Amazon Blogs: Armchair Commentary Daily Digest

Check out these Updates from Armchair Commentary for May 18, 2010.

Will 'MacGruber' be SNL's latest hit or miss? May 18, 2010 Saturday Night Live's mulleted mastermind MacGruber is bringing his brand of action to the big screen. Don't roll your eyes. It's a fact that full-length movies born from SNL skits have had their ups and downs at the box office. What constitutes a hilarious five-minute sketch on television doesn't always stretch into 90 minutes of laughs. We're hoping Will Forte and the rest of the crew (Val Kilmer, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ryan Phillipe) can pull a MacGyver-y move and save MacGruber from becoming another Blues Brothers 2000. Here's a look at some highs and lows from SNL movie history: The Blues Brothers (1980): Joliet Jake (the late John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) are on a "mission from God" to raise money to save their old Chicago orphanage. With their Ray Bans and skinny ties, the brothers round up their old band while dodging Cook County cops. The Blues Brothers is one film that got better as it got older, thanks to cameo appearances by musical legends Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Cab Calloway. The original soundtrack is a must for music lovers. A loose sequel The Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), starring Aykroyd and John Goodman, was considered a major flop. Wayne's World (1992): We all know a Wayne (Mike Myers) or a Garth (Dana Carvey) and perhaps we see one in the mirror every morning. That's likely why this SNL skit based on the antics of two slacker dudes did so well at the box office. Wayne's World is pure, dumb fun. The scene where our heroes drive around in their powder-blue Pacer while rawkin' out to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the funniest ever on film. Alas, Wayne's World 2 (1993) didn't manage to party on. Coneheads (1993): Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin were husband-and-wife aliens who settled into domestic bliss (watch them play ring-toss!) on our planet. Along with surly teen daughter Connie (played by Laraine Newman), the Coneheads were one of the most popular skits from the early SNL era. Unfortunately, too much time elapsed between 1977 and 1993 and the movie failed to capture interest despite Aykroyd and Curtin reprising their TV roles.  It's Pat (1994): The always-funny Julia Sweeney created one of the most original characters in SNL skit history with the genderless Pat. Kathy Griffin, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket and Kathy Najimy also star. Worth watching: Pat's tuba performance with alt-rockers Ween on Pork Roll Egg and Cheese. Does the movie ever get around to solving the mystery of Pat? You'll have to watch. Or ask Chris or Terry or . . . Stuart Saves His Family (1995): Al Franken took a mess of insecurity and meshed it with new-age, feel-good affirmation to bring us Stuart Smalley. Unfortunately, the Harold Ramis-directed film didn't have a long theatrical run. Laura San Giacomo and Vincent D'Onofrio also star. A Night at the Roxbury (1998): Oh no, now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head. A Night at the Roxbury follows unsuccessful pick-up artists Doug and Steve (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan) from one club to another. Singer Haddaway provides the earworm, which provokes much head-bobbing by the dancing duo (if you could call that "dancing"). Superstar (1999): Molly Shannon created Mary Katherine Gallagher, a stumbling, bumbling overgrown schoolgirl with some disturbing social habits. Die-hard fans of pratfalls and gross-out humor will get into Superstar. The Ladies Man (2000): Smooth-talking radio host and sexpert Leon Phelps, played by Tim Meadows, goes in search of his "Sweet Thing." The laughs are thin, but it's worth seeing Billy Dee Williams on the big screen again. What SNL skits do you think could work as feature-length movies? Or should they stay five minutes long where they belong? – Francine Ruley Breaking News: 'Cold Case,' 'Old Christine,' 'Ghost Whisperer' Canceled May 18, 2010 And the ax keeps swinging. CBS, FOX, and the CW have announced their cancellations and renewals, and it's bye-bye to such stalwarts as Cold Case (which had been on the bubble for the last couple of seasons due to rising production costs), Ghost... read more

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