Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights
Has any film genre been more underrepresented than the animated Hanukkah holiday gross-out? This Adam Sandler vehicle (basedveryloosely on his loopySNLfave "Chanukah Song," which gets yet another remake herein) may take its musical/comedic cues fromSouth Park, throwing everything from alcoholism to incontinent reindeer into the mix--not to mention the eight songs on this brief soundtrack. But the results seem a looooong way from the satirical glories that Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Marc Shaiman evoked onBigger, Longer and Uncut. Indeed, the overwrought songs (some credited to as many as five writers, including Sandler and fellowSNLalum Robert Smigel) here are often so far from Sandler's original goofy-guy-with-a-guitar musical ethos that they might seem alien to even the comedian's most faithful fans. The bonus material seems as generous as the musical selections are sparse, and includes three animated clips, screensavers, a message from Sandler, an NBA clip directed by the comedian, and a brief video of him celebrating the holiday with Meatball, his dog. If you think a yarmulke-wearing bulldog is the pinnacle of contemporary wit, this may just be the disc for you.--Jerry McCulley