A Night at the Roxbury

1998

Directed by John Fortenberry

Welcome back to Movie Monday, folks! We’re continuing our journey through my personal hall of shame – aka the worst movies I’ve ever had the misfortune of watching. Remember, this list is based purely on my opinion, so your mileage may vary. Today’s feature presentation? The 1998 comedy that answers the question absolutely no one was asking: “What if we took a three-minute SNL sketch and stretched it into a 90-minute movie?” That’s right, we’re diving headfirst into the glittery, head-bobbing world of A Night at the Roxbury.

The Setup

For those of you lucky enough to have missed this cinematic… let’s call it an “experience,” A Night at the Roxbury follows the misadventures of Steve and Doug Butabi, two brothers with more hair gel than brain cells. Their life goal? To get into the Roxbury, an exclusive LA nightclub. That’s it. That’s the plot. Oh, and they bob their heads. A lot.

I first encountered this movie in the early 2000s, probably while channel surfing through TBS or Comedy Central. You know those moments when you stumble upon something so bewildering that you can’t look away? Yeah, it was like that, except less entertaining and more painfully unfunny.

The “Comedy”

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that humor is subjective. What makes me laugh might leave you stone-faced, and vice versa. But A Night at the Roxbury seems to operate on a plane of comedy that’s incomprehensible to mere mortals like myself. The jokes, if we can call them that, mostly revolve around the Butabi brothers being socially inept, creepy towards women, and… did I mention they bob their heads?

The movie takes the one-note premise of the SNL sketch – two clueless guys trying to pick up women at clubs – and attempts to build an entire narrative around it. It’s like trying to construct a skyscraper on a foundation of Jell-O. It wobbles, it jiggles, and ultimately, it collapses under its own weight.

The Cast

Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan reprise their roles as the Butabi brothers, Steve and Doug. Now, I’ve enjoyed Ferrell in other movies, but here? It’s like watching a master chef trying to make a gourmet meal out of Spam and stale bread. There’s only so much you can do with the material.

Interestingly, I later learned that Ferrell and Kattan reportedly couldn’t stand each other during filming. This tidbit actually explains a lot about their on-screen dynamic, or lack thereof. Their chemistry is about as electric as a wet sponge, which, coincidentally, is also a good description of the movie’s script.

The supporting cast includes some talented actors like Molly Shannon, Dan Hedaya, and even a cameo from Richard Grieco (because nothing says “1998” like a Richard Grieco cameo). But even their combined efforts can’t elevate this movie beyond its flimsy premise.

The Music

If there’s one silver lining to this glittery cloud of a movie, it’s the soundtrack. Say what you will about the plot, the characters, or the jokes, but A Night at the Roxbury nails the late ’90s club scene soundtrack. Haddaway’s “What Is Love” became inextricably linked with the head-bobbing Roxbury guys, for better or worse. The movie also features hits from Amber, La Bouche, and Ace of Base, effectively capturing the Euro-dance fever of the era.

In fact, the soundtrack might be the only aspect of the movie that’s aged somewhat gracefully. While the fashion and humor feel painfully dated, the music still has the power to get people moving – or at least bobbing their heads ironically.

The Cultural Context

To understand how this movie came to be, we need to take a quick trip back to the late ’90s. It was a time when Saturday Night Live wielded considerable cultural influence, and movie studios seemed convinced that any popular SNL sketch could be turned into box office gold.

A Night at the Roxbury rode the coattails of this trend, following in the footsteps of movies like Wayne’s World, Coneheads, and It’s Pat. However, it proved to be less Wayne’s World and more It’s Pat in terms of quality and reception.

The movie also attempts to capture the vapid, hedonistic attitude of the late ’90s club scene. In that sense, it succeeds almost too well, presenting a world so shallow and mindless that it becomes hard to care about anyone or anything happening on screen.

The Legacy

So, how has A Night at the Roxbury aged in the years since its release? About as well as a gallon of milk left out in the sun. The humor, heavily reliant on stereotypes and cringe-worthy attempts at picking up women, feels even more outdated and uncomfortable now than it did then.

That said, the movie has achieved a certain level of cult status. Whether it’s due to nostalgia, ironic appreciation, or genuine enjoyment (hey, I don’t judge… much), A Night at the Roxbury has managed to stick around in the cultural consciousness. If nothing else, it’s a time capsule of late ’90s fashion, music, and what passed for comedy at the time.

The Verdict

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “please gouge my eyes out” and 10 being “cinematic masterpiece,” I’d generously give A Night at the Roxbury a 3. And that’s mostly for the soundtrack and the unintentional comedic value of watching talented actors try to salvage this script.

A Night at the Roxbury serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of stretching a thin premise beyond its breaking point. It’s a reminder that not every SNL sketch needs a feature-length adaptation. In fact, most of them don’t.

But here’s the thing: as much as I dislike this movie, I can’t deny its place in late ’90s pop culture. It’s like a piece of cinematic junk food – devoid of nutritional value, potentially harmful in large doses, but weirdly satisfying for some. And hey, at least it gave us an excuse to bob our heads to “What Is Love” for eternity.

In Conclusion

A Night at the Roxbury is not a good movie. It’s not even a “so bad it’s good” movie. It exists in its own category of “how did this get made?” cinema. But it’s a testament to the strange alchemy of filmmaking that even a movie this poorly conceived can find its audience and leave a mark on popular culture.

So, what do you think? Am I being too harsh on the Butabi brothers? Did A Night at the Roxbury speak to your inner club-goer? Or do you agree that this movie should be locked away in a time capsule, never to see the light of day again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And remember, no matter how bad your day gets, at least you’re not stuck in an infinite loop of head-bobbing to “What Is Love.” Unless you’re into that sort of thing. No judgment here.

Stay tuned for next week’s Movie Monday, where we’ll take a break from my personal worst-of list to dive into another classic piece of Disney animation. Until then, keep your standards high and your expectations low!