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John oliver guts svb & signature bank collapses, & yes, there’s another fox news shiv too, ‘snl’: beck bennett’s vin diesel invites audiences back to the movies.

By Matt Grobar

Matt Grobar

Film Reporter

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'SNL' Pays Tribute to Vin Diesel's Favorite Things About Movie Theaters

Back to the movies.

Published on 5/24/2021 at 2:33 PM

Quarantine is winding down, and we're all excited to get back to all the stuff we loved to do before all of this hit. Few are more excited to have us back than movie theaters, which have been naturally struggling throughout this whole thing, and no one is more excited that everyone's returning to da movies than Vin Diesel. Saturday Night Live 's Beck Bennett parodied Diesel's recent promo for F9 , wherein he waxed poetic about his family (that's all of us) returning to the hallowed halls of the movie theater.

"There's nothing like it. The popcorn. The previews. The pretzels," Bennett intones in a pretty spot-on impression of Diesel's nearly unreplicable voice. He goes on: "The carpets. The cupholders. The armrests. The napkins." When an AMC employee (host Anya Taylor-Joy) tries to steer the commercial back on track, he interrupts again, listing weirder and weirder things, like "the second concession stand that's never been open," and "the bird that's trapped inside the lobby," and "the pre-show video where you're on a rollercoaster." Admittedly, that is pretty cool.

"I guess you could say there's something for everybody," he says. "Only at... the movies ."

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‘SNL’: Beck Bennett’s Vin Diesel Invites Audiences Back To The Movies

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Every 'Saturday Night Live' sketch adapted into a movie

In the hallowed halls of Saturday Night Live , there have been thousands of sketches that have cropped up across the show’s nearly 50-year history. Everything, from beloved recurring segments to one-off weirdos to reviled controversy starters, has been put on television, but there’s an even rarer category: the Saturday Night Live film adaptation.

Starting with the 1980s picture The Blues Brothers , Lorne Michaels has set about producing films for some beloved, and not so beloved, characters that originally appeared in SNL sketches. Although the original rate of production was minimal, it didn’t take long for SNL movies to become commonplace.

Throughout the 1990s, you could see a new SNL movie nearly every year (sometimes twice in one year). Whether it was oversaturation or simply a lack of quality material, movies based on SNL sketches soon gained a reputation for being mind-bogglingly bad. Sometimes they deserved less hate than they got, but by the end of the 1990s, the hot streak of SNL -based movies was over.

In total, there have only been 15 big-screen adaptations of classic Saturday Night Live sketches. They range from beloved comedy classics to underappreciated cult films to some of the most reviled movies of all time. The only film that we’ve excluded is Billy Crystal’s Mr. Saturday Night , as the sketch originally appeared in the 1984 HBO comedy special A Comic’s Line .

Check out the rest of those films in chronological order down below.

Every Saturday Night Live movie:

The blues brothers (john landis, 1980).

The first SNL film adaptation also became the one that set the precedent for all others to come. The Blues Brothers is a lot of things: a gonzo road movie, a musical revue, and an action film. But mostly, it’s just an excuse for John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd to bounce off each other for two hours.

With a massive budget just for cocaine and enough cars to make the biggest demolition derby ever caught on film, The Blues Brothers is one of the most gleefully anarchic comedies ever released. It was a massive hit, and it remains beloved as the original gold standard for SNL movies.

The Blues Brothers Official Trailer #1 - Dan Aykroyd Movie (1980) HD

Wayne’s World (Penelope Spheeris, 1992)

The 1980s was a tumultuous period for SNL . Constantly shifting personnel and pervasive threats of cancellation made the decade a difficult one in Studio 8H. But by the end of the 1980s, a renewed sense of stability made SNL extremely successful once again.

Nothing embodies that better than Wayne’s World , the iconic sketch that became SNL ‘s biggest silver screen success story. Soon, SNL adaptations would become frequent fixtures at movie theatres, but none of the subsequent attempts has had the same goofy and affable charm as Wayne’s World did.

Wayne's World (1992) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins, 1992)

In 1986, Tim Robbins produced a short film for SNL featuring the character of Bob Roberts, a blowhard far-right businessman who used folk songs and protest music to convey his messages. Robbins kept wanting to revisit the character, and eventually, a big-screen adaptation turned Roberts into a politician seeking to unite the right through song.

Bob Roberts exists somewhat outside the realm of SNL adaptations: it was never a recurring sketch, and Robbins aimed for biting satire over traditional sketch comedy. Still, Bob Roberts remains one of the greatest SNL movies, becoming more prescient with every passing political crisis.

Bob Roberts Official Trailer #1 - Tim Robbins Movie (1992) HD

Coneheads (Steve Barron, 1993)

Although it was only in its early stages, SNL films could do no wrong in the early 1990s. With the success of Wayne’s World and the continued cult fandom around The Blues Brothers , Dan Aykroyd decided to revive a decades-old sketch for the next feature film adaptation from SNL.

Coneheads was the moment it all went sideways. Hackneyed, laboured, and unfunny, Coneheads popped the once-promising bubble surrounding SNL movie adaptations.

Wayne’s World 2 (Stephen Surjik, 1993)

After the success of the first Wayne’s World movie, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey jumped right back into Wayne’s World 2 . Unfortunately, the pair’s chemistry had become strained through disagreements, leaving a slight tension in the air that is palpable on screen.

That being said, Wayne’s World 2 is goofier and sillier than its predecessor, containing enough laughs to justify its existence. It would be the best SNL adaptation for a while.

Wayne's World 2 1993 Trailer | Mike Myers | Dana Carvey

It’s Pat (Adam Bernstein, 1994)

Julia Sweeney’s signature SNL character Pat had a one-joke pitch: was he/she a he or a she? It would have taken some Herculean efforts to stretch that out over a full-length runtime, but it was decided that Pat was worth rolling the dice on in 1994.

It’s Pat is more bizarre than it is bad. Featuring cameos from goof-rock legends Ween and uncredited script rewrites from Quentin Tarantino, It’s Pat could have been the most surreal and insane SNL adaptation. Instead, it chickens out at nearly every turn, leaving everyone on screen awkwardly trying to sell its now-horribly dated premise.

Stuart Saves His Family (Harold Ramis, 1995)

Al Franken had one of the most extensive resumes at SNL. As a writer and featured player during the show’s original run, Franken was tagged to be Lorne Michael’s successor in 1980 before a sketch attacking NBC president Fred Silverman cost him the job. Franken would return in 1985 but permanently left the show after losing out on hosting Weekend Update to Norm Macdonald.

Around the same time, Franken decided to adapt his recurring character of Stuart Smalley for the big screen. Stuart Saves His Family isn’t the trainwreck that its reputation makes it out to be, but it bombed so hard that SNL began to reduce its rate of adaptations significantly.

Stuart Saves His Family (1995) Official Trailer #1 - Comedy Movie HD

Blues Brothers 2000 (John Landis, 1998)

Everything about Blues Brothers 2000 is confusing. From its title that jumps the gun by two years to its reliance on John Belushi stand-ins to a plot that is somehow even less organised than the original, Blues Brothers 2000 is among the least necessary sequels of all time.

A Blues Brothers film without John Belushi was always going to fail, but Dan Aykroyd and John Landis forged ahead anyway. Unfunny jokes and a meandering two-hour runtime certainly didn’t help, but when everyone from John Goodman to a literal 12-year-old is trying to replace Belushi’s schtick, it becomes clear that Blues Brothers 2000 was doomed from the start.

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

A Night at the Roxbury (John Fortenberry, 1998)

Something bizarre was happening at SNL in the late 1990s. Will Ferrell was easily the biggest star on the show, but when it came to making the leap onto the silver screen, Ferrell was relegated to second banana duty. His first trip into this niche came when he and Chris Kattan starred in the film version of A Night at the Roxbury .

Although it received negative reviews upon its release, A Night at the Roxbury is probably the most ridiculous movie that ever came from an SNL sketch . That doesn’t necessarily make it good, but it does make it surprisingly watchable, especially when you focus on Ferrell’s rising stardom.

A Night at the Roxbury (1998) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Superstar (Bruce McCulloch, 1999)

A year after A Night at the Roxbury , Ferrell was once again tasked with supporting one of his fellow cast members in a feature film. This time, it was Molly Shannon and her perpetually clumsy Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher in Superstar .

Once again trashed by critics, Superstar has just about everything a film needs to be revived as a cult classic: surprisingly sly jokes, famous cameos, and a radioactive reputation just begging to be resurrected. It’s probably not in the cards, but there are worse things you can do with 80 minutes than spend it with Superstar .

Superstar (1999) Official Trailer #1 - Molly Shannon Movie HD

The Ladies Man (Reginald Hudlin, 2000)

Tim Meadows probably wasn’t meant to be a movie star. He’s got a classic supporting actor quality where he elevates a film every time he shows up, whether it’s in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story or Mean Girls . Unfortunately, he blew his only chance at becoming a leading man with The Ladies Man .

After cutting his teeth making cameos in Coneheads , Wayne’s World 2, and It’s Pat , Meadows brought his sex expert Leon Phelps to the big screen. Without the right plot or quality jokes, however, The Ladies Man falls incredibly flat. These days, it’s probably only good for seeing Julianne Moore play a horny clown.

The Ladies Man (2000) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

A Mighty Wind (Christopher Guest, 2003)

After The Ladies Man , it was assumed that SNL put a pause on movies throughout the 2000s. That’s not exactly true: SNL films just got away from the SNL association. Take Christopher Guest’s musical mockumentary A Mighty Wind , which didn’t seem to have any connections to SNL on its surface.

As it turns out, the trio of Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean originally created The Folksmen for a 1984 SNL sketch. Guest simply dusted the band off 20 years later and surrounded them with his standard company of players, including Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, and Fred Willard.

A Mighty Wind Official Trailer #1 (2003) - Christopher Guest Movie HD

Harold (T. Sean Shannon, 2008)

Another film that rarely comes up when discussing SNL movies is Harold , the 2008 comedy starring Spencer Breslin as a high school student experiencing early-onset male pattern baldness. Written and directed by former SNL writer T. Sean Shannon, Harold had a history that originated in Studio 8H.

Shannon’s original sketch, The Adventures of Harold , appeared in the final episode of season 29. From there, Shannon directed a short film based on the character before finally getting a feature-length adaptation. It remains perhaps the most obscure of all SNL -related films.

MacGruber (Jorma Taccone, 2010)

After nearly a decade in the wilderness, Saturday Night Live finally had a character worthy of putting on the silver screen once again. This time, it was MacGruber, the overconfident and under-skilled MacGyver parody played to witty perfection by Will Forte.

Directed by Lonely Island alum Jorma Taccone, MacGruber represented the first high-profile SNL adaptation in ten years. Despite being bolstered by Forte’s beyond-committed performance, MacGruber bombed, and we haven’t seen an SNL sketch on the big screen since.

MacGruber Official Trailer #1 - Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer Movie (2010) HD

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Watch: Vin Diesel Can’t Stop Talking About the Magic of the Movies in Standout ‘SNL’ Sketch

It's all about the magic of the movies.

Last night on Saturday Night Live we got a look at a return to the movies from Vin Diesel ... well, Beck Bennett as Vin Diesel. Last month we got a promo for F9 narrated by Diesel about how the franchise has always been a celebration of movies and entertainment when we all get to go to the theater together.

So of course Bennett got to make fun of the video in a hilarious sketch for the season finale! Hosting his own trailer for AMC movies (minus the fun action sequences that are going to be a part of F9 ), this version of Vin Diesel loves to point out things about movie theaters that are... often ignored when we’re glamorizing the experience. Like... did we all forget that if you put your bag on the floor, you ran the risk of it being stuck there in some mystery goo?

Saturday Night Live is usually a hit or miss occasion but this latest episode was filled with wonderful bits, including this one! The sketch is simple: Vin just keeps listing things about movie theaters and finally, an AMC employee tells him that he has to wear a mask in the movies and Diesel then says that we should all go home and watch movies.

And while yes, it comes from a place of earnestness because we haven’t been able to go back to theaters in over a year, it is a dramatic way of talking about movie theaters. So much so that Bennett’s joking Diesel impression is hilarious because he brings up the aspects of movie theaters that are incredibly strange and so unique to the experience — like sticky floors, taking pictures with the cardboard cutouts of Garfield to remember that you saw Garfield , and more. Never forget the $8 water bottles.

F9 is an exciting new installment in the Fast and the Furious franchise because it is bringing the world together and also getting us back into the theaters with a fast, action-packed ride. Would I watch Bennett as Vin Diesel in an entire Fast and the Furious movie? Absolutely. And this sketch was just a little taste of it. Watch the full video below:

KEEP READING: Vin Diesel Says 'F9' Serves As an Origin Story For Dominic Toretto

IMAGES

Every Saturday Night Live Movie, Ranked
Bill Hader Explains SNL Monologue
SNL Movies Ranked
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COMMENTS

AMC Theatres Commercial
A commercial starring Vin Diesel (Beck Bennett) advertises the reopening of AMC Theatres after the COVID-19 lockdown.Saturday Night Live.
Vin Diesel Wants You Back At The Movies (ft. Anya Taylor-Joy)
Just a few of our favorite things about the movies. #snl #comedycentral #jokesSUBSCRIBE to Comedy Central Asia for more videos and
Nicole Kidman AMC Ad
Nicole Kidman (Chloe Fineman) really enjoys her time at the movie theater.Saturday Night Live. Stream now on Peacock:
'SNL': Beck Bennett's Vin Diesel Invites Audiences Back To The
only at the movies.” Vin Diesel—who delivers his message from the comfort of a movie theater—is visited at various points in the sketch by AMC
Vin Diesel Wants You Back At The Movies (ft. Anya Taylor-Joy)
Vin Diesel Wants You Back At The Movies (ft. Anya Taylor-Joy) | SNL S46. Like. Comment. Share. 1.9K. ·. 78 comments. ·. 149K views
Vin Diesel Wants You Back At The Movies (ft. Anya Taylor-Joy)
Vin Diesel Wants You Back At The Movies (ft. Anya Taylor-Joy) | SNL S46 · More from Paramount Network Asia · Ranked - Tom's Best Fight Club Moves.
SNL 'AMC Theatres Commercial' Skit: Why Vin Diesel Loves Movie
Vin Diesel is ready to get back to da movies! ... 'SNL' Pays Tribute to Vin Diesel's Favorite Things About Movie Theaters.
Beck Bennett's Vin Diesel Invites Audiences Back To The Movies
In the final sketch of SNL's season finale, Vin Diesel (Beck Bennett) appears as part of “a message from AMC,” waxing poetic about his
Every 'Saturday Night Live' sketch adapted into a movie
Every Saturday Night Live movie: · The Blues Brothers (John Landis, 1980) · Wayne's World (Penelope Spheeris, 1992) · Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins
Vin Diesel SNL Sketch Pokes Fun at Returning to Movie Theaters
The sketch is simple: Vin just keeps listing things about movie theaters and finally, an AMC employee tells him that he has to wear a mask in