Live from New York! (2015)

Live from New York! (2015). 1h 30m | Not Rated

“If you think there couldnu0026#39;t be much more to be said about Saturday Night Live after the three hour long 40th Anniversary Special that aired back in February, youu0026#39;re mostly right. That didnu0026#39;t stop cinematographer (now documentarian) Bao Nguyen from adding more to the mix with Live from New York!, his attempt to capture the social and cultural impact and influence of four decades of the 90 minute late-night broadcast.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eConsisting mostly of a series of interviews with former and current cast members and a couple of the u0026quot;Five Timers Clubu0026quot;, the film breaks little new ground and covers familiar territory to anyone whou0026#39;s read Tom Shalesu0026#39;s book (u0026quot;Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live…u0026quot;) or Doug Hillu0026#39;s book (u0026quot;Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Liveu0026quot;) or Alison Castleu0026#39;s recent compendium u0026quot;Saturday Night Live: The Booku0026quot; or seen any of the ubiquitous u0026quot;SNL Decadeu0026quot; specials that run incessantly on VH1. Thereu0026#39;s really nothing new regarding the showu0026#39;s origination, its original casting, Lorne Michaels, etc. It is, however, good to hear Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman counter the usual u0026quot;boys clubu0026quot; criticism hurled at the show from time to time and for Garret Morris to address his marginalization in the early years.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCurrent cast members address the recent controversy over the showu0026#39;s u0026quot;lack of diversityu0026quot; but, again, if youu0026#39;ve read Entertainment Weekly or Rolling Stone or any number of blogs you pretty much know whatu0026#39;s going on there. Thereu0026#39;s also an over-reliance on current cast members for interviews and commentary that gives this film sort of a u0026#39;promotionalu0026#39; feel to it and less of a sense that itu0026#39;s a documentary.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYouu0026#39;ve heard or read about most of the other subjects covered – cast changes, firings, the post 9/11 show, presidential debates, etc. What we havenu0026#39;t seen or heard before is much about the crew and technical artists whou0026#39;ve worked behind the scenes, some since the first broadcast. Nguyen gives them their due and they deliver with some insight and humor on the backstage goings-on of a live production. He also shows the late Don Pardo the respect a broadcasting legend deserves.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRunning a fast 82 minutes (wouldnu0026#39;t you think the story of a program thatu0026#39;s run 40 years might take a bit longer?) , Live from New York! seems more like a DVD extra than a stand-alone documentary.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ewww.worstshowontheweb.com”