Summary
Phil Hartman was one of the most versatile comedians of his time: whether he was playing the voice of Troy McClure on "The Simpsons" or portraying the pompous Bill McNeal on "NewsRadio", his comedy was always fresh and outrageous. His breakthrough was as a cast member of the late-night program "Saturday Night Live", where he satirized everything from politics (Bill Clinton, Admiral Stockdale--Ross Perot's misguided running mate--and Barbara Bush) to entertainment (Frank Sinatra and Phil Donahue), creating unforgettable characters along the way. This "best of" video captures his funniest "SNL" moments and includes the TV special "Saturday Night Live Remembers Phil Hartman" plus more. Among the highlights are the commercial "Compulsion"; Bill Clinton jogging to a fast-food joint (which, filmed long before the Lewinsky incident, seems surprisingly prescient as Clinton comments, "There's gonna be a whole bunch of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton. Fast food is the least of our worries."); Discover the World of Science, where Hartman portrays an annoyingly daft TV host to Jon Lovitz's scientist; Barbara Bush hosting Nancy Reagan at tea in the White House; Cooking with the Anal Retentive Chef; and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. Brief snippets of Hartman in a variety of his roles show some classic moments without slowing down the pace of the collection. This video also features "SNL" cast members Dana Carvey, Jan Hook, Chris Rock, Chris Farley, Victoria Jackson, and more. Of all the "Saturday Night Live" retrospectives, this is one of the most consistently funny compilations and truly showcases the best of Phil Hartman. "--Jenny Brown"