David Spade Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of David Spade-whose latest project 'Outcome" arrives on Apple TV this Friday. 

David Spade's Filmography Ranked:

16.Jack & Jill (D-)

15.Coneheads (D)

14.Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (C)

13.Grown Ups 2 (C)

12.The Benchwarmers (C)

11.The Wrong Missy (C+)

10.The Rugrats Movie (B-)

9.Hotel Transylvania 2 (B-)

8.Hotel Transylvania (B-)

7.The Do-Over (B-)

6.Black Sheep (B-)

5.Grown Ups (B-)

4.Joe Dirt (B)

3.The Emperor's New Groove (B)

2.Tommy Boy (B)

1.Grandma's Boy (A)

Top Dog: Grandma's Boy (2006)

I was a freshman in high school when Grandma's Boy came out and once the film hit home video in May 2006, it quickly gained a rabid following among my peers. I would imagine this was the case at many American high schools in 2006/2007 as Grandma's Boy proved to be an era-defining cult classic from the final years of Blockbuster/early years of VOD rentals. Personally, there are probably only a handful of comedies that were released during my high school years that I've seen more or enjoy as much as Grandma's Boy. It's just one of those transcendent stoner comedies that features a high volume of hilarious bits and quotable lines that are really fun to blurt out if you want to get a laugh out of somebody who has seen it or confuse the shit out of somebody who hasn't (my personal favorite is "I didn't know you were bringing people, I would've trimmed my antlers!"). Honestly, I'm sitting here right now and laughing as I replay several scenes from the movie back in my head. That's the kind of lasting reverence that only a really special movie can provide folks! 

Bottom Feeder: Jack & Jill (2011)

I've always had a soft spot for Adam Sandler's comedies and there's only a small fraction of them that I believe have no positive merits to them. The undisputed leader in the clubhouse of Sandler-led whiffs is Jack & Jill. There are plenty of the Sandman's comedies that punch down with their humor, but the jokes here go well beyond questionable taste and firmly enter the territory of being straight-up cruel. Not to mention, the punchlines are so weak that it quickly becomes embarrassing and painful to watch these actors that are above this material deliver them. The good news is that Sandler hasn't stooped this low since and he'll have to try really fucking hard to get anywhere close again. 

Most Underrated: Joe Dirt (2001)

Joe Dirt was a fixture on Comedy Central when I was a teenager. There were honestly points where it felt like it was playing once every 2-3 days for months on end. Fittingly, Comedy Central was my introduction to Joe Dirt and it remains the only format I've ever watched it in. Spade is without question the best he's ever in a movie without his former comedy partner Chris Farley as the affable titular mullet-clad janitor who becomes an overnight celebrity after telling his life story to a Los Angles radio DJ (Dennis Miller) live on air and there's a nice mix of slapstick humor and heart driving Dirt's absurd life story. I never bothered with the little-seen 2015 sequel since it didn't air on Comedy Central, but I'm pretty confident that it's probably not as special as Mr. Dirt's first adventure. 

Most Overrated: None

Tommy Boy and The Emperor's New Groove are arguably the only Spade movies that could even be considered here and they're both solid watches in my book. Beyond that, Spade's film career has largely been populated by voiceover work in harmless animated movies (Hotel Transylvania franchise) , a smattering of starring roles in average-to-below-average comedies (The Benchwarmers, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Wrong Missy)  and the occasional opportunity to pal around with his old Saturday Night Live buddy Adam Sandler for a fat paycheck (both Grow Ups movies, The Do-Over). His film career just never really recovered after Chris Farley's passing, and it doesn't seem overly likely that it's going to pick back up again now that he's in his early 60's with zero notable live action credits over the past 10 years. 

Movie Review: The Drama

If you discovered the deepest, darkest secret from your spouse's distant past, would you still be able to look them at the same way? That's the thesis statement driving The Drama, the new pitch-black comedy from writer/director Kristofer Borgli (Dream Scenario, Sick of Myself). The inciting incident here takes place at a tasting to finalize the appetizer/wine menu in the days leading up to a wedding ceremony when the maid of honor (Alana Haim) convinces the about-to-be-wed couple (Robert Pattinson, Zendaya) to engage in an exercise that her and her husband (Mamadou Athie)-who is serving as the best man-did right before their own wedding where they shared the worst thing they've ever done. After the first three members of these couples laugh their way through their answers, Zendaya's character makes a confession that makes everyone else so deeply uncomfortable that it turns a fun dinner conversation into a heated confrontation that causes all involved parties to leave feeling enraged and betrayed. This horrendous icebreaker question sets into motion a series of events that will forever change the lives of the previously happy couple and several people in their orbit.

Shrouding The Drama in secrecy was a really brilliant move from A24's marketing team. The confession itself is really just the tip of the iceberg as the ramifications that stem from it are every bit, if not more surprising. While the movie is certainly strong enough to have survived being burdened by a more transparent marketing campaign, embracing ambiguity as much as possible beforehand maximizes the effectiveness of the massive shitstorm The Drama unleashes on the audience. 

As far as tonal juggling acts go, Borgli picked a mighty tricky one to try and pul off. There are layers upon layers of discomfort rearing their ugly head as the tackling of a very taboo subject turns into a reflection on the role of communication in relationships, the fallout that comes from sharing an ugly truth that leaves you vulnerable to immense blowback from the people that are confronted by it and how people use the misdeeds of others to deflect from their own bad behavior. Remarkably, Borgli manages to absolutely ace this exceptionally difficult test. The cocktail of absurd comedy, psychological drama and radical empathy he puts together here proves to be the precise right formula to maximize the effectiveness of the insane situations these characters find themselves in while not losing sight of their humanity as they go through this massive unforeseen challenge to their relationship against the already deeply stressful backdrop of a wedding. 

Of course, Borgli's brilliant writing and direction is further heightened by his powerhouse cast. Whether it's the riveting, emotionally dense turns from the four leads or the hilarious scene-stealing bit parts from the likes of Zoe Winters as the performatively enthusiastic wedding photographer or Jeremy Levick as a wedding DJ who is happy to tell anybody who will listen about the specifics of his setup, every character gives the film just what it needs at that moment in time and is able to remain grounded in the face of a parade of heightened squirm-inducing situations that no person would ever want to find themselves trapped in the middle of. When the dust settles on 2026, I'm confident this will remain one of the best ensembles of the year and everybody who signed off on this group of actors playing these roles deserves a ton of credit for helping make this movie so special.

The Drama is a film that demands the viewer to look inward and really question their moral fiber There's a real chance that relationships will strengthen or deteriorate based on how the conversations the film will inspire play out. Best of luck to anyone out there that's brave enough to watch this with their spouse and hopefully you can do a better job of living with whatever truths are unearthed than the characters in the film do. 

Grade: A

2026 NFL Mock Draft (4/6)

1.Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

2.New York Jets: Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

3.Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

4.Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

5.New York Giants: Sonny Styles, inside linebacker (Ohio State)

6.Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

7.Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

8.New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

10.Cincinnati Bengals: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (Tennessee) 

11.Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

12.Dallas Cowboys: Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

13.Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

14.Baltimore Ravens: Olavaega Ioane, guard (Penn State)

15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

16.New York Jets: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

17.Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

18.Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, safety (Oregon)

19.Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

20.Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: Ty Simpson, quarterback (Alabama)

22.Los Angeles Chargers: Keldric Faulk, edge rusher (Auburn)

23.Philadelphia Eagles: Cashius Howell, edge rusher (Texas A&M)

24.Cleveland Browns: Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

25.Chicago Bears: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

26.Buffalo Bills: Peter Woods, defensive tackle (Clemson)

27.San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu, tackle (Utah)

28.Houston Texans: Kaydon Proctor, tackle/guard (Alabama)

29.Kansas City Chiefs: Blake Miller, tackle (Clemson)

30.Miami Dolphins: Colton Hood, cornerback (Tennessee) 

31.New England Patriots: Zion Young, edge rusher (Missouri)

32.Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson, cornerback (San Diego State)

Movie Review: They Will Kill You

 

Frantic, playful genre mashup pic They Will Kill You-which marks the English-language debut for Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov-is without a doubt among the most fun movies I've seen in theaters recently. Soklov wisely keeps the energy level high and the exposition to a minimum as he depicts the twisted tale of an ex-con (Zazie Beetz) who accepts a maid job at a luxury Manhattan apartment complex in order to free her estranged sister (My'hala) from the clutches of a Satanic cult headed up by the building's enigmatic superintendent (Patricia Arquette). Beetz bring the perfect combination of rage and resilience to her ass-kicking protagonist Asia Reaves, there's a number of nutty reveals that were wisely obscured in the marketing that help give this film a uniquely goofy flavor despite how heavily homages to the works of Sam Raimi, Jackie Chan and Quentin Tarantino factor into its DNA and the action sequences have an abundance of slick camera movements, electric fight choreography and terrific practical blood/gore effects. Getting to see a true labor of love where the spirted efforts of the creatives involved are baked into every frame is what offbeat midnight movies like this are all about and I'm hopeful that They Will Kill You will go onto to become a cult favorite for decades to come. 

Grade: B+

Mamoudou Athie Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Mamoudou Athie-whose latest project "The Drama" releases in theaters tomorrow. 

Mamoudou Athie's Filmography Ranked:

10.Unicorn Store (C)

9.Black Box (C+)

8.The Front Runner (B-)

7.Patti Cake$ (B-)

6.Elemental (B-)

5.Jurassic World Dominion (B)

4.The Burial (B)

3.Underwater (B)

2.Uncorked (B+)

1.Kinds of Kindness (B+)

Top Dog: Kinds of Kindness (2024)

I'm among the small group of people that doesn't view the anthology film Kinds of Kindness as one of the lesser entries in Yorgos Lanthimos' filmography. The humor that nicely balances absurdity with some really sick dark comedy had me cackling throughout, the cast (Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Athie) does a really good job of stepping into various roles of varying sizes in each of the film's three largely standalone stories and Robbie Ryan's terrific cinematography really heightens the bizarre, surreal feeling of the situations this revolving door of characters find themselves in. 

Bottom Feeder: Unicorn Store (2019)

In the pantheon of directorial debuts from actors, Brie Larson's Unicorn Store isn't high on either end of the list. This fantasy dramedy about a struggling artist (Larson) who gets reinvigorated when she receives a letter from a mystical salesman (Samuel L. Jackson) inviting her to the titular store is competent enough to not be a slog to sit through but not compelling enough to leave a lasting impression. There are worst sins to commit as a filmmaker than making something that induces a shoulder shrug when it's over, so Larson can at least take a bit of solace in that.

Most Underrated: Uncorked (2020)

Being released in the opening days of the COVID lockdown on Netflix gave Uncorked the disservice of being buried harder than damn near any other movie released this decade. Anybody that is looking for a well-written, character-driven drama should definitely give this movie about a young man (Athie) who leaves his family's successful barbeque restaurant in Memphis to pursue his dream of becoming a sommelier a shot. 

Most Overrated: Elemental (2023)

While Elemental is a sweet movie with beautiful animation, the unfocused nature of the plot prevents it from fully coming together as both a romcom and tale about the many unspoken sacrifices immigrants make in order to try and provide their children with a better life in a new country. 

2026 NFL Draft: Top 25 Prospects Available

My annual exercise of getting to know the prospects gearing up to enter the NFL this year is currently in full swing as the start of the draft is now just over 3 weeks away. There's a bit of a Groundhog Day feeling to this class as many of the same problems that plagued the 2025 Draft have once again materialized this year as the quarterback pool is once again frighteningly shallow, almost none of the top tackle prospects are projected to be able to play on the left side of the line in the NFL and there's plenty of question marks surrounding just how high the ceilings are for the bulk of the players that are projected to go in the top 50. The good news is that there's some solid depth at multiple key positions (wide receiver, cornerback, edge rusher) and a fair amount of potential immediate high impact players sitting at the top of the board. Here are my picks for the top 25 prospects in this year's draft class that I've gotten the chance to evaluate thus far.

Still Need to Evaluate: Ty Simpson, Emmanuel Pregnon, R Mason Thomas, Chris Johnson, Germie Bernard, Caleb Lomu, Brandon Cisse, Chase Bisontis, Gabe Jacas, Anthony Hill Jr., A.J. Haulcy, Chris Bell, Max Iheannachor, Keith Abney II, Malachi Lawrence, Keionte Scott, Skyler Bell, Lee Hunter, Treydan Stukes, Gennings Dunker, Garrett Nussmeier, Jake Golday, Chris Brazzell II, Caleb Tiernan, Joshua Josephs, Elijah Sarratt, Josiah Trotter, Carson Beck, Connor Lew, Derrick Moore, Davison Igbinosun, Mike Washington Jr., Dani Dennis-Sutton, Keylan Rutledge, Chandler Rivers, Antonio Williams, Kamari Ramsey, Bryce Lance, Gracen Halton, Drew Allar, Sam Hecht, Zachariah Branch, Deion Burks, Romello Height, Malik Muhammad, Domonique Orange, Jake Slaughter, Keyron Crawford, Devin Moore, Jonah Coleman, Kyle Louis, Max Klare, Genesis Smith, Darrell Jackson Jr., Daylen Everette, Jalen Farmer, Sam Roush, Malachi Fields, Rayshaun Benny, LT Overton, Ted Hurst, Logan Jones, Jaishawn Barham, Zakee Wheatley, Deontae Lawson

1.Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

2.Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

3.Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

4.David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

5.Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

6.Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

7.Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

8.Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

9.Dillon Thieneman, safety (Oregon)

10.Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

11.Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

12.Olaivavega Ioane, guard (Penn State)

13.Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

14.Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

15.Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

16.Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

17.Kayden McDonald, defensive tackle (Ohio State)

18.Cashius Howell, edge rusher (Texas A&M)

19.Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

20.Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

21.Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

22.Jacob Rodriguez, inside linebacker (Texas Tech)

23.D'Angelo Ponds, cornerback (Indiana)

24.KC Concepcion, wide receiver (Texas A&M)

25.Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

2026 NFL Mock Draft (3/30)

1.Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

2.New York Jets: Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

3.Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

4.Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

5.New York Giants: Sonny Styles, inside linebacker (Ohio State)

6.Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

7.Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

8.New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

10.Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

11.Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

12.Dallas Cowboys: Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

13.Los Angeles Rams: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

14.Baltimore Ravens: Olavaega Ioane, guard (Penn State) 

15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

16.New York Jets: Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

17.Detroit Lions: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (Tennessee) 

18.Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, safety (Oregon)

19.Carolina Panthers: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

20.Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: Ty Simpson, quarterback (Alabama)

22.Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

23.Philadelphia Eagles: Kaydon Proctor, tackle/guard (Alabama)

24.Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston, wide receiver (Washington)

25.Chicago Bears: Peter Woods, defensive tackle (Clemson)

26.Buffalo Bills: Caleb Banks, defensive tackle (Florida)

27.San Francisco 49ers: Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

28.Houston Texans: Blake Miller, tackle (Clemson)

29.Kansas City Chiefs: Colton Hood, cornerback (Tennessee) 

30.Miami Dolphins: Cashius Howell, edge rusher (Texas A&M)

31.New England Patriots: Keldric Faulk, edge rusher (Auburn)

32.Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson, cornerback (San Diego State)