neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights
	Seth Kearsley Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz 2002		Considerable cash had to be spent to make the holiday-themed animated feature "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," disguised as humorous, warm-hearted family entertainment but distressingly unfunny, fairly vulgar and loaded with enough cheap sentiment to reek of crass cynicism. Surely, some of the expense was offset by what must be the most overt product placement ever seen on screen. In a cartoon, no less. Sandler, the comic actor who flourishes with his film portrayals of idiots, cretins and foul-tempered losers, co-wrote this off-putting tale of Davey Stone, a misanthropic, alcoholic 33-year-old jerk who learns the true meaning of Christmas/Hanukkah. Davey, voiced by Sandler, has alienated everyone in his New England hometown but Whitey, a gnome-like nebbish who runs the youth basketball program with a grating voice also provided by Sandler. In late December, Davey faces jail for vandalism unless he helps due-for-retirement Whitey at the gym. It takes a drunken hallucination to turn Davey's life around. With the vocal talents of Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealon and Jon Lovitz, used to no good end.