At one time, no performer on television could touch the white-hot brilliance of Dana Carvey. Nearly single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live from the flaccid comedic penises of people like Joe Piscopo, Carvey created a string of memorable characters like George H.W. Bush (remember the gloriously free days when there was no necessary distinction needed for President Bush’s name?) and the Church Lady.
After enduring a life-threatening heart operation, Carvey took some time off. Unfortunately, his return to the biz has been less than successful. The comedian has taken a job shilling for the video rental website Netflix with a series of horrible movie review segments.
Check it out:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whbc564vwoA[/youtube]
What deflates my fan balloon is the complete lack of creativity and humor. What is the beginning part supposed to be? Carvey stands there, arms folded, talking wistfully about old age as if he is starring in a serious commercial for Viagra. After not reviewing anything at all, Carvey then jarringly leaps into a poorly conceived fake news segment, complete with horrible wig and shitty graphics. THIS is our SNL hero from the eighties??
While I understand that having a decade off can make anyone a little rusty, it’s hard to believe that Carvey looked at this and thought, “Yeah, I think this is the vehicle by which I will manage to keep people awake.”
I guess the problem is that, while the standards for any Carvey-related project might be a bit high even now, we have forgotten that he did make a horrible little bloody fart called Master of Disguise back in 2002.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbBpwW3i7dc[/youtube]
Maybe this Netflix thing fits perfectly into Carvey’s current trajectory. That doesn’t make it any less sad, though.
Thanks Burbanked!
Thanks for the shout, Ray. Personally, I couldn’t bring myself to actually embed the YouTube video of the Netflix piece – one should have to work harder, to really WANT to watch something that uncomfortable and sad.
What do you suppose the deal is with so many SNL stars? Do they burn too brightly, too fast? Is it simply impossible to sustain such levels of creativity and drive? Or maybe it’s the copious amounts of drugs.
This might be the dumbest thing I have ever seen. I’m not sure I get exactly what it is supposed to be.
Fucking dumb
@ Burbanked – One big problem I see with SNL stars in movies is that the films are either based on a one-joke idea, or they feature way too much of the “star” when they don’t have the power to support the big screen.
Here is the better strategy for SNL stars who want movie careers: take several small parts in ensemble casts, and build your reputation as someone who shines in these roles and adds – not distracts – from the film. I am thinking of John C. Reilly types of performances.
The obvious truth is that most of the performers on SNL are not leading actor types – they are character actors – so jumping into starring roles makes little career sense.
Dana Carvey has become Dan Aykroyd. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.