A new-to-DVD collection, Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler, shows the comedian at his most agreeably goofball. I laughed out loud many, many times while watching these skits, but the video highlights two of Sandler's weaknesses as a performer. He really doesn't have a lot of range, and he can't keep a straight face when the other actors are speaking. (Actually, watching Sandler nearly lose it every time Chris Farley opens his mouth is endearing.)

I'm not one of Sandler's many vocal detractors, so take my overall recommendation of this best-of with a grain of salt. I'm an easy laugh when it comes to funny voices and nonsensical rhymes, so Sandler's right up my alley much of the time. If you're looking for a primer before you dive into his megahit movies, this is it, and better than most of them, too.

What's included?
Operaman
At regular intervals, classic Operaman verses
Present Song
A musical letter to Santa Claus
Dancing in the Dark
Sandler's recognizable, if overlong, impersonation of Bruce Springsteen
The Gap
Disappointingly, not the sketch in which the Gap Girls have lunch together--Trimark's probably saving that one for the Chris Farley package
Schmitts Gay
Two single guys fantasize about beer and hunky men
Canteen Boy
Canteen Boy's homosexual Scout Leader (Alec Baldwin--please do more comedy!) attempts to seduce him
Hanukkah Song
Oft-requested on radio, now yours to own
The Denise Show
Five weeks after getting dumped by Denise, he still hasn't let go
Room Service
Sandler has barely anything to do here as three horny Italians molest a honeymooning wife (Kirstie Alley)
The Cajun Man
Short and sweet
Zagat's
Hilarious: Farley and Sandler play husband and wife planning their anniversary dinner
Lunch Lady Song
Self-explanatory
Costume Suggestions
The litmus test: will help you decide whether you're a Sandler fan or not
Grandma
Sandler plays Farley's sadistic grandma
Iraqi Pete
Sure to offend, serves as a wonderful snapshot of the early nineties
Herlihy Boy
A perfect example of what's most often wrong with "SNL" bits: no satisfactory resolution

The DVD includes two bonus clips, one in which Sandler plays the "Red Hooded Sweater" song, and a memorable Conan O'Brien interview from last June, when Sandler was promoting Big Daddy.

The video and audio quality of this disc is about what you'd expect--they can't turn water into wine. (The image looks slightly cleaner than a standard cable signal.) The stereo track gets the job done--actually it sounds great, but there isn't much in the way of left-to-right separation. Since "SNL" is broadcast weekly in Dolby Surround, I was a bit surprised to see only two channels light up on my receiver. About the only complaint I have regarding this presentation is its menu, which is slow to respond to a command. A trailer for the Rodney Dangerfield bomb Meet Wally Sparks, housed behind the Trimark logo on the main screen, rounds out the set.-Bill Chambers