A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, Mark McKinney and Colin Quinn all came together to try and make a movie out of what had once been, until now, a five-minute sketch about two guys dancing to Haddaway’s “What Is Love.”

John Fortenberry has been an editor for eight years at producer Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video before making this film.

Steve and Doug Butabi (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan) are two brothers who spend most of their lives dancing, getting rejected and trying to get into the Roxbury, a famous Los Angeles nightclub.

It may be a simple film, but a great cast is along for the ride, like Loni Anderson and Dan Hedaya as their parents, plus Dwayne Hickman (Dobie Gillis!), Richard Grieco, Jennifer Coolidge (who was in nearly early late 90’s comedy, it seems), Michael Clarke Duncan and Chazz Palminteri.

In his book Baby, Don’t Hurt Me, Kattan claimed that he was pressured by producer Lorne Michaels to have sex with Amy Heckerling so that she would direct the film. He must have held out, because she only produced it.

That said, Kattan also claims that Will Ferrell didn’t speak to him again until the 23rd season of Saturday Night Live due to his relationship with Heckerling. Kattan alleged that Ferrell said “I got all your messages, but I didn’t call you back because I didn’t want to talk to you.”

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