Monday, November 30, 2009

SNL Christmas special!

SNL gets more Emmy nominations (and money) when they do specials. So...


NBC has confirmed that they will air a new two-hour SNL Christmas special in primetime on Thursday December 17!



I'm not sure how much new material will be included in the special but it will feature clips from Christmases gone by!

Yet another reason to be thankful this holiday!

News from:
http://livefromnewyorkitssaturdaynightlive.blogspot.com/2009/11/nbc-to-air-snl-christmas-special.html

Enjoy!

Zoe and Steve review Kristen Wiig in Secret Word



ZOË RICE: Unfortunately neither JGL nor Kristen Wiig particularly impressed me here–both seemed to be trying too hard–and without them the skit doesn’t have much to offer. But Kristen did have some funny moments, especially her “Drape.” I think these retro game show send ups work better when the cast impersonates the real personalities who did them. I didn’t hate the sketch, but I didn’t love it.

STEVE MURPHY: Another terrific sketch! That’s four in a row! Kristen Wiig creates yet another hilarious character from nowhere, and completely steals the show. She’s the new Will Ferrell of this show. Everything she says makes me laugh. Seems like Zoe and I are having very, very different SNL experiences so far.

From:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3650

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Kristen Wiig and others cracking up in SNL skits

Just a little editorial about this...



Jimmy Fallon and Norm Macdonald were the masters at cracking up and making a skit even funnier. I think I've even seen hosts and cast members giving Norm Macdonald dirty looks to stick to the script in a few skits.



A nice ironic contrast to that was when Norm Macdonald appeared in Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey's Andy Kaufman film - a true story) where Norm Macdonald played Michael Richards (a.k.a. Kramer from Seinfeld) on the Friday show (that competed with SNL, but it was on Fridays). So Norm (playing Richards) tossed the cue card at Jim Carrey (playing Kaufman) and told him to read the card. It's ironic because Norm is known for breaking out of character (like Andy Kaufman was doing). The key difference between Norm and Kaufman was that Kaufman did it 100% intentionally and strategically, just to mess with people (although Norm was messing with people when he did it too).



Also, currently on SNL, the cast tries to crack each other up during the Scared Straight skits. You can usually see this at the end of the skits, when Jason Sudeikis moves his bum, jumps on the desk, and uses his comedic timing and facial expressions to try to get Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Bobby Moynihan to laugh.



And whenever a guest is on Weekend Update, they usually try to crack up Seth while staying in character. This backfired for Kristen Wiig when she was playing Tamara Banks the orga$m lady. She looked at Seth and ended up cracking up (pretty rare for Kristen).



In contrast, January Jones couldn't keep a straight face when she hosted, and it ruined a few skits. Still a little funny though.



Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - two A-Holes Buying a Christmas Tree

From: December 17, 2005

two A-Holes Buying a Christmas Tree

Jack Black ... salesman
Finesse Mitchell ... salesman
Chris Parnell ... announcer (voice)
Jason Sudeikis ... A-Hole guy
Kristen Wiig ... A-Hole girl

Buying a Christmas tree has never been this hard.



Kristen and Jason's first appearance of their characters. Kristen also busted out her Target Lady a few episodes before this (when Dane Cook was hosting), so that makes this the second skit based on a Kristen character/impression.

This was also the Christmas episode where Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell did Lazy Sunday (which put Andy on the map).

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Coming SNL hosts and musical guests



Dec 5- Blake Lively w/ Rihanna (music guest)
Dec 12- Taylor Lautner w/ Bon Jovi (music guest)
Dec 19- James Franco w/ Muse (music guest)




Has SNL been going too young lately? Will Blake be similar to Meagan Fox (just a pretty face playing off of SNL's zany characters, without adding much to the show herself)?



SNL should probably start pulling in more seasoned actors this season.

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - in The Needlers

The Needlers

Eva Longoria ... Claire Ravino
Will Forte ... Jerry
Seth Meyers ... Dan Needler
Chris Parnell ... announcer (voice)
Amy Poehler ... Sally Needler
Andy Samberg ... deejay
Jason Sudeikis ... guest
Kristen Wiig ... guest


"The couple that should be divorced."



From Kristen's first season.

Enjoy!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Kristen Wiig - photo shoot







Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - in Vanity Fair Photo Shoot (SNL)

SNL takes you behind the scenes of the notorious cover.

Sketch - Vanity Fair Photo Shoot

Eva Longoria ... Teri Hatcher
Rachel Dratch ... Eva Longoria
Bill Hader ... Mark, photographer
Darrell Hammond ... announcer (voice)
Seth Meyers ... Nicolette Sheridan
Amy Poehler ... Marcia Cross
Andy Samberg ... assistant
Jason Sudeikis ... Leonard Kelly
Kristen Wiig ... Felicity Huffman




From Kristen's first season.

Enjoy!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Turkey Day, Kristen Wiig fans!

s.34 : ep.9
November 22, 2008

Turkeys

Tim McGraw ... turkey
Fred Armisen ... turkey
Andy Samberg ... turkey
Jason Sudeikis ... turkey
Kenan Thompson ... Richard
Michaela Watkins ... Terri
Kristen Wiig ... turkey

Turkeys in the wild, running for their lives...



Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - is Judy Garland in Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Special 1958

Happy Thanksgiving!

From November 19, 2005

Vincent Price celebrates the most terrifying night of the year: Thanksgiving

Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Special 1958

The stage lights go dark unexpectedly as Kristen Wiig is talking to the George Washington portrait.

Eva Longoria ... Lucille Ball
Fred Armisen ... Desi Arnaz
Bill Hader ... Vincent Price
Darrell Hammond ... Clark Gable
Amy Poehler ... Chesterfield dancer
Horatio Sanz ... Alfred Hitchcock
Kristen Wiig ... Judy Garland



From Kristen's first season. She busts out her Judy Garland impression.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Next SNL Host - Blake Lively

Lively will host "Saturday Night Live" on Dec. 5.

How will the prime-time vixen get along with the Not Ready for Prime Time Players?

She's already flirted shamelessly with David Letterman. And while Lively hasn't hosted the show before, she did appear recently alongside James Franco:

Here's that sketch:



Kristen Wiig is also in this skit.

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - is a voice in Eva Longoria's Monologue

Even a disembodied voice needs a date once in awhile.

Monologue

Eva Longoria
Darrell Hammond ... Don Pardo (voice)
Chris Parnell
Horatio Sanz
Kristen Wiig ... Mary Alice (voice)



Kristen Wiig does her voice voice over on SNL. This is as the voice of Mary Alice, talking to Eva.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Is this Kenan's response to that "10 ways to fix SNL" article?

Film SNL Digital Short: Two Worlds Collide with Reba McEntire

Andy and Reba are an item.

Will Forte ... friend
Bobby Moynihan ... friend
Andy Samberg
Kenan Thompson ... Reba McEntire



Wow. This is gross and bizarrely funny.

I can't help but think that this is Kenan's response to the author of that "10 ways to fix SNL" article. That article was on EW, MSNBC, the IMDB forums, and comes up high in search results. I think Kenan read that people think he should stop playing women and then thought about how he could play a woman and get back at them.

Watch out the Internets! SNL bites back! You better stop before Lorne makes an "all Kristen Wiig" episode where Kristen plays every role... just to spite you haters!

Thoughts?

Kristen Wiig - in Butt Pregnancy

From November 12, 2005

Sketch Butt Pregnancy

This sketch is removed in reruns and replaced with a musical sketch about desserts.

Jason Lee ... husband
Rachel Dratch ... Vera Singer
Tina Fey ... guest
Will Forte
Chris Parnell ... Mr. Singer
Chris Parnell ... announcer (voice)
Amy Poehler ... Tammy
Kristen Wiig ... guest


It's not unusual to have a baby in your butt.



Kristen plays Amy's friend. She's blond with curls. This is from Kristen's first episode she was on. She also appeared in "Soaking Wet Killer" as Bernadette.

Enjoy!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Kristen Wiig - in Woman to Woman

Show Woman To Woman

You'll need to speak up.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt ...Todd
Fred Armisen ... Roger Brush
Abby Elliott ... Barbara Way
Jenny Slate ... Laura O'Shoney
Kristen Wiig ... audience member
Kristen Wiig ... announcer (voice)



Kristen is the first audience member. She talks about her stretch marks. This is mostly just a Fred Armisen skit. Not overly funny, but they all do a great job with it.

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - is Jackie Snad (SNL skit)


Jackie Snad and Clancy Bachlerat

Spaceships, toddlers, Model T cars and jars of beer never sounded so good.



Kristen does another round of this character with Will Forte. Sorry, I find these characters a little annoying and not all that funny. I like Joseph. He throws himself into it.

I think I found their first song in their first skit of these characters to be funny. But ever since then it's the same kind of randomness and so the surprise is gone, which is why I don't find it funny.

I think this would be funnier if they came in with these characters as motivational singers or singers for themes before dinners or other shows. But just setting up the theme of all their songs as turkeys, spaceships, toddlers, and beer is only funny at first. Disagree?

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Kristen Wiig - is Mindy Gracin in Secret Word (SNL skit)

Gameshow Secret Word

This 1965 game show gets dramatic.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt... Ricardo Gonzales
Will Forte ... contestant
Bill Hader ... Lyle Round
Jenny Slate ... contestant
Kristen Wiig ... Mindy Gracin




Kristen does a great job with this character. I think this is her best character of the show. She nails the mannerisms and voice.

Enjoy!

Steve and Howard love Kristen Wiig's Dairy Queen skit



STEVE MURPHY: Kristen Wiig is just too funny. I loved the incredibly awkward, lesbian sexual harassment, and January Jones barely had enough lines to ruin it (though she did try). Best sketch of the night for me so far!

HOWARD MEGDAL: When in doubt, have Kristen Wiig keep talking. Agree wholeheartedly. I will say this for SNL- they played to their strengths with a weak host and lack of material- Wiig and Sudeikis can do a lot with a little.

From:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3544

I agree with them. Kristen makes awkward hilarious!

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

MSNBC has 10 ways to fix SNL (and one is less Kristen Wiig)

My comments are marked as "Editor"...

Update: Did Kenan create a response video to issue #7? He might have done that right here:
http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2009/11/andy-samberg-serenades-reba-mcentire.html




Hot young hosts there mainly to plug failed movies?
(Editor: This must be Megan Fox and January Jones, because Ryan Reynolds is a hit maker, and Taylor Swift isn't in movies.)

An utter dearth of great pop-culture parody? No more!
(Editor: I actually love their pop-culture parodies, such as Scrooge McDuck and Beauty and the Beast.)

See our sure-fire ways to help NBC's weekend staple raise its game.
(Editor: After reading these, I think it's a joke. MSNBC and EW should change "our" in this sentence to "my" because they shouldn't want to support this rubbish.)

1. Enough with the parade of sexy young startlets!
(Editor: Is this a typo, or is it a pun on "starlets." Then I assume they are referring to Meagan, Taylor, and January. Since all those ladies are different ages, they are pretty much telling SNL to stop having women hosts. I think it's important to have women hosts. January's show won an Emmy (2 years in a row) and Taylor has won countless music awards. And Meagan has over a billion in Box Office value under her belt. What are the requirements they are looking for in women? SNL has always tried to mix it up with popular people and successful people. All three of those ladies are popular and successful.)

Buzzed-about twentysomethings with current projects to promote don't always make the best “SNL” hosts.
(Editor: January Jones is 31 years old, and Taylor Swift turns 20 in 4 weeks. MSNBC needs to do their homework.)

Instead of a tepid Megan Fox or an abysmal January Jones, why not try Jane Lynch, who's massively popular on “Glee,” or Mo'Nique, star of sleeper hit “Precious?” Throw Nathan Fillion in there for some geek cred. It'd be less work for the writing staff, too, because these people are...(gasp) actually funny!
(Editor: Who? Does anybody else know who these people are? After looking them up... For starters, sure Jane is older than these other ladies, but Glee is brand new. Mad Men proved itself for two years before the stars got on SNL. Second, "Precious" just came out and nobody is watching it. It is not a sleeper hit or any other kind of hit. Third, Nathan Fillion is from Castle, another brand new show. He hasn't proven himself, although I loved him Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. This is a clear case of the writer's personal opinions. The producers are bringing in real, proven stars. They are not pursuing personal opinions.)



2. Leave the policy dissections to ‘The Daily Show’: ‘SNL’ needs to go wacky and use its imagination in covering politics.
The great political sketches in “SNL’s” history have rarely been biting commentary; instead, they've been goofy send-ups (Clinton, anyone?), silly prat-falls (Ford, duh), and over-the-top parodies (Bush, Bush, Gore, and — flashback time! — Ross Perot). Let “The Daily Show” take jabs at Fox News and CNN and bring SNL's political focus back toward energetic absurdity.
(Editor: I totally agree. Finally some logic in this article. SNL had silly political impressions just this last year when they made fun of Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, and Hilary Clinton - and even Will Ferrell came back to do his George W. Bush. Also, Darrell Hammond's John Mccain and Jason's Biden both had their silly moments. However, this year it's mostly just Armisen's Obama and Jason's Biden, and they're trying to poke fun at little issues instead of turning the impressions into funny characters.)



3. There is, in fact, such a thing as too much Kristen Wiig.
We've enjoyed Gilly, Penelope, Suze Orman, Target lady, closeted field reporter, and many of Wiig's other characters over the years, but even her biggest fans must be hitting a wall of fatigue. How can we appreciate the woman if she never leaves the screen? Not every sketch needs to center around a neurotic character with a verbal or facial tic. “Sorry.”
(Editor: I love Kristen Wiig, and I have no problem with lots of her. I think they just need to mix it up more and team her up more. Even when Will Ferrell was on, he stole the show but he had a ton of team skits he'd do. We haven't had such a prolific scene stealer since Eddie Murphy, who summarized it well by profaning SNL by saying, "Live from New York, it's the Eddie Murphy Show" when he hosted the show while still being a member of the cast. It really was the Eddie Murphy show back then.)



4. Give us more frequent and more sharply focused pop-culture parodies.
Spoofs of popular shows and movies — those are the things that ought to be “SNL’s” bread and butter. It a way to tease and be part of the specific cultural moment, plus it's funnier than yet another Target Lady trainwreck. Exhibit A: That wicked “Twilight” spoof starring Taylor Swift!
(Editor: Typo in the third sentence (It's). So Firelight was a good spoof; agreed. I also liked Beauty and the Beast and Scrooge McDuck. Plus last season's Mary Poppins and Of Mice and Men were amazing! I think they're doing well. I thought this week's Mr. Hyde was too obvious and dragged on and that Rear Window was amusing just because I'm a huge Hitchcock fan, and Jason nailed his Jimmy Stewart impression. I think they're doing fine in this area. They certainly are nailing the pop culture parodies more than previous SNL generations. I don't remember Mike Meyers ever dressing up like Snagglepus, Cathy, or the Swedish Chef (Andy Samberg's Cathy and Swedish Chef started multiple sequel skits). However, I think Eddie Murphy started it all with Buckwheat and Gumby.)

5. A multiplatinum CD shouldn't be a requirement for musical guests.
We miss the days of having to Google the artists we'd never heard of until just before they started rocking the “SNL” stage. Be a tastemaker, not a follower! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Regina Spektor: Yeah. U2: Nah. Consider up-and-coming indie acts like Florence and the Machine instead of having the Black Eyed Peas perform three songs. Bonus: You won't have to fight with “Live With Regis & Kelly” to book the bulk of your bands.
(Editorial: I don't know. SNL is doing their thing. You really can't complain. They've done pop heroes and newbies. They've been doing it for over 30 years. Let them do their thing.)

6. Set Seth Meyers free!
The “Weekend Update” anchor and head writer has, in recent stand-up acts and late-night appearances, offered up would-be “SNL” lines that were too racy or strange to air. Guess what? They're hilarious. (“According to a new study, college students put on six to nine pounds during their freshman year because of dramatic increases in beer-drinking and decreases in physical activity ... which means the rest of your ‘freshman 15’ is probably a baby.”) When “Update”' gets aggressive, it's Meyers at his best. Unleash it! Let that jerk flag fly!
(Editorial: Oh, I thought they were going to say to put Meyers in the skits. He's much better behind the WU desk, and that's where he wants to be. I totally agree. They should let Meyers do whatever he wants. HOWEVER, they already do that. I think Meyers has chosen not to do his racier jokes on SNL. He's the head writer and the man in charge (except for Lorne). He pretty much does whatever he wants. So this really isn't an improvement.)

7. Not every black female character can be played by Kenan Thompson.
Ugh, do we even have to explain this one? We'd say the show's writers could have the guest host play, oh, Beyoncé or Michelle Obama, but only three black women have hosted the show in the last 10 years. Anyone spotting a ridiculous problem here?
(Editorial: Hahaha. But his Whoopi is hilarious! Maya did some black women and Ellen Cleghorne was on SNL 15 years ago. I suppose they can make up Nasim Pedrad to do the skinnier black women. This really isn't so bad. Some of the best women on SNL are the dudes. For example, Armisen's Joy Behar and when Samberg did Diablo Cody and Juliette Lewis. I think you're being nitpicky. I don't think Kenan has done Michelle Obama.)

Did Kenan create a response video to issue #7? He might have done that right here:
http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2009/11/andy-samberg-serenades-reba-mcentire.html




8. More surprise guests during ‘Weekend Update,’ please!
Any time Amy Poehler can find time to leave her important post at the “Parks and Recreation” Dept. to drop in on her old co-host Seth Meyers, it's a hit — and “SNL” should pencil in honorary cast member Justin Timberlake whenever possible, too. We loved when “Star Trek” stars Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto popped by to convince longtime hardcore fans that it was OK to go and see the reboot. More surprise guests = a livelier show.
(Editor: Whoa! Hold on! Every example you gave was of guest cameos. If they put a guest cameo in every single episode than #1 They'd run out of ideas and they wouldn't be funny and #2 They'd be taking up time away from the cast to show off their characters and impressions. Weekend Update is a necessary place for the new cast members to play guests and get out there and get a following. Abby Elliott did it with her Angelina Jolie impression (and her Sarah Mclachlan). Andy Samberg and Bill Hader came out in their first episode and did an "Impression Off." Andy has busted out Cathy and Scrooge McDuck. Bobby Moynihan busted out his amazing Snagglepuss. And Nasim Pedrad just used the forum to break out her Kim Kardashian impression. Plus Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, and Kenan Thompson use it to show off their characters. So we don't want SNL to take that opportunity away. Let's keep the guests as a fun surprise and save them for the GREAT ideas. Plus they already bring out Amy Poehler and Justin Timberlake as much as they're willing to come. So let's not imagine something that isn't possible.)



9. Easy does it on the ’90s nostalgia.
It's sort of funny sometimes, but surely there's a funnier bit than a Natalie Merchant impression, or a riff on Beauty and the Beast. Topical humor is “SNL’s” trademark; leave the “hey, do you guys remember this?” jokes to “Family Guy.”
(Editor: I completely disagree. That's like throwing Eddie Murphy's Gumby and Alfalfa skits "on the ground." These are hilarious bits, and some of them are from the 80s. Or what about Rear Window, Mary Poppins, Of Mice and Men, and Dr. Jekyl? Not all these references are from the 80s. I think this is my favorite new thing that the show is doing more of. Who cares what time the content was popular? If it's funny, then they should do it. Period.)



10. Whatever happened to your great commercials?
The days of Schmitts Gay, Woomba, and Bad Idea/Mom Jeans seem long gone. We would argue for one new commercial per episode, but the ones this season (Bunny Business?!) have been so not funny, we confused them with real commercials. Make some more. And make them good.
(Editor: You're criticizing Bunny Business? What? Every two seconds of that skit was hilarious! Taylor Swift nailed Shakira! Kristen Wiig's Natalie Merchant was amazing! And everybody else also nailed it. You need to watch more of the commercials. Jason did one about dog food garbage. There are some pretty funny ones out there. They are hilarious, but they can't all be as popular as "Happy Fun Ball.")

From:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34066795/ns/entertainment-television/


I don't know how this got on MSNBC and EW. It's kind of embarassing to true SNL enthusiasts.

Enjoy!

Fergie punches Kristen Wiig

Here's a review of Kristen's Kathy Lee skit:

This weekend's edition of "Saturday Night Live" didn't live up to the highs of the previous week (when Taylor Swift reigned supreme over just about every aspect of the show), but it still provided a handful of laughs. Host January Jones (of the critically-acclaimed television drama "Mad Men") looked a little lost at times but still turned in some memorable moments. But most of the notable highlights came courtesy of musical guests the Black Eyed Peas. The group turned in a trio of excellent performances and managed to get the normally staid "SNL" audience to make a little noise and bang around a bit.

The quartet also delivered on the comedy front. In one of the episode's first sketches, the Peas appeared as the guests on "Today," hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford (played by Kristen Wiig) and Hoda Kotb (played by newcomer Jenny Slate). During the sketch, Wiig's Gifford starts singing, which profoundly upsets the members of the Peas (their reactions are pretty priceless). Eventually, they attack Gifford. Fergie throws a haymaker, Apl.de.ap drops an elbow and Taboo even beats her with his new signature sneakers (as clever a piece of product placement as we've seen). Really, the Peas could have easily shared hosting and performing duties just like Swift did, as Fergie, Will.i.Am and Taboo all have acting experience (Will starred in this summer's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Taboo appeared in "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" and Fergie stars in the upcoming movie musical "Nine"). Check out the attack on the faux Kathy Lee Gifford below (jump ahead to the final minute if you can't take Wiig's schtick — nobody would blame you).

From:
http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/11/16/black-eyed-peas-saturday-night-live/

====================

I recommend you watch Kristen's schtick. She's got some funny puns:



Enjoy!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - SNL Promos

Updated with Fred's attempts at humor...

Joseph is in Studio 8H with Dave Mathews Band and Fred!



And here he is with Jason...

Joseph isn't like other Hollywood types.



Jason does his thing. How do you think this week is going to be? I keep reading reviews that the best episode this season was the Taylor Swift episode.

Enjoy!

Steve likes Jenny's new Hoda (and he's glad Kristen Wiig got beat)



STEVE MURPHY: I hate this sketch, but I do love what the new girl is doing with her Hoda impression. The old version of this sketch had Hoda just being abused constantly and taking it, but the new Hoda actually gives it back to Kathie Lee, and that made this oddly pleasant to watch. The severe beating of Kathie Lee could be the best performance the Black Eyes Peas have ever done. January Jones is unfortunately just awful in this sketch, and I’m starting to think she will fail miserably for the entire episode.

From:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3544

He's right about January Jones. They took a risk with her because her show just won an Emmy (2 years in a row) and she was "hot," and it didn't pay off. Of course Kristen's impression is annoying, but that's kind of the point. =^)

Enjoy!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Nicholas Fehn should debate with Kristen Wiig's Judy Grimes

Here's Fred Armisen's Nicholas Fehn:



Here's Kristen Wiig's Judy Grimes:



What would a debate be like between them? Hilarious! =^)

Enjoy!

Charlie reviews Kristen Wiig



Kristen Wiig: I don't think Wiig has the versatility to be the go-to cast member on SNL, but in part because the rest of the female cast is so ordinary, that is what she has been since Amy Poehler departed last fall. The problem with Wiig is that she mostly just plays variations on the same character: a neurotic who is either overly talkative and/or inappropriately exuberant. It's gotten to the point where I find it hard to maintain interest once I see a sketch is going to be built around Wiig, because it's already so clear where it's going to be heading. SNL desperately needs another woman to step up and share the load, as Wiig herself did for Poehler a few years back. Having four female guest hosts so far this season has helped, but not enough.

From:
http://www.film.com/tv/saturday-night-live/story/reviewing-snl-the-2009-season/30945054

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Who Makes A Better Hoda?

Last [Saturday] night, SNL newbie Jenny Slate was put in the unenviable position of picking up a character created by Michaela Watkins, a one-season castmember who was let go earlier this year. Watkins had carved out a niche for herself on the show with a spot-on impersonation of Today show anchor Hoda Kotb—the straight woman to Kristen Wiig’s boozy, bawdy Kathie Lee Gifford. But the sketch was revived yesterday with Slate in the role, a slightly jarring change to those of us accustomed to seeing Watkins in the chair next to Wiig.

My colleague Ken Tucker thought the sketch was pretty underwhelming and took pity on Slate for having to “compete with the memory of Watkins’ original impersonation and sit by while Wiig did mugging that wasn’t freshened with anything new.” I actually laughed a few times during the sketch, but I agree that it feels like Slate’s got her work cut out for her if she wants to outshine Watkins. Check out the sketch below, and then let us know: Do you miss the old Hoda? Or did Slate manage to make the character her own?

From:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/15/snl-who-makes-a-better-hoda/
=============================

Now hold on here. First of all, Hoda is an impression. You can't give Michaela credit for "creating the character." There is no character. It's merely an impression. Second of all, the way it probably went was more like this... Kristen: "Check out my Kathy Lee impression. I've been working on it. What do you think?" The Writers: "Perfect. Got a skit. We need a Hoda? Anyone do Hoda?" Michaela: "I do!" Boom.

And then it was probably similar for Jenny. Writers: "Got another Kathy Lee skit. Any of our other three ladies do Hoda?" Jenny: "I do!" Boom.

So the idea that Jenny is taking over someone else's character... that's rubbish.

Now that I've got that out of its box, decide for yourself who did better. Michaela probably did, because it seems that Jenny is still nervous. Jenny, you better work out those nerves very soon! Nasim's not going anywhere. She's been showing that lately, and this episode's Kim Kardashian was the one that tipped the scale (very similar to how Abby's Angelina Jolie impressions have tipped the scale for her). Nasim's here to stay. However, Jenny hasn't quite proven herself yet.

So who did better? Check it out...

Michaela Watkins as Hoda:



Jenny Slate as Hoda:



Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - back at the Celebrity Autobiography show?

Film star Ryan Reynolds will take part in the Monday, November 23 edition of the Drama Desk Award-winning show, Celebrity Autobiography in Their Own Words, at the Triad Theatre.



Created by Eugene Pack, the show features a line-up of rotating performers who interpret the actual words and stories written by the famous and the infamous, in both solo and ensemble "chamber" pieces culled from the autobiographies of celebrities including Ivana Trump, Vanna White, Mr. T, Star Jones, Kenny Loggins, Tommy Lee, Sylvester Stallone, Zsa Zsa Gabor, David Cassidy, Neil Sedaka, Britney Spears, Madonna, Burt Reynolds, and Loni Anderson, as well as the infamous memoirs of Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds.

Other cast members for the November 23 performance will include Scott Adsit, Craig Bierko, Rachel Dratch, Carol Kane, Dayle Reyfel, Steve Schirippa, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, Kristen Wiig, and Alan Zweibel.

From:
http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/11-2009/ryan-reynolds-michael-urie-kristen-wiig-et-al-to-a_20691.html

Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Kathie Lee Gifford is not amused with Kristen Wiig

Kathie Lee Gifford doesn't have much of a sense of humor - at least when it comes to herself.

The talk show host wasn't amused by a "Saturday Night Live" skit that poked fun at Gifford's work as co-host of the "Today" show's fourth hour.



In the sketch, "SNL" comedian Kristen Wiig portrayed Gifford as a drunk and deluded cornball who keeps making cringe-worthy sex jokes about husband Frank Gifford.

Wiig continues to push the envelope by making fun of Lee's florid singing voice.

When Wiig-as-Gifford starts warbling towards the end of the five-minute skit, members of the show's musical guest act, The Black Eyed Peas, have to give the host a "Boom Boom Pow."

Fergie punches her in the head and Apl.de.ap jumps on her Hulk Hogan-style, while Taboo smacks her with his new line of signature sneakers.

While the skit had audiences laughing, Gifford wasn't smiling about it on this morning's "Today" show.

"Everyone seems to enjoy it," Gifford sniffed. "But I don't think it's that funny."

She added, I think I'm going to sue [Wiig] for ruining my song!"

Before the segment ended, Gifford got in the last word. "Can't she get another job?" the co-host asked. "Go off and do something else?"

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/11/16/2009-11-16_kathie_lee_gifford_not_amused_with_kristen_wiigs_impersonation_of_her_in_saturda.html#ixzz0X5w94JIH
=========================

Kristen's impersonations are pretty brutal.

Kristen is doing something else. She's also in movies. =^)

Here's the impersonation again:



Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - Gilly is at Barneys

They made a papier-mâché sculpture of Kristen's Gilly character.




Now papier-mâché is not the most expressive of media, so it would be a bit hard to tell who some of these guys are if Barneys hadn't thoughtfully written everyone's names on them with glitter. As promised, there is Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler hugging the Weekend Update globe. There is also Tracy Morgan, Kristen Wiig as Gilly, and Wayne and Garth.


From:
http://racked.com/archives/2009/11/13/in_the_window_barneys_is_having_a_witty_holiday.php

Enjoy!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Kristen Wiig - in A Lady's Guide To Throwing A Party

Film - A Lady's Guide To Throwing A Party

There is so much to do for a cocktail party!

January Jones ... Marjorie Pettibone
Fred Armisen ... guest
Abby Elliott ... guest
Will Forte ... guest
Bill Hader ... husband
Andy Samberg ... guest
Jenny Slate ... guest
Kristen Wiig ... guest



Kristen is a guest here and gets hit on by the husband, Bill Hader.

Kristen only had 3 skits this week. This week's episode mostly featured Jason Sudeikis. Check out the full episode here:

http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2009/11/snl-111509-january-jones-black-eyed.html

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - Hollywood Outbreak audio interview

SNL STAR KRISTEN WIIG GETTING COMFORTABLE ON THE BIG SCREEN



Break-out SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE star KRISTEN WIIG is enjoying a duel show-biz life with big screen roles in the likes of ADVENTURELAND, EXTRACT, WHIP IT and the upcoming DATE NIGHT. We spoke with WIIG recently and she talked about the differences of doing sketch comedy on TV and working in film. It's only about 30 seconds long.

Click the play button here:

http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2009/11/12/snl-star-kristen-wiig-getting-comfortable-on-the-big-screen/

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Kristen Wiig is Michelle in Around the Town (SNL skit)

A goddess works at the Dairy Queen.



This is the awkward character that Kristen plays where she comes on to a woman.

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - is Kathy Lee Gifford in Today Show

Today Show

Kathy Lee has a song to sing.



Jenny Slate tries out Hoda. Pretty good job! January flubs a few; she isn't used to live TV.

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

My dream list of SNL Alumni who should host SNL

Here's my dream list of SNL alumni who haven't hosted, but who I think should host.




#1. Jimmy Fallon. First of all, Jimmy Fallon would be great! He hasn't hosted yet, but other recent alumnis like Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey have hosted. He's cameo'd four times, three of which were for the Barry Gibb Talk Show with Justin Timberlake. Plus, Jimmy currently has his Late Night show (taking over for Conan), and so he could come on to "promote" that. I don't know if the show's successful or not (I know it got a rocky start), but I believe it will get even more popular than Conan was, because it's HILARIOUS!!! Jimmy could resurrect his skits: Barry Gibb Talk Show, Jarrett's Room, Jeffrey's, Z105, Bloder Brothers (with Chris Parnell), and Nick Burns. And my favorite impressions he does are Ringo Starr, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Robin Williams (he can pretty much nail anyone).

Jimmy's a long-time friend of Andy (he helped Andy get on SNL, and he's had Andy come on his show several times) and he's musically talented, so it would be great if the two could do a musical digital short together. And we know Jimmy Fallon is hilarious with Kristen Wiig. Kristen was on Jimmy's Show 3 times (including a cameo when Fred Armisen was on), and they were in Whip It together. So it would be great just to see the two of them in skits together!




#2. Sarah Silverman. I would love and hate to see what kind of craziness she'd bring to the show. She was only on for one one season in 93-94, but she's come into a whole new world of comedy with her Sarah Silverman Program (not to mention her stand-up tours, her popular music video where she ****ed Matt Damon, and hosting the MTV Movie Awards in 2008). She has a good impression of Marisa Tomei that she did on SNL. Other that, it would be all new material and integrating into SNL characters and impressions.

I'd love to see her do a digital short with Andy Samberg. She swooped down in 2008 and gave Andy a chance to appear on the MTV Movie Awards when his bit got cut. So they at least have that relationship going for them. Because he music video with Matt Damon was so popular, she and Andy could do a great musical digital short together. Plus Kristen can also sing pretty well. It would be cool for Sarah and Kristen to do a song together.




#3. Adam Sandler. Adam pretty much stars in and produces a hit movie every year. With the recent Zohan, Bedtime Stories, and Funny People, Adam continues his machine. I only have him as #3 because he's not at his peak anymore (although he's working on that). Adam was on SNL for 5 years and cameo'd twice in 96 and 2002, coming on to perform more songs. Adam could bring back Canteen Boy, Opera Man, Gil Graham, or Cajun Man. He could bust out his guitar and sing us any song he wants. He interviewed Andy Samberg for a magazine, so we know that they're friendly. He's musical, so a musical digital short with Adam and Andy would be amazing. Plus everybody confused Andy's name with him for the first year or so that Andy was on SNL. I don't think Kristen's done anything with Adam yet, but they would be pretty funny together.




#4. Jim Belushi. Not only is Jim the brother of the great John Belushi, Jim was on SNL for two years (83-83, 84-85). Jim cameo'd in 2003, singing in Dan Aykroyd's monologue with him. That was Jim's only cameo. Jim would be a good choice, because he's on the hit show, "According to Jim." JIm could resurrect his character, "That White Guy," and integrate into current character and impression skits.




#5. Janeane Garofalo. Janeane is also pretty hot right now with her recent addition to the 24 hit series. And she was in the films, Love Hurts and Labor Pains this year, so she's always been doing movies. She only appeared in half a season of SNL in 94-95, but she nailed 11 impressions during that time. Plus she's just a funny woman.




#6. Kevin Nealon. Kevin has also resurrected his career with the shows Weeds and Glenn Martin DDS (an animation). Plus he was in Aliens in the Attic this year. We'd love to see him do his old SNL characters: Hanz & Franz (with Dana Carvey), Mr. Subliminal, and Tarzan. Plus he's done 43 impressions on SNL. =^)




#7. Joan Cusack. Joan's been a steady film actress. This year she released My Sister's Keeper and Confessions of a Shoppaholic. She has Hoodwinked 2 and Toy Story 3 coming up. She was part of Lorne's 85-86 season of hires where he hired a bunch of young B movie actors for a year to buy him time to build a new cast. She had a nice Brooke SHields impression. =^) - Joan's is another funny woman and alumni who should host. That should be enough of a reason. Plus her brother's never been on the show, and he could appear in a Gross Pointe Blank skit.




#8. Chris Kattan. Chris tried movies (and still does bit roles), and lately he's been fighting pretty hard to get on TV, with his "Bollywood Hero" and "The Middle" shows. That's been giving him his come back he needs. Chris was on SNL for 8 seasons. He should host and bring his best characters: Goth Talk (with Molly Shannon cameo-ing), The Roxbury Guys (with Will Ferrell), Mango, Mr. Peepers, and the DeMarco brother dance auditioners (with Chris Parnell cameo-ing). Plus Chris is just a funny physical comedian.




#9. Rob Schneider. Rob's been busy with his small movie career, alternating bit roles in Adam Sandler movies with his own, less successful films. But still, he has a sucvcessful film career. That's quite an accomplishment and enough to get him on the show. And Rob is impressive just because he looks completely different in every Adam Sandler movie. He's been more of a chameleon in Sandler movies than he ever was on SNL. Rob was on SNL for 4 years. Rob cameo'd once in 2002 to perform the Chanukah Song with Adam Sandler. He could do his characters: Orgasm Guy, Sensitive Naked Man, and the Richmeister ("making some copies").




#10. Jane Curtin. Jane was in I Love You Man and 3rd Rock from the Sun. For whatever reason, she needs to host SNL just because she was one of the original and has had a very successful career. Plus she's another funny lady who should be celebrated a little more.


Runner ups: Gilbert Gottfried, Christopher Guest, Dennis Miller, Cheri Oteri, Joe Piscopo, Jay Mohr, Amy Poehler, & Randy Quaid.

Enjoy!

Review of Kristen WIig's Hollywood Dish skit



STEVE MURPHY: Funny! There’s not a lot of things I like more than Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig making funny faces, and that’s just about all there was to this sketch… so I was pretty happy! I loved when it really went overboard (around the time Hader spit water all over Wiig), and I found myself actually laughing aloud for the first time this episode! The cut-back to Swift’s awkward laughter was a great closer. Good work, writers, this one really came together!

ZOË RICE: You really have to love Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. There’s not much by way of concept here, just Kristen and Bill making funny faces. And that’s enough.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Synthetic Hollywood interviews also well-targeted. But it serves as an excuse- fun watching them both make a lot out of a little.

Excerpt from:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3472

Enjoy!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Date Night update (new trailer)

Date Night is a movie that's coming out in April, 2010. It stars Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. Kristen Wiig is also in it, but not in this preview.

Looks funny!



Claire and Phil Foster (Tina Fey and Steve Carell) are a typical suburban couple whose lives including their weekly date nights of dinner and a movie have become routine. To reignite the marital spark, they visit a trendy Manhattan bistro where a case of mistaken identity turns their evening into the ultimate date night-gone-awry. But as Claire and Phil take their unexpected walk on the wild side, they begin to remember what made them so special together.

Also starring: Mila Kunis, Mark Wahlberg and James Franco.

Enjoy!

Review of Kristen Wiig's Penelope skit (with Taylor Swift)



STEVE MURPHY: SNL’s really hitting all my buttons here, Penelope is one of my favorite Kristen Wiig characters. Funny as usual… but Taylor Swift was a little wooden and that made things go a little slower than they should have. Also it seemed Kristen Wiig was supposed to be all over the set at different points and she was having trouble getting there, which also added some lag. Not their best… but still amusing.

ZOË RICE: Penelope is definitely one of my favorite Kristen Wiig characters, if not my very fave. Her hyperbolic one-upmanship finds new ways to make me laugh every time. However, poor Taylor is over-matched in this sketch and comes across as weak in comparison.

HOWARD MEGDAL: And as someone who doesn’t care for Penelope, this just generally drags, with Swift, like you said, overmatched.

Excerpt from:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3472

Enjoy!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Despicable Me - update (new movie trailer)



Despicable Me.Release Date: 9 July 2010. A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon.

Enjoy!

Review of Kristen Wiig in the Fox News Cold Open



STEVE MURPHY: This could have been worse… but there were a few quiet single-exhale chuckles in there. Some solid impressions, some easy jokes, nothing brilliant here. Am I wrong to hope for more after a three week break?

ZOË RICE: Starting off with Kristen Wiig is rarely a disappointment, and her Greta Van Susteren provoked an inward chuckle. Lampooning the way Fox News spins an election provides rich material, but this sketch suffers from its competition. Jon Stewart has cornered the market on Fox News ridicule, and he does it so well that this bit wound up feeling less fresh than I would have liked. Still, some funny material here. And it’s true–Jacko did die on Obama’s watch.

HOWARD MEGDAL: I really laughed at Wiig’s joke at the end- “from the right to the left”- with accompanying side-mouth movement.

Excerpt from:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3472

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Review of Kristen WIig in TRAAAPD



STEVE MURPHY: Not bad! Taylor Swift has impressed me some. She was funny all the way through this one. I also have always found amusement in what I’ll call ‘legislating stupidity,’ the idea that the law should prohibit certain stupidly dangerous activities while driving (texting, dialing a cell phone) but not others (putting on makeup, reading a book).

ZOË RICE: I’m not sure why I was so tickled by this sketch. Perhaps because young Taylor Swift is in her wheelhouse here, playing a teenager, or perhaps because the Awful Parent Driving scenarios are pretty spot-on. But likely because it was a mostly ho-hum show overall, and the writing here felt somewhat clever.

HOWARD MEGDAL: I’ll tell you why you both loved it- because if you give Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig the chance to be funny in an understated way, they never fail you.

Excerpt from:
http://perpetualpost.com/?p=3472

Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - Adventureland photos (includes premiere photos)

New episode of SNL tonight! Watch it! Anyway...

Adventureland is quite an enjoyable film. Check it out!



















PREMIERE AND PROMO PHOTOS













This looks pretty awkward:



On the way:





These ones include Ryan Reynolds:






Enjoy!

Kristen Wiig - Hot Video

Lawrence Welk Show - 10/1/11

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