Predicting the career trajectory of SNL cast members after they leave the show is all but impossible.* Many of the cast members with the most successful post-SNL careers, A-listers like Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Robert Downey Jr., all had (at best) forgettable stints.
Even more frequently, many former stars of the show never seem to find their footing once their tenures end. For every Will Ferrell success story, there are two or three Joe Piscopos (or Dana Carveys**, or Chris Kattans, etc.). Keenan Thompson, who is fantastic on the show, is the most likely candidate for this type of post-SNL career flame out.
Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, cast members for 14 and nine years, respectively, are prefect examples of that third type of SNL alum. Much like Jenny Slate and Will Forte, (who are both having very deserved moments right now), Armisen and Hader parlayed their time at SNL into smaller, often indie-skewing careers. They will likely never reach the heights of some of their more famous cast mates, but their ability to consistently deliver in a variety of projects has endured them to a small, but dedicated, fan base.
Armisen, who has already created one cult classic in IFC’s Portlandia, teams with Trainwreck star and prolific voice actor Hader in Documentary Now! (also on IFC), which just released it’s second season on Netflix. Much like Portlandia, “Documentary Now!” is as funny, as it is incredibly polarizing. You either consume seasons in a single afternoon or find them so incredibly dull and unwatchable that you can’t get through one episode. In fairness, even I had to bail on episode five of the second season.
As a huge Armisen fan, I am of the former opinion but it’s very easy to understand the latter. It’s not just comedy you have to ‘get’…it’s comedy you have to want to get. The show’s format is a series of 30-minute satires based on documentaries (some well-known, some a bit obscure) all staring Armisen and Hader. It’s not always requisite to have seen the documentaries that the episodes are based on (struggling door-to-door globe salesmen returning to a hotel and finding that their arch rival had pooped in their beds can be funny without a lot of background info) but having a familiarity with the source material definitely adds something to the experience.
The seven-episode season features four episodes written by John Mulaney, easily one of the 10 best standup comedians working today, and two written by Late Night host Seth Meyers, both legitimate comedy heavyweights. The direction, handled by Rhys Thomas & Alex Buono, is absolutely superb as they are able to re-create the tone and look of a new and entirely different style of documentary film making in each episode. I’d never seen the documentaries “Grey Gardens” or “The Thin Blue Line”, the basis for episodes “Sandy Passage” and “The Eye Doesn’t Lie” in season one, but the episodes are so good and so bizarre, I couldn’t help but look up the originals.
For the uninitiated looking to get into the show, I’d recommend starting with season one, as the episodes tend to be a bit more accessible. If you start with season two, I’d recommend beginning with the second episode “Juan Likes Rice and Chicken” (based on “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”). You’ll know within the first five minutes if you’ll be going back for more.
Documentary Now is now streaming on Netflix, with limited episodes available at IFC.com
* The nerds at FiveThiryEight.com have an interesting piece on post-SNL careers here. It’s a good read and really solidifies how absolutely gigantic of a movie star Eddie Murphy used to be.
** Do yourself a favor and go watch The Dana Carvey Show on Hulu, which is absurdly loaded with talent. Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Louis CK, Robert Smigel, Charlie Kaufman, Dino Stamatopoulos and Jon Glasser all contributed as performers and/or writers on the short lived show. It’s not great, mostly because there’s just too much Dana Carvey, but it’s as weird as network TV has ever been and worth your attention for an episode or two.
We are now in a new season for the team, and they have started off on the wrong
foot. The team is broken up and Ted has his work cut out for him. The team goes
through a slump, and Ted is now doubting his coaching ability. Ted’s personal life
has also gotten out of control, and he discovers his ex-wife Michelle has started a relationship with their therapist. The wonderkid, Nathan Shelley, the former manager of West Ham has had a change of heart and leaves his job to be with his one true love, the waitress from his favorite restaurant.
She convinces him to return to the Richmond team he started out in and it’s quite evident that
everyone wants him back and held no hard feelings. All of Lawrence’s series he has worked on with others have just that right balance of slice-of-life drama with a little bit of ridiculous comedy that reality dishes us, normal folks, every day.
This all comes to a head in the potential series finale where Ted announced to
Rebecca that he will be returning to the States to his family after his mother tells
him that his son misses him. This puts the Richmond owner into quite a state of denial; doing everything from offering Ted the position of being the highest-paid coach in the league to selling the team after he leaves. The team is also affected by this decision as they perform a number from the musical The Sound of Music that is a more than touching farewell to this family.
This bleeds into their playing as in the final title match the first half is met with
bumbling and possible injuries to their star player Jamie.
After an energizing pep talk and a circle back to the first motivator in the
beginning, a sign Ted made up that said “BELIEVE”, the team dominate the second
half and win with a rousing closing scene that is reminiscent of any 80’s party
movie. It’s a fitting end for this pandemic darling that emotionally carried us through. It is
a must-see series even if you don’t like soccer (football).
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
Finally, the Cinderella story of the Richmond Greyhounds has come to an end.
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
