Movie Review: The Wedding Singer (1998)

Plot: Robbie, a singer, and Julia, a waitress, are both engaged, but to the wrong people. Fortune intervenes to help them discover each other.

Rating: 7.5/10

I’ve often heard that the earlier work of my arch nemesis Adam Sandler isn’t that bad. I cautiously ventured into this; sure I would end up disliking it either equally or more than his other shitty movies. Other than a horribly outdated impression of a transvestite character which would not have gone off well today, this film was actually really okay and not irritating. There were no butt jokes I could find and the humor was really general and not as below the pants as the current work of Sandler.

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler share a large number of films they’ve costarred in, and they seem to have a decent chemistry between them. She’s adorably young and naïve as Julia, whose biggest predicament in life is the inevitability that she would be named Mrs. Julia Gulia. I don’t know about you, but that would put me in a flat spin. Her fiancé is so prick-like you have to wonder how they even met in the first place.

Adam Sandler’s character is a bit of a lost case, a clearly talented singer who makes his money performing at weddings. He’s remarkably proficient in his job, managing to prevent wedding fights and turn the tables around on bad, drunken speeches by best man Steve Buscemi – honestly, it was good enough to watch just for Buscemi’s appearance.

The whole theme behind this film is these two characters who both clearly just want to get married. The notion is quite antiquated and I was a bit horrified with the outdated notions that were waltzing around for the majority of the film. I’m not going to be overly offended here – I was eight when this film dropped and we’ve (hopefully) come a long way in changing the world’s perception that women must marry or be regarded as failures.

I also have to mention the glorious 90’s fashion sense that is celebrated in here. Adam Sandler’s mullet is spectacular, the exercise clothes of Holly and the overall dress sense of the characters were godawful and wildly amazing to see. No one had a clue in the 90’s, hey?

The Wedding Singer is ultimately a worthy film of popularity. It is sweet, fun, sincere and happens all in one hour and forty minutes, which is as much as you can ask from Sandler.

#outfitAndHairGoals

April 21, 2017April 4, 2017 by Natasha Categories: movies, Review, Reviews, RomanceTags: 90s, Adam Sandler, Alexis Arquette, Billy Idol, Christine Taylor, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Glave, The Nineties, The Wedding Singer, Tom Herlihy 10 Comments

Watched, Read, loved: March 2017

Here is my monthly rundown of what I was up to the previous month. Right now it is still pretty much only addressing entertainment, but I hope to add some more life things into it soon too. Please feel free to comment below if you’ve seen any of these, or just to say hi!

Southpaw (2015) – I love a good sport movie. Even though they are all pretty much the same story, I’m always caught up. It was no less with Southpaw, and even though Jake Gyllenhaal irrationally annoyed the shit out of me, I really enjoyed this one.

Letters to Juliet (2010) – Amanda Seyfried delivers another charming performance. Objectively I know this isn’t a strong film, but it is so feel good I actually couldn’t care less about ratings. It is foolishly optimistic and cheerful, and a great film to watch if you are feeling down.

The Wedding Singer (1998) – The 90’s atmosphere, combined with a surprisingly affable Adam Sandler and an adorable Drew Barrymore, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Definitely one of the best Adam Sandler films I’ve ever seen.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) – I HATED the ending and I really disliked the main character. What a stupid movie.

Enchanted (2007): This spectacular Disney production made me so happy when I watched it again. It is on a grand scale and very elaborate and so lovely to look at.

Underworld (2003), Evolution (2006), Rise of the Lycans (2009), and Awakening (2012)

After years of ignorance I am finally familiarizing myself with this franchise. I had a great time with all these movies. Seline is such a strong female character and saves herself and her love more than once, and the feminist in me was cheering all the way.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Continuing on this journey to watch more romantic films that are seen as classics, I got to see this. It was… okay. Hugh Grant really was quite the adorable English actor in his prime, and it is easy for him to be quietly charming. Andie McDowell also had no clue how to act. I’m not sure if she’s ever had a clue in that regard, but it really is prominent here.

The Lucky One (2012)

The Lucky One  is not by any means the worst Nicholas Sparks film – Best of Me still holds that title – but what is most notable is the awful acting. Taylor Schilling and Zac Efron just don’t gel together. I’m forced to ask whether Zac Efron actually has a brain – there is nothing shining behind those pretty blue eyes. Sure, he’s cute and ripped, but his attempt at a tortured marine invoked less sympathy than concern about synapses firing at an appropriate rate. Schilling, yeah, also pretty bad. They also have zero chemistry and the scenes looked stage and neither actor really wanted their hands on each other. Okay, I’m done. But sheesh.

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Kong: Skull Island is what it was supposed to be: a nice action packed adventure with a handsome cast and a big gorilla. Ticked all the boxes for me, excellent popcorn entertainment.

Power Rangers (2017)

I had not planned going to cinema for this. I would have preferred John Wick, but I was sorely outvoted by a bunch of 30 year old men who wanted to watch Power Rangers. There is something to be said for nostalgia. I ended up having a decent enough time – I  was unaware up until this point that Power Rangers could be made into something that resembles a non-cheesy film. I’m still shocked.

The Guardians Trilogy by Nora Roberts: Stars of Fortune, Bay of Sighs and Island of Glass

I read these three books in the span of two weeks and I don’t regret one second of it. It is the most fun I’ve had in ages with Nora Roberts’ fantasy work.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince (JK Rowling)

The penultimate book in the best series to have ever been written is overshadowed in intensity only by the last book. Half Blood Prince is consistently one of my favorites. It features the more mature trio, naturally Dumbeldore’s death and the discovery of the reason behind Voldemort’s apparent immortality.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (JK Rowling)

Horace Slughorn returning to the castle to fight, Snape’s secret, Fred dying, Lupin and Tonks, Colin Creevy being tiny in death, Kreacher’s bullfrog voice, Dobby’s death, Hagrid throwing MacNair, Molly vs. Bellatrix– the last hundred pages of this book is nonstop goosebumps. I get tears in my eyes every time. Every. Single. Time. Deathly Hallows binds every single event that occurred in Potter from the very first page of The Philosopher’s Stone to the very last page of Deathly Hallows in a neat bow. This is truly the best thought out work I’ve ever read by an author.

Angel’s Fall (Nora Roberts)

I really enjoy reading through my Nora collection at least once a year. Right now I’m with Reece and Brody, and I particularly enjoy the book – I like both main characters, the setting, the plot and development of said plot.

April 12, 2017April 3, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Books, Movies, movies, UncategorizedTags: 2017, 50 Cent, Adam Sandler, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Adams, Andy McDowell, Angel's Fall, Bay of Sighs, Bill Nighy, brie larson, Cameron Diaz, Christopher Egan, Dacre Montgomery, Disney, Drew Barrymore, Dylan McDermot, Enchanted, Forest Whitaker, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Franco Nero, Gael Garcia Bernal, Harry Potter, Hugh Grant, Island of Glass, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Marsden, JK Rowling, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, John Ortiz, Julia Roberts, Jung Tian, Kate Beckingsale, Kong: Skull Island, Letters to Juliet, Lycans, March, Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Power Rangers, Rachel McAdams, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Seline, Southpaw, Stars of Fortune, Susan Sarandon, Taylor Schilling, Terry Notary, The Guardians Trilogy, The Lucky One, The Wedding Singer, Tom Hiddleston, Underworld, vampires, Vanessa Redgrave, Zac Efron 9 Comments

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

Plot: Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel.

Rating: 7/10

I barely recall what happened in the first Hotel Transylvania, but I know I really loved it. I definitely remember the scream cheese, and to this day I find it ridiculously funny. Thus I was quite apprehensive to sit down for the sequel – not only do I have the honest and justified fear for sequelitis, I also really didn’t want to spoil the feelings I had to the first movie, especially considering the fact that I stand firm on the belief that I don’t like animation as a genre.

HT2 suffers just a little bit from sequelitis – it’s just not as cute or fun as the first film. I didn’t laugh as outrageously or root for the poor monsters as much, but it was still quite a lot of fun. Considering that Adam Sandler is involved in this film, it is a great. The film has a lot of notable names voicing the characters – Selena Gomez as Mavis, Andy Samberg is Jonathan, Mel Brooks as Vlad and Kevin James as Frankenstein – and that is only naming a few. It works because the voices suit the characters and aren’t as obviously placed as The Jungle Book.

HT2 never gets going really. I have to say I found it odd that they would touch child birthing in a movie– very awkward topics for parents to discuss with their children. Talk about interesting conversation topics coming up!

I liked the ending, but let’s face it – it would have had more impact if Dennis wasn’t a vampire in the end and then carried the message that it was okay to be normal and that you could be loved then as well.

Have you seen Hotel Transylvania 2? What did you think?

September 19, 2016September 18, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2015, Movies, movies, UncategorizedTags: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, animation, Hotel Transylvania, Hotel Transylvania 2, Kevin James, kids, Mel Brooks, Monsters, Movies, Reviews, screamcheese, Selena Gomez 3 Comments