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Saturday Night Live - The Best of Eddie Murphy

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Eddie Murphy

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Funny, yes, but the VHS version from late 80s was better
Review: This DVD has collected most of the best moments compiled on the VHS best-of Eddie Murphy version that came out circa the late 80s, but is missing a few moments that could have easily been fit in.

1) The Eddie Murphy "Ronald Reagan is my father" skit, which has Murphy pleading for his father to return, talking about how the last time he saw him was when he asked him to get some cereal, and he never came back.

2) Where Eddie Murphy interviews Ron Howard about his new movie, but Murphy can't get over that Ron Howard once played Opie on The Andy Griffiths Show, frustrating Howard.

3) Where Eddie Murphy and Stevie Wonder do a commercial for something called similar to Plantation Land, where people can go and pick cotton, being treated like slaves.

4) A talent show at a veterans post, with Tyrone and his Reggae Band, where Eddie Murphy plays the lead singer singing some hilarious lines I probably can't mention here, so I won't, but it would also ruin the humor. but let's just say the crowd is mad, and starts to leave. Murphy manages to both show the honesty in reggae music, and also make fun of reggae itself.

5) Popeil's Galactic Prophylactic, a superstrong condom that can last decades and be passed down generation to generation. ultra-hilarious.

So the DVD version is funny, but it's too bad they couldn't find room for these. rather disappointing. The DVD is still worth getting, but try finding a copy of the videotape.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: pretty good
Review: this dvd has ups and downs. it has a lot of great sketches like buckwheat, gumpy, and richard simmons. but it doesnt have a lot on the dvd period. its only about an hour. its still a hilarious dvd though

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A real genius!
Review: This is a must! Eddie Murphy at his best, if you only saw his movies, you'll never know how funny he is... with subtitles, I live in Italy and that's very important to understand all the little things. Buy it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Murphy at his funniest!
Review: This is the best DVD out of all the "best of" series. It shows the complete sketches, unlike the 25th anniversery special. Highly recommended.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: not nearly as good as the older one
Review: this one isnt nearly as good as the one that came out in 1989. there have been like 3 different versions of this video and the paramount one from 1989 is ten times better than this. i got that like 5 years ago and it is a hell of alot better than this. i dont know why they stopped making it, its one of eddies best movies. anyway dont buy this one, get the older one from paramount video if you can find it. go to ebay, they probably got some old used copies.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Older Version Better
Review: This version of Eddie Murphy skits from SNL is almost indentical to an collection of skits that was released a few years earlier. Still some good gems, but several of the really funny skits (example: "James Brown as Annie!") aren't on this one. You'd be better off buying the earlier version.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny Business
Review: Twenty-six years ago, New York City introduced a weekly program that offered a range of live, staged satires and up-to-date humorous accounts and depictions of broad topics that built their foundations on contemporary issues, such as politics, the entertainment industry and promotions. This then-subtle program, Saturday Night Live, proceeded to light up the Neilson boards, despite it's awkward presentation of showtimes.

After a promising half-decade of success, give or take, SNL opened it's arms to 19 year-old funnyman Eddie Murphy. For the next few years, the young adult worked his magic on sketches that include Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, an irresistable laughfest that spoofed Mr. Roger's Neighborhood by placing a rude, self-centered young man in a lower class apartment, where he taught children how to be judgmental and critical of everyone. The two episodes of Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood featured on the videotape exemplify exactly what great comedy is: a well-thought dialogue with substance and dignity that leads the viewer(s) to laugh so hard, he/she may be prompted to shed tears or even choke.

When it comes to the household characters that Eddie Murphy rewarded us with during his tenure on SNL, an older, more vocal Buckwheat of The Little Rascals stepped up to the plate and hit a home run in comedy. There was an uncanny resembelence in physical appearance and in age progression. One can't help but laugh at Buckwheat's ability to stammer and struggle with the English language. In the SNL History Book, Eddie Murphy's portrayal of Buckwheat will forever reign as the symbol of suitable and funny latenight comedy.

When speaking of Eddie's latenight career, his imitation of Stevie Wonder ranks third. Eddie perfectly interprets the surreal and peculiar common movements and the musical brilliance of Stevie Wonder. During the real Wonder's days of fame, spectators globally adored his music, but questioned his unconventional movements. Some fans pondered what went on through his head, as he performed (did his motions help him or were they uncontrollable?, et cetera). Eddie showed us Stevie Wonder, from the inside and from the outside. Acting today struggles to be that convincing and effective when one actor portrays a public figure.

And if these three practically flawless works of Eddie Murphy weren't enough, prepare to laugh consistently with his mocking of Gumby and Richard Simmons, just to identify a few.

The vast majority of this videocassette delivers jokes that are appropriate for younger audiences, with occasional exceptions (Velvet Jones). The often offensive and utterly disgusting SNL of the 21st Century could learn much from Eddie Murphy's displays of talent that he fills us with in 'Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy.' In general terms of the comedy genre, this single tape is the Edmonton Oilers of humor.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A young Murphy shows his daring!
Review: While the long-running SNL still occasionally shows signs of brilliance, the series reached its apex with the addition of Eddie Murphy to the cast in the early 80's. Murphy was definitely "hungry" and his brand of satirical impersonations fit the SNL format beautifully. He was dead-on when he took on the personas of Buckwheat, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard Simmons, and Mr. Robinson. He, single-handedly, with his Jewish-tongued incarnation, revived the long-forgotten claymation creation Gumby. These "bits" just attest to the talent that was about to erupt on the big screen a few years later.

Even though a "softer" Murphy is doing well in family friendly motion picture fare, the comedian's beginnings on SNL are truly deserving of the term "classics".


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