Celebrate Sandler’s favorite holiday, Hanukkah, with him this winter

Celebrate Sandlers favorite holiday, Hanukkah, with him this winter

by Mindy Marks

Burping, farting and poo are littered throughout Adam Sandler’s new animated musical comedy “Eight Crazy Nights.”

Davey Stone (Sandler) wreaks havoc on the town of Dukesberry, until one crazy night when he pushes things too far. The judge, in order to keep the holiday spirit alive, offers Stone an ultimatum: He can spend time volunteering or go to jail for 10 years.

Whitey, also voiced by Sandler, is an elf-like, junior high school basketball referee. Whitey, with his uniquely deformed feet, steps in and offers Stone an assistant referee position.

Later, after Stone’s trailer burns down, Whitey, with a heart bigger than Indianola, invites Stone to live with him and his fraternal twin sister Eleanor, also voiced by Sandler. Stone does not show a lot of gratitude to his hosts.

“The director told us the movie wasn’t any different than a regular Adam Sandler movie, but the animated character seemed more vicious than Sandler’s characters in other movies,” said senior Jessica Braunschweig who hung around after a specuak screening of Sandler’s film in Orlando for a q&a with the director, Seth Kearsley.

It was shocking to actually have issues raised in an Adam Sandler movie, but he really touches on how hard it can be to deal with death around the holidays and memories that resurrect themselves throughout during this time.

We find out that Stone hates the holidays almost as much as he hates himself. Stone’s unwillingness to deal with emotions related to a tragic childhood event lead him down a bumpy path.

This movie almost pulls at the heart, unlike some of Sandler’s earlier comedies like “Happy Gilmore.”

Is Sandler losing his touch? No, this movie is obviously a product from Sandler.

The junior high toilet humor we’ve come to expect from Sandler shines through as he makes fun of everyone from the overweight kid to Mrs. Triple Nipple.

This movie is built on holiday clichés, like the house that is covered in so many Christmas lights that it resembles a runway. Instances where all of the characters randomly break out into song and know the same choreographed dance are common throughout “Eight Crazy Nights”.

Fans of Sandler’s earlier work on “Saturday Night Live” will appreciate moments where he slips into old characters like Opera Man.

The movie was made “with half of the budget in half of the time,” said Allen Covert, screenwriter and producer.

While this is obvious, the animation is still fairly realistic. The snow is dirtier in more industrial parts of the city and on Whitey’s car dashboard there is a bobbing head and the visor actually has maps stuck in it.

Maybe it won’t win an Oscar, but if there is one reason for audience members not to walk out of the theater it is the third rendition of the classic Hanukah song that plays during the credits.

“I think it should be a new one added to the holiday classics,” said Braunschweig.

This movie is rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking and brief drug references. “Eight Crazy Nights” will be in theaters November 27. Runtime is approximately 71 minutes.