Saturday Night Live "The Best of Mike Myers" is one of the best SNL compilations and one of the longest (84 minutes). The Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner "Best of" videos are better, but most are not. Chris Rock is OK, Molly Shannon is somewhat disappointing, but Dana Carvey is great. The most entertaining are the SNL "Best of" collections by year(s)--with the entire cast. SNL25 (1999) is quite good.
Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Mike Myers is a very funny man. After graduating from SNL he made two WAYNE'S WORLD movies (1992/1993) with Dana Carvey about two party dudes with their own cable TV show. The first was a hit, but the second, about organizing a Waynestock music festival, didn't do as well at the box-office.
His next movie, SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER (1993) was not very successful. Myers mostly played himself and he has no charisma. I found his character boring. The highlight was his impersonation of his Scottish father. Myers is great at inventing humourous characters.
Most comics start off doing some impersonations of famous celebrities and their own creations. They tend to be devastatingly brilliant at it and it makes them stars. Yet they all aspire to be "original" and just play themselves. Myers apparently cannot take this route, because his own personality comes off like a boring version of Martin Short--who should have stuck with his hilarious impersonations as well.
In 1997 Myers unleashed AUSTIN POWERS, about a swinging 60's spy, followed by two sequels. They are the funniest movies released in many years. Mike Myers plays characters he has invented, such as Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard. Let's hope he doesn't try to play himself again.
The SNL "Best of" MIKE MYERS has too many skits available on other SNL compilations, but I suppose it's good to have them all on one video.
Myers plays Linda Richman on "Coffee Talk" and the real Barbara Streisand drops in. "Wayne's World" has Aerosmith and also Madonna as guests. Dieter on "Sprockets" is a hoot. It's too bad the film version of "Sprockets" was abandoned because Myers was dissatisfied with his own script.
Dieter: "Would you like to touch my monkey?"
Guest: "I would be honored to."
Dieter: "Touch him! Love him! Liebe meine abschmenkee!" (Guest shakes hands with monkey)
Dieter: "Now I am as happy as a little girl."
Other skits included are: Hedly and Wyche, Philip, Theatre Stories, Middle-Aged Man, RAF Hospital, Lothar of the Hill People, and the Tokyo Game Show.
The best skit is "Point/Counterpoint". Myers does a great impersonation of Mick Jagger and the real Mick Jagger does a funny impression of Keith Richards.
