I finally watched it last night. The more I sit with it, the more I like it. There was obviously some nepotism and dead dad sympathy in getting it made, but Reitman made a real film instead of some tribute band bullshit.
He did a couple clever things :
- He filmed the movie in Atlanta. If they had filmed at 30 Rock, many, many things would have polished or outright cut from the film.
- Studio and distribution. Sony made the movie, Netflix will have the streaming rights. No Universal, no NBC, no Peacock, no Lorne.
- in the film, Lorne is actively being cucked by check notes, Dan Aykroyd.
- Chevy Chase is a full on crazy person. Probably accurate, but Chevy has famously said he didn’t like the film.
- Milton Berle pills out his horse cock in a showdown with Chevy and his finance. I always thought of Berle as a beloved comedian. The giant cock fame feels fairly new. I’m sure his estate wasn’t thrilled with this scene.
- The Rockefeller ice rink scene was tragic and beautiful. I hope it happened. It’s pleasant to think of Belushi and Gilda in that moment.
- I love the casting. Garrett Morris probably got too much screen time, and Belushi was a flat out miss. The actor did a Jack Black impression the whole film. Also a lot of Billy Chrystal for a guy who famously had his sketch cut from the first show.
- Finally credit to Reitman for creating the correct vibe.