The great Eddie Murphy struts his stuff on SNL

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	• Saturday Night Live - The Best of Eddie Murphy [VHS] Don Pardo, Lenny Pickett Vidmark / Trimark, 1999 average customer review:based on 53 reviews view larger image
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Legendary TV Star!

These clips are from a time when SNL was the biggest thing to ever happen to television. And then it died. Then it came back hipper and edgier than ever thanks to Eddie Murphy. So much of culture has changed since then, but if you know your cultural history, this disc will amaze you.

Eddie is still the most lucrative movie star ever and the biggest star to emerge from SNL. He combined acerbic wit, razor-sharp performance and creativity (he helped write all of his sketches, unlike many SNL legends). He is also the only black SNL member to dominate the show in popularity and appear in non-demeaning, safe-for-white America roles. Only after Eddie, did mediocre talents swarm to SNL in hopes of superstardom. So you really are catching the show at its most raw, vital and inspired here. And funniest.

The most legendary moment in the 70s SNL was seeing Belushi, Chase, Murray and Aykroyd in the same sketch. In the 80s, it has to be the on-screen union of Murphy, Martin Short, Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest (with Larry David in the background!).

ANYONE with a comedy collection should grab this.

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Could've, Would've, Should've...

Like many other people, I feel ripped off that this DVD is missing material previously available on VHS, and cannot imagine any reason other than stifling political correctness on the part of NBC. While there are still some skits with a few controversial moments included here, most of this DVD is more tame that Murphy was at his hilarious zenith. Nonetheless, I have tried to be objective and rate this DVD as it is and as if earlier released material was not a factor. On that basis I have given the DVD three stars. Some of the sketches are wonderful (I never cease laughing at Murphy's Gumby, Buckwheat, or Mr. Robinson,) but some are only so-so, which is a problem in other "Saturday Night Live" DVD's as well. The single biggest obstacle to this series of SNL DVD's becoming classics, in my opinion, is the consistently poor selection of skits.

This DVD also has some entertaining bloopers and outtakes in the extras, but fails to live up to its potential. While I am a fan of Eddie Murphy (he really was the only worthwhile attraction on SNL during the 1980's,) this set could and should have been much better than it is. The disc is cheap, and is generally entertaining for the 66 minutes of running time. On that basis I recommend it to dyed in the wool SNL or Eddie Murphy fans. If you want some true Eddie Murphy genius though, I recommend as an alternative to this "Coming to America" or "Trading Places," two timeless movies highlighting Murphy's comedic deftness.

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Shipment Confirmation

I've purchased from this vendor several times in the past. However, this time I received a shipment confirmation and didn't receive the product until over a week later. I've never had this problem when ordering from this vendor before so perhaps it was a technical error. With that said, the product did still arrive on time and in the condition described by the seller.

The great Eddie Murphy struts his stuff on SNL

One of the most talented comedic performers to come out of SNL was undoubtedly Eddie Murphy. He brought an intensity back to the show during the early 80's that hadn't been seen since John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd were there. And in truth, he kept the show going when others were wagging their heads about how dismal the show had become. All the hilarious performances are here: Buckwheat, his grumpy cigar-chomping Gumby, "The James Brown Hottub Experience" & even his ghetto take of Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood.
As with other SNL collections, it doesn't feel quite complete, and I'm sure there's some good material missing here. But Murphy is so edgy & fun that it doesn't matter too much. Of course, he went on to superstardom in movies, but it's always nice to look back at the launching pad--in this case, SNL--to see where it all began.

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Too Funny!

I've had this DVD before, I always thought that this was some of his best work.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Perhaps one of the greatest lights ever to shine on late-night television, Eddie Murphy has gone on to well-deserved international superstardom. Check out his earliest television work on Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy, a collection of his greatest roles, from Gumby to Stevie Wonder to Buckwheat. Of course, some would argue that his best role was as himself, and there is plenty of evidence for that--many of the skits feature Murphy au naturel and the opening sequence is taken from his monologue when he returned to the show triumphantly after leaving for Hollywood. Exploring the world around him and finding laughs everywhere, Murphy can take a simple idea (such as the "James Brown Hot Tub Party") and run wild with it, leaving the audience hysterically begging for more. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this collection, but odds are you'll be one by the time you're finished. --Rob Lightner

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