One Of Adam Sandler's Weirdest Movies Gave Us One Of Ozzy Osbourne's Best Cameos
Earlier today marked the end of an era, as heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has announced that he's ending his touring career for good. His underlying health issues have made it difficult for the Black Sabbath singer to go through with the demanding requirements that a tour requires. Thankfully, Osbourne hasn't ruled out making an appearance down the line if the circumstances are right, given that he claims that his vocals are in pretty good shape.
For all of the waves he made on stage, however, Osbourne could also be seen popping in a movie every now and then for a small cameo. A few notable examples would be "Moulin Rouge!," "Austin Powers: Goldmember," and "Ghostbusters: Answer the Call" (2016). In most of these cases, he's usually playing a variation on himself. He's become one of those faces that you could recognize almost instantly, due to his larger than life stature. But if we're talking about a film appearance that truly spoke to Osbourne's stature as the Prince of Darkness, then you have to go with "Little Nicky." Although it occupies a strange space in Adam Sandler's career, as the film features one of the comedian's most grating character voices, there are still a few surprisingly funny bright spots every now and then.
The big-budget 2000 horror comedy stars Sandler as Nicky, the son of the Devil who is tasked with restoring balance after his demonic brothers escape the confines of hell to make New York their own personal playground. Regis Philbin, Dan Marino, and Henry Winkler all make cameos throughout the film as themselves, but it's Osbourne's triumphant entrance that gives the film one of its most memorable gags
Deus Ex Osbourne
The climax of "Little Nicky" sees Adrian (Rhys Ifans) literally raising hell in the middle of Central Park, after forcefully claiming his seat on the throne from his father (Harvey Keitel). Nicky, meanwhile, is pulling out his newfound angel powers to combat Adrian's evil with kindness. Say what you will about this film, but Ifans is having way too much fun playing a bratty and stylish son of Satan to not get sucked into his performance. He's practically eating up the screen. But what this larger than life villain didn't account for was someone who would take an even bigger bite.
Down to the last minute, Nicky saves his final trick for last. As it seems like Adrian is about to win, the Prince of Darkness is unleashed. Osbourne grabs the demonic troublemaker, now in the form of a bat, and bites his freaking head off. Of course, this is in reference to the infamous 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa, where the singer bit into the head of a bat after mistaking it for rubber. Whereas that was a case of some really bad luck, here, the bat-biting essentially saves the world from eternal darkness.
One of my favorite things about this moment is that, through the power of Lucifer, Osbourne's mouth becomes unnaturally large, as to make sure he gets the whole bat in his mouth, before spitting it back into a ghost trap-shaped-like a flask. I also love how when Nicky needs to die, Osbourne presents a huge rock to bash his skull in. "Here, kill him with this," he says with a gleeful smile on his face. Ozzy wouldn't have it any other way.
"Little Nicky" is currently available for rental or purchase on most VOD streaming platforms.