Saw the Wedding Singer DVD for the upteempth time just and fell in love with it all over again. Def one my fav movies… but why is that so? What about it grabs me so? …
A deceptively simple and ultimately sweet story of a wedding singer; Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) falling in love with Julia (Drew Barrymore). Personally, to me, this was and is, Sandler’s best movie to date, where he’s not an *idiot* to begin with! It’s not high concept, in fact some (or most) might argue that it’s too simple and dumb a story. Whatever. I was and am entertained. And that’s good enuff for me. Hahaha … onwards, shall we? …
Personally I loved the script and dialogue, as corny as it is, and in many instances, overly trite, but I reckon it was deliberate. And the peppering of references of the icons / celebs / TV-shows of the late 70’s and early to mid 80’s is downright funny and tickles the trivia nut in me. I find myself giggling like a teenager (again) as I sat thru one familiar joke after another, and yet am still laughing… mayhaps at the innocent-stupidity of it all, but was pure entertainment and a nostalgia trip for me.
Story / Script: 4 stars
Both Adam Sandler (his best performance to date, I insist) and Drew Barrymore (innocently-sweetie-pie-ish) captives and makes you feel for their characters (at least for me) and the supporting characters are a riot too! From his best friend Sam (check out the Michael Jackson get-up complete with glove! And the -“I wanna be like Fonzie!”-Demeanor) to psycho-ex-fiancée, Linda (she sang: “wake me up before you go-go, dun leave me hanging on like a solo” bwahahahaha) and even the great Steve Buscemi's cameo was superb!
Actors: 3 and a half stars
Exceptional detail for the Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup – perfectly evokes the era, perfect! How many of you all remember the acid-wash denims? The neon-colored tops and socks? The miss-matched combo of checkered tops and stripe bottoms? And the hairstyles, OI ….! The mullet was KING! Hahaha Reminiscent of the Far East Kids, Centerpoint Kids.. Abeitedly less loud… or was I in the wrong crowd? Hahah but then again, I was a failed-centrepoint kid! Not enuff fashion sense, I guess.. thank gawd! Not that I didn't tried! Even “Printemps” (down at Meridian?) couldn’t help me! ... Okay, Confession Time: who out there that’s reading this, WAS a rainbow kid? Dun shy… hahahahaha
Wardrobe / Styling : 5 stars
The Art Direction and Design was quite literal and deliberate and I’m dumbfounded that I didn’t really notice it in prior viewings. Mayhaps I was too busy laughing and enjoying myself with the actors and script! (Another true to life example of having a good script+cast, were good art direction takes a secondary role) the sweet pinks in the lil ol’ rapping lady’s room, from walls to décor, or the primary splashes of colours that populate the entire show. Altho, after a while, if ya really look at it, it becomes quite a riot of colours, but kept under an uneasy control. but hey, it's meant to be like that (i hope)! Not to mention the everyday pop-culture icons and props of that period… nostalgia-eye candy indeed.
Art Direction: 3 stars
But what really got to me was the Music. The soundtrack perfectly depicts that period. And used at the perfect times too! And listening to them, even tho it might be just a few bars for most instances, it just opened the floodgates of nostalgia. An excellent selection and representation of the mainstream radio-pop at that time (check out the song-list below)
Music: 5 stars!
You see; I am a true child of the 80’s. In 1985 I had just completed my secondary 4 (I think) and what more influence I had, with cassettes upon tapes of the British new wave movement and American pop-rock, blasting from my teeny mini-combo? Remember when pirated cassettes were derigeur (spl)? Well, for me anyways… $5 for 3 tapes! I was drowning in Depeche Mode, Haircut 100, Howard Jones, Bananarama, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and yes, even Wham! And then of course progressed to “dubbed-tapes”, where at Coronation Plaza along Bukit Timah (I studied at Dunearn Secondary), you could have your selection of the “latest” hit songs, dubbed onto “high-quality” tapes, ie Chrome / Metallic-Chrome et al! Hahaha and to think that prior to all that, I had tried to tape / record songs off the radio! Anybody ever did that? And dun you just hate it when the DJ spoke too much? Before, and near the end of the song? All I can say is, at this day and age, the only song lyrics I can remember, are the 80’s! Haha I LIVED mambo-jumbo! LOL
I’m also fascinated with how particular songs trigger particular memories of the past, like for example, the clearest is whenever I listen to Kajagoogoo’s “Too Shy”, I’ll immediately remember lying on my bedroom floor, in my flat in Teban Gardens, flipping thru an issue of "Captain Carrot and The Amazing Zoo Crew" comicbook (anybody ever read that at all?) and the smell of pandan cake!… hahah love it! Anybody ever felt / feel like that? Or am I just a freak? Hahaha
Anyways, have rambled on for too long, am just feeling introspective and waxing nostalgia. Thank you for indulging me in reading this far ... all i can say is, for nostalgia-buffs, this is a great "Vintage-80's"-flick to watch and relive those years ... come to think of it, it wasn’t that bad a teenage years (even with pimples!) I had after all… :)
.........................................................................
Song List for Soundtrack Volume 1
01. Video Killed The Radio Star - The Presidents Of The United States Of America
02. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
03. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
04. How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths
05. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
06. Hold Me Now - The Thompson Twins
07. Everyday I Write The Book - Elvis Costello
08. White Wedding - Billy Idol
09. China Girl - David Bowie
10. Blue Monday - New Order
11. Pass The Dutchie - Musical Youth
12. Have You Written Anything Lately? - (dialogue)
13. Somebody Kill Me - Adam Sandler
14. Rappers Delight - Ellen Dow/Sugarhill Gang
Song List for Soundtrack Volume 2
01. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
02. It's All I Can Do - The Cars
03. True - Spandau Ballet
04. Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls
05. Private Idaho - The B-52's
06. Money (That's What I Want) - The Flying Lizards
07. You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
08. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
09. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band
10. You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
11. Holiday - Madonna
12. Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler
.........................................................................
and this is a lovely and touching song from the movie's "climax" ... *tear*
Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler
Robbie hart (singing):
I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All i wanna do is grow old with you
I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you
I'll miss you
I'll kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
I'll need you
I'll feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed if you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you
.........................................................................
damn. i'm THAT old? ... heh itz all good :)
(this review was first posted on Nov 2004 on another online entity and am reposting this again here becoz i just watched the dvd and there's videos on youtube! *heh*)
A deceptively simple and ultimately sweet story of a wedding singer; Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) falling in love with Julia (Drew Barrymore). Personally, to me, this was and is, Sandler’s best movie to date, where he’s not an *idiot* to begin with! It’s not high concept, in fact some (or most) might argue that it’s too simple and dumb a story. Whatever. I was and am entertained. And that’s good enuff for me. Hahaha … onwards, shall we? …
Personally I loved the script and dialogue, as corny as it is, and in many instances, overly trite, but I reckon it was deliberate. And the peppering of references of the icons / celebs / TV-shows of the late 70’s and early to mid 80’s is downright funny and tickles the trivia nut in me. I find myself giggling like a teenager (again) as I sat thru one familiar joke after another, and yet am still laughing… mayhaps at the innocent-stupidity of it all, but was pure entertainment and a nostalgia trip for me.
Story / Script: 4 stars
Both Adam Sandler (his best performance to date, I insist) and Drew Barrymore (innocently-sweetie-pie-ish) captives and makes you feel for their characters (at least for me) and the supporting characters are a riot too! From his best friend Sam (check out the Michael Jackson get-up complete with glove! And the -“I wanna be like Fonzie!”-Demeanor) to psycho-ex-fiancée, Linda (she sang: “wake me up before you go-go, dun leave me hanging on like a solo” bwahahahaha) and even the great Steve Buscemi's cameo was superb!
Actors: 3 and a half stars
Exceptional detail for the Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup – perfectly evokes the era, perfect! How many of you all remember the acid-wash denims? The neon-colored tops and socks? The miss-matched combo of checkered tops and stripe bottoms? And the hairstyles, OI ….! The mullet was KING! Hahaha Reminiscent of the Far East Kids, Centerpoint Kids.. Abeitedly less loud… or was I in the wrong crowd? Hahah but then again, I was a failed-centrepoint kid! Not enuff fashion sense, I guess.. thank gawd! Not that I didn't tried! Even “Printemps” (down at Meridian?) couldn’t help me! ... Okay, Confession Time: who out there that’s reading this, WAS a rainbow kid? Dun shy… hahahahaha
Wardrobe / Styling : 5 stars
The Art Direction and Design was quite literal and deliberate and I’m dumbfounded that I didn’t really notice it in prior viewings. Mayhaps I was too busy laughing and enjoying myself with the actors and script! (Another true to life example of having a good script+cast, were good art direction takes a secondary role) the sweet pinks in the lil ol’ rapping lady’s room, from walls to décor, or the primary splashes of colours that populate the entire show. Altho, after a while, if ya really look at it, it becomes quite a riot of colours, but kept under an uneasy control. but hey, it's meant to be like that (i hope)! Not to mention the everyday pop-culture icons and props of that period… nostalgia-eye candy indeed.
Art Direction: 3 stars
But what really got to me was the Music. The soundtrack perfectly depicts that period. And used at the perfect times too! And listening to them, even tho it might be just a few bars for most instances, it just opened the floodgates of nostalgia. An excellent selection and representation of the mainstream radio-pop at that time (check out the song-list below)
Music: 5 stars!
You see; I am a true child of the 80’s. In 1985 I had just completed my secondary 4 (I think) and what more influence I had, with cassettes upon tapes of the British new wave movement and American pop-rock, blasting from my teeny mini-combo? Remember when pirated cassettes were derigeur (spl)? Well, for me anyways… $5 for 3 tapes! I was drowning in Depeche Mode, Haircut 100, Howard Jones, Bananarama, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and yes, even Wham! And then of course progressed to “dubbed-tapes”, where at Coronation Plaza along Bukit Timah (I studied at Dunearn Secondary), you could have your selection of the “latest” hit songs, dubbed onto “high-quality” tapes, ie Chrome / Metallic-Chrome et al! Hahaha and to think that prior to all that, I had tried to tape / record songs off the radio! Anybody ever did that? And dun you just hate it when the DJ spoke too much? Before, and near the end of the song? All I can say is, at this day and age, the only song lyrics I can remember, are the 80’s! Haha I LIVED mambo-jumbo! LOL
I’m also fascinated with how particular songs trigger particular memories of the past, like for example, the clearest is whenever I listen to Kajagoogoo’s “Too Shy”, I’ll immediately remember lying on my bedroom floor, in my flat in Teban Gardens, flipping thru an issue of "Captain Carrot and The Amazing Zoo Crew" comicbook (anybody ever read that at all?) and the smell of pandan cake!… hahah love it! Anybody ever felt / feel like that? Or am I just a freak? Hahaha
Anyways, have rambled on for too long, am just feeling introspective and waxing nostalgia. Thank you for indulging me in reading this far ... all i can say is, for nostalgia-buffs, this is a great "Vintage-80's"-flick to watch and relive those years ... come to think of it, it wasn’t that bad a teenage years (even with pimples!) I had after all… :)
.........................................................................
Song List for Soundtrack Volume 1
01. Video Killed The Radio Star - The Presidents Of The United States Of America
02. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
03. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
04. How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths
05. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
06. Hold Me Now - The Thompson Twins
07. Everyday I Write The Book - Elvis Costello
08. White Wedding - Billy Idol
09. China Girl - David Bowie
10. Blue Monday - New Order
11. Pass The Dutchie - Musical Youth
12. Have You Written Anything Lately? - (dialogue)
13. Somebody Kill Me - Adam Sandler
14. Rappers Delight - Ellen Dow/Sugarhill Gang
Song List for Soundtrack Volume 2
01. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
02. It's All I Can Do - The Cars
03. True - Spandau Ballet
04. Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls
05. Private Idaho - The B-52's
06. Money (That's What I Want) - The Flying Lizards
07. You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
08. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
09. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band
10. You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
11. Holiday - Madonna
12. Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler
.........................................................................
and this is a lovely and touching song from the movie's "climax" ... *tear*
Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler
Robbie hart (singing):
I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All i wanna do is grow old with you
I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you
I'll miss you
I'll kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
I'll need you
I'll feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed if you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you
.........................................................................
damn. i'm THAT old? ... heh itz all good :)
(this review was first posted on Nov 2004 on another online entity and am reposting this again here becoz i just watched the dvd and there's videos on youtube! *heh*)
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