Director Peter Segal (50 FIRST DATES, ANGER MANAGEMENT) and comedian Adam Sandler are at it again in a fun remake of the 1974 classic, THE LONGEST YARD. In the role of Paul "Wrecking" Crewe, first immortalized by Burt Reynolds (who appears here as Nate Scarborough), Sandler plays an ex-football star whose career ended amidst allegations of point shaving. Fed up, he drunkenly steals his unfriendly wife's (an uncredited Courtney Cox) luxury car and drives it into a multi-car pileup. This lands Crewe in a cruel Texas state penitentiary. His only respite comes from Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) who wants Crewe to help lead his well-equipped prison-guard football team to the league championship. Crewe timorously agrees, suggesting the creation of an opposing team of convicts to the give the guards an easy tune-up before the season. To the ragtag inmates, this is the chance they've been waiting for, and they hustle to get their team together so they can exact some revenge on the harassing guards.
In THE LONGEST YARD, Sandler steps out of the spotlight he enjoyed in films like BILLY MADISON and HAPPY GILMORE and is instead content to let his sizable cast of costars shine in the comedic light. Both the guard and the convict teams are infused with solid contributions from a swath of entertaining personalities: ex-football stars Michael Irvin, Bill Romanowski and Brian Bosworth; pro wrestlers Bill Goldberg and "Stone-Cold" Steve Austin; ESPN anchors Chris Berman and Dan Patrick; and famed rapper Nelly. However, it is Chris Rock, as Crewe's friend Caretaker, whose scenes never fail to steal the show, providing some of the movie's most memorable laughs.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Peter Segal - Director
Music Videos - 1. ERRTIME - Nelly
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Scenes
Extended Scenes
Stars
Adam Sandler: Comedian/actor, BILLY MADISON/PUNCH DRUNK LOVE
Chris Rock: American Actor/Comedian, THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW
Burt Reynolds: American Actor/Director
Nelly: Rap Star
James Cromwell: American actor, BABE/L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
William Fichtner: Actor
Steve ("Stone Cold") Austin: Pro Wrestler
Bill Romanowski: Actor, and former NFL star, LONGEST YARD (2005)
Brian Bosworth: Actor
Kevin Nash: Wrestler
Michael Irvin: Former Football Player, Dallas Cowboys
Lobo Sebastian:
Nicholas Turturro: Actor/"Mo' Better Blues"
Dalip Singh: Actor, and wrestler, LONGEST YARD (2005)
Bob Sapp: Actor, ELEKTRA (2005)
Bill Goldberg: WCW Wrestler
Terry Alan Crews: Actor, THE LONGEST YARD (2005)
Joey Diaz: Latin American Comedian
Chris Berman:
Daniel Patrick:
Director
Peter Segal: Director
Producer
Jack Giarraputo:
Screenwriter
Sheldon Turner: Screenwriter, LONGEST YARD (2005)
Executive Producer
Adam Sandler: Comedian/actor, BILLY MADISON/PUNCH DRUNK LOVE
Executive Producer
Allen Covert: Screenwriter, ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS (2002)
Executive Producer
Barry Bernardi: Producer
Executive Producer
David Gale: Actor, THE RE-ANIMATOR
Executive Producer
Michael Ewing: Executive Producer, 50 FIRST DATES (2004)
Executive Producer
Tim Herlihy: Screenwriter
Executive Producer
Van Toffler: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Source Writer
Tracy Keenan Wynn: Screenwriter/Keenan's Son
Story
Albert S. Ruddy: American Producer
Executive Producer
Albert S. Ruddy: American Producer
Review 1:
"[M]ore smoothly crafted than the 1974 slapstick version....The new version has the zip of a 96-yard punt return..."
Source: USA Today
p.8E 05/27/2005