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It was a massively star-studded affair at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special on Sunday evening (February 16) held at Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Saturday Night Live celebrated it’s 50th anniversary with hundreds of stars who have appeared on the show over the years.

From music stars like Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Cher, to actors like Ayo Edebiri, Emma Stone and Anya Taylor-Joy.

Keep reading to find out more…

The late-night sketch show’s special featured many returning sketches, with past and present SNL cast members reprising their characters, and even several celebrities who have hosted reprising their characters!

We have gathered every celebrity, cast member and more’s looks from the red carpet and you can see over 200 below…

Abby Elliott

Adam & Jackie Sandler

Adria Arjona & Jason Momoa

Aidy Bryant

Alex & Hilaria Baldwin

Alex Moffat & Caroline Kingsley Moffat

Al Franken

Al Sharpton

Amelia Dimoldenberg...

“Saturday Night Live” took Sunday by storm with its star-studded 50th anniversary special at 30 Rock, which gathered past and present cast members and writers alongside hosts, musical guests and other comedy legends for a three-hour live televised special.

The guest list is, predictably, packed with A-listers. Adam Driver, Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kim Kardashian, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Martin Short, Maya Rudolph, Miley Cyrus, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Seth Meyers, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, Woody Harrelson and more are all due to appear.

See photos from the “SNL” 50th anniversary red carpet below.

(Photo by...

NBC celebrated Saturday Night Live on Friday night with over three hours of music history on SNL50: The Homecoming Concert. The special hosted by Emmy winner Jimmy Fallon streamed live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City and is now available to stream on Peacock.

Musical acts included Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Cher, Chris Martin, Dave Grohl, David Byrne, Devo, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Lauryn Hill, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, Snoop Dogg, St. Vincent, the B-52s, the Roots, and Wyclef Jean. Surprise comedy musical performances included Bill Murray, Paul Shaffer, Andy Samberg, Chris Parnell, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, and Tracy Morgan.

But that doesn’t end the festivities. Sunday night’s SNL50: The Anniversary Special will switch over from mostly music to almost...

“SNL sucks now” isn’t as fresh a complaint as you might think. This sentiment was even a matter of public discourse way back in the early ‘90s, as evidenced by the not-so-cleverly titled 1994 Entertainment Weekly article, “Is Saturday Night Dead?”

The magazine wasn’t alone in expressing concern for the long-running comedy series during its 19th season. The New York Daily News noted that SNL would have to try and “find a desperately needed fresh sense of identity” following the loss of Dana Carvey and Chris Rock, and the announced departures of Phil Hartman, Julia Sweeney and Rob Schneider.

So EW offered up “20 suggestions” for “how to fix the show.” Looking back at this list, it’s amazing how spot-on some ideas are in retrospect — while others are laughably dated and arguably awful.

For starters, writer Bruce Fretts (who sadly passed away in 2020) suggested handing over the reins of Weekend Update to David Spade,...

Whether they know it or not, statistically everyone who saw a film released in 2022 knows the work of Bashir Salahuddin — or, as he was known in the year’s #2 movie Top Gun: Maverick, Navy Warrant Officer Bernie “Hondo” Coleman. But comedy fans have been steeping in Salahuddin’s career for a decade. He was a writer and sometime performer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon before his acting career took off with roles like Malik in HBO’s dramedy Looking, Netflix’s prematurely canceled Glow and the scripted true-crime series The Dropout, among many others.

You may also know Salahuddin as the headliner of his own shows: with Diallo Riddle, Salahuddin co-created the Soul Train spoof Sherman’s Showcase, in which he played the titular variety show host Sherman McDaniel; and South Side, a Max import from Comedy Central that depicts the eponymous Chicago neighborhood — of which Salahuddin is a...

Natasha Rothwell is so charming in Hulu’s How to Die Alone, it’s almost a problem.

You see, the plot revolves around the notion that her protagonist, Mel, is mostly alone in this world — to the extent that after a brush with death, she has no one to come pick her up from the hospital. Which might seem a bit more plausible if the Mel we actually see onscreen weren’t so self-evidently winsome, well-liked by coworkers and customers alike in her job ferrying passengers around New York’s JFK airport.

But then, that’s a bit like complaining that the bespectacled nerd in a rom-com is too gobsmackingly gorgeous to ever have gone unnoticed: valid, perhaps, but entirely beside the point. Like the best of those heroines, Mel is simultaneously relatable and aspirational. And like Mel, the Onyx Collective dramedy is nothing if not a great hang — warm,...

This JFK airport employee’s near-death experience allowed her to finally take flight in her own life.

Natasha Rothwell, star, creator and executive producer of Hulu’s new comedy series “How To Die Alone,” plays Mel, a down-on-her-luck 30-something who never gave herself a real shot at living.

The first official trailer for the comedy series released Tuesday, and you can watch it below:

Though Mel works at an airport, she is too afraid to fly and ultimately too afraid to start living. After a near-death experience crashing an airport cart, Mel realized that it’s up to her to change her own life.

The trailer features her coming into her own while frolicking on the beach, going on dates and stepping out of her comfort zone.

“She’s got that Lizzo, Rihanna thing going on: Lizagna,” one of her airport coworkers adds of her transformation in the trailer.

The eight episode feel-good,...

Michael Che is returning to HBO Max. The streamer has renewed his sketch comedy series That Damn Michael Che for a second season.

That Damn Michael Che, which debuted in May, uses sketches and vignettes to illustrate what it feels like to experience various everyday situations including racial profiling, unemployment, falling in love and more, from Che’s perspective.

The first season featured SNL cast members Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Colin Quinn, Ellen Cleghorne and Che’s “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost, along with guest stars Omari Hardwick, Geoffrey Owens, Godfrey, Billy Porter and Method Man.

Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2020-21 Season

That Damn Michael Che is produced by Universal Television, Broadway Video and Irony Point with Michael Che, Lorne Michaels, Erin Doyle serving as executive producers.

Said Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max: “Michael’s comedic style is truly unique...

Update: HBO Max has dropped the trailer for Michael Che’s upcoming sketch series, That Damn Michael Che.

In the minute-long trailer, the Saturday Night Live star takes on the many elephants in the room that is America, from policing, white privilege and prison. Helping Che unpack today’s social issues with comedy are a number guest stars including members of his SNL family.

“It might be uncomfortable to watch,” he jokes in the trailer.

That Damn Michael Che premieres on HBO Max on May 6. See the trailer below.

Previous, April 19: We’re getting the first look at That Damn Michael Che, HBO Max’s upcoming six-part comedy series featuring the Saturday Night Live star, from Che, Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Universal Television.

That Damn Michael Che uses sketches and vignettes to illustrate what it feels like to experience various everyday situations including racial profiling, unemployment, falling in love and more,...

HBO Max released the trailer for the upcoming comedy series “That Damn Michael Che,” which premieres on May 6.

Each installment of the “Saturday Night Live” star’s 10-episode series illustrates what it feels like to experience everyday situations from his own perspective, including racial profiling, unemployment and falling in love.

Fellow “SNL” cast members Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Colin Quinn, Ellen Cleghorne and Colin Jost lend their talents to the series along with guest stars Omari Hardwick, Geoffrey Owens, Godfrey, Billy Porter and Method Man.

Che serves as an executive producer alongside Lorne Michaels, Erin Doyle and Oz Rodriguez.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

Dates

Apple TV Plus revealed that the first three episodes of the upcoming drama-comedy series “Physical” will premiere on June 18. The final seven episodes of the season will be released weekly every Friday. Created by Annie Weisman, the series is set in the idyllic...

HBO Max has released the first official trailer for “That Damn Michael Che,” a new six-episode original comedy series starring — you guessed it — Michael Che. The “Saturday Night Live” star, co-head writer, and stand-up comedian will use the series to address controversial topics — which he’s been known to do in the past. From this early look at the series, the pointedly-titled “That Damn Michael Che” appears to feature scripted sketches and segments alongside Che’s commentary as a kind of sit-down comedic talking head.

Here’s the official description: “This groundbreaking new original comedy series uses sketches and vignettes to illustrate what it feels like to experience various every-day situations including racial profiling, unemployment, falling in love and more, from Michael’s perspective.”

The series will feature guest spots from “Saturday Night Live” cast members Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Colin Quinn, Ellen Cleghorne and Colin Jost. Other notable guest stars include Omari Hardwick,...

Kevin Nealon, “Saturday Night Live” (1991)

“Saturday Night Live” cast member Kevin Nealon played Joe Biden in a 1991 sketch about his leadership of the Senate hearings over the confirmation of Clarence Thomas (Tim Meadows) to the Supreme Court. The senators (including one played by future real-life Sen. Al Franken) essentially grills Thomas about his inability to score a date with sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill (Ellen Cleghorne).

Jason Sudeikis, “Saturday Night Live” (2008-2020)

Jason Sudeikis played Biden as Barack Obama’s running mate and later as his vice president for eight years — and then he returned in 2020 for sketches set during the Democratic primaries that portrayed the pol as essentially a harmless grandpa.

Greg Kinnear, “Confirmation” (2016)

In the HBO movie about the Senate hearings over Clarence Thomas’ nomination to the Supreme Court, Kinnear played Sen. Joe Biden as he grilled Anita Hill (Kerry Washington) over her accusations of sexual misconduct against Thomas.

As Women’s History Month comes to an end, VH1 is celebrating the achievements of black women in the world of comedy with a new documentary.

All Jokes Aside: Black Women In Comedy features a host of talented ladies—including Martin’s Tichina Arnold and Insecure‘s Yvonne Orji—discussing how they deal with racism, sexism and the lack of representation in the industry.

“As a black person, it’s hard,” Arnold says. “Black female comedians channel their anger through the comedy. We’re not complainers, which is why I think people put that ‘Angry Black Woman’ tag on us.

When Jeb Bush revealed the slogan for his 2016 presidential campaign, most thinking people had pretty much the same reaction: Hey, that looks like the title of a sit-com! Clearly, the use of the exclamation mark was meant to distinguish George W.’s younger brother from the baker’s dozen of Republicans seeking the nomination, perhaps by making him seem a bit more more lively and vibrant. Maybe the former Florida Governor was trying to seem current by utilizing a punctuation that these days litters every one of our texts and emails. (If you say you’re excited to see me, but don't use at least one exclamation, how can I really believe you?) Generally, but not always, television shows that have dared to wield the exclamation point in their titles have done so with a precise purpose in mind, whether to demonstrate urgency, irony, or just plain enthusiasm. Occasionally, the...

TruTV’s first-ever sketch comedy series “Friends of the People” is getting a whole bushel of guest stars for the second half of its inaugural season, a list that TheWrap has learned exclusively. Upcoming guests include “In Living Color’s” David Alan Grier (pictured above), “Double Dare” host Marc Summers, the New York Giants’ Jay Bromley, pro wrestlers Mick Foley and X-Pac, “Cash Cab” host Ben Bailey and comedian Jim Norton. Ellen Cleghorne (“SNL”), Rachel Dratch (“SNL”), Butterbean (boxer), Ed Lover (radio personality) and Doug E. Doug (rapper) will also make appearances. Also Read: 'Saved by the Bell' Spoof Follows...

While plenty of alumni returned for the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special, one of the more notable appearances was from Ellen Cleghorne, who was a cast member from 1991 to 1995. The comedian, who has spent the past seven years earning her PhD at Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, has largely been out of the public eye aside from a brief appearance in 2013’s Grown Ups 2.

Watch: The 9 Greatest Segments from 'SNL 40'

Yet, when Jerry Seinfeld hosted a Q&A with the audience on Sunday night, Cleghorne was there to ask a pre-scripted question about the lack of diversity on the show or, rather, in general.

While the whole bit was met with mixed reviews, Cleghorne says she was game to do it. “[SNL producer] Michael Shoemaker has always been a friend and he explained to me what the tone should be,” she tells VH1, “so it was like old times and I really, really...

Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary had enough star power to light up all of Manhattan. Even at three and a half hours long, some of the much-hyped appearances left us wanting more – in a good way. Whether their sketches were sentimental or sidesplitting, five celebrity regulars and five SNL vets stood out from the remarkable pack.

Cameos5. Betty White

Feisty and funny as ever at age 93, White swooped into the characteristically uneven "Californians" skit and delivered one of the night's buzziest moments. The old gal's still got it – just ask her make-out buddy Bradley Cooper.

4. Zach Galifianakis

Years later,...

Last night Saturday Night Live alum Ellen Cleghorne returned to 30 Rock for the show’s 40th Anniversary Special and took part in one of the night’s biggest highlights: a faux question and answer with Jerry Seinfeld and members of the starry audience. The sketch allowed Cleghorne to pose the question, “Why aren’t there more black women?”

Only the second black female cast member cast on the show, Cleghorne has all but disappeared from the spotlight since the early aughts until popping up in the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2 in 2013. VH1 chatted with the funny lady about SNL‘s diversity problem, working with Lorne Michaels, and that infamous Family Guy joke.

What was it like to return to Saturday Night Live last night? What was the energy like in that room?

Ellen Cleghorne: It was magical. I had my daughter with me and she articulated it...

Last night Saturday Night Live alum Ellen Cleghorne returned to 30 Rock for the show’s 40th Anniversary Special and took part in one of the night’s biggest highlights: a faux question and answer with Jerry Seinfeld and members of the starry audience. The sketch allowed Cleghorne to pose the question, “Why aren’t there more black women?”

Only the second black female cast member cast on the show, Cleghorne has all but disappeared from the spotlight since the early aughts until popping up in the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2 in 2013. VH1 chatted with the funny lady about SNL‘s diversity problem, working with Lorne Michaels, and that infamous Family Guy joke.

What was it like to return to Saturday Night Live last night? What was the energy like in that room?

Ellen Cleghorne: It was magical. I had my daughter with me and she articulated it...

For 40 years, "Saturday Night Live" has been a lot of things. An institution. A punching bag. A voice of anarchy. A voice of conformity. A breeding ground for incredible talent. A place where mediocrity can also find a home. The only reason Alec Baldwin and Sarah Palin should ever be in a room together. Something people take for granted. Something that can make a person immortal.  Those are a whole lot of things, and for three-and-a-half hours on Sunday night, pretty much all of the show's most notable living alumni were present in Studio 8H, which tried like hell to pay tribute to all of them.  Important reminder: Jon Lovitz is not dead. Neither is Garrett Morris, Ellen Cleghorne or Laraine Newman. Only one of those people let their relative obscurity be mined for comedy, but all were given the most minute of opportunities to make their presences known.  Each time that minor opportunity occurred,...

Some thoughts on last night's "Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" coming up just as soon as I assume Jon Lovitz is dead... Last week, I wrote about the history of "SNL," which has been filled with incredible highs, uncomfortable lows, and a mixture of things that either didn't work or simply outlived their usefulness. Perhaps intentionally — Lorne Michaels used to joke that the word "uneven" would be on his tombstone — or perhaps because it's inherent to any three and a half hour special with this many moving pieces, the special was "SNL" in a microcosm. Much of it worked spectacularly well. Some of it was disappointing and/or puzzling. And the whole thing went on much longer than it probably should have. Unlike the show's previous anniversary specials, which were largely driven by clips and testimonials, the 40th was conceived of as a super-sized, all-star installment of the show itself,...

No more wigs and heels for Kenan Thompson!

Early next year, Saturday Night Live will add someone new to its ranks — specifically, its first black female cast member since Maya Rudolph vacated in 2007. (SNL has only featured four African-American women in its entire 39-year history: Yvonne Hudson (1980-81), Danitra Vance (1985-86), Ellen Cleghorne (1991-95) and Rudolph (2000-2007).)

The news comes from straight from executive producer/SNL Czar for Life Lorne Michaels, who told the New York Times that his team has been holding special casting sessions for weeks. The search culminated in an under-the-radar audition for black female comedians...

As it has since time and Ellen Cleghorne immortal, the last round of additions to Saturday Night Live was met with the regrettably annual question of why there weren’t any black females joining the cast, a group that hasn’t been represented on the show since Maya Rudolph left in 2007. Recently that question has been posed in a more direct manner to Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, who would both ostensibly be forced to step in should SNL ever decide it wants to tackle something related to black women—say, if there were a black woman in the ...

What’s up with this, Kenan?

In a recent TV Guide interview, Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson was asked why SNL currently has no black female cast members — and hasn’t since Maya Rudolph left the show way back in 2007.

“It’s just a tough part of the business,” Thompson replied. “Like in auditions, they just never find ones that are ready.”

TV Guide also asked Thompson what the show would do if they needed to spoof an African-American woman. “I don’t know,” the comedian replied. “We just haven’t done them. That’s what I’m saying.

Tina Fey was so triumphant as the host of Saturday Night Live‘s 39th season opener, jumping from a dead-on Girls parody to a seriously macabre Model T commercial, that I had no choice but to think about SNL‘s breakout female stars all day. And rank them. I’m sure you’ve had this instinct, no?

So here they are: the 11 greatest female SNL cast members ever. Apologies for not ranking Ellen Cleghorne, who wrote one of my favorite standup jokes of all time. (“My friend bought a dog. I told her, ‘Give me $500 and I’ll sh*t on your carpet.’”)

11. Jan Hooks

The ferocious Jan Hooks gave us arguably the most lachrymose impression of Tammy Faye Bakker ever (a true feat), along with kickass takes on Sinead O’Connor and Kathie Lee Gifford. As one half of the dynamic and fabulous-as-hell Sweeney Sisters, she served as the...

This is so laughable.  I should first note that I haven't watched an episode of Saturday Night Live in a long time (the series lost me years ago), but, given what I do for a living, I do try to stay abreast of any related developments that might be of interest to readers of this blog, given its focus. So, I'll start with this, before giving you the news. How many black women cast members has SNL had in its history? Four (4) in its 38-year history: Yvonne Hudson, Danitra Vance, Ellen Cleghorne, and finally Maya Rudolph.  None since 2007, when Maya Rudolph left the show. That's about 1 black woman cast member every 9 to 10 years. The first 2 were on for no more than 2 seasons,...

NBC and "Saturday Night Live" have officially announced the cast additions for the upcoming 39th season of the long-running late-night sketch comedy show. A tweet from the show's official account reads, "Please join us in welcoming our newest cast members: Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Mike O'Brien (above, left), Noel Wells & Brooks Wheelan (above, right)!!"

This comes a few weeks after rumors began that four of those members -- Bennett, Milhiser, Mooney and Wells -- would be the new additions after the recent departures of Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis.

"SNL" has also announced who will be co-anchoring Weekend Update with Seth Meyers. The co-anchor chair, empty since Amy Poehler's departure several years ago, will be filled by Cecily Strong. She may be working toward handling the desk solo as Meyers transitions to hosting "Late Night," but creator Lorne Michaels says he'd like it...

SNL is a show that runs hot and cold; it’s had good years (mid70s, early 90s) and bad (most of the 80s). Now nearing the end of its current season, it seems to be in another of its mid-decade slumps. The new faces in the last few seasons didn’t add much to an already mediocre cast, and with his lucky penny Kristen Wiig who let’s face it, carried the show in recent years, already gone and other longtime cast members soon to follow, somewhere show creator Lorne Micheals is probably in panic mode.Watching SNL be only ‘kinda funny’ makes fans of sketch comedy wish they could see new episodes of Mad TV instead of just re-runs on cable. Ok: so it didn’t run as long as SNL or have alum that continued on to semi successful yet stable movie careers. Sure, SNL had better guest stars,...

With the reported departure of Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg, "Saturday Night Live" would look a lot different when it comes back for its 38th season this fall. But, this season, five shows remain in what will forever be known as "The Kristen Wiig Era." We've already seen "SNL" add a new featured player, Kate McKinnon, during the show's current three week hiatus. ("SNL" returns live this Saturday with host Sofia Vergara.) With many changes coming, Hitfix's Ryan McGee and myself debate where "SNL" is now and where "SNL" should go in the future.

Mike Ryan: Though our opinions differ (frequently) on the quality of individual sketches -- also: I'm sure I'm wrong and you're right -- I do consider you one of the most thoughtful Internet caretakers of this show that we both love so dearly. So, my question, before we get to the cast changes,...

Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Nora Dunn, Rachel Dratch, Cheri Oteri, Ana Gasteyer, Kristin Wiig, Amy Poehler, Laraine Newman, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus headlined the Women of SNL special last night, wrapping some classic sketches with a few new intros and one new sketch. I could watch this Real Housewives spoof all damn day. We’re fambly!

(I seriously thought Tina Fey was Shenae Grimes in that clip.)

No matter how many times I see the Debbie Downer Disneyworld sketch, I crack up — corpsing is hilarious, whether it’s Lindsay Lohan getting the giggles, or Candice Bergen and Gilda Radner breaking.

Photo by: Dana Edelson/NBC

It has never been an easy road for women on Saturday NightLive—from Gilda Radner to Tina Fey, the female actresses on the sketch comedyshow have always had to work a little harder to get noticed.

But they’re finally getting the full on attention theydeserve tonight on an SNL special dedicated just to them. Funny ladies arereturning from each decade of the show. The original ‘70s cast is beingrepresented by Laraine Newman. The dark ‘80s period will have uber-successfulalum Julia Louis-Dreyfus be their spokesperson (shocking that they chose her over Ellen Cleghorn,no?). ‘90s "Delicious Dish" girls Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer will be on hand.And of course the new millenium’s powerhouses Fey, Amy Poehler, and KristenWiig will all be present and accounted for.

But we must admit, the real reason we’ll be tuning in haslittle to do with the women of SNL.

Immortal Entertainment is in negotiations to sign a six-picture deal with Lions Gate Entertainment to produce low-budget urban genre films that the studio will distribute. The deal would include the contemporary action film Blood Money and an untitled hip-hop road movie directed by rapper-actor Method Man. Both projects feature well-known hip-hop artists. Blood, which began production last week, is being directed by video helmer mink and combines elements of both urban action and Western genres. It stars Busta Rhymes and Xzibit in the story of Pope (Rhymes), a loner who drifts into a small town to bury his father and finds himself battling local thugs, corrupt cops and even the friends he brought in to help him clean up the town. Rounding out the cast are rappers Prodigy and Spliff Star, model Shakara, comedienne Ellen Cleghorn, 7-year-old rapper-actor Bobb'e J and sports personalities-turned-actors Tiny Lister and Bubba Smith.

"MacArthur Park" is a clear-eyed, unsentimental look at the crack subculture at its lowest level. The story takes place in Los Angeles' once elegant MacArthur Park, now notorious for being home to addicts, hookers, homeless and violent gangbangers. The movie penetrates this community to put human faces on the excruciating sickness that is drug addiction.

But as a "drug procedural," the film adds little to other movie portraits of addiction ranging from "Panic in Nedle Park" to "Less Than Zero" and "Requiem for a Dream". As uncompromising as it is uncommercial, "MacArthur Park" will have a tough time finding audiences willing to immerse themselves in human misery in hopes of better understanding how drugs imprison te human spirit.

The story behind this movie is, in a sense, more compelling than the one the movie tells. Actor Billy Wirth, who here makes his feature directing debut, was making a documentary on homelessness when he ran into the girlfriend of Tyrone Atins, a crack addict with a 300-page manuscript he wrote while in jail about his life in MacArthur Park.

This became the basis for the movie's script, which Wirth and others rewrote. Then, a week before production began, Atkins reunited with his son for te first time in 12 years.

The film's backbone contains a similar father-son story. Cody Thomas Jefferson Byrd, who manages to suggest quiet authority even in his destitution) is an aging addict whom other junkies look up to. The former musician talks abut quitting the life and even makes plans with P-air (rap musician Bad Azz) to get him into a studio to record his rap songs.

But nothing much comes of such talk until a surprise appearance by the son (Brandon Adams) Cody abandoned along with his mother ive years before. Learning his wife has died is a splash in his face of bitter reality.

But Cody's daily routine doesn't immediately change. Through him, the movie gives glimpses into the hapless lives of his friends -- his girlfriend (Cynda Williams), te park pimp (Sticky Fingaz), the group's mother hen (Ellen Cleghorne), a con artist and dealer (Carlton Wilborn) and a naive young woman (Sydney Tamia Poitier) attracted to the park's seediness -- as well as a coked-up TV star (Balthazar Getty) who comes y in a white limo to score drugs.

Things apparently have to get much worse than they already are for Cody to abandon his "pipe dreams." And so they do, with a police raid, brutal beatings, several senseless killings and mixtures of coke and booze almost ethal in themselves.

Other than the occasional "outsider" such as Cody's son and a young woman who kicked her habit, the movie is essentially filled with delusional characters. No one possesses any rational sense of the urgency of his condition or the dagers of his everyday life.

The actors are extremely good at conveying this odd sort of naivete with honesty and even a kind of wit. Kristian Bernier's nervous camera and music by Stephen Perkins and SKY that flips between hip-hop and jazz nicely underscoe the restless and dire nature of the addicts' lives.

The movie does end on a note of redemption. But even that note feels tentative.

MACARTHUR PARK

Worthwhile Prods. in association with

Northshire Entertainment Group

Producers: Billy Wirth, Maricel Paglayan

Director: Billy Wirth

Writers: Tyrone Atkins, Aaron Courseault, Sheri Sussman, Billy Wirth

Executive producers: Beata Rosenbaum, Stephen Drunsic, Robi Reed-Humes, Alan Harris

Director of photography: Kristian Bernier

Production designer: Cliff Spencr

Music: Stephen Perkins, SKY

Costume designer: Robin Newland

Editor: Terri Breed

Color/stereo

Cast:

Cody: Thomas Jefferson Byrd

Terry: Brandon Adams

P-air: Bad Azz

Alicia: Cynda Williams

E-Max: Sticky Fingaz

Hoover Blue: Ellen Cleghorne

St. Louis: Carltn Wilborn

Steve: Balthazar Getty

Running time -- 85 minutes

No MPAA rating...