Episode 188 - THE WEDDING SINGER

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to revisit the Summer of Sandler! This time, our celebration has a decidedly romantic bent, as we untangle the mysteries of life, love, and local entertainers through the lessons of The Wedding Singer. It's an ouroboros of nostalgia that entangles our affection for '90s icons like Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with a valentine to the omnipresent pop culture of the '80s.

Lindsay Mead keeps the party going in our ongoing tribute to the Sandman - and to the co-stars that shine just as bright in this feel-good retro romp. It's another WWWW love-fest...WHOOP-A-DEE-DOO!

The Wedding Singer (1998)
Directed by Frank Coraci
Written by Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Angela Featherstone, Ellen Dow, and Billy Idol

Episode 171 - HAPPY GILMORE

The Summer of Sandler strokes back with the cross-training classic Happy Gilmore. It's a film that helped solidify the Sandman's reputation as a sophomoric softie with a predilection for helping little old ladies and a knack for getting humiliated by cameo-ing celebrities. And not only that, it might've turned a generation of slackers into weekend hackers, and helped transform golf culture as we know it.

Jim Gallivan joins us for his first round of WWWW as we tee up all our favorite lines, and find out if Happy's sense of humor is still up to par...jackass!

Happy Gilmore (1996)
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler
Starring Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Frances Bay, Kevin Nealon, Allen Covert, Joe Flaherty, Richard Kiel, and Carl Weathers

Episode 154 - BILLY MADISON

The schoolyard bell signals the end of our Summer of Sandler, as we head back to class with the comedy that launched the Sandman to stardom: Billy Madison. And while we struggle to remember the year of the Spanish Armada, so much of Adam Sandler's buffoonery remains firmly entrenched in our minds. But beyond debating the merits of shampoo versus conditioner, this episode inspires us to relive our own school years, when we too dreamed of our crushes, annoyed our bus drivers, and peed our pants. (It's the coolest!)

Daren Sprawls brings his teacher voice back to the pod as we finish our seasonal salute to Adam Sandler. Listen closely, and you may discover that somewhere in this rambling, incoherent episode, we approach something that resembles a rational thought. May God have mercy on our souls.

Billy Madison (1995)
Directed by Tamra Davis
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Larry Hankin, Darren McGavin, Josh Mostel, Chris Farley, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Downey

Episode 153 - PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE

Channeling his gift for comedic rage into a bracing and wonderfully odd character study, Adam Sandler reached his acting pinnacle in Punch-Drunk Love. It's a film that observes Sandler's onscreen persona through a distorted lens, and the Kafkaesque world created by writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson serves as the deconstructed version of a typical Happy Madison comedy. It's the Sandman as we've never seen before--and likely will never see again.

The Summer of Sandler is swerving into auteur territory, so put on your critical studies cap for an episode rich with theories, analyses, and meaningful lens flares.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Produced by JoAnn Sellar, Daniel Lupi, and Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Luis Guzman, Robert Smigel, and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Episode 151 - LITTLE NICKY

The lesson of Little Nicky: even the Sandman has limits. This big budget, high-concept comedy busted Adam Sandler's streak of box office success, and the legacy of this daring and wildly unsuccessful risk helped define the boundaries of a comfort zone he's inhabited in the years since (with a few notable exceptions).

The Summer of Sandler takes a detour on the highway to hell as we find the good, the bad, and the butt-ugly in this bewildering story of a bashful Beezlebub. We deserve this!

 

Little Nicky (2000)

Directed by Steven Brill

Produced by Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds

Written by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler, and Steven Brill

Starring Adam Sandler, Harvey Keitel, Patricia Arquette, Reese Witherspoon, Rhys Ifans, Thomas "Tiny" Lister Jr., Robert Smigel, Kevin Nealon, Allen Covert, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, and Rodney Dangerfield

Episode 148 - THE WATERBOY

Calling all sentimental goofballs and easily agitated man-children! The Summer of Sandler is upon us, and our celebration kicks off with a look back at The Waterboy. Focused on a sweet-natured hero who taps into an unexpected reservoir of rage, this silly sports comedy echoes the yin-yang appeal of its star, whose comedic creations often boast the capacity to delight and disturb in equal measure.

Our season-long tribute is just getting started, so unless something's wrong with your medulla oblongata, come spend your summer with the Sandman and nourish yourself with some high-quality WWWW! You can do it!

The Waterboy (1998)
Directed by Frank Coraci
Produced by Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds
Written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler
Starring Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Fairuza Balk, Jerry Reed, Larry Gilliard Jr., Blake Clark, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, and Rob Schneider