SNL: 10 Great ’80s Comedies Starring Cast Members

Since the iconic variety series began airing in the ‘70s, Saturday Night Live has been a breeding ground for comedy talent and it’s a proud tradition that, after spending a few years on the show, the standout cast members make the transition to the big screen. This was particularly prevalent in the 1980s when SNL was at the height of its powers and its cast included such phenomenal performers as Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd.

From direct Saturday Night Live adaptations like The Blues Brothers to original projects like Ghostbusters, these are the best ‘80s comedies starring SNL cast members.

10 Stripes (1981)

Starring SNL legend Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, who was offered work as a writer at Saturday Night Live but chose to continue with SCTV, Stripes is essentially Animal House in the military.

The actors play a pair of slackers who enlist in the U.S. Army to give their lives some purpose. It was directed by Ivan Reitman, who had previously helmed Meatballs and went on to direct Ghostbusters and its sequel.

9 48 Hrs. (1982)

Although Lethal Weapon is often credited as the first “buddy cop” movie, the tropes and style of the action subgenre were initially laid out by 48 Hrs. in 1982.

The mismatched dynamic at the heart of 48 Hrs. is Eddie Murphy as a streetwise criminal and Nick Nolte as the grizzled detective who springs him out of prison to help him track down his partner-in-crime, who’s on the loose in San Francisco.

8 Caddyshack (1980)

Chevy Chase and Bill Murray lead the star-studded ensemble of Caddyshack, Harold Ramis’ absurdist classic that doesn’t follow much of a plot and presents itself instead as a series of hysterical vignettes.

The movie touches on the class divide between the wealthy members of a country club and the struggling kids who carry their golf clubs around, but it mostly just has fun with fart jokes, bedroom farce, and a gopher terrorizing the golf course.

7 This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer — all of whom have been SNL cast members at some stage — teamed up to form the satirical rock band Spinal Tap. One of the most renowned comedic musical acts of all time, Spinal Tap is best-known for its mockumentary profile, This is Spinal Tap.

Directed by Rob Reiner under the guise of documentarian Marty DiBergi, This is Spinal Tap is arguably the most iconic music mockumentary ever made and a spot-on lampoon of the big-label rock ‘n’ roll industry.

6 Coming To America (1988)

Eddie Murphy was perfectly matched opposite Arsenio Hall in Coming to America, the tale of an African prince who travels to New York to escape his arranged marriage and find true love. The movie is filled with hilarious supporting performances, many of which are given by Murphy and Hall themselves in heavy makeup.

The movie got a sequel recently that introduced Akeem’s children and explored Zamunda in greater detail, but like most belated comedy sequels, it paled in comparison to the classic original.

5 The Blues Brothers (1980)

One of the only truly great feature-length comedies to be adapted from a Saturday Night Live sketch, John Landis’ The Blues Brothers immortalized Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s sunglasses-wearing musical duo with real cinematic panache.

With cameos by music legends like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin and an action-packed finale that set the record for most cars destroyed for a film production, The Blues Brothers is an unforgettable classic.

4 When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Billy Crystal has a long, complicated history with SNL. He was supposed to appear in the premiere episode but had to drop out. He later became a cast member in season 10 after having hosted the show twice in season 9.

In 1989, Crystal starred alongside Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made. Nora Ephron’s script captures a lot of real human emotions with warmth and humor, but the movie’s true MVP is Crystal and Ryan’s unparalleled on-screen chemistry.

3 National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

John Hughes turned his National Lampoon article about a hellish family vacation into an R-rated comedy starring SNL’s Chevy Chase as well-meaning but unhinged suburban dad Clark Griswold and Beverly D’Angelo as his wife Ellen.

Originating such tropes as falling asleep at the wheel and losing an elderly family member along the way, National Lampoon’s Vacation is the quintessential family road trip movie.

2 Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Eddie Murphy became an overnight superstar when he played the lead role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop. The original script was developed as a brutal, hard-hitting action thriller to star Sylvester Stallone, but it was reworked into a lighthearted comedy as a starring vehicle for Murphy.

The role of Axel gave Murphy plenty of opportunities to improvise as he goes undercover with various personas to get access to buildings for an off-the-books investigation into his friend’s murder.

1 Ghostbusters (1984)

Dan Aykroyd originally wrote Ghostbusters to star himself and his SNL co-stars, John Belushi and Eddie Murphy. However, Belushi passed away and Murphy had scheduling conflicts, so the other two roles were instead filled by Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, who also came aboard as a co-writer to ground Aykroyd’s wacky intergalactic story in some kind of tangible reality.

The final product is one of the greatest comedies ever made, a relatable going-into-business story about three down-on-their-luck guys trying to make a living by exterminating ghostly spirits.

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3465 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

More From Ben Sherlock