When it comes to “Saturday Night Live” movies, there are two head honchos: “The Blues Brothers” and “Wayne’s World.” The 1980 crime comedy classic starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd and the 1992 Midwestern townie adventure with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are both terrific. To this day.
And the flicks have grown far beyond their original sketches. At this point, they’re better known as films than old “SNL” chestnuts. Then, um, there are the rest: “Coneheads,” “A Night at the Roxbury,” “Superstar,” “The Ladies Man,” “MacGruber.
” Critically panned, forgotten by most, appreciated by some. Target bargain bin fare. Dollar Store detritus.
They proved that many sketches are best kept to five minutes — not 105. But setting aside the stinkers, “SNL,” which begins its 50th season this weekend, has had a surprisingly rich cinematic history ..
. only with movies that have nothing to do with “SNL.” Because of gargantuan talent onstage and off, Lorne Michaels’ NBC series has had an outsize effect on film since its very first episodes.
Did you know one “SNL” performer has won an acting Oscar, and it happened just last year? That would be Robert Downey Jr. for “Oppenheimer.” Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd have all been nominated at the Academy Awards.
Speaking of those latter two powerhouses, “Ghostbusters” certainly wouldn’t exist were it not for “SNL.” Akroyd wrote the script with Harold Ramis originally for Jo.