London Dernis
Online Editor
It’s October 11, 1975, and there are 90 minutes before the premiere of “Saturday Night” on NBC. Everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. But what else would you expect from a group of 20-something-year-olds in Manhattan?
At the time of its release, “Saturday Night” was unique and doomed to fail. It was a cast of trying comedians that nobody thought would succeed. Fifty years later, the show is still running as “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). Directed by Jason Reitman, “Saturday Night” perfectly captures the chaos and panicked atmosphere leading up to the show’s premiere.
Film students everywhere are sure to have papers to write about this movie’s cinematography. In a dizzy-like fashion, cinematographer Eric Steelberg was constantly in motion, following the hectic atmosphere of the NBC studio. The halls were full of everything but preparedness: living animals, exploding props, dress racks on the run, and even studio tours. The movie appeared to be filmed in a rush, but this was the drama and comedy that was intended. From quick whip pans and long tracking shots, viewers were placed right in the midst of this lively Manhattan studio in 1975.
Beyond its hectic, yet enjoyable, filming style, the standout of this movie was its ensemble. There were not any leads, just Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michales, with everyone else being a part of the chaotic unfolding of events in the background. The stacked cast featured several notable actors.
Playing SNL’s premiere cast was Cory Michale Smith as Chevy Chase, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Matt Wood as John Belushi, and Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd.
Even the film’s minor roles had big names. It featured Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page, J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle, Willem Dafoe as David Tebe, and musician Jon Batiste as Billy Preston. Preston is known to be the first musical guest in what is now a trend of having weekly musical guests on SNL.
The movie leaves off right as the first episode of SNL begins. Promptly after finishing it, it’s no surprise that fans may direct themselves to the real episode 1 to see how it unfolded. In fact, being familiar with the SNL lore makes this movie even better. The film is littered with references to the show’s backstory, which may be missed by those who did not know how SNL started.
It is difficult to grasp how revolutionary SNL was when it premiered. It was a comedy TV show full of improv and skits that were laughed off by producers. Now, the show has launched several successful comedians and actors.
After 50 years of running, the question of SNL’s relevance has been brought up several times. The question of if it’s still even funny has been brought up even more. Over the course of 50 years, cast members have come and gone. Some people point to different entrances and departures as being the reason for a season’s relevance, whereas others point an accusatory finger towards the writers.
So, is SNL still any good? Premiering on Sept. 28, 2024, season 50 of SNL continues to address this question. The answer, of course, is subjective. Cast members, writers, hosts, and musical guests all come and go. Some skits are hits, some are misses. But the fact that a movie like “Saturday Night” can be made and discussed today proves that SNL is still relevant.
dern13@mail.broward.edu
