By: Brian Maddox
Photos: THT/Brian Maddox/Fiendish Maven Media
Birmingham, AL (The Hollywood Times) 10/8/2024 – Back in the mid 1990’s, nothing was more stimulating than gathering in front of the television on a Saturday evening and waiting patiently for the clock to land on 10:30 pm so as to catch one of the many performers of this renowned variety sketch show proudly issue its trademark edict:
“LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!!”
Saturday Night Live during the post-Cold War decade of the 90’s was without a doubt a definitive linchpin of satirical comedy in how it was renowned for boldly lampooning various cultural and political events that had plagued the era.
Ranging from the tragic spectacle of the O.J. Simpson murder trial to the blatant absurdity of the Clinton-Lewinsky sex scandal, no topic was deemed impermissible or marked as safe from the staff of bold and talented writers situated within Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York.
In its 21st season, Saturday Night Live, or SNL introduced to the cast a budding standup comedian named Jim Breuer. During his 3-season run, Breuer showcased his madcap comedic stylings and stellar proficiency in delivering dead-on impressions among the ilk of Joe Pesci, Mark Wahlberg and his own bizarre creation known simply as Goat Boy, a Tourettes inspired half human/half hollow horned hybrid that would bray uncontrollably mid-sentence.
Breuer’s star-making stint on SNL would come to an end in 1998 after he had made the decision to leave the show due to strong allegations that a skit idea, he’d written had been stolen by fellow cast member, Chris Kattan. From there, he would eventually be tapped by comedy legend Dave Chappelle to co-star in the cult classic stoner comedy, Half Baked as Brian, the incessantly blitzed giggler of the group. After grossing $17.5 million in 1998 box office numbers, the film scarcely broke even on its $8 million budget, but earned quite a profit on the home video market.
In 2003, MTV aired its first and only Icon special honoring the mighty Metallica with the band itself in attendance observing various live performances of their classic songs from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Limp Bizkit and KoRn. In one of the most memorable comedic performances in this writer’s opinion, Jim Breuer entered the stage to deliver a brief comedy set accompanied by a badass rhythm section. What follows is quite possibly the best ever impressions of the eccentricities of both James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, which I HIGHLY recommend searching for on YouTube if you’re in dire need of a hearty laugh. As a lifelong Metallica fan, Breuer was eventually blessed with the highest honor bestowed upon any performer by way of being the opening act for Metallica’s “WorldWired” tour in early 2019.
From a March 24, 2019, quote from Blabbermouth.net, Breuer says:
“We became friends in the 90’s. I met [Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich] and we became friends, then I actually got really close with [vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield] and our families and kids grew up together.”
At 57 years old, Breuer is still making the rounds on the comedy circuit and drawing sellout crowds with his always straightforward blend of observational humor and his passion is still very much evident in his performance; so much so that it took every ounce of self-control within my body to maintain my camera’s steadiness due to my incessant laughter throughout the course of the evening.
For more information on Jim Breuer and his comedy tour, please visit:
Instagram: (@jimbreuer_official)
Facebook: Jim Breuer
X: @JimBreuer
