Saturday Night

Documentary Feature, Spotlight Premieres
D: James Franco; with Franco, John Malkovich, Lorne Michaels

Actor-turned-filmmaker Franco takes his unassuming self and his HD camera into the bowels of late night’s most enduring legend to find out how it’s made. For fans of Saturday Night Live (or TV in general), it’s surely engrossing, but it’s not for the lazy or faint of heart. Though there’s none of the legendary behind-the-scenes antics or flaring egos that other accounts of the series have documented, Franco brings into full relief (and with unprecedented carte blanche) the grueling process of putting on a single episode of the late-night sketch-comedy show in a tidy 94 minutes. Franco’s candid approach to everyone from cast members, directors, and designers to series creator Michaels himself puts everyone at ease, making for a down-to-earth, informative, and altogether entertaining look at the amazing feat of making something from nothing in one short, high-pressure week.

Friday, March 19, 9:30pm, G-Tech

This article appears in March 19 • 2010.

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