FERRELL’S FANTASTIC!

It seems that as the years go by and we have a chance to look back at Saturday Night Live, we are blessed with the opportunity to witness some of the greatest comedic actors of our time. I remember watching the show the first night it aired, amazes at what was happening and laughing harder than I had in some time at something on television. It brought my generation into the TV zone.

Many actors and actresses have shone brightly in the years since that first night over 27 years ago. Some went on to become major film stars like John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. Others found success on television like Jane Curtain. Some found mediocre success when they set out for big screen fame as their fellow performers did. But each and every one had the chance to shine on this show.

And it seems as though there was always one stand out among each new version of Saturday Night Live that caught our eye, that made each scene they were in the best. The early group had Belushi and Aykroyd. Later we had Murphy and pal Joe Piscopo. Remember Crystal and Guest comparing pain inducing techniques? And of course, Phil Hartman seemed to take over each and every scene he was in. Will Ferrell falls into this same category.

While Adam Sandler and Mike Myers may have made it big in movies, Ferrell was the consummate playmate to have in a skit on the series in the past few years. His bits were hilarious and his timing dead on. He had the ability to not only make us laugh, but his coworkers as well. This DVD brings together some of the funniest of these skits and characters.

Who can forget the frustration Ferrell showed as Alex Trebeck dealing with numbskull celebs on Jeopardy, in particular Darrell Hammond as a ribald Sean Connery? What about when Ferrell portrayed Robert Goulet pitching his new rap CD, translating the songs of the street into his own style.

But Ferrell also had a way of creating his own characters who found their way into our hearts and minds. Craig the cheerleader who along with Cheri Oteri became to of the most clueless people ever seen, but filled with enthusiasm. How about his portrayal of the blood selling hepatitis filled nude model spouting out his own version of philosophy. Or his “lover” professor who shared the hot tub with Rachel Dratch and guests who stopped by.

Each of these characters and bits are seen here along with others. And all are hilarious to watch again and again. For me the one thing that makes me laugh even more while watching is to see Ferrell’s fellow actors fall to pieces as they watch him, as they can’t stop but laugh themselves.

The extras on this DVD are great too. Pictures of Ferrell, outtakes, his audition footage, appearances on Conan O’Brien’s show and a segment that was cut due to time constraints but was performed during dress rehearsal that is so funny it hurts to watch. Almost everyone in the scene loses it at one time or another.

With Ferrell on the rise in Hollywood after his appearances in JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK and OLD SCHOOL, it’s great to just sit back and watch him at his best right here, just as he was for so long each and every Saturday night.

Thank goodness there are people in this world like Ferrell who can make us forget everything around us for just a little while and let us laugh.