Eight Crazy Nights (12 Movie of Christmas)

Studios: Sony-Columbia/Happy Madison Productions

Remaining show dates/times: Dec. 13 at 4 pm; Dec. 14 at 1 pm

Tagline: It's naughty. It's nice. It's animated.

Plot: Davey Stone, a 33 year old party animal, finds himself in trouble with the law after his wild ways go too far. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the judge gives Davey one last chance at redemption - spend the holiday performing community service as the assistant referee for the youth basketball league or go to jail. Davey thinks he's gotten off easy until he meets Whitey Duvall, the eccentric, elf-like head referee.

Cast

Adam Sandler - Davey/Whitey/Eleanor

Jackie Sandler - Jennifer

Austin Stout - Benjamin

Kevin Nealon - Mayor

Rob Schneider - Narrator/Chinese Waiter

Norm Crosby - Judge

Jon Lovitz - Tom Baltezor

Writer(s): Brooks Arthur

Allen Covert (Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star; The Benchwarmers)

Brad Isaacs

Adam Sandler (Netflix's Hubie Halloween)

Director: Seth Kearsley

Rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking and brief drug references (76 minutes)

I remember watching 'Eight Crazy Nights' a lot when it was first released in 2002 and when it was made available on DVD. Just recently I watched this movie for the first time in quite a few years for the 12 Movies of Christmas.

There are some moments in the film that are fairly good. The Davey Stone character (one of the characters voiced by Sandler) can be one of the most-hated characters in appear in the movie. But, over time, the character goes through his own little redemption moment and ultimately becomes the person that he needed to be.

The animation in the movie looks great and makes me miss the 2D-hand-drawn animation from back in the day. The crude humor could've been toned down slightly and I never realized that there was that much crude humor scattered throughout the movie.

Overall, 'Eight Crazy nights' can be hilarious at times and seeing Sandler's main character grow up a bit is a nice touch. Also, Sandler's voice that he chose for the Whitey character does get annoying!!!

Here are a few interesting tidbits for 'Eight Crazy Nights':

• Director Seth Kearsley said all of the product placements were used without permission from their respective companies.

• Davey is based on a picture of Adam Sandler when he was 19.

• Originally, Sony Pictures didn't want to participate in the animation game, with the expense and risks involved, but Columbia chief Amy Pascal green-lit this movie anyway on a personal pitch from Sandler.

• First PG-13 rated movie to receive a "Kids" Choice Awards nomination.

• Seth Kearsley revealed in an email to Doug Walker (The Nostalgic Critic) that certain elements that were notorious, specifically the feces-eating deer scene and even Whitey's voice, were intended to be cut, but were kept due to "focus groups" who had seen the movie.

• 'Eight Crazy Nights' came in at No. 5 on its opening weekend among the US box office, making only $14 million since it's Wednesday launch. It only grossed a total of $23.6 million domestic, and negligible foreign box office receipts, for a total of only $23.8 million worldwide.

• This made the movie become a box office bomb, losing an approximately at lowest $10.5 million to up to $44.6 million.