close menu
WAYNE’S WORLD Holds Up, But Do the Other 10 SNL Films?

WAYNE’S WORLD Holds Up, But Do the Other 10 SNL Films?

As if we needed another reason to feel very, very old, the comedy classic Wayne’s World turns 25 this year. Thankfully, we can rest our continually aging, comedy-loving bodies in the comfort of movie theater seats since the movie is returning to theaters for a short time thanks to Waynesworld25.

Since everyone has their favorite Saturday Night Live cast and the other 10 SNL films are all so different, any attempt at accurately ranking them would be an impossible feat. However, Wayne’s World returning to the silver screen for the its silver anniversary got us thinking about those other ten films based on SNL sketches and whether or not they’ll hold up for 25 years. (They aren’t all around 25; there’s one that isn’t even 10 yet and The Blues Brothers is the oldest sibling at 37 years old.) However, quite a few of them have this same anniversary approaching sooner than you’d think. We decided to go through each and every one of the films we (for the most part) love and determine whether or not they’re worth another viewing these days.

The Blues Brothers (1980)


The SNL sketch that started it all for SNL films. Well, the true beginnings of The Blues Brothers are kind of all over the place that first season of SNL, but it all ultimately led to the movie that follows Jake and Elwood Blues as they re-form their band to save the orphanage where they grew up.
Does the film hold up? Absolutely. The deadpan humor from John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd is about as classic as it gets and a should be a staple in anyone’s comedy collection. The film also has some of the best musical numbers ever committed to film by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway.
Memorable Moments: Quite literally any that involve music but especially the huge dance number for Ray Charles’ “Shake a Tail Feather“. Plus, a young Carrie Fisher plays a bad-ass woman on a mission to destroy her ex-fiancée Jake.

Wayne’s World (1992)


Wayne’s World gave a voice to slacker metal-heads everywhere with uproarious quotable lines, more catchphrases than we can remember, and a revitalized appreciation for Queen and neck exercises. To this day, Wayne’s World remains the most successful SNL film by a long shot according to Box Office Mojo.
Does the film hold up? Schway! The adventures of Wayne and Garth are eternally watchable. They’re both entirely lovable and, despite their sarcasm, are genuinely good people that you can’t help but root for.
Memorable Moments: All of them? You can’t make us pick. Oh, alright, fine. We all know it’s the “Bohemian Rhapsody” head-banging sing-along.

Coneheads (1993)

Coneheads is a bit amazing when you think about the years-long gap from when the sketch was made popular to when the movie was made. We’re actually glad they waited so long since a sci-fi comedy made in the late ’70s would have been…let’s say…not as good as the one we got. The Coneheads movie followed the stranded alien family awaiting their rescue from Earth while they adapted the best they could in their conically-challenged surroundings.
Does the film hold up? AFFIRMATIVE! We think the span of time between sketch and film actually worked in the film’s favor. We still get the original Beldar and Prymaat Conehead played by Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin but with the added bonus of a heavy-duty comedy cast including other SNL alumni. Michael McKean, David Spade, Phil Hartman, Garrett Morris, Jan Hooks, Chris Farley, Julia Sweeney, and Tim Meadows are just naming a few of the famous faces that helped to populate the Coneheads universe.
Memorable Moments: A lot more than we initially remembered. The film put a lot of effort into just how alien the Coneheads really were and the special effects budget helped a lot with that. Beldar’s dentist visit is great, as are any of Chris Farley’s scenes for that matter. But we’ll have to go with…..GNARFLE THE GARTHOK!

Wayne’s World 2 (1993)


The rare instance of an SNL film to get a sequel (although we’re still waiting for MacGruber’s follow-up), Wayne’s World 2 had the unique opportunity to improve on the original and–to us–they did just that. What they accomplished were two films that live in the same general head space. Both are beloved enough to have jokes, references, and plot points mix and mingle without issue. Is it a similar film to the first? Sure. But that’s not a bad thing.
Does the film hold up? It may hold up better than the first if we’re being honest. Released only a year after Wayne’s World, the film was striking while the iron was hot and was able to strengthen jokes and character relationships since it was all still so fresh. Although watching it now, it’s impossible not to see the similarities to all of Myers’ films. The go-to gags and wacky action sequences that we know as Mike Myers’ ouvre were on full display in this film.
Memorable Moments: Wayne and Garth trying to mess with the drive-thru at Stan Mikita’s donuts.

It’s Pat (1994)


We don’t want to spend too much time on this one since it’s a dark mark on an otherwise decent line of movies. It’s Pat was something from another time that’s only more offensive today than it already was back then. Julia Sweeney’s signature androgynous character is a single out-of-tune note that is better left in the past.
Does the film hold up? Not at all. At its best, it’s disrespectful. At it’s worst, almost hateful. On top of all the obvious issues with the film, the character of Pat is just a bumbling rude asshole who reads people’s mail and seems to have no regard for others.
Memorable Moments: None that we can recall. Although we do like to remember that the film was made for eight million dollars and only brought in 60 thousand. We think there’s a lesson there.

Stuart Saves His Family (1995)


The SNL sketch “Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley” was fantastic in every instance it ever appeared on the show. Building Stuart Smalley’s world out into one that found him dealing with his dysfunctional family seems like it’d be a comedy home run!
Does the film hold up? Honestly? Not as much as we’d hoped. It can serve as a treat for those who love Senator Al Franken and the film does have some good performances, but nothing really sticks with us. Ultimately, we find that Stuart is good in small doses and (sadly) movie-goers in 1995 agreed.
Memorable Moments: Though it bombed at the box office, our favorite Stuart Smalley moment comes from that very failure. In 1995 Franken appeared on SNL once again as Smalley to stress eat and bitterly complain directly to the audience for not seeing his movie. Knowing the overall positivity of the character makes this one of the best Daily Affirmations ever.

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)


The only other SNL film to get a sequel picks up a few decades after the original in hopes to have another car crash-filled caper with more musical guests than you can count.
Does the film hold up? Where Wayne’s World 2 successfully continued the story of two characters we love, Blues Brothers 2000 failed to do so at all. Partly this was because John Belushi was no longer with us, but mostly due to the film leaning really hard into the absurd. Odd placement of stop-motion/CGI storm ghosts (for real) and a few instances of magic make it a big corny mess.
Memorable Moments: There are some musical numbers that redeem parts of the film. Particularly “6345789” performed by Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and a young Johnny Lang.

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)


In 1998, the “The Roxbury Guys” got their own film and we learned that Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s overly-aggressive club enthusiasts were just a couple of dumb siblings who had no direction in life. So–you know–your average club-goers in the late ’90s. The film gave them a little more depth where audiences could see them as hapless guys just going about finding connection in life in entirely the wrong way.
Does the film hold up? A bit. The film has a few memorable lines and a decent cast. Since the sketch had a relatively fast pace it leaves the feeling like it drags at times. Frankly, if you’re looking for a Kattan or Ferrell comedy, there are better choices out there.
Memorable Moments: I was like “EMILIO!”

Superstar (1999)


We love everything about the weird-beyond-her-years Mary Katherine Gallagher with maybe the exception of her armpit/finger smelling. Her unabashed confidence and a willingness to do her best despite a lack of any real skill is what makes her so endearing. We saw ourselves in MKG and followed her into her daily catholic school life in the 1999 film.
Does the film hold up? Yes and no. Die-hard fans of the character will always count this as one of the best SNL films but, again, outside a few minutes of a sketch, it gets a bit sluggish. Plus, seeing adult actors like Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, and Tom Green act alongside actual high school-age kids always seems a bit off.
Memorable Moments: We never actually made out with a tree, but we can relate to this scene in some way.

The Ladies Man (2000)


Leon “The Ladies Man” Phelps is an interesting character. On the one hand, he’s crass and inappropriate but on the other, his main goal in life is to make people happy. Well, maybe just ladies. Tim Meadows’ sketch was always a little controversial but done with a level of self-awareness that let audiences know how deliberately ridiculous the character was. In the eponymous film, the Ladies Man sets out on a quest to find one of his former partners with the help of his friends.
Does the film hold up? Eh, it’s got its moments but overall–and yet again–some things are better left inside a short sketch. Still, it’s hard not to love Tim Meadows’ in anything he does.
Memorable Moments: Leon’s short-lived job hosting a Christian radio program that ends when some double entendres get to be too much for him.

MacGruber (2010)


We’re enamored with anything involving Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, or Jorma Taccone, so having all of them involved in a single movie is just about the best thing ever. On paper, the idea of a feature-length film based on a sketch that makes fun of MacGyver doesn’t seem like it’d work but it totally does! The film ventures outside the single bomb-filled room we see in every sketch for a action-packed and hilariously vulgar comedy.
Does the film hold up? Sure does! In fact, other than The Blues Brothers and Wayne’s World, MacGruber is probably our favorite and we’ve got all of our fingers crossed for that sequel supposedly in the works!
Memorable Moments: There are a lot of good moments in the film but all pale in comparison to the best celery-based distraction ever conceived.

What are your favorite moments in SNL film history? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Paramount Pictures

Meet the Walking, Talking, Mystery-Solving Animals of Disney’s ZOOTOPIA

Meet the Walking, Talking, Mystery-Solving Animals of Disney’s ZOOTOPIA

article
Lucasfilm Hall H Panel Brings New Dark Siders, and Han Solo!

Lucasfilm Hall H Panel Brings New Dark Siders, and Han Solo!

article
Ryan Reynolds Guests as Deadpool in LOGAN's Honest Trailer

Ryan Reynolds Guests as Deadpool in LOGAN's Honest Trailer

article