Yeah, the Alan Alda part was the highlight of that sketch (which, IMO, had so much more potential than what was actually executed). I agree, the voice is amazing, and he had the mannerisms down too. And yes, Bill Hader is my favorite current SNL member (with Kirsten Wigg a close second). He's just amazing.
Hader is talented. I don't know if it was Hader or one of the writers who made the decision that his Vincent Price character should be the sane center around which insane characters bounce, but it was a rare SNL decision to be non-showy... and it works. It would be easy to make Price an over-the-top madman; making him a character who reacts make him more valuable than all of Wiig's showy (and generally indistinguishable) characters combined
Freakily accurate. Bill Hader must have a good career ahead of him. He's done OK bits in OK movies, but he obviously has the potential to do much more interesting things.
Dan, it's not really a rip-off if it's a premise you've used before. And on behalf of all us alta kockers, I'm sorry if there you were offended by the one sketch on the show that wasn't designed for brain-dead teenagers.
Speaking as one of Vincent Price's most-ardent fans, @Dan, way to skew callow, shallow, and ignorant. Not everything that was ever interesting happened in the last 15 years. And "old" also means experienced, educated, and even wise.
I just wish that Hader's Vincent Price impression was even in the same ballpark as his Alda, because he captures neither Price's look nor his extremely-distinctive voice. (And Vinnie Price, admitted bisexual, putting down Liberace's gay jokes? Especially given that Liberace never did gay jokes. Yes he was the most-flamboyant performer on earth, but he was still deeply closeted, right up to the day he died.)
I watched an actual Vincent Price Halloween TV special from 1974 last night. Hader gets the setting right, and the cornball humor of the show, but he doesn't capture Vinnie himself, nor his suave command over his shows. And the often-overpraised Miss Wiig's Judy Garland caught nothing of Judy either.
The "comedy" of Price's real special was painfully-obvious and sledgehammer, but when he and John Carradine sat down, abandoned the script, and just began talking about their films, it became wonderful for five minutes, until the script and the bad jokes came back.
This is one of the best sketches in a long time. Bill Hader's impressions are incredible! I love that he does obscure impressions like alan alda, Vincent Price and Peter Faulk. He definitely has a long career ahead of him.
THAT VOICE was Alan Alda for a few minutes. I have listened to Alan Alda every other year or so since 1968 or something, eventually watching every ep of MASH by now. Bill TOTALLY did Alda and I was sorta freaked out that he could be so ON! Y'know?
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Bill's great. Probably the only current SNL member (I think) who may go on to do good things movie-wise.
ReplyDeleteHe is currently the voice of Prof. Impossible on Adult Swim's Venture Bros. thankfully NOT trying to impersonate Stephen Colbert.
The voice is uncanny. Scary.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Alan Alda part was the highlight of that sketch (which, IMO, had so much more potential than what was actually executed). I agree, the voice is amazing, and he had the mannerisms down too. And yes, Bill Hader is my favorite current SNL member (with Kirsten Wigg a close second). He's just amazing.
ReplyDeleteReally? The Alda impression? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a cross between Woody Allen and Johnny Carson.
I didn't see it as Alda at all.
And Hamm's Robin Williams was pretty good, too!
ReplyDeleteAlda was spot on. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteEd, you pretty much just described Alda to a T.
ReplyDeleteThere's always this ...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfDE4f32_pA
Joe Flaherty as Alan Alda... well, he has the look right.
Hader is talented. I don't know if it was Hader or one of the writers who made the decision that his Vincent Price character should be the sane center around which insane characters bounce, but it was a rare SNL decision to be non-showy... and it works. It would be easy to make Price an over-the-top madman; making him a character who reacts make him more valuable than all of Wiig's showy (and generally indistinguishable) characters combined
ReplyDeleteFreakily accurate. Bill Hader must have a good career ahead of him. He's done OK bits in OK movies, but he obviously has the potential to do much more interesting things.
ReplyDeleteAnd on top of it, if SNL ever tried to do an ESPN Radio sketch, Hader would be a dead on Colin Cowherd...Jus' Sayin'...
ReplyDeletei thought jay pharoah's eddie murphy was also spot on. this was a great bit. snl was actually kind of funny that night. great blog k-lev.
ReplyDeleteA complete ripoff of SNL's audition reel from Star Wars featuring Kevin Spacey as Chris Walken, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
ReplyDeleteVincent Price is funny, but way to skew old, grandpa Lorne!
Dan, it's not really a rip-off if it's a premise you've used before. And on behalf of all us alta kockers, I'm sorry if there you were offended by the one sketch on the show that wasn't designed for brain-dead teenagers.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as one of Vincent Price's most-ardent fans, @Dan, way to skew callow, shallow, and ignorant. Not everything that was ever interesting happened in the last 15 years. And "old" also means experienced, educated, and even wise.
ReplyDeleteI just wish that Hader's Vincent Price impression was even in the same ballpark as his Alda, because he captures neither Price's look nor his extremely-distinctive voice. (And Vinnie Price, admitted bisexual, putting down Liberace's gay jokes? Especially given that Liberace never did gay jokes. Yes he was the most-flamboyant performer on earth, but he was still deeply closeted, right up to the day he died.)
I watched an actual Vincent Price Halloween TV special from 1974 last night. Hader gets the setting right, and the cornball humor of the show, but he doesn't capture Vinnie himself, nor his suave command over his shows. And the often-overpraised Miss Wiig's Judy Garland caught nothing of Judy either.
The "comedy" of Price's real special was painfully-obvious and sledgehammer, but when he and John Carradine sat down, abandoned the script, and just began talking about their films, it became wonderful for five minutes, until the script and the bad jokes came back.
Hader's impression of Alda was good, but not as perfect as British comedian/actor Peter Serafinowicz's Alda:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-h3dFalF8A
(At about the 1:37 mark - probably a bit NSFW!)
Boo! Hiss! There's no video to see!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the best sketches in a long time. Bill Hader's impressions are incredible! I love that he does obscure impressions like alan alda, Vincent Price and Peter Faulk. He definitely has a long career ahead of him.
ReplyDeleteTHAT VOICE was Alan Alda for a few minutes. I have listened to Alan Alda every other year or so since 1968 or something, eventually watching every ep of MASH by now. Bill TOTALLY did Alda and I was sorta freaked out that he could be so ON! Y'know?
ReplyDelete