5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Buddy Young was the comic's comic, beloved by everyone. Now, playing to miniscule crowds in nursing homes, it seems like everybody but Buddy realizes that he should retire. As Buddy looks for work in show business, he realizes that the rest of the world has forgotten the golden days of Buddy Young, and that there just may not be room in the business for an old comic like himself.
Starring: Billy Crystal, David Paymer, Julie Warner, Helen Hunt, Mary MaraComedy | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Bob Hope hosted an astounding 19 Academy Awards ceremonies, often lampooning his own inability to ever secure an Oscar nomination in his trenchant monologues that typically preceded the actual handing out of statuettes. “Welcome to the Academy Awards,” he once famously deadpanned. “Or, as it’s known at my house, Passover.” Hope probably never had a real shot at securing “official” recognition by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, though he was on record as stating that he at least felt a couple of his performances were worthy of being fêted. Coming in second on the list of repeat hosts for the Oscar telecast is Billy Crystal (at a “mere” nine ceremonies—thus far), a performer who actually generated significant “Oscar buzz”, for a while at least, when Mr. Saturday Night premiere in 1992. Crystal also co-wrote the film and made his directing debut, offering up a tale which was obviously very close to Crystal’s heart: the story of a once iconic Jewish comedian named Buddy Young, Jr. who had fallen on hard times due to his own scabrous personality and seemingly genetic inability to filter some of his more objectionable verbal impulses. While Crystal did in fact secure a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, when the Oscar nominees were announced in early 1993, it turned out Crystal’s co-star David Paymer, playing Young’s hapless brother and manager Stan, was in the quintet of nominees for Best Supporting Actor, while Crystal got, well, passed over. (Paymer had also received a Golden Globe nomination along with Crystal for his work in the film.) Mr. Saturday Night is a kind of odd mash up that combines at least some elements of The Sunshine Boys and My Favorite Year as it ping pongs back and forth between a “contemporary” timeframe that sees Young’s late life falling apart at the seams due to years of bad judgment and dysfunctional interrelationships, and a number of interstitial flashbacks that offer up an evocative history of the character, from his early days delighting his relatives in the family living room to a top rated variety show on CBS to a number of missteps in the wake of that show’s cancellation. Mr. Saturday Night has a rather melancholic air about it, as if it were really an elegy for a whole generation of comedians rather than one (semi?) fictional character, but it’s a rather touching film overall and one that provides both Crystal and Paymer unique showcases for their particular talents.
Mr. Saturday Night is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This has the look of a perhaps somewhat dated master, with some clumpy, yellowish grain resolution that can distract from what is otherwise a solid if unspectacular offering. The palette often pops quite nicely, especially in the brightly colorful 50s segments, where elements like Buddy's vivid blue jacket look impressively well saturated. A lot of the film is a bit on the soft side, though detail is established enough that some of Crystal's questionable makeup shows its literal seams at times. Elements are in generally very good condition, with only typically minor kinds of age related wear and tear.
Mr. Saturday Night's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track bursts with some commendable energy in several of the chaotic sequences detailing the production of Young's top rated variety show in the 1950s. Otherwise, the sound design here tends to be relatively unambitious, limited to interchanges between two characters at a time. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly and rarely has to compete with any other elements for prioritization status.
Buddy Young, Jr. repeatedly turns off audiences throughout Mr. Saturday Night, and that's the obstacle facing the film itself. With such an inherently unlikable (or at least not very likable) character at the center of the film, those who expected a loving and laugh filled tribute to show business days gone by were probably thrown for a loop by the bittersweet and often just plain bitter feel of this story. Still, the performances are really quite touching, and Crystal and Paymer create a very believable pair of interlinked siblings. Technical merits are okay (video) to very good (audio) for those considering a purchase. With caveats noted, Mr. Saturday Night comes Recommended.
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