The Chaotic Birth of “Saturday Night”

How have I made it this far without knowing that the original name for "Saturday Night Live" was simply "Saturday Night?" I enjoy the occasional clip of "SNL" on YouTube, but I don't watch the show. I used to watch reruns on Comedy Central growing up, but nowadays, the show can't compete with those from the 90s.

"Saturday Night" accounts for the 90 minutes before the first broadcast on October 11, 1975.

That might have been the most straightforward plot synopsis I have ever had to write.

The show's making it to air, with all the chaos behind the scenes in the last hour and a half, is nothing short of a miracle. John Belushi (Matt Wood) had yet to sign his contract, the show's segments were not locked yet (they have enough to fill a three-hour show), and no one seemed to believe the show would succeed.

That might be my one complaint. There was no drama as to whether the show would make it. The show just started airing its 50th season, so you aren't sitting in the theater going, "Oh, man. I hope everything works out and the show gets to air!" It doesn't matter if there was a chance they would have run a Carson rerun because we know they didn't. It doesn't matter if the network executives wanted the show to fail because it didn't. "SNL" has aired 975 episodes, so the stakes don't matter because there are none.

I had a blast with "Saturday Night." It captured the frantic, drug-fueled energy of the show's early days. It takes place in real-time, and as there is a literal ticking clock, the time will appear on the screen every so often, counting down to 11:30 p.m. This adds to the chaotic, stressed feeling this movie marinates in.

8/10

Rated R for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity.

1h 49min