AP Photo
• Christopher Crosby Farley • Cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1991-1995. • Farley got his start on Second City, Chicago’s elite comedy group. He was then hired by SNL producers and joined the cast. • Best known for his crazy behavior on stage including characters like Matt Foley the motivational speaker and Bill Swerski the superfan, Farley also played himself in The Chris Farley Show. • He died of cocaine and heroine overdose in 1997 and on Aug. 26 received the 2,229th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Best of Saturday Night Live DVDs rise in popularity

Mike Hadley HAD01005@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

It’s an activity we all are a part of ­— watching movies. Some of us go to the theaters to catch the latest flicks. Some of us wait to rent or buy the movie. No matter what you choose, when it comes to watching movies there are many trends.

One movie trend that has been popular lately is the Saturday Night Live DVDs, featuring the “Best of” many hilarious acts like Will Ferrell, Chris Farley or Adam Sandler. These videos are a couple of years old, but offer some funny acts.

Many students are familiar with the “Van Down by the River” skit by Farley. In this skit he plays Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who has little money and lives in a van down by the river.

He visits a family to give counsel and after each line emphasizes it is hard to make it today when you live in a van down by the river.

Foley (Chris Farley) asks the son what he wants to be when he grows up and he says a writer. “Well we’ve got a writer here well, la-di-freaking-da! Hey dad is that Bill Shakespeare over there,” Foley (Chris Farley) said.

Then he asks their daughter what she wants to be when she grows up and she says she wants to live in a van down by the river!

The SNL DVDs feature the best of a particular actor, but Ferrell has two DVDs devoted to him. Some memorable skits from the Best of Will Ferrell include Ferrell playing Gene Frenkle and Harry Caray.

Harry Caray is a talk show scientist. He starts the show in a serious mood, but then asks his guests crazy questions. It’s off-the-wall and funny.

In one interview Caray interviews Kent Walar, an astrophysicist from the California Institute of Technology. They start their conversation by talking about the possibilities of life being discovered on one of the moons of Jupiter. These possibilities provide exiting breakthroughs for scientists.

Caray continues his conversations. “Now we all know that the moon is not made out of green cheese, but what if it was made of barbecue spare ribs, would you eat it then?” Caray (Will Ferrell) said. He continues on, “I know I would, heck I’d have seconds then polish it off with a tall cool Budweiser.”

Students who have seen these skits think they are either hilarious or outright ridiculous.

“It wasn’t really appealing to me, so it was totally not funny. I am from a foreign country so what’s funny to me is not funny to others. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t funny to me,” said Tavai Lealaisalanoa, a sophomore from Patopago, American Samoa.

On the other hand, some students get a kick out of how odd some of these skits are.

“I thought some of the questions were strange, but that’s what makes it so funny,” said Matt Jarboe, a freshmen form Clarkson, Ky.

In the “Gene Frenkle” skit, Ferrell plays as Frenkle, a guy in the Blue Oyster Cult Band who plays the cowbell. He bangs his cowbell too loud, which becomes annoying to everyone else in the band.

The producer, Bruce Dickenson, decides they need more cowbell. “That doesn’t work for me; I’ve got to have more cow bell,” Dickenson (Christopher Walken) said. Frenkle goes wild on the bell and dances around the studio with his gut hanging out of a tight shirt.

The other members in the band find him distracting and get into an argument with Frenkle, who offers to go home. “Guess what, I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell,” Dickenson (Christopher Walken) said in return.

Frenkle resumes playing the cowbell and the group makes a great recording.

“Bruce Dickenson is an inspiration to me and I know he was to the Blue Oyster Cult Band. His encouraging ways for the band and Gene helped me in my life to apply myself more to my activities, and accept others as they are,” said Brianna Dance, a junior from Blackfoot, Idaho.

“Gene’s example of persistence is monumental to the future cowbellers of America. Good luck to all, and ‘Give me more cowbell!’”