13 Adam Sandler & Happy Madison Movies You Must Watch Before ‘Pixels’

Adam Sandler returns to the big screen this weekend in the Happy Madison production ‘Pixels.’ Before watching the movie star save the world from an army of giant video game characters, catch up on 13 quality comedies that he either starred in and/or produced.

While still a “Saturday Night Live” star, Sandler played a dopey drummer in this underrated ’90s comedy about a desperate rock band holding a radio station hostage to get their demo airtime. It didn’t spawn very good reviews, but it did birth Sandler and Steve Buscemi’s friendship, which has lasted two decades and nine movies.

Sophomoric, childish and inappropriate are all words that could be used to describe this Sandler classic about a rich loser who has to pass every grade in school in order to inherit his father’s company. It’s also hilarious, and remains one of the actor’s funniest efforts to date.

Golf has never been so much fun to watch, and probably never will be again. Sandler plays a hockey player with an anger problem who joins the P.G.A. Tour to save his grandma’s home, and fist fights "Price Is Right" host Bob Barker in the process.

If you happen to come across this romantic comedy airing on TV over the weekend, stop flipping through channels and watch it. Not only is Sandler’s chemistry with love interest Drew Barrymore adorable, it features your favorite ‘80s music, and one of the most heartwarming climaxes the genre has ever offered.

Sandler plays Bobby Boucher Jr., a bullied waterboy whose pent-up rage leads him to becoming a star linebacker for a local college football team. Costar Kathy Bates delivers what is, perhaps, the finest comedic performance of her career as Bobby’s domineering mother who is appalled by the sport he’s secretly playing.

Having a kid can be a man’s worst fear, but this comedy actually makes parenting look fun. If Sandler’s Sonny Koufax — a lazy, irresponsible and unmotivated law school graduate — can get his life together for the sake of a child, the rest of us have no excuse.

This comedy starring Rob Schneider as a lovable loser trying to charge women for sex was the first major Happy Madison production, and remains one of its funniest. Sadly, standards for both Schneider and Sandler’s production company seem to have slipped since their glory days.

David Spade stars in this Happy Madison movie about a mulleted piece of white trash traveling the country to find his long-lost parents. The lovable loser is among Spade’s finest characters to date, and will be back for another adventure in a sequel streaming on Crackle later this summer.

Easily one of Sandler’s best movies, this quirky Paul Thomas Anderson film follows a socially awkward novelty salesman who falls in love with an English woman (Emily Watson) while being extorted by a dirty businessman played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who also offers one of his best performances, too.

With so many animated movies about Christmas, a holiday movie about Chanukah was long overdue, and this musical comedy inspired by Sandler’s “Chanukah Song” sufficiently fills the void. It’s no kids' movie, but thanks to a sympathetic character named Whitey, it will still make viewers feel warm and fuzzy inside.

This dumb stoner comedy from Happy Madison doesn’t deserve any awards, but it will make you laugh. A lot. Sandler’s longtime sidekick Alan Covert takes the lead as a video game tester who is forced to move into his grandma’s house, and then tries to hide his embarrassing living situation from his friends.