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James Signorelli

James Signorelli

Director, cinematographer and producer

James Signorelli is an American film director and cinematographer. He was the film segment producer for more than 400 episodes of Saturday Night Live from 1976 until 2011. He has produced many of the commercial parodies for which the show is noted.

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Director, cinematographer and producer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 71% in 30 days

What are James Signorelli's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Power.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
29%
Power
19%
Bonds
17%
Ideas
14%
Morality
11%
Self
10%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 3 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Absurd
4
Warm
2
Tense
1
Triumphant
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Signorelli's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Signorelli's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

23 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • An SNL Thanksgiving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director

  • An SNL Valentine(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • 50 Years of NBC Late Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Hotel Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The Best of the Blues Brothers(1993)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Elvira: Mistress of the Dark(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment(1985)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Easy Money(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Randy Newman: Live at the Odeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Producer

  • Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Producer

  • The Beach Boys: It's OK (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • The Beach Boys: It's OK (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 164 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Black Caesar(1973)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Super Fly(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Moonwalk One(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Associate Producer

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles from 1970 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)

$56M worldwide

Highest rated

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Midcredits 72nd

Most popular right now

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing13 of 20: 13 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thProducing3 of 20: 3 only producing, 0 with another roleCinematography3 of 20: 3 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 20: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s6 · crew1980s5 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s4 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do James Signorelli's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 9; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director

An SNL Valentine (2015)

88th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Best of the Blues Brothers (1993)

Midcredits 91st · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 65/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Signorelli's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 54 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does James Signorelli work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Signorelli's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Beth McCarthy-Miller shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers