does not appear that often, but when he does, you can't help but laugh. He seems to be at his best when he is doing his famed Richmeister (makin' copies) sketch with Sting. But he's even funnier in "The Gap Girls" and "Orgasm Guy".

Unfortunately, Rock and Farley do not get as much coverage, but when they appear, they steal the show. Rock's "Nat X" and editorials are some of the freshest and rawest humor "Saturday Night Live"'s writers ever came up with. Farley outshines the rest with his interview wuith Jeff Daniles and his chubby Gap Girl.

It's especially funny when more than one cast member works together in the same sketch. Schneider and Sandler have a ball playing sex - crazed Italian waiters pining for Kirstie Alley at "Il Cantore" alongside a showstoppingly funny Dana Carvey. And Sandler and Farley are just to funny for this world in the uproarious "Zagat's".

I recommend this dvd to just about every "SNL" fan in the world. It features some extremely funny stuff, some of which is all too underrated. I hope to see a dvd in the future devoted to women of "Saturday Night live", like Jan Hooks, Molly Shannon, and Tina Fey. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Sandler CelebraSHON
For me, Saturday Night Live stopped being funny enough to watch about the same time Adam Sandler left the show. This collection of Sandler moments is a little uneven and fails to include some of my favorites, but there is still plenty of great comedy to be found here. You get performances of such Sandler classics as The Chanukah Song, Lunch Lady Land, and a less famous little Christmas ditty (but, alas, no Red Hooded Sweatshirt song), not to mention his Springsteen performance of Dancing in the Dark alongside Courteney Cox. His Operaman persona is well represented with performances scattered throughout the 87 minutes of comedy mayhem. Cajun Man puts in an appearance, as does Lucy the Gap sales girl. The Canteen Boy segment is rather hard to forget, featuring the icky advances of Scout leader Alec Baldwin to Sandler's innocent persona. Proving that this comedy remains timely, Iraqi Pete shows up to draw the jeers of an American audience. There are a couple of skits of the typically inane SNL variety that seemed out of place here: the house-sitting and New York restaurant guide commercials; it is actually Chris Farley who manages to extract significant humor out of these otherwise unimpressive offerings. The selection from The Denise Show is very funny, but I would have favored the final one featuring Nicole Kidman as the better choice. I was very happy to see one of Sandler's Halloween costume suggestion skits included here; as funny as this selection is, though, I was a little disappointed that it was not the very first one-that was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. All in all, there is something here for every Adam Sandler fan; it is a tribute to his comedic genius that there was not enough room on this tape to include all of his fans' favorite moments from the show.

Please God, give me cancer now!
This is probably funnier than all of AS's films, and that is saying a lot! From the Zagat's skit (the book is gone, but the mouth keeps on!) to the now classic Schmitts Gay commercial, it really is the BEST of Adam Sandler, the best in the series. The Denise Show was a skit I don't remember, but it's funny as hell. (here's the part of the show where I absolutely lose it!) and of course Canteen Boy is another great one. (Alec Baldwin-a great SNL host) The Operaman montage is hilarious (I especially love the two Pearl Jam bits, the Al Gore song, and of course the Demi Moore "dry-humpo!" song) Cajun Man is in here, as well as the Hannukah song. Of course, the now classic "Bellissima!" skits are untouchable, and the Gap girl skits are hilarious. It's very hard to pinpoint the best skit on here, but I would say a tie between Canteen Boy and the Operaman montage. Opera Man, bye bye!

Omigod! It's The Best Of Adam Sandler!
While not as versatile as Dana Carvey or Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler had his own special brand of humor that made him one of "Saturday Night Live's" must - watch comedians during the early 1990s'. Relying more on characters than impressions, he had an intense flair for physcial comedy, something few castmembers were good at.

For a solid 70 minutes of laughter, this dvd can hardly be beat. All of his most popular charcters are here - "Canteen Boy" (in a rather memorable sketch with Alec Baldwin), "Cajun Man", Lucy the Gap girl and , of course "Operaman". Also, there's more than a few one - time characters who make their appearnaces. "Iraqi Pete" seems is hilarious, though has eerie echoes of what's going on in the world today. The bellboy from the "Room Service" sketch (actually, he also appeared in the "Il Cantore" sketch) is also funny. My favorite is Hank Gelfand from the "Zagat's" sketch, though Chris Farley actually does better than him here.
And of course, there's the music: "The Hanukkah Song", "Present Song" and "Lunchlady Song" (though in this one, Farley once again outshines him). Plus, there's his hilarious costume suggestions ("I'm Backwards Man").

I suggest this dbd. I guarantee you'll laugh your pants off. Here's hoping tha Lorne Michaels gets his stuff together and asks Sandler to host the show again soon.

Magnifico
During the years 1986 to 1991, a few new comedians joined the cast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live". Dana Carvey, Mike Meyers, Kevin Nealon, Dennis Miller, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock, Victoria Jackson, Phil Hartman, John Lovitz, Julia Sweeney, Chris Farley and a host of others built what is arguably the only ensemble to rival the first five years with Gilda, Dan and Chevy. Another comedian who joined the show around this period was Adam Sandler, then a struggling comedian who (as one reviewer pointed out) had already starred in one movie called "Going Overboard".

"Saturday Night Live - The Best Of Adam Sandler" is an excellent compilation of some of his zaniest characters (and some in which he plays himself singing a song or giving costume suggestions to the unfortunate ones who couldn't find one for Halloween. There are 20 skits here, so I'm going to just the name a few of my favorites.

"Zagats" is my favorite. A bewigged Sandler acts alongside Chris Farley and David Duchovny (both in drag) as an elderly Jewish man who is celebrating his 35 th anniversary with his wife Bev (played by Farley). Sandler's insults and one - liners ("Give me cancer now, God") are among his best work. Liken him to Mr. Roper from "Three's Company", only Jewish.

"Canteen Boy" is a rather provocative skit, with not - so - subtle allusions to sodomy and homsexuality, with Alec Baldwin as a scout master pining for a more than a little uncomfortable Sandler. Very racy, but extremely funny stuff.

Finally, there are four different "Operaman" skits. Here is where you'll hear Sandler zing such notorious figures as Amy Fisher, Lorena Bobbit, George Bush, Hilary and Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and a hilarious song about Pearl Jam in which Operaman expresses his non - gay crush on Eddie Vedder. John Lovitz and Glenn Close also pop as Operaman's brother and his sister - in - law.

Other skits like "The Denise Show", "Grandma" and "The Herlihy Boy"are equally funny and memorable. For me, the only skit not included that I wish they did was "Operaman's Lotto Ticket". But this is still an essential collection, especially if you are a big Sandler fan.

Not the best of Adam Sandler, but still fun for "SNL" fans!
During the early to mid-90s, a few comedians ruled NBC's "Saturday Night Live," and they got future film careers out of it all. Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and now even Rob Schneider have all gone on to fruitful film careers, with Carvey finally getting back in the game (hopefully) after heart problems (though "Master of Disguise" didn't help him too much). Other funny comedians such as Kevin Nealon and Phil Hartman, though equally funny, never got very far. Nealon made some cameos in his fellow "SNL" friends' films ("Happy Gilmore," "Master of Disguise," "Anger Management"), while Hartman was shot by his wife before he got anywhere at all.

Adam Sandler has probably gotten the most out of "Saturday Night Live." He appeared in one film prior to his casting on "SNL." It was a film called "Going Overboard," and it is a true cinematic disaster. After "SNL," however, he has appeared in such flicks as "Billy Madison," "Happy Gilmore," "The Waterboy," "The Wedding Singer," and last year's "Punch-Drunk Love," in which he displayed his true feelings behind the goofy boy persona.

"Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler" is a compilation of his greatest moments on the famed television show, ranging from skits involving original characters such as Canteen Boy and Operaman, to the host of "The Denise Show" and The Herlihy Boy Homesitter.

I stumbled upon this DVD while I was at my video store picking up another "SNL" DVD. I was happy because I like the early 90s segments of "Saturday Night Live" much more than the recent episodes, especially now that Will Ferrell has left the show. I was pretty excited that I had found it.

Which is why I was a bit disappointed. I liked this collection of his so-called "greatest moments," but I can't necessarily say that I've seen nothing better. In fact, some of the skits on this DVD are not that funny after a while. The Herlihy Boy Homesitter gets old pretty fast, and while I liked "The Denise Show," I recall seeing a much funnier sequence of the same fake TV show with Nicole Kidman as a guest star - and it was funnier than this one.

Thinking back, I didn't laugh a whole lot at all the skits. They weren't as funny or outrageous as those included in this year's "The Best of Will Ferrell." Is it because Adam Sandler himself isn't funny? Many people think so. I think he's good at what he does. I like his goofy comedies like "Happy Gilmore" because they put a smile on my face (though he's far from being a great comedian at all). Also included on the DVD is the song that inspired his animated feature film "Eight Crazy Nights," as well as Iraqi Pete (an odd skit but pretty funny). I had already seen a few of these skits on television before, including that involving Kevin Nealon and guest star Kirstie Alley being bothered by sex-craved Italians in a hotel.

My favorite skit, however, would have to be one that has Michael Keaton paying Chris Farley to keep an eye on his frail grandmother while he goes back to his room with a girl for a half hour. The grandmother (played by Sandler with a wig) wants Joey (Keaton), and she doesn't want anything to do with Farley. Farley tries to help her with everything but "she" screams and claims he's attacking her. Keaton comes out and beats up Farley a few times in the process. Funny stuff, but still a long shot from anything extraordinary.

And just as with "The Best of Will Ferrell," I am disappointed in this DVD's length. 73 minutes is short for a collection such as this. I understand that it originally aired on television, and with commercials it runs to a full 90 minutes. However, why not make it a full two hours with commercials? That would mean the DVD, without commercials (of course), would run closer to 90 minutes than 70. Or why not include a batch of extra "Best Of" scenes for the Special Edition DVD? That would interest many more buyers.

There are also no special features on this DVD, save one single photo gallery that scans through a handful of snapshots from the skits for about thirty seconds. The new "Best Ofs" contain dress rehearsals, outtakes, Conan O'Brian interviews, and photo galleries. I suppose there wasn't much footage left over since Adam Sandler's skits were filmed before DVDs and Lorne Michaels never thought of saving some deleted scenes and so on and so forth. But it would have been interesting to have more than a photo gallery. Maybe even trailers for some of Sandler's movies?

Strictly speaking, it's not an overblown Special Edition DVD like so many nowadays. It is basically exactly what it says - a collection of his best moments. No real special features, no commentaries, etc. Just the same as the TV broadcast only on DVD format. I guess that's OK.

If you're a fan of "Saturday Night Live" or Adam Sandler, I recommend picking up this DVD. However, if you want a good laugh, I recommend picking up "The Best of Will Ferrell" or "Dana Carvey," which I am told is hilarious and is next on my list. Steve Martin is always a good bet, too, but you may have more trouble finding older episodes - not many people care for them anymore. I'm still waiting on "The Best of Dan Aykroyd," "Chevy Chase," and "Gilda Radner," to name a few of many....

"Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler" runs 73 minutes, and includes many different skits. It is not rated and contains some sexual content and language. Its single bonus feature is a photo gallery. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Prettty good mix of old and new
I'm a pretty big SNL fan. I don't get to watch as much as I'd like to anymore, but it's the most consistent funny show on tv. The SNL Christmas special is a great DVD.

It does have some notable skits. I love the skit with Alec Baldwin and the NPR ladies. It's so funny because all of them play being so serious so well. I laugh so hard every time I see this skit.

I liked the Martha Stewart topless christmas. She is such an easy target to make fun of and they do it great in this skit. Martha Stewart is annoying because of the way she talks and the way she presents herself. They spoof it so well in topless christmas. It's one of the better skits on the dvd.

All the skits with old SNL members are great. Dan Akroyd is one of the funniest guys to live and his skits as the toliet paper saleman and the toymaker are great.

Are two favorite SNL drunks Farley and Belushi both have some good stuff there fans should like.

Adam Sandler does the Hannakuh song. It's not the best version of the song, but it is the original and what a funny song it is.

I love this DVD. It's one of the better best of's they've made and I'm glad it's part of my collection.

SNL XMAS PAST AND PRESENT. a little more past please!
A good look at the best xmas skits from SNL, except they forgot
Hannakuh Harry & Gumby's X-Mas Special. It was great though to see Chevy Chase (as President Ford) open the collection, with other appearences by the BEST & ORIGINAL Not Ready For Prime Time Players Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Garrett Morris, Gilda Radner and Second Season replacement Bill Murray.
Why Wont Lorne Micheals release SNL Season by season? It would be great to catch ALL the great performances, like the 1st season,PLEASE! Hail Chevy Chase!
Also Recommend:
UNDER THE RAINBOW-Chevy Chase
CADDYSHACK-Chevy Chase, Bill Murray
N.L. CHRISTMAS VACATION-Chevy Chase
SNL-Halloween
SNL-25 Years Of Laughs

Funny, but no Hanukah Harry!
This video was pretty funny. It had mostly newer stuff. I would have liked to have seen stuff from the earlier years. Also, a sticker on the package advertises that the Hanukah Harry skit with Jon Lovitz is on the video, but mysteriously it is nowhere to be found! I am certain there is more material they could have put on this 65 minute video.

Not worth purchasing
I'm a big fan of SNL, but most of the skits on this video weren't that funny. Adam Sandler singing the Hanukkah Song, and Chris Farley as Santa were the only two skits that made me laugh. I bought this as a gift for my father-in-law and I wish I hadn't! Maybe next year I'll buy him the Best of Chris Farley.

WELL BALANCED MIX
THIS 65 MINUTE TAPE IS A WELL BALANCED MIX OF OLD SCHOOL AND RECENT SNL CHRISTMAS SKETCHES. ADD THIS TO THE SNL HALLOWEEN VIDEO AND YOU'RE SET FOR LAUGHS OVER THE HOLIDAYS. I SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT THEY ARE HARD AT WORK ON VOLUME 2. THEY'VE CERTAINLY GOT PLENTY OF MATERIAL. I PRAY THE NEXT TAPE INCLUDES THE SANTA THE TERMINATOR SKIT (DECEMBER '84). EVERYONE I DESCRIBE IT TO THINKS I'M MAKING IT UP. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Thank you, Anthony!
Anthony - thanks so much for answering my question - you're the greatest! I added you to my favorite reviewers list :)

Great, Spooky Fun
"Saturday Night live - Halloween" was the first "SNL" dvd I bought not devoted to a cast member. While not as good as those retrospectives, this dvd captures the best "Halloween" - style moments on the show.

Most of the skecthes here are just random "Halloween" sketches. "Gay Dracula" features a hilarious turn by John Travolta as the famed bloodsucking count. Kvein Nealon and Jeneane Garrofolo play road - weary travelers who think the count is gay. "Vampire Dating" is the worst sketch here. James Woods turns in accurate Dracula, but I just didn't get the plot of the sketch. "Consumer Probe" is the oldest sketch here, a satiical take on the many complaints of dangerous costumes.

On this dvd, it's fun to see recurring sketches like "Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker", "Wayne's World", "The Richmeister", "Daily Affirmation With Stuart Smalley" and "Spartan Cheerleaders" put into a Halloween context, as it allows them to expand the realm of the ordinary, non - holiday sketch. Also, Adam Sandler's hilarious costume ideas ("Crazy Pickle Arm") ar here, as is Ana Gasteyrer's hilarious impersonation of Martha Stewart.

This is a hilarious dvd recommended to anybody who enjoys "Saturday Night Live". Also pick up the 8 - pack dvd set.

Can anyone answer a question?
Does this DVD contain the Adam Sandler "Crazy Pickle Arm Man" skit?

Howl - larious
Hosted by Wayne and Garth, "Saturday Night Livve - Halloween" is a great collection of old and new sketches hosted by Wayne and Garth, spanning from to the early days to the mid - 1990s'. Among the best sketches are "The Richmeister", "Sandler's Costume Suggestions", and "Return Of The Coneheads". There are some sketches I suggest you skip, but I won't name the, because you might actually enjoy them.

SNL, so funny it's spooky
It's lacking a few great skits, the Landshark opening was nice but one of the JAWS spoofs could have been added. It's definitley worth it but lets hope we see a season by season deal soon! Stuart Smalley, James Woods Dracula, Scream spoof with the
CheerSquad, Wayne & Garth's Halloween Costumes and Landshark are the highlights. But, come on, lets see NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT (live) Complete 1st Season on DVD soon! With Lorne Micheals & former Cast, Writers and Hosts interviews and behind the scenes stuff, maybe 5 discs? 4 for the show, one for extra's. It sounds good to me. "Oh well, good night and have a pleasant tomorrow"
Check out:
SNL-Christmas
SNL-25 Years Of Laughs
Nothing But Trouble-Chevy Chase
Caddyshack-Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield ... Read more

Reviews (22)

"Clean" Eddie Murphy!
It is extremely rare to use the words "Eddie Murphy" and "clean" in the same sentence, which ring true in "Saturday Night Live-The Best Of Eddie Murphy". After watching Murphy convey such a unique and endearing comical warmth in which he brings to many of his SNL characters, especially in this video, it makes you wonder why Murphy resorts to using rather obscene language and risque adult themes prevalent in many of his stand-up comedy videos, such as "Eddie Murphy:Raw" and "Delirious", which are highly recommended for laughs, even though these are not satisfactory for young audiences to view. If Mr. Murphy cleaned up his act in the language department, he'd still be just as hilarious. On the other hand, if the adult themes and language were excluded entirely, the routines wouldn't be as interesting and much of their viewer appeal would be lost. No need to worry with "The Best Of Eddie Murphy-Saturday Night Live". It's "G" rating means that it's a video the whole family can watch together, although there is a slight possibility that the ethnicity present in certain skits may offend certain people, so it's best to watch this with an open mind and just laugh out loud! The only thing I dislike about this version is due to the fact there are two different skits, one that replaced the jazz skit where Murphy portrays a "Thelonius Monk"-type musician, sporting a clear plastic mask, which I found quite hilarious! Instead there's a drone skit with Eddie dressed up as Gumby, saying the oft-used phrase "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" Somebody please gag me with a spoon! Another skit featured here that wasn't in the original video was a different second skit of "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood" featuring Mr. T. Even though I don't remember the original second skit that was in the original video, I would say the Mr. T skit is/was as equally as funny. The most hilarious skit of the bunch here is definitely the "Jesse Jackson" skit. You'll have to check that one out for yourself! You rarely see any clean, wholesome and comical productions starring Eddie Murphy that are out there, which is why it is necessary to include "The Best Of Eddie Murphy-Saturday Night Live" in your comedy video library. Purchase this rare gem before it is taken out of print!

Funny, yes, but the VHS version from late 80s was better
This DVD has collected most of the best moments compiled on the VHS best-of Eddie Murphy version that came out circa the late 80s, but is missing a few moments that could have easily been fit in.

1) The Eddie Murphy "Ronald Reagan is my father" skit, which has Murphy pleading for his father to return, talking about how the last time he saw him was when he asked him to get some cereal, and he never came back.

2) Where Eddie Murphy interviews Ron Howard about his new movie, but Murphy can't get over that Ron Howard once played Opie on The Andy Griffiths Show, frustrating Howard.

3) Where Eddie Murphy and Stevie Wonder do a commercial for something called similar to Plantation Land, where people can go and pick cotton, being treated like slaves.

4) A talent show at a veterans post, with Tyrone and his Reggae Band, where Eddie Murphy plays the lead singer singing some hilarious lines I probably can't mention here, so I won't, but it would also ruin the humor. but let's just say the crowd is mad, and starts to leave. Murphy manages to both show the honesty in reggae music, and also make fun of reggae itself.

5) Popeil's Galactic Prophylactic, a superstrong condom that can last decades and be passed down generation to generation. ultra-hilarious.

So the DVD version is funny, but it's too bad they couldn't find room for these. rather disappointing. The DVD is still worth getting, but try finding a copy of the videotape.

Comedy At Its Best
After 5 years of classic comedy, "Saturday Night Live" entered a cold streak in 1980. Heavyhitters like John Belushi and Gilda Radner were replacd with Gail Matthius and Charles Rocket, and Jean Domanian (and later Dick Ebersol) replaced the show's guiding force, exceutive porducer Lorne Michaels. The results: bad reviews and the show's worst ratings. The show needed someone to revive the show's magic. Someone who could elicit guffaws in even the worst sketch. They found that in 19 - year old comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy's best moments in his 3 - year stint on the show are all on this 28 - sketch set. Whether you enjoy "Buckwheat", "Gumby", or "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood", there'll never be a more comprehensive Eddie Murphy/"SNL" retrospectie. Also, a lot of less popular sketches are here. "Buckwheat Shot" and "Buckwheat Dead" (one of the few 2- part "SNL" skecthes) is among the show's greatest staircal news parodies. Eddie does the Little Rascal flawlessly, while Joe Piscopo does a dead - on Ted Koppell. (Piscopo is actually in most of the sketches, probably because he brough out the best in Murphy). Also, a variety pf his classxci impressions are here: Desmond Tutu, James Brown, Stevie Wonder (the real wonder pops up in the final sketch), Jesse Jackson and others. I wish they'd included his Michael Jackson impression, though. Another plus: Eddie's hilarious Little Richard Simmons, a sidesplitting amalgam of Little Richard and Richard Simmons that most likely inspired Dana Carvey's Carsenio. And the classic short film "White Like Me" is here. The makeup artists did a great job of making Eddie look white.

This dvd is also special because it's Eddie's cleanest material aside from "Shrek" and "Doctor Dolittle". Aside from a few curses, everything here is tame compared to his movies and standup routines. I suggest this dvd for all comedy fans. Also, get the other "SNL" dvs.

Total Ripoff
I agree that this was a total rip off. One would assume that a DVD version of a show would have all the same contents as the VHS version if not more. I was shocked to find out about the missing episodes. Unfortunately I didn't read the reviews before purchasing it so tough luck on my part.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone - get the VHS version if you can.

While we're on the topic of comedy shows. Does wnyone know if Roman Atkinson live will ever be out on dvd?

RIPPED OFF!
I gave this DVD 4 stars the first time it was released and 1 star the second time. I bought it the first time it was released. When I saw the different cover and the words "bonus editon", I assummed it contained the missing episodes fans were requesting that weren't on the first DVD. Wrong. There were too many great episodes missing: "Guy Talk" with Michael Jackson, "Ronald Reagon is My Father", "Cotton Land", "Tyrone & His Reggae Band" and more. Thank goodness I rented this one first, but I still feel cheated. What do fans have to do to get what they want? ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Road to Riches
The quintessential movie about the business for our generation, in which a good-hearted Kevin Bacon wins his film school's student competition, momentarily thrusting him into the spotlight, as well as the sights of Hollywood's bigwigs, and hence onto the road to artistic ruin. Superior writing, and exceptional performances from the entire cast, especially Martin Short as Bacon's completely over-the-top agent, highlight this gem directed by Christopher Guest and featuring Michael McKean, both of Spinal Tap.

Quirky, satiric, but, ultimately, thin
This oddball send-up of Hollywood begins when Nick (Kevin Bacon) wins a prestigious award for his expressionist student film. He becomes an instant "hot property" wooed by top agents and producers. Predictably, he gets sucked into his own hype and the glitz of Hollywood at the expense of friendships and love. What makes this film unusual is the cast of supporting characters, played by Fran Drescher, Martin Short, Teri Hatcher, J.T. Walsh, and Michael McKean. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays an irrepressibly surreal classmate who has a wacky but always optimistic view on life; her performance is one of the best in the film. Unfortunately, Emily Longstreth, who plays Nick's love interest, is old-fashioned and subdued, and has little chemistry with Kevin Bacon.

Some of the scenes verge on the hilarious in their refreshing weirdness. Even the music is quirky, with Jennifer Jason Leigh's theme song sounding like a carnival in a fever dream. The fantasy sequences mostly fall flat, however, and the screenplay doesn't go far enough to elevate the film above the stale premise. I can understand why this is a cult movie, though, since some of the scenes/costumes/characters are so over-the-top that they become unforgettable. It's a shame Christopher Guest couldn't hold it all together.

Diamond in the rough?
I don't know how I missed this movie. I had never heard of it until I saw it on cable, but it is hilarious. Fran Drescher is too funny as the wife of the director, ol' Kevin Bakey is darling as always and Teri Hatcher is quite convincing as the social climber.

Great Little Picture
This is a great comedy, with lots of memorable turns by some great comic actors. I see a reviewer below comparing this to "The Player" and that's a ridiculous comparison. That would be like comparing "Bagger Vance" to "Caddyshack". There are some signifigant lulls in this movie but overall it's a funny peek at the all too shallow Hollywood existence. Bacon is great, as is McKeon in a bit of a subdued performance by his standards, and Teri Hatcher has never been sexier....and that's saying something indeed. Her performance fueled many a teenage dream of mine back in the day.