Featured TV on DVD Review: Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler
September 24, 2010
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler - Buy from Amazon
For much of his time on Saturday Night Live, Adam Sandler was widely considered the funniest person on the show. Ahhhh, the joys of Cut & Paste. Anyhoo, like the Eddie Murphy DVD I just reviewed, this one is a re-release with a new bonus section. So the question remains, is it worth upgrading to, or at least picking up?
As I previously mentioned, it was during Eddie Murphy's tenure on SNL that I first became a fan of the show. However, it was during Adam Sandler's tenure that I stopped watching the show. (With the rapid departure of Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and finally Mike Myers by the time Adam Sandler was at his peak in popularity, I wasn't paying attention to the show anymore.) That said, he did create a number of memorable characters and was part of many classic skits, some of which are collected on this DVD, starting with...
The extras include a monologue from when Alec Baldwin was host, which featured Adam Sandler as Canteen Boy. There are also a couple bonus songs, a couple Canjunman skits, and a couple Halloween Costume suggestion skits. That's a total of 22 minutes of bonus skits, but there are more misses than hits.
Adam Sandler is currently the biggest box office draw out of the Saturday Night Live alumni; however, while he's had a lot of big hits, most of his films have earned terrible reviews. I find his films more miss than hit, and so it comes has no surprise that the The Best of... DVD is the same. If you are a fan of his, then it is worth picking up, with with only 22 minutes of new material, it is not worth the upgrade.
Adam Sandler didn't mature as a comedian until after his days on Saturday Night Live, which means a lot of this set is skits that are repetitive, juvenile, or offensive. Some of the jokes about Hillary Clinton, gays in the military, etc. have not aged well because of this. Additionally, how many skits were little more than Adam Sandler doing a funny voice. There are some very funny skits, but the hit to miss ratio is off.
Adam Sandler's arguably best known for his musical comedy, so it makes sense to start the DVD with a song. Here he's singing a song about why he won't be getting any gifts from Santa this year.
Adam Sandler and David Spade star as sales girls at The Gap that are less than useless at their jobs. Alec Baldwin guest stars as a guy who had a one night stand with both of them. Good guest star, bad skit.
Ever wonder what would it be like if those overly macho beer commercials were aimed at gay men? Here's your answer.
The first of four Opera Man skits. So if you like these bits, you are in luck.
A.k.a., The Waterboy goes camping.
One of Adam Sandler's best-known songs. If this wasn't included, this DVD would have been useless.
Adam Sandler plays a man whose girlfriend dumped him, so he creates a talk show on local cable to wallow in self-pity.
With Courteney Cox as host, Adam Sandler does a Bruce Springsteen impression to recreate the "Dancing in the Dark" music video.
Sandler is among a group of hotel staff at an Italian hotel taking care of a couple on their honeymoon. Playing up on the Italian stereotype, the staff are all over the woman.
More opera man.
Chris Farley plays Beverly and Adam Sandler plays Hank, a married couple planning their wedding anniversary, so they look through the Zagat's guide. The comedic timing is off in this skit.
Cajun Man stops by Weekend Update to talk about spring break, in what appears to be a skit entirely designed to show off an incredibly bad Cajun accent.
An ode to lunch ladies with Chris Farley dancing in the titular role.
Even more Opera Man.
Adam Sandler plays a grandmother that lives with her two grandsons: Joey (Michael Keaton) and Bobbie (Chris Farley). While Joey has a girl over, he gets Bobbie to keep Grandma busy, but Grandma only wants Joey.
Adam Sandler offers suggestions on Halloween costumes that don't cost any money.
Need a house sitter? Herlihy really, really wants the job.
In the same vein as the World War II propaganda cartoons that depicted the Japanese has having slanty eyes and big buck teeth. This is so over-the-top that it has to be a parody, right?
And finally we end on Opera Man. Sort of.
The closing credits from the original TV broadcast of this special. I think. The Extras
The Verdict
- Submitted by: C.S.Strowbridge
Filed under: Video Review