BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) BULLETPROOF
Before he really to a chance to blow up in big ways, he made an action comedy with Damon Wayans. It was like SNL meets In Living Color in a so-so movie. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s underrated because it’s never talked about. I probably watched it twenty times in the mid 90s. It was entertaining and I enjoyed it. It just didn’t hold up well. It’s cool to see him in this kind of movie though. Even now, it’s a huge departure.
(THREE) PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
Look, Sandman is doing a romantic comedy! I know, right. That’s NEVER happened before. What hadn’t happened before was him doing it in a more independent setting. It’s a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, it’s more dramatic, and it’s good.
(TWO) AIRHEADS
It’s more of a Brendan Fraser movie, I know… but still! This movie rocks on so many levels it’s sickening that it’s not played on a loop on some random Spanish station. There are “grunge era” comedies from the 90’s that are horrible, but this one is really good. We have Fraser in the lead with main support from Sandler and a very bad ass Steve Buscemi. I won’t even go into the Farley, Hudson, Nelson, and Richards roles. Sandler plays “Pip”. He’s the light hearted and goofy friend. I enjoy the hell out of the movie, but I also appreciate his performance. It’s not like anything else Sandler has done in a movie.
(ONE) REIGN OVER ME
Adam Sandler seems to keep making the same movies over and over. He’s a man child and hooks up with a hot chick. Change the degree of man child and toss in a random plot device and you get the idea. It works and it’s sometimes hilarious. If you want to see Adam Sandler act then you want to see Reign Over Me. Not only is Sandler’s performance underrated, but the entire movie is. He plays a man who lost his family in the 9/11 Twin Towers attack. He then finds himself in his own world, going crazy with denial and pain. It’s really well done. His chemistry with Don Cheadle and Liv Tyler was great and I’d love to see him do more stuff like this. I’m not saying ever give up the comedy because that’s his bread and butter, but he has some dramatic chops that are just waiting to be shown off.
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