Adam Sandler – We Are Movie Geeks

JAY KELLY – Review

With all the manic activity, preparations, shopping, and general “hub-bub” that fills the holiday season, most of us have precious little “downtime” to reflect. If you do get a “breather” you might pause to mull over your relationships with family and friends. And perhaps not all those memories are seen through “rose colored glasses”. Yup, regret can be an unexpected source for the end-of-the-year blues. This new film proclaims that those “pangs” can even affect the very-rich and famous. That includes iconic Hollywood “A-listers”, like the title character of this movie. And the “m-word” certainly applies to him because there are few movie stars that have been at the top of the box office longer than that “leading man” with the “matinée idol looks”, Mr. JAY KELLY.

Naturally, when we first meet Jay Kelly (George Clooney) he’s on a movie set, wrapping up his final scene. Right at his side is his devoted longtime manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), as they hear “Cut!”. Back at his lush estate, Jay meets with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s preparing to join some school friends on a train trip through Europe. Jay tries to convince her to cancel and hang out with him between acting gigs. She declines just as Ron delivers a big bombshell: the director that gave Jay his “big break”, Peter Schnieder (Jim Broadbent), has died. Jay then recalls their last get together when he passed on Peter’s last film project. After attending the funeral, Jay runs into his old acting-school buddy, Tim (Billy Crudup), who suggests that the two get a drink at their old dive bar hangout. Things turn sour when Tim recalls how Jay got a role he had wanted, Their reunion ends in a fistfight on the sidewalk. The next day, Ron does damage control as Jay hits him with a bombshell. Rather than work on a new project with a hot directing duo, he’ll go to a Tuscany film festival that wants to honor him with a career award. But Jay doesn’t want another piece for his mantel. He makes a few clandestine calls, and finds out Daisy’s travel itinerary by following her BFF’s credit card trail. With Ron in tow, along with his long-time publicist Liz (Laura Dern), the “Kelly crew” flies to France where they board Daisy’s train. Along the way, Jay reconnects with the “common folk” while drifting in and out of memories before the big event in Italy, where he’ll encounter more folks from his troubled past.

So Clooney as a long-time, decades-spanning screen icon…not much of a stretch, sure. The guy has enough charm to spare, or at least for a couple more years. But here he peels back the sparkle to show the melancholy at Jay’s core. We see the sadness edging out that boyish twinkle in his eye as Clooney projects an unexpected vulnerability when Kelly realizes that time may not heal all wounds. His pairing with Sandler as the put-upon “wrangler” Ron is most inspired. Yes, Ron’s devoted to Jay, but Sandler shows us how the countless frustrations are boiling to the surface, ready to dour some hot steam into that suave mug. And he shows how his own family is losing the “tug-of-war” with Kelly. Dern’s great as another senior member of the “crew” who has his own regrets concerning her past with Ron. As Liz, Dern channels the staccato line delivery of those classic movie workin’ gals.The supporting cast is very impressive, including Patrick Wilson as another star in Ron’s “stable” (their Dinner “confab” is a highlight), Stacy Keach as the “rough around the edges” reminder of Jay’s boyhood, and Riley Keough as the elder Kelly daughter who is immune to papa’s “too late” attempts to reconnect. But the big standout may be the superb early-in-the-story turn by Crudup as the affable at first, old method acting buddy who suddenly bares his fangs on the startled “old pal”.

This is the latest work of one of the medium’s most interesting filmmakers, Noah Baumbach, who crafted the script with actress Emily Mortimer, who also plays Jay’s hairstylist Candy. This is a more grounded story than many of his more fanciful flicks like his WHITE NOISE, but not nearly as emotionally raw as MARRIAGE STORY. He gives us an interesting “insider’s view” of the industry, with riffs on several current stars and their scandals (now, who might those directing brothers be). Plus, Noah does dip his toe into fantasy with his unique flashback “transitions”. Suddenly, Jay will work through a day and be plunged into a major mistake from his past (he’s on his first movie set, he’s at a therapy session with one of his kids). We get some nice comic bits with the cute train passengers who adjust to the big star quickly. Oh, and that location works, especially in Tuscany, is quite dazzling. Though this can get a bit too fluffy and “navel-gazing”, the story does make its point concerning the consequences of putting your career first since in the non-soundstage world, we don’t get a second “take” to make things right. That’s a good lesson for moviegoers and movie stars like JAY KELLY.

3 out of 4

JAY KELLY is now steaming exclusively on Netflix

Noah Baumbach Teams Up With George Clooney And Adam Sandler In First JAY KELLY Trailer – Coming To Netflix Fall 2025

Jay Kelly. (L-R) George Clooney as Jay Kelly and Adam Sandler as Ron Sukenick on the set of Jay Kelly. Cr. Peter Mountain/Netflix © 2025.

JAY KELLY, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.

The teaser trailer features “Jay Kelly Theme,” an original score by Nicholas Britell.

The cast includes George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge, Charlie Rowe.

JAY KELLY opens in select theaters November 14 and on Netflix December 5.

Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81551446

SPACEMAN Trailer Features Adam Sandler And Giant Spider-like Alien

SPACEMAN. Adam Sandler as Jakub in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

Netflix’s upcoming movie SPACEMAN hits the streaming service on March 1st.

Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Adam Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship. Hanuš (voiced by Paul Dano) works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late.

Directed by Johan Renck and based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, the film also stars Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81301595

“I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” director Johan Renck told Netflix. “I don’t think people understand how [although] he may come across as funny and sweet and all that, he’s very intelligent, really smart, profound.” All of those qualities had to come to bear for Spaceman: For most of the film, Sandler is alone on-screen — or sharing scenes with the mysterious creature who appears on the final leg of his interstellar mission.

SPACEMAN. (L to R) Hanus (voice by Paul Dano) and Adam Sandler as Jakub in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

On the subject of that creature: the giant spider-like alien known as Hanuš is voiced by a familiar screen presence, Okja star Paul Dano. “Paul was the first thing that came up in thinking about [the creature],” Renck said. “He has this peculiar cadence when he’s speaking, his careful formulation of words, and his very unique voice.” So not to worry, folks: Sandler won’t be entirely alone up there in the stars.

SPACEMAN will have its world premiere as part of the “Berlinale Special” programme at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival before the film hits Netflix.

For more on the film: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/spaceman-adam-sandler-release-date-photos

SPACEMAN. (Featured) Kunal Nayyar as Peter in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

SPACEMAN. (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

Adam Sandler Stars In First Look At Netflix’s SPACEMAN

The highly anticipated SPACEMAN debuts on Netflix March 1, 2024. Starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano, watch the first preview below.

Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Adam Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship. HanuÅ¡ (voiced by Paul Dano) works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late.

Directed by Johan Renck and based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, the film also stars Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini.

SPACEMAN. (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Hanus in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

UNCUT GEMS – Review

After an opening prologue that shows the pain caused by the opal mines in Ethiopia, the camera takes the viewer on a journey through the precious uncut stone at the center of the story. It’s colorful, flashy and larger than life, captivating in a way that makes it hard to look away. This is also how you would describe the mind and life of the film’s central character, Howard. And as the story progresses, both the stone and character are always moving, being talked about it, and causing pain and tragedy. UNCUT GEMS tells an unabashedly Jewish story in the vein of the Coen Brothers and the Old Testament long before them, revolving around the moral lesson of learning through suffering. It’s a modern parable about the determination and will to succeed (but at what cost), and it confidently rises to the top as one of the best films of 2019.

Everyone in the “Diamond District” knows Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler). Making just as many enemies as friends, Howard is a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. Frequently ignoring his wife (Idina Menzel) and family, Howard chooses to move through life at a break-neck pace through a frenzy of backdoor deals, lavish parties, and late nights with his secret mistress (Julia Fox). When basketball star Kevin Garnett steps into his shop and borrows Howard’s rare uncut gem to bring him luck at his game that night, it triggers a series of high-stakes bets that leads Howard toward a downward spiral that he might not be able to get out of.

Sandler plays this self-involved antihero with unbelievable gusto and fearlessness – a level we haven’t seen on screen from him in years. Writing and directing duo Benny and Josh Safdie purposefully center almost every scene around Sandler as his performance becomes mesmerizing. Just as Howard gets sucked into robbing from Peter to pay Paul, the audience somehow begins to root for this two-timing hustler. Think fast, worry about the consequences later is how he handles every situation, but in the hands of the Safdies, there is controlled chaos – a captivating sound mix of cell phones, door alarms, ticking clocks, electronic music, and Sandler’s anxious bravado.

Julia Fox ensures that the character of Julia is seen as more than just Howard’s mistress. There is a genuine sense of love and commitment to him that goes beyond what she’s willing to do by the end of the film. The way she looks at him with admiring eyes isn’t in a money-hungry manner, but more out of a belief in him as a person – accepting him, flaws and all, much like the audience is meant to perceive him. Much like Howard, the Safdies never look down on the complications of Julia, and like the film HUSTLERS earlier this year, they present a natural and sex-positive approach to a character that doesn’t typically receive the respect that most stories provide.

The extended anxiety created by the editing and camerawork is a bit much at times. The Safdie’s are practically encouraging the audience to have a panic attack. While the experience is an exhausting affair with few moments for the audience or for Sandler to catch their breath, it’s hard not to applaud the immersive element of the story. A feeling of dread and adrenaline is palpable throughout, as one tense moment is followed by another. The mental and physical abuse he puts himself and his loved ones through is agonizing, but in the mind of Howard, high-risk gives way to high-reward.

UNCUT GEMS is one of the best examples of representing addiction put to screen. In Howard’s constant dealings and trades and risky bets, Sandler represents the journey of an addict chasing the “high.” While his particular universe might be foreign for many of us, his dependency and obsessiveness make him a tragic antihero for the ages. As just an object, the jewel is meaningless to Howard. It doesn’t represent power or wealth – maybe to Kevin Garnett and his other friends it does – but for Howard, it’s just another pawn in his overly complicated game. It’s a game where he makes up the rules as he goes along, but one that he’s transfixed by and never wants to end. For him, this is a game that is more exhilarating and shines brighter than the winning prize. For audiences, this is a relentless and harrowing journey that is the personification of the famous adage, “Find something you love and let it kill you.”

Overall score: 5 out of 5

UNCUT GEMS is now playing in theaters everywhere

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION – Review

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION has fang-tastic movie monster characters, gorgeous animation, and a top-notch voice cast, and though it’s the weakest entry in this franchise so far, it still manages to be just enough fun to recommend. After a 19^th century prologue with Dracula (Adam Sandler) battling his nemesis Professor Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), Part 3 finds The Count continuing to run his monster Hotel in Transylvania along with his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) and her husband Johnny (Andy Samberg). A TV commercial encourages Mavis to surprise her dad with a trip on a luxury cruise liner for monsters that starts at the Bermuda Triangle and ends up in Atlantis, so the whole monster gang packs up for a fun adventure at sea. Complications arise when Dracula feels a “zing” (monster lingo for love at first sight) for the ship’s captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), who, unbeknownst to the Count, is the Great Granddaughter of Van Helsing, and is determined to destroy him. This all leads to a big showdown featuring both Van Helsings, a singing Kraken (Joe Jonas), and a DJ battle led by Johnny.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 SUMMER VACATION’s screenplay by Michael McCullers and director Genndy Tartakovsky is less sharp than the earlier scripts (which were written by Sandler and Robert Smigoff) though the new film is still chock full of fast-flying gags and non-stop visual puns. Tartakovsky clearly admires animators Chuck Jones and Tex Avery, cartoon legends who knew that you could derive just as many chuckles from a goofy walk or a stylized facial expression as you could from a well-delivered “spoken” joke. But because the new film is set at sea and far away from the titular Hotel, there are less Forry-esque monster puns and gags at hand, which to me was the basic appeal of this series. There are also at least three musical numbers, which is about two too many. The familiar characters all work well enough; Mel Brooks is back as Drac’s dad, playing him as a cross between Lugosi and a Jewish grandpa. Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as Wayne the Wolfman and his wife have the funniest subplot as they drop off their brood of dozens of offspring at the ship’s daycare and are unsure what to do with the time they have for themselves. David Spade returns as an invisible man who still gets big laughs pretending to have an invisible girlfriend. Andy Samberg plays Mavis’ slacker husband well, and I’ll admit Adam Sandler makes for a great Dracula. Aside from The Kracken, the only new characters are an odd school of fish that staff the cruise ship, and they are milked for a lot of bizarre, deadpan laughs. It’s never dull and while I wish it would have focused more on monster mayhem, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION works as worthy material for parents to distract their kids with.

3 of 5 Stars

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED) – The Review

THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED) is currently streaming on Netflix

Review by Stephen Tronicek

The first character that we’re introduced to in THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED), Noah Baumbach’s new best movie, ever is Danny (Adam Sandler) who feels like a pretty good representation of the film itself. As he drives around the streets of New York City, looking for a parking spot, his college-age daughter in tow, you see kindness in almost all of his actions. A need to please and connect with the young woman about to go off to college. And yet, every once in awhile, he snaps. Maybe it is the inability to actually find a parking spot, maybe it is the festering disconnect that he is having with his separated wife, maybe it is everything, but when push comes to shove Danny Meyerowitz screams f-words at drivers who can’t hear him when he doesn’t get his way.

How all of this ties into the thematic material of this incredible film is that each character is a microcosm of what the film is attempting. As the Meyerowitz’s come together, in a way that seems almost coincidental, and clash with each other about life, love, and family, the film itself keeps the audience from an arm’s length from the truth. For as much of the plot of the film is based in dialogue, none of the dialogue is very direct at all. Much like Baumbach’s other films, the characters here talk a lot, but they dance around the burning core of the film’s emotionality, never really spelling out what is wrong with them until a paramount moment that forces them too.

This makes for some really engaging drama in that the audience is constantly forced to decipher what anybody is actually saying, a balance that Baumbach has stricken before. What keeps all of it from becoming vapid is the both Baumbach’s direction and his editor seem perfectly matched. Part of the reason why the audience has to be engaged in the conversation is that Baumbach shoots his conversations in single shots and double shots, and cuts between them extremely quickly. This type of editing in effect is the film telling us that these people are talking over each other so quickly that even if they attempted to sit down and figure out what was actually wrong with all of them, they’d just end up putting each other down. The film developing the characters to a point of talking to each other is a great arc and the editing expertly evolves with this.

Baumbach’s talent of casting actors is honed to a fine point here, especially with the casting of Adam Sandler. Sandler has produced and starred in some truly horrendous works over the past few years, since his flagship turn in Punch Drunk Love, but he’s so good in The Meyerowitz Stories that you can’t help but identify the film as an interesting case study of his talents as an actor. Sandler is playing a Sandler character, an oafish man, seemingly beat down by life, that has a bit of a funny voice affectation, but every time he seems to get too close to what makes his other characters and films not work (i.e. not realizing that gross-out jokes, while not being necessary without merit do tend to exacerbate your tone and therefore your audience), he’s restrained back down to Earth, making this one of his best performances and also one of the best of the year. Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson all show up as other Meyerowitz players and while all three have been criminally underutilized in the past couple of years, each of them also provides some of the best performances of the year, especially Hoffman, who hasn’t been this good in a long time.

The Meyerowitz Stories is about a family developing into a functioning group, and in that way, it seems the perfect companion to Baumbach’s previous more nihilistic work (especially The Squid and the Whale). People come together and finally, after years of ignoring each other, find a way to get along. Much like the Sandler case, one can’t help but view the film by way of evolution in the artist’s oeuvre, a logical step towards optimism that is so joyous and comforting that you can’t help but feel good about life.

5 out of 5

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 – The Review

A worthy animated sequel, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 has lively monster design, fangtastic visuals, great characters, gorgeous animation, and a top-notch voice cast. It’s a lot of fun and if you liked the first one, you won’t be disappointed with the follow-up. Drac (Adam Sandler) and his pack of classic Universal monsters are back and everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania. Dracula’s rigid monster-only hotel policy has relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But behind closed coffins, Drac is concerned that his red-headed half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing signs of being a vampire. So while his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) is busy visiting her human in-laws (Megan Mullalley and Nick Offerman) with her husband Johnny (Andy Samburg), “Vampa” Drac enlists his monster friends Frank (enstein), Murray (the Mummy), Wayne (the Werewolf) and Griffin (the Invisible Man) to put Dennis through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. But Drac’s grumpy and very old, old-school dad Vlad pays a family visit to the hotel and when he finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood – and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania – things get batty!

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2’s screenplay by Sandler and Robert Smigel isn’t strong, but the film’s big laughs, and there are a lot of them, come from the visual side of the equation. Director Genndy Tartakovsky is clearly a big fan of the animated works of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery, cartoon legends who knew that you could earn just as many guffaws from a silly walk, a smash cut, or a stylized facial expression as you could from a well-delivered ‘spoken’ joke. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 is full of funny fast-flying gags and non-stop monster visual puns that would make Forry Ackerman proud. It’s a kid’s movie but since the talent behind both HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA films clearly has such affection and respect for the Universal movie monsters, older Monster Kids like myself will appreciate it as well. Adam Sandler, much more likable here than his recent live-action stuff, provides the voice for Count Dracula as sort of a cross between Lugosi and a Jewish grandma. Cee-Lo is not back as Murray the Mummy, a good thing since his excruciating auto-tune rap songs in the first one were a low point. David Spade returns as an invisible man who gets big laughs pretending to have an invisible girlfriend. Kevin James is back as Frankenstein but isn’t given much to do while Steve Busceli as Wayne the Wolfman is a scene-stealer again. There are some welcome new characters in the sequel. Megan Mullalley and deadpan Nick Offerman voice Johnny’s California human parents and Drac’s Uncle Vlad is voiced by comedy legend Mel Brooks. The sequel seems a notch less witty than its predecessor (someone yelling at Drac “I like your chocolate cereal!” may be the only line I laughed out loud at), and the focus is more on the zany, out of control gestures made by the characters instead of a genuinely substantial plot, but I still recommend HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2.

3 1/2 of 5 Stars

I AM CHRIS FARLEY – The Review

Directed by Brent Dodge, Eric Murray, written by Steve Burgess

With Chris Farley (archive footage), Dan Aykroyd, Christina Applegate, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Kevin P Farley, Tom Farley, Bo Derek, many others.

In the world of comedy certain talents stand out as heavyweights, both literally and figuratively. Large of both frame and talent very often these talented performers can seem more like a force of nature running amok in the mundane world, creating comedic chaos for our amusement.

The first that comes to my mind would have to be Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, his name forever tarnished with a scandalous incident that was proved in court never to have happened, Fatty Arbuckle deserves better. He was genuinely talented, a series of dvd releases proves it. He taught Buster Keaton everything he knew. He was also incredibly funny.

I would also add the name of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, Jackie Gleason, Lou Costello, John Belushi of Saturday Night Live and John Candy of Second City TV. And now we are lucky to have Melissa McCarthy. All of them incredibly talented, funny and larger than life. Comedy heavyweights, if you will.

But one name has always stood out, even in this elite crowd. Chris Farley injected new blood into Saturday Night Live and made the show worth watching again. He was incredibly, sometimes painfully funny and he also brought a serious, dangerous edge to a lot of his performances. Chris Farley was a force to be reckoned with, he often seemed on the verge of a complete meltdown, as if he would burn up in the atmosphere he was living in, and possibly take us all with him. Chris Farley could actually seem scary, dangerous, off the chain, off the map and out of the box nuts. And that my friends was his particular genius.

Compare Chris Farley with another comedy heavyweight like John Candy. Candy always came across as what he was, a big, jolly, sensitive cuddly pooh bear of a comic who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Uncle Buck runs like a German sports car because of Candy’s talent and his inherent goodness. What child wouldn’t want to have Uncle Buck in the family?

I say all this as an introduction to I AM CHRIS FARLEY, a wonderful documentary about an extraordinary talent who brought laughter to so many people. And how nice it is to find out that Farley, as well, was sensitive, intelligent and, yes, would not hurt a fly.

The makers of I AM CHRIS FARLEY had what appears to be all access, full cooperation from Chris Farley’s family. We hear first from his brother Kevin P Farley, who also does standup, and riffs on his resemblance to the late comic. Virtually every family member is heard from and many actors and comics who worked with Chris Farley, and they all say the same things. Naturally funny, always the center of attention, and so much talent that some actors were probably jealous.

We see Chris Farley almost from day one. Family photos, home movies, even tape recorded performances give us a glimpse of a young talent just waiting for the right moment to take center stage.

Chris Farley paid his dues, as so many talented comics did, with Second City of Chicago. Del Close, in archive footage admits they had struck pure gold when Farley came on board. His time with Saturday Night Live yielded some of his best work. I will never forget the first time I saw Matt Foley, the motivational speaker, who has been drinking coffee down the basement all day and lives in a van down by the river, eating a steady diet of government cheese! I start laughing just to think of it. Christina Applegate was the host on that show and in that sketch and tells of her absolute horror as Farley started to destroy the props on the stage. Her alarm was captured on the live television cameras, is absolutely real and only adds to the surreal quality of that sketch.

And again, that was Farley’s genius, many times he appeared just a heartbeat away from going berserk and running amok in NBC’s studio, destroying property, assaulting audience members and possibly landing in an institution.

Add to that his famous try at being a Chippendale’s dancer, showing his pudge to millions of television viewers next to Patrick Swayze. Then there was his own show, especially his interview with Paul McCartney. “You remember the Beatles? You were in that right?” And then there was Bennett Brauer constantly using air quotes for every sentence. Farley was the go to guy to portray almost any celebrity, apparently without offending. Tom Arnold appreciated his impersonation so much he gave the eulogy at Chris Farley’s funeral.

Farley and Adam Sandler were, apparently such a handful on Saturday Night Live they were fired from the show. They constantly pulled pranks and behaved, pretty much, like college frat boys. After getting his walking papers from Saturday Night Live Farley made several films and then started having drug and alcohol problems. Eventually, like so many talented artists, those problems got the better of him.

How sweet to hear that he was loved and loved in return by the people who he worked with in live comedy, television and movies. David Spade was probably his best friend and recalls many fond memories. Somewhat astonishing but we also learn that Farley was a chick magnet without even trying. Women were drawn to him not just for the humor but his intelligence, his loyalty and his uncommon decency. Here was a super star who never acted the prima donna, even though he earned the privilege. Here was a major talent who never traveled with an entourage, always made time for his fans and was very accessible when out in public. He was always pleased to be recognized and thrilled if people told him they liked his work.

Most importantly, like any good documentary about a comedian I AM CHRIS FARLEY is very, very funny. The many clips from television and movies tell the truth about this man, impossible not to laugh all the way through. In fact, the best tribute I can think of comes from one of his appearances on David Letterman’s show. He had Letterman, and the studio audience, in hysterics.

But like many talented artists Chris Farley had his own demons that he tried his best to deal with. In the end they got the better of him, but we are all better for having seen him, in any medium, possibly one of the funniest human beings who ever lived.

I AM CHRIS FARLEY is a terrific tribute to a comic talent who deserves to be remembered for the joy and laughter he brought to all of us.

I AM CHRIS FARLEY opens in NY on July 31 at AMC Empire
VOD on August 11.

Images Courtesy of Virgil Films.

PIXELS – The Review

Review by Dane Marti

Directed by Chris Columbus, PIXELS will definitely take many of us back to an era that once seemed new and exciting, but now appears as old as the Civil War.

Starting with a kid zooming through his neighborhood on bike while Cheap Trick blazes on the soundtrack, I was immediately hooked: The year is 1982. Actually, I hoped that most of the film would take place during this time, an era when many of us were coming of age, but…how silly of me! It’s 2015, and as much as I find recent times to be banal and abrasive, this is the age that modern kids live in. The makers of the movie are obviously hoping for many youthful viewers ‘accompanied by their parental units, of course. I also believe this film should and will make a hefty sum at the box office, as long as kids of all ages don’t take it too seriously.

I graduated from High School in 1982 and many of the thoughts that I had both back then and in the present are cleverly utilized as dialogue in this wonderful, bright and witty film. We’re not talking about high intellectual ideas. It has more to do with what every generation inevitably discovers: We all have dreams and ambition. Unfortunately, as time passes and we age, we must often curtail or scale down some of our deepest dreams of Greatness. At least this is what happened to me. Of course, the film also reminds us that we still can do AMAZING things, that there is always time to fall in love, sing with a cool rock band or blast evil aliens—even change the world for the better!

We’re not talking serious Cinematic Art here. However, the film is damn entertaining: It doesn’t take itself too seriously but offers up a plethora of chuckles.

Life hasn’t turned out exactly as Sam (Adam Sandler) and his friend Will (Kevin James) had expected it to! Well, some dreams were realized, even if the popularity polls don’t exactly dig you: His friend became the President of the United States–he’s still a nerd. Adam Sandler, on the other hand, works in a neon orange outfit as a computer tech nerd, still mentally recalling the heartache at coming in second during a big arcade game competition in ’82. I guess you could say that his life has been in standstill. I wouldn’t call him a loser. He’s obviously intelligent, funny and reasonable, but with a marriage that went bad, he’s coasting. Middle Age life is not what he had hoped it would be back in the early 80’s, back when kids listened to New Wave music and went to arcades for teenage kicks and fun. I can relate to this. For the entire visual dazzle that this movie offers, it also has a beating heart and soul for the characters and times that they have lived through.

The zany Science Fiction Storyline has something to do with a cargo of pop culture items, which NASA has blasted into space on the chance that someday the items might make contact with an alien race and they’d learn about our culture. Well, surprise! The aliens do find the menagerie of items, but they get the wrong idea! They believe that this fun stuff is somehow an evil and abrasive offensive threat to their civilization.

Appropriating the colorful video games of the yesteryear, they send regurgitated and oversized versions of the game characters back to earth on a colorful counter-offensive of humorous proportions.

There is music from the 1980’s: Spandau Ballet and Queen, but I was hoping for a bit more, including perhaps ‘The Police’ or ‘Elvis Costello’ Also, as an odd communication from the evil forces from another world we get cameos from Tammy Faye Baker, Madonna, from her first few years of fame, Ronny Reagan, Hall and Oats and the good old characters from Fantasy Island. Hell, Max Headroom even appears in one scene!

Many people might have issues with the sexist concepts in the film, but the focus of the characters is the adolescent humor of the early 80’s. I think some of the satire in the movie might have gone farther and been more incisive, but I realized the limitations going in. I wasn’t taking it all that seriously. Sure, the screenplay could have had more interesting references, but the beautiful C.G. imagery was beautifully handled and I didn’t expect the film to be ‘The Third Man.’

With imagery that is colorful and inventive, but never too detailed, the movie plays like a twisted version of ‘War of the Worlds’ (both new and old versions), ‘Tron’ and the ‘Lego Movie’. Perhaps some viewers, many young and not well versed or caring in such games as Pac Man, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders, won’t appreciate the film as much. Still, the film’s pacing and humor never flow to far from the mark. It has a cool entertainment to eye candy ratio, which, as an old and dedicated fan of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I found infectious.

3 of 5 Stars

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