Thursday 22 February 2024

One More Saturday Night (1986) Review

 

Life on a Saturday night in St. Cloud gets wackier with hijinks and shenanigans as the evening progresses.

Written and starring Al Franken and Tom Davis (known for 'Trading Places' and 'SNL'), director Dennis Klein does his best with a script that required just a little more polish. Surprisingly, Dan Ackroyd also acted as executive producer on this coming-of-age drama comedy, which is a broken-up tale. The main relationship of Diane and her jock boyfriend plot isn't focal enough, the hilarious father date, the babysitting house party, ear-piercing thief subplot, and Diane's brother using 'The Great Escape' to help him track down a robber. Even if some outcomes are unexpected, Franken and Davis' subplots are not rounded and don't intertwine enough to make for a clever romp, but they are nonetheless entertaining.

Stunning actress Nan Woods, channeling Molly Ringwald, does her best with what she's given, knocking it out of the park when it comes to talking about her mother. Chelcie Ross as Dad Ludhal is notable as Diane's father on his first date.

On the backdrop of a great soundtrack One More Saturday Night's setups are there, with a few laugh-out-loud one-liners littered throughout. But the execution and pacing is bumpy, with the feeling that it has a lot to say, but says nothing at all. That said, the small town vibe, the uncensored, innocent lack of political correctness of the 80s that means no harm is refreshing. Reminiscent of 'Secret of My Success,' 'Career Opportunities,' 'Bachelor Party,' and 'Adventures in Babysitting,' to name a few (only on a lower budget), making Klein's offering an interesting time capsule of sorts.

Overall, while Klein's obscure, forgotten comedy is hit and miss, it oozes nostalgia and 80s vibes, and worth watching for that alone.

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