Does Anyone Want to See a Vinny Vedecci Movie?

We make the case for another Saturday Night Live film.
Bill Hader as Vinny Vedecci on 'Saturday Night Live'
Bill Hader as Vinny Vedecci on 'Saturday Night Live' - NBC
Erin Nolan

It's been a while since we've seen any movies based on Saturday Night Live sketches. And surely there are many people out there still recovering from the trauma of stinkers like A Night at the Roxbury and The Ladies Man. But why should the current cast be punished for the crimes of their predecessors? Besides, these movies don't always turn out awful. The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World are both bona fide modern classics. And while SNL's strongest comedy these days seems to come from lampooning goofy characters from the real world, that doesn't mean they haven't introduced us to any new entirely fictional creations that are worthy of the big screen treatment. If I could pick one current recurring SNL character to spend ninety minutes in a movie theater with, it would undoubtedly be Bill Hader's Italian talk show host Vinny Vedecci.

The Vedecci sketches have provided an inspired setting for Hader to mock guests such as Jon Bon Jovi, Shia LaBeouf, and John Malkovich. Each sketch appears at first to be a one-note joke: A celebrity is brought out onto the Charlie Rose-esque set and immediately becomes frustrated when they realize Vedecci intends to interview them in Italian. Vedecci argues animatedly with his spaghetti-loving director (played by Fred Armisen), and then attempts to interview his guest with his limited English skills, always leading to some kind of wacky misunderstanding.

The formula seems like it would get stale fast, except that Hader always manages to mix it up with different degrees of lunacy. Sometimes Vedecci unleashes puppets on his guests for no apparent reason. In the Bon Jovi sketch, he shocked the rocker by showing him how his song "Blaze of Glory" is used in Italian cigarette commercials aimed at children. This season, he disgusted John Malkovich with clips of an Italian version of Being John Malkovich he starred in called Being Vinny Vedecci. It was a porno.

The recent revelations of Vinny's career as an adult film star, and the introduction of his young son seem to hint that Hader and the writers have bigger ideas for this character. Perhaps there's enough there for a "Vinny brings his show to America"-themed movie. I could see it succeeding as a blend of surreal comedy and celebrity satire. There'd be plenty of opportunities for celebrity cameos and for Hader to show off his impressive skills at impersonation (as he does so brilliantly in the Malkovich and Seth Rogen sketches). Maybe Vinny could become the Italian Borat.

Check out the latest Vinny Vedecci sketch below (it's the one where he interviews Seth "Bear Man" Rogen). Would you pay to see Vinny on the big screen?





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