At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the f... Read allAt 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live (1975).At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live (1975).
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 10 wins & 43 nominations total
- Radio Announcer
- (as Colby West)
- …
- Elevator Attendant
- (as Peter Dawson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Summary
Featured reviews
I will say the casting is INCREDIBLE, I did laugh at some parts although I think it had potential to be a bit funnier. It's not wildly inaccurate at all like some people say. Most of the things were true just some didn't happen THAT night.
The actors did absolutely amazing, and the 70s vibe and filming style was great. It really felt like you were immersed. I did feel a bit stressed out, I don't even drink and I left thinking "I need a drink, I feel like I just had an exhausting day at work".
I do recommend watching the very first episode ever prior to going if you haven't seen it in awhile. They absolutely nail some scenes it's uncanny.
Sadly I think this movie will bomb, but they really did a poor job making it watchable for anyone who is now considered "boomer" age or close to. Many people in that category no longer are watching movies in theaters much, passed away or are now stuck in their Jesus ways they'll be offended at things they probably weren't in 1975. Obviously some people in that category will love it but I would guess that may be far and few between.
You might enjoy it if you also do research on the beginning of SNL first and know what they all looked like but that's a lot of work to ask of viewers.
I don't recommend seeing it in theaters if you even think you might be lost, you will be. I honestly think even myself if I watched it from home I would have got distracted. My husband and I were the only ones in the theatre not a single other person and I caught him scrolling on his phone a couple times. I have never seen him do that in a movie before so I know he was bored.
So idk I give it 10/10 for casting and acting and doing great capturing the era. 7/10 because I'm one of the few people under the age of 50 who knew the history. But if I was a regular person just watching a movie for fun I would have given it a 2/10.
This film about the very first episode of SNL might not be the most accurate depiction of history, but it sure knows how to entertain. Despite featuring paper-thin characters, ludicrous moments (seriously, no comedy writer gets hired five minutes before a show starts-I'm calling BS on that), and yes, even a cameo involving Milton Berle's penis (Not joking), it somehow manages to pull it all off.
Uh, that is pull the movie off, not Milton.
There are a lot of characters in this movie and very few of them are interesting to watch. 1975 was far too long ago for most of us to know who these people are, but it seems like the movie just assumes that we will. And because of the structure there isn't much, if any, time to set up and develop the characters. So we are just told, here's a person who was there that night, enjoy their screen-time. I will say the scenes with Chevy Chase were interesting, but that probably worked for me because I know who he is and am a big fan.
I felt like there was so much potential for comedy and witty dialogue and yet it just never came. A funny situation would arise with a character taking drugs that were too powerful for them, but the movie was in such a hurry to get to the next scene that it couldn't breathe and become a memorable scene.
This probably sounds like a very negative review, and it is, but it's more negativity aimed at what this film could've and should've been, as opposed to the general quality of the film. It isn't a bad film, but it should have been so much more. 6/10.
I wasn't there, but several events depicted seem to be of dubious historical accuracy, such as when Michaels wanders out of the building shortly before showtime. This makes me wonder if the chaos was created by the screenwriter and the director.
The most enjoyable part of the movie was watching the portrayals of the original cast members, although the portrayals of John Belushi and Chevy Chase seem exaggerated. Being familiar (or becoming familiar in advance) with the original cast members is helpful for getting the most out of Saturday Night. Overall, the movie is entertaining and occasionally funny but falls short of the high bar set by the original production.
Who Plays Who in 'Saturday Night'?
Who Plays Who in 'Saturday Night'?
Did you know
- TriviaAn obnoxious stagehand tells art director Akira Yoshimura that he'll be gone in two weeks. As of the movie's release in 2024, he is the only person who has been with the show for the entirety of its run.
- GoofsThroughout, there's the discussion of whether or not Lorne Michaels's wife, Rosie, will be credited with her last name as Shuster or Michaels. In the film, she chooses Shuster, but in the actual episode of "Saturday Night Live", she is credited as Rosie Michaels.
- Quotes
Jim Henson: The writers on the seventeenth floor tied a belt around Big Bird's neck and hung him from my dressing room door.
Michael O'Donoghue: Hey, Jim! I heard about Big Bird. So sorry. Auto-erotic asphyxiation, who knew?
- Crazy creditsThe movie opens with a quote of Lorne Michaels: "The show doesn't go on because it's ready; it goes on because it's 11:30."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Eddie Murphy, le roi noir d'Hollywood (2023)
- SoundtracksIt's You
Written by Brian Thomas Curtin
Performed by United Sonic Alliance
Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation
- How long is Saturday Night?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $25,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $9,511,315
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $270,487
- Sep 29, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $10,055,029
- Runtime
- 1h 49m(109 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1