SNL Review

[bob_barron 0]

SNL Review- Anne Hathaway/The Killers

 

Cold Opening

Cast- Queen Latifah, Tina Fey, Jason Sudeikis

Thoughts- So….much….Tina. But again, given the ratings and the news coverage, they have to keep bringing her back. I just hope once Election Day is over and Palin goes away, Tina goes back to 30 Rock. This was really funny and much better than the first debate skit.

 

And really, it should’ve been, since unlike McCain-Obama I, the veep debate was actually spirited and both candidates seemed like they wanted to be there and were having fun. And having fun= lots of material for SNL. So everyone wins!

 

Some great lines, including the can I call you Joe exchange, and I like that they touched on Biden’s constant repetition during the debate. I was hoping they’d be mean spirited and touch on Biden choking up, but I guess that would be crossing a line though the two unwilling teenagers line was also a tad mean. This was lots of fun, and showed that SNL’s political humour still has it, and I’ll admit that Tina’s impression is great. And thank you Queen Latifah for being available, or that would’ve been awkward. ****

 

Monologue

Cast- Anne Hathaway

Thoughts- I know that Hathaway wanted to show she has a sense of humour about her summer from hell (well save for Get Smart) but she seemed really uncomfortable talking about and joking about the thing with her boyfriend. Apparently, she’s homeless now because she was living with the felon. That’s sad. I was kind of hoping for a Kenan appearance as the Nigerian. **1/4

 

Lawrence Welk Show

Cast- Hathaway, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Casey Wilson

Thoughts- The writers must be up at all hours of the day to catch Lawrence Welk, which I believe reruns on PBS still. And seriously, who even pitches a Lawrence Welk skit, given how out of date that reference is. This was an interesting first skit for the show, and it grew on me. Kristen’s psycho characters are hit and miss, but I liked this one, even though I’ve never even seen Lawrence Welk. ***

 

Bailout

Cast- Hathaway, Sudeikis, Wiig, Armisen, Darrell Hammond, Kenan Thompson, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Poehler, Bobby Moynihan, Wilson

Thoughts- Jim Downey wrote this one, and after the last couple of misfires, I’m glad to see the Downey touch was back. Also, wow, this is the first time they’ve done W. in a while. Also, the people who should be shot caption on Darrell and Casey got yanked off the internet version, so hooray censorship!

 

This was really good, and I like how Downey was willing to equally attack both sides, and it seemed like he was mocking the Democrats a bit more. It’s like An American Carol, only humorous.

 

Kenan and Moynihan was pretty funny, though Moynihan still kind of annoys me. Hader and Hathaway was decent, but wow, Amy have that baby already. Darrell and Casey was lame, but I thought Forte as Soros was quite funny.

 

Overall another good political skit. ***1/4

 

Fun At the Club

Cast- Hathaway, Armisen, Thompson, Hader, Samberg, Wiig, Wilson, Moynihan

Thoughts- I don’t know how on his fourth show, Moynihan got the honorary do something sexy with the hot host skit. I mean, he’s terrible and a new guy, yet in his fourth show, he already got to slap Anne Hathaway’s ass and have Anne Hathaway slap his ass? That’s not just fair. At least give it to Hader or something. Don’t see what the point of this one, maybe a writer owed Moynihan money? ½*

 

SNL Digital Short

Cast- Hathaway, Samberg, Wiig, Forte, Thompson

Thoughts- It’s another lacklustre Digital Short! The Digital Short is turning into Weekend Update circa 2004-2005 with how it has fallen in quality. Even the attempt at bizarreness with Forte didn’t really work out for them. The Human ATM thing was legit awesome though. Of all the Hathaway films to use, they do Becoming Jane? Did anyone even see that movie? **

 

The Killers “Human”

Thoughts- Even though I mocked them when they were on the season premiere back in 2006, I have to admit that I’ve become quite the Killers fan. They play their songs a lot on Alt Nation, and they’ve grown on me a lot. Human’s not my favourite song and I feel they could’ve released a better song as a first single. But it’s still a good song. The k on the stage was just all kinds of wrong though. ***1/4

 

Weekend Update

Cast- Seth Meyers, Poehler, Forte

Thoughts- Oh man, they were feeling it this week. No crappy Fred or Andy commentary and the jokes were rocking. The multiple jokes on the fat guy were just tremendous, one of the funniest bits of the Meyers-Poehler era. They should turn that into a feature, like they did Really. And while I’m not reviewing the Primetime Extra, my God was that Really bit great or what?

 

Forte’s song was great. For the record, he did not mention the Congresswoman who represents me, Nita Lowey. I gotta say, I was holding out hope he’d mention her or John Hall, another nearby congressman. Him going off on Amy for interrupting him was hilarious. When Forte’s at the desk, you know it’s a good time to be alive.

 

They had a few clunkers post-Forte’s commentary, but this was a fun Update and I can’t get over how funny the multiple joke bit was. In an attempt to get cake wins at life. ****1/2

 

Mary Poppins

Cast- Hathaway, Forte, Wilson, Moynihan

Thoughts- For the record, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is not the longest word in the English language. I remember this from my People Entertainment Almanac and looked it up on wikipedia, but pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is generally considered the longest word in English. See, you learn something reading my inane thoughts on post-Update SNL skits.

 

Casey with a British accent and that hat- oh yes. I wasn’t getting into this one, but Hader as Dick Van Dyke was hilarious and I loved the drums playing everytime he played, and Casey hitting Moynihan at the end. **1/2

 

Most YouTubed News Team

Cast- Hathaway, Sudeikis, Thompson, Wiig, Armisen, Forte, Poehler, Wilson, Moynihan

Thoughts- This is a good idea for a skit, but it wasn’t as funny as I hoped it would be. A few funny bits here and there, but this was written to be a mediocre skit to fill time late in the show. Hathaway asking to buy weed and the small penis joke was funny. **1/4

 

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals

Cast- Samberg

Thoughts- I feel this is some in-joke about Wahlberg or something, kind of like Lawrence Welk. I was hoping one of the animals would do something funny on live TV but to no avail. Now I’m going to talk to a GOAT was funny though. **

 

Fabulous

Cast- Hathaway, Sudeikis, Hader

Thoughts- Who has watched Bill and Jason kiss about a million times thanks to DVR? Ummm not this guy! This skit was farfetched and incredibly stupid, but it made me laugh a lot for some reason. I also like how once they unouted themselves, they did a bro hug. And I always like skits that have a nice ending. ***

 

The Killers

Thoughts- I like this song more than Smile, maybe they should’ve made this the first single. But wow, Brandon Flowers’ jacket was all kinds of gay. Shame they couldn’t have gotten Lou Reed and performed Tranquillise. ***1/2

 

Katy Perry

Cast- Wilson, Wiig

Thoughts- Casey’s cleavage was awesome and that poor cat looked quite frightened. That’s about all I got. ¾*

 

The Bottom Line- The avg. skit was **.63 making this a thumbs up show and the (very early) show of the year. Hathaway was a fun versatile (and attractive) host, the political humour hit, Update was awesome and the music rocked too. I’m also impressed that SNL was able to bust out a good show, given that it was week four and I imagine everyone was running on fumes. Plus they knew they had to do the Primetime stuff, so that’s remarkable. Anyway a fun show, and hopefully they can keep the momentum going.

 

Thumbs Up

 

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Are you going to do a review of the Thursday show? That was the first SNL I've seen in years.

[bob_barron 0]

Not really- it was only one skit plus an Update.

 

Plus, I already deleted it off my DVR

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

My mom's from the Scranton area, so we laughed about Biden calling Scranton a dump. I really liked that cold opening.

[Black Lushus 0]

First SNL of the year I've enjoyed.

[Frosty 0]

I thought the Mark Wahlberg skit was pure gold. I don't know if it was more of and inside joke, as opposed to just flat out ridiculous humor. Although the Whalberg voice was DEAD ON.

[Mik 0]

Hell, I'm from the Scranton area. That was funny to me.

 

Mark Wahlberg talks to animals is the type of thing that keeps Andy around. It's all I hear people talking about this week besides Tina as Palin.

 

I enjoyed it myself. Say hi to your mother for me.

[bob_barron 0]

Everyone was talking to me about Wahlberg as well. I watched it a few times, and it just never did it for me.

[Craig Th 0]

Ugh, I forgot the Killers were on last week.

[bob_barron 0]

You can probably dl it- or maybe it's on hulu

[bob_barron 0]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/12/m...r_n_133948.html

 

Say hi to your mother for me?

[Richard 0]

So the last two shows have had monologues that are actually monologues. Lorne must have gotten hold of a dictionary.

[Black Lushus 0]

The only thing I found funny about the Wahlberg sketch was when he says "Say hi to ya mutha for me, alright?" I don't know why but I chuckled everytime. Sounds just like him.

[bob_barron 0]

So the last two shows have had monologues that are actually monologues. Lorne must have gotten hold of a dictionary.

 

I know, that blew my mind too.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

I quite enjoyed the digital short. Andy's Wahlberg impression cracked me up as well.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

This was the first SNL I'd watched all the way through in years. Anne Hathaway being gorgeous and the Wahlberg skit made it totally worthwhile. Also, Hader's about as good as anyone on this show has been in a while.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Hader and Sudeikis are my two favorite cast members on the show, but I do like Kenan also.

[DMann2003 0]

Anyone see Wahlberg on Kimmel last night? They showed the clip and he made a public threat to smack Samberg up. I seriosuly hope he's joking...or he's incredibly thin skinned.

[Black Lushus 0]

Yeah, he's being a bitch about it.

[Mik 0]

The weekend update joke last night about the mini horse had my dying.

 

"A miniature race horse was given a new chance at a career after getting a prosthetic eye. Said every race horse who has ever broken a leg, WHAT?!"

 

Awesome.

[DMann2003 0]

I guess Wahlberg was joking...if he was setting that up he's a deadpan master.