Saturday Night: A Fascinating Look at the Nearly-Disastrous Launch of SNL (Blu-ray)

The Film:

It's hard to believe that "Saturday Night Live," a variety sketch show that started from very humble beginnings, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Arguments have raged on over the last several years (or decades) as to whether the show has past its prime, but one thing's for sure, when the show was good, it was remarkably good, featuring some of the greatest comedic talent of the era, and ultimately turning several members of its cast into mega stars. But how did the whole thing get started all the way back in 1975? It's a fascinating question that director/co-writer Jason Reitman seeks to answer in "Saturday Night," a first-hand look at the tumultuous 90 minutes leading up to one of the most successful TV programs of all time.

Taking place on the night of October 11, 1975, Lorne Michael (Gabriel LaBelle) attempts to guide final preparations for a little sketch show known as "Saturday Night" that will be airing its first episode live that evening on NBC. Naturally, there are several problems, including a network executive, David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), with little faith in the show breathing down his neck, as well as a dysfunctional cast of youngsters that need to be wrangled together, such as John Belushi (Matt Wood), Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun), Jim Henson (also played by Nicholas Braun), and Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt). Lorne's boss, Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman), lets him know that the executives are going to be watching on site, and that Tebet will play a rerun of Johnny Carson if he needs to. Can Lorne bring everyone together in time to deliver his vision for the show or will all of his efforts be in vain?

So how does one go about crafting a story that revolves around this wild night that changed television? For Reitman, it was a time-consuming matter of interviewing dozens of people who were involved in an attempt to get a detailed & accurate account of what went on that evening. The interesting part is that, at the conclusion of those interviews, he found that a lot of the stories contradicted each other and didn't line up, forcing him and co-writer Gil Kenan to put together an amalgamation that represented the spirit & atmosphere leading up to that first show, while no doubt also using a bit of dramatic license to patch it together and perhaps give it even more urgency.

The result is a wild & delightful experience that covers the events of that evening using a compelling real-time approach to lead us right up to the big moment. As mentioned earlier, there's no shortage of conflict/complications along the way, what with an executive keeping a close watch on Lorne as he tries to get his young cast ready for their debut, a cast that brings with them a number of problems/personality quirks that could easily derail the show at any moment.

Just to name a few examples, John Belushi is an unpredictable wild card who's argumentative and confrontational, host George Carlin isn't happy with how things are coming together, and Jim Henson doesn't like how he and his muppets are being treated by the writers & crew. These, along with other disputes among the cast, give the film an even more chaotic feeling, with tensions increasing as we draw closer and closer to the launch of the show. There's certainly no lack of captivating conflict here, which is made even more amazing by the fact that we know that everything works out in the end, and yet the film still has us fully-engaged as the clock continues to count down.

Next to Reitman & Kenan's well-constructed screenplay and the incredible period detail of the costumes and sets, the film's other most important element is the remarkable cast that was selected to bring the younger versions of these iconic artists to life. Not only did the filmmakers nail the physical features in many instances, but the cast was also able to bring specific qualities & mannerisms to their characters to help make the illusion even more real. It's one of the best ensembles of the year, one that should be garnering a lot more attention than it has been.

Overall, "Saturday Night" makes for an intriguing depiction of these events. How much of it is true? Well, I suppose that's something that only the people who were there could answer, but one has to imagine that the entire evening leading up to the first live show was indeed incredibly stressful, filled with a number of things that could've gone wrong, and a number of last-minute details that had to be worked out. True or not, the film is simply quite entertaining, and is sure to delight viewers whether they're a fan of "SNL" or not.

Video/Audio:

"Saturday Night" comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The film was shot on 16mm, giving it a distinct, slightly grainy look to fit the period being portrayed, but it looks wonderful throughout the entire duration. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Sony has given the film marvelous treatment in both departments for its debut physical release.

Special Features:

Filmmaker Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Jason Reitman & Others

The Making of the Movie of the Show That Almost Never Made It (16 Minutes)

The Look of Saturday Night (2 Minutes)

Super 8 from Studio 8H: Home Movies from the Set (5 Minutes)

Creating Comedy Icons (11 Minutes)

Jon Batiste: Scoring Live (1 Minute)

The Blu-ray comes with a pretty good selection of extras that includes a feature commentary with Jason Reitman and a little over 30 minutes of featurettes that take you behind the scenes of the making of the film, delving into areas such as the cast and crafting the look of the sets & characters. It may not be a lot, but they do provide an intriguing look into how the film came together.

Conclusion:

Jason Reitman's "Saturday Night" is a hectic, amusing, and compelling look at the 90 minutes leading up to the broadcast of the first episode of "Saturday Night Live," brought to life with a remarkable ensemble, exquisite period detail, and a well-constructed script filled with plenty of conflicts & complications to keep viewers engaged, all of which ultimately makes this an intriguing experience worth seeking out.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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