Still capable of releasing a comedy special that produces joy instead of transphobia, Netflix has announced the new special from the Sandman, Adam Sander: Love You. Directed by Josh Safdie in his stand-up special debut, Love You is the follow-up to Sandler’s breakthrough return to the stage, 2018’s 100% Fresh. Taking cues from 100% Fresh, Love You looks like an intimate and musical affair. There's even a trailer for the special, proving Sandler is serious this time.Sandler had been on tour for much of last year, honing material. But Safdie filmed the new special during a week-long run of shows at L.A.’s Nocturne Theater. However, per reviews of the taping, it sounds like chaos is a big part of Safdie’s vision for comedy, which, given his and Sandler’s previous collaborations, sounds about right. Once again, joined by his pianist Dan Bulla, Sandler appears as his silly, loveable self, with a spare setup consisting of one hard spotlight on the Sandman. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. Per the SFGate, “At one point, a dog ran out onto the stage. I truly thought it was part of the show — especially when the dog’s name turned out to be Gary — but no. There really was just a dog in the theater, adding to the comedy of errors that was the opening show.”This is also the first directing project we’ve heard from Josh Safdie since he and his brother Benny announced a professional split. Since Uncut Gems, Benny has starred in Licorice Pizza, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and Oppenheimer. Last year, he collaborated with Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder for the absolute head-spinner The Curse. Josh served as producer on Funny Pages and executive producer on Telemarketers, Ren Faire, and The Curse.But how brave of Netflix to cease platforming the most boring, vile, and hateful comedy imaginable to bring subscribers something that has a chance of being funny. Well, that is if Rob Schneider doesn’t crash the party again.Adam Sandler: Love You hits Netflix on August 27.
