Saturday Night
“Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!” -Chevy Chase
Saturday Night started off on the wrong foot. A broken projector forced us to dash across town, abandoning our plans to see Emilia Perez in favor of a last minute viewing of Saturday Night. While I can’t comment on Emilia Perez (yet), I can say that this was a fun watch. Due to this, going in I wasn’t able to watch the original Saturday Night Live sketch, which in my opinion could really elevate this film. Despite that though, it definitely isn’t required by any means. I think the casting was great, and a lot of the actors looked exactly like their portrayal. Along with that, I think the anxiety inducing way it was filmed made it interesting, but overall I was left with a ‘meh’ taste in my mouth. It felt like it needed a bit more polish to truly shine. Maybe I am being picky or maybe my lack of love for SNL helps me with the score I gave it, but if you want a fun fast-paced film or a lover of SNL, this is definitely something that needs to be added to the watchlist.
-J
The ZEJ team saw Saturday Night unexpectedly, after a projector malfunction at Fleur Cinema caused us to call an audible, and while it was entertaining, it was ultimately a frustrating watch in the sense that seemed to be on the cusp of something really great. The movie is essentially a retelling of the first ever airing of SNL, and they get so close to it being a one-shot film ala Birdman, that they really just should have, as it would been so rewarding. There are two absolutely electric performances - Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase and Matt Wood as John Belushi, which does make this worth a watch if you’re a fan of SNL or A-tier acting.
-Z
