There have been more than 150 cast members of “Saturday Night Live” in the 50 years that the iconic sketch comedy show has been on the air Since its inception, “SNL” has been a solid launching pad for successful comedy careers, and many former “SNL” cast members have gone on to become major movie stars

While there have been many films based specifically on sketches and characters from “SNL,” the show's alumni have mostly succeeded by creating new creations, including long-running films that have become fundamental to pop culture in honor of “SNL” Season 50, “SNL” 's long and lively history, here are seven of the best comedy films by the most notable talents

The best films based on “SNL” sketches succeed by expanding their scope and giving cartoonish characters recognizable personalities and motivations Mike Myers and Dana Carvey play Wayne Campbell and Garth Alger, two sleazy metalheads living in suburban Illinois who host a weekly public television show from Wayne's basement In the film, they pop out of their basement when a corrupt TV producer (Rob Lowe) offers to show their show to a wider audience

Director Penelope Sfieris balances the sketchy story structure with the surprisingly sweet romance between Wayne and musician Cassandra Wong (Tia Carrere) and the even sweeter bond between best friends Wayne and Garth Myers and Carvey make a hilarious duo, head-banging enthusiastically to Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” and making poor jokes about the unaware sponsors of their show

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Will Ferrell's post-“SNL” career has been filled with characters who might have appeared in an “SNL” sketch: in “Anchorman,” set in 1970s San Diego, Ferrell is a female plays a proud, out-of-the-ordinary news anchor who is frightened to work with anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) The film ridicules the pervasive sexism of the time while also making Ron and his male chauvinist colleagues strangely endearing

Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and “SNL” native David Koechner play Ron's boneheaded fellow broadcasters, and the film features many “SNL” actors in small roles The Anchorman is an absurdist comedy that spawns dozens of Internet memes and holds up remarkably well on repeated viewings It's easy to see why Ron remains one of Ferrell's most enduring characters

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Eddie Murphy, one of the bright spots during a low point in “SNL” history, shows off his range in this good-natured comedy, playing several roles at once Murphy stars as Akeem Joffer, a prince in a fictional African country He rejects an arranged marriage planned by his parents and travels to New York, determined to find a woman who will love him for who he is, not for his royal status

The result is a pampered akeem and his faithful assistant Semi (Arsenio Hall, who plays several roles in one) who must adjust to life in the undercover working class, resulting in plenty of gentle out-of-water comedy Coming to America, one of Eddie Murphy's best films, is heartwarming without being obnoxious, always choosing common topics rather than mean-spirited humor, and Murphy's charm makes it all work

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Kristen Wiig was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing this ode to female friendship, but is far from prestigious award fodder The film is a stylish comedy about an anxious woman (Wiig) whose life spirals out of control after she learns that her best friend (Maya Rudolph) is getting married Both Wiig and Rudolph are “SNL” favorites and do a fine job of portraying longtime friends who are going through a major life transition

And though often overshadowed by Melissa McCarthy in her breakout role as the bride's enthusiastic future sister-in-law, “Bridesmaids” is a true ensemble piece, with each of the main cast members given their moment to shine Wig and co-writer Annie Mumolo come up with outrageous comedic set pieces, and director Paul Feig directs them with perfect comic timing

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Early “SNL” stars Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray teamed up for this 1980s classic, leading to a franchise that continues today Aykroyd, Murray, and Harold Lymis star in this goofy paranormal comedy as three disgraced college professors with an interest in the paranormal who make a business out of exterminating ghosts in New York City Ernie Hudson plays the fourth member, Sigourney Weaver is the client and love interest, and Annie Potts is the Ghostbusters' secretary

Director Ivan Reitman effectively blends large-scale action and special effects with the stars' offbeat sense of humor, never sacrificing laughs for scares Ghostbusters is a thrilling blockbuster spectacle that is also consistently funny”

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Chevy Chase has a tenuous relationship with “SNL,” despite attending retrospectives and reunions, but he was also the first successful “SNL” performer in the film industry, most notably in the “Vacation” series in the third “Vacation” film, Clark Griswold, played by Chase, and his family stay home for the vacations and are visited by various family members, including Clark's wife Ellen's (Beverly D'Angelo) unsociable cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid)

Chase's talent for physical comedy is on full display in “Christmas Vacation,” as Clark is forced into various humiliating situations in a desperate attempt to give his family the perfect Christmas Quaid, Julia Lewis-Dreyfus (as Clark's snooty neighbor), and Brian Doyle-Murray (as Clark's insensitive boss) have all appeared briefly on “SNL,” and in “Christmas Vacation,” maniacal, sometimes naughty humor and nostalgic family The film mixes maniacal, sometimes raunchy humor with nostalgic family togetherness

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Andy Samberg has gotten into the groove of playing lovable goofballs since “SNL” Samberg and Christine Milioti play two discordant guests at a wedding in Palm Springs, California Niles, played by Samberg, is stuck in a loop before inadvertently drawing Sarah, played by Milioti, into the loop, and the two are forced to constantly relive Sarah's sister's wedding day as they have a heart-to-heart

“Palm Springs” is a witty comedy, a clever sci-fi story, and a winning romance in which Samberg and Milioti are perfectly placed at the center of a couple with opposite attractions Director Max Barbakoff and screenwriter Andy Ciara both embrace and subvert the conventions of time-loop films, keeping the audience guessing as to the outcome of both the central love story and the cosmic conundrum

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