Fun News: You Could Technically Hire Adam Sandler to Officiate Your Wedding

Popular singer Taylor Swift and pro footballer Travis Kelce got married in a private (but big) ceremony on July 3rd at Madison Square Garden, and you know what? Good for them. Some people are ecstatic for the couple and pleased that they also donated money to a bunch of charities. Other folks dislike Taylor and/or Travis and have complained that they wasted time/space/energy...as if the whole concept of a wedding isn't already self-indulgent to a degree. I mean, you're having people come out to essentially watch ya'll agree to a contract, you can make it as extravagant and magical or informal and official as you want, so ignore haters! In all of this hubbub about T&T, one thing stuck out to me the most--technically, anyone could ask Adam Sandler to marry them, and he can.

Yes, the Sandman officiated the marriage of Taylor and Travis, as he is legally certified to do, interestingly! He also sang them a song, which reminds me of the tunes he used to do on SNL. As for how this happened, Sandler knows Travis (who had a bit of a role in, "Happy Gilmore 2," in fact) and has only ever had good things to say about Taylor as well. Still, it is kind of wild to think all the paperwork will show Adam Sandler as the officiant. I suppose if he ever gets tired of alternating between making surprisingly good and then shockingly bad flicks (and then back to good, then bad, etc.), he could start a business marrying folks.

Music Mondays: It's Been Awhile Since We've Had a New Super-Popular Christmas Tune

You know how, usually every chunk of years there is a new Christmas tune that comes along and which absolutely dominates the radio? It's been some time since that has happened, wouldn't you agree? We've had some solid Christmas jams, but they haven't been totally nuclear-hot in terms of being a hit. "Santa Doesn't Know You Like I Do," by Sabrina Carpenter, is great, but more of a cult-hit from 2023. The last big tune that comes to mind might be, "Santa Tell Me," by Ariana Grande from 2014. 

Otherwise, you gotta look pretty far back for the huge bangers like, "All I Want For Christmas Is You," by Mariah Carey, back in 1994. I mean, if you're huge on the Jonas Brothers, they did release, "Like It's Christmas," in 2019, and Cher attempted to give us a hot new Christmas tune with, "DJ Play a Christmas Song," when it was 2023, but that pales in comparison to a lot of her discography. So yeah, maybe Grande in 2014 with the last really big song. That is over a decade ago!

I know you can't just magically create a Christmas hit, although there is a slight science to it as discussed in a recent, "Sunday Morning," segment on CBS. That bit even featured a new song crafted by David Pogue with some assistance from others--it honestly is pretty terrible, but points to him for trying. Watch it right above this paragraph. It isn't even a big deal if we don't get any new Christmas jams, as there are so many good ones. Hell, maybe we should focus on making more Hanukkah tunes, those are in especially short supply, and Adam Sandler can only do so much, after all! In the end, I suppose you can't force a hot Christmas (or Hanukkah) track. They just sort of magically appear and find themselves part of the regular holiday rotation. There could very well be something that came out this year to little notice that will slowly gain buzz and become a beloved classic in the next handful of years.

Film Friday: "Happy Gilmore 2," is Stuffed with Cameos and Absurd Jokes that Mostly Land

Nearly three decades since the debut film, "Happy Gilmore," we have the arrival of, "Happy Gilmore 2." Starring Adam Sandler at the titular golfer, this is by no means an Oscar-bait flick, but it is better than some would expect when looking at Sandler's less beloved flicks. I, personally, have always been a fan of Sandler's work, even if it can be hit-or-miss, and enjoy his dramatic turns as much as his comedic presentations. "Happy Gilmore 2," is definitely Sandler going all-in on silliness, however. Oh, and celebrity cameos, there are many.

Many golfers and other random friends of Sandler appear. Some have blink-and-you 'll-miss-it moments, while individuals such as Bad Bunny get a significant chunk of screen time. I don't mind the many guests whether they're Steve Buscemi as a neighbor who enjoys peeing in mailboxes, John Daly as himself living in Gilmore's garage, or Travis Kelece as a jerkish waiter. Some reviewers feel the jam-packed number of folks is a bit much, however. The plot follows Gilmore, having sworn off golf to now giving it another try, so he has funds to help a family member with school expenses. Oh, and he fights off an opposing golf league that is trying to make the sport more engaging through gimmicks. Clearly, the plot is relatively basic, but we're here for the jokes! Speaking of contrived story elements, however, some folks online have had an issue with what happens to one character within the movie before even five minutes have passed, but it did make sense for the flick's plot in terms of Gilmore not wanting to golf until it's absolutely necessary. The humor is absurd, but it mostly works. From gross-out gimmicks to a running gag of Gilmore using seemingly normal objects as flasks, it is silly fun.

Audiences clearly were into, "Happy Gilmore 2," as it received a ton of viewers on Netflix (where it debuted). I liked it, even if at almost 2 hours, some jokes felt run into the ground by the time the credits rolled. If you have Netflix and want a relatively chill comedy to enjoy, "Happy Gilmore 2," fits the bill. I would hope that if they make a third, we don't have to wait 29 years for it, though!

3 out of 5 Stars.

Flashback/Film Friday: I Continue to Think Mike Myers Could Excel in Serious Roles Based on a Flick From 1999

Mike Meyers is known for a variety of characters. From being Wayne Campbell on SNL and in movies to creating the voice of Shrek to--of course--Austin Powers. The man is a comedy powerhouse even if he's had some missteps in his career too ("The Love Guru," was a movie ticket I regret purchasing). That said, sometimes the guys who do comedy can excel in serious roles as well. Adam Sandler was superb in, "Punch Drunk Love," as well as, "Uncut Gems," and Jeff Daniels is amazing whether he's in, "Dumb and Dumber," or, "The Newsroom." He recently had, "The Pentaverate," for Netflix and it got mixed reviews like much of his work, but it was a comedy. Where are the serious roles? I ask because there is an utterly random scene in, "Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me," that has made me wonder for years, "Could this guy do drama?"

It is a scene right at the end of the movie where a character played by Myers in a bodysuit named Fat Bastard ambushes Powers and Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). He is about to kill them when she asks Fat Bastard (seriously, that is his name), if he's happy with life. This leads to a monologue that starts out a bit silly where Myers' character answers that, "Of course I'm not happy!" He does some jokes about his body, but then the character's voice quivers and he seems almost serious with a, "I can't stop eating. I eat because I'm unhappy and I'm unhappy because I eat." He goes on to say its a vicious cycle and he needs to forgive someone--himself. He also lets out a big fart randomly as this is a comedy movie. Still, for a brief second, you forget Myers is playing a joke character in a fatsuit. For an ever-so-short sliver of time, you feel for Fat Bastard and his sadness as Myers imbues the character with more humanity than you'd expect. Then he farts. Still, when Brendan Fraser wins an Academy Award for playing an obese man maybe Myers' set the scene with a little gravitas himself in between the jokes about tooting? Here is the discussed scene:

Mike Myers is an incredibly funny guy. If he ever gives us a wholly dramatic performance, I'll tune in to that for sure too.

Bob Barker Has Passed at the Age of 99

I have always enjoyed watching, "The Price is Right." Drew Carey took over hosting back in 2007, but before that, the long, longtime host was Bob Barker. The man was telegenic and charismatic. He was an outspoken advocate against animal cruelty. He had some scandals back in the 90s relating to relationships with models on the show but he weathered that controversy to have quite the career and a whole bunch of people who spoke of him fondly. I'm speaking in the past tense as Bob Barker just passed at the age of 99. He was a fun dude and will be missed. We'll always have hours of television featuring him and one of the funniest scenes in the movie, "Happy Gilmore," where he and Adam Sandler's character get into a brawl at a charity golf tournament. He will be missed.

"Uncut Gems," May Be an Example of What Happens When Adam Sandler Actually Tries

I once had the idea for a, "Film Friday," post that I never actually made because it seemed like it would be redundant in a field where many had expressed the same thought I had. My working title was something like, "The Tragedy of Adam Sandler." In the post I would have argued that Adam Sandler of all people could really act when he actually was trying, but with so many mediocre-to-Godawful movies to his name people often forgot he had legitimate skill. Just watch, "Punch Drunk Love," and how amazing Sandler is in that, or even the critically-reviled, "Men, Women, and Children," which I will admit tries way too hard in some of its stories about a bunch of characters who find their lives negatively impacted by social media, but I'll be damned if Sandler does not do a great job in that movie. He plays a husband who is cheating on his wife, realizes she is cheating too, and at the end of the movie masterfully and subtly hints they both know everything but should just let it go because they have a nice little suburban life--it's a depressing and incredible scene. I can't find it online but here are some quotes to give you an idea.

Anyhow, I never made the post as lots of people online have remarked how Sandler can actually act when he isn't just making dumb comedy movies as an excuse to take his friends and family on paid vacations, and I felt little need to join the chorus. Even if I didn't make the post it was still something I often thought, how that if we just got another movie where Sandler was actually trying and showing-off his ability to act it could result in something that might be really special. Well, here comes, "Uncut Gems."



"Uncut Gems," looks tonally a lot like the last movie from the directing duo Josh and Benny Safdie, "Good Times." The two brothers worked together to make a disorienting, weird, and unpredictable flick with another often underestimated actor (Robert Pattinson) and, "Uncut Gems," seems to be similar in the sense it appears to be totally bonkers. Adam Sandler is actually doing a really good job showing his acting skills in the trailer and this looks intense and wild. It follows Sandler as a jeweler named Howard Ratner who gets himself embroiled in a big bet that could lead to everything crashing-down around him or make him rich beyond belief.

This movie looks incredibly promising and if on December 13th is turns out to be as good as it looks I will not be surprised. I won't be surprised because the Safdie brothers have shown their directing skills before and Sandler has made it clear when he puts forth the effort he is a man who can act incredibly well. Here's hoping the potential success of, "Uncut Gems," also inspires Sandler to do more films that show-off his talent and less stuff like, "Jack and Jill."