Live From New York!

Studio: Abramorama
Directed by Bao Nguyen

Jun 10, 2015 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

Perhaps more so than any other show on television, Saturday Night Live is an institution. What makes filmmaker Bao Nguyen’s film about the long-running sketch show more compelling than the typical TV history doc is that it avoids giving a sterile play-by-play. Instead, the film places emphasis on the show’s zeitgeist moments; the numerous times when SNL transcended being just a late-night variety show and its sketches or performances became pop culture touchstones. There were several each decade, and Live From New York! touches on many: Sinead O’Connor’s unscripted protest of the Catholic church; the first live episode after 9/11; “Lazy Sunday” and the rise of the viral video; and others. Also notable is that the film doesn’t skirt the show’s faults, from the scarcity of cast members of color to the often-hurled accusation that SNL has long been a boys’ club.

The film can’t cover everything, of course—it’s less than 90 minutes—and you’re left with a feeling that it could have been an even better multi-part series. (Many formers cast members and hosts sit down to discuss the show’s legacy, but only a few are only heard from more than briefly—we’d have loved to see more of those interviews.) In any case, Live From New York! is a compact but well-done tribute to a beloved American series that’s fitting for the show’s 40th anniversary.

www.livefromnewyorkmovie.com

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