Review: THAT'S MY BOY

Most people, including myself, can appreciate a dumb joke. Hell, every now and then they are even refreshing. But for Adam Sandler there is no such thing as too dumb a joke or too low an audience. By now I suspect that his movies are conceived by team drunken twelve year olds and afterwards typed by the laziest intern at Happy Maddison. Sandler’s movies are the lowest common denominator of humor; to which I’ll admit I laughed, though most of the time I didn’t feel good about myself afterwards. 

Incredibly Vague Early Review: FUNNY PEOPLE

I just got back from the first official screening of Funny People. I was all set to give you an early review, but unfortunately, Universal made me sign, literally, three different documents saying I wouldn't say anything about it.

First Funny People Teaser Appears Online

Hey internet.

This will be short and sweet. Here's the first teaser for Judd Apatow's third film, Funny People.

What do you think?

Review: BEDTIME STORIES

This movie easily places in my top 5 favorite Adam Sandler movies. Adam plays a nicer (less jerky of a guy than usual) guy, the rating helps keep the cursing down from more recent comedies, and the plot - though very predictable - is super delightful.

Basically Sandler is a guy named Skeeter who has lived in a hotel his whole life with his dad and sister. The hotel gets bought by a rich mogul and Skeeter is promised a position of power in the hotel one day. Unfortunately, he serves his entire life as the janitor of the hotel. The hotel changes hands to new management and this is when the story truly begins. Skeeter is places in charge of telling stories to his niece and nephew. He tells stories, and whatever the kids contribute to the story happens for real to Skeeter in the following day. So he gets his chance to become the new hotel manager, and uses the new storytime opportunity to weasel life enhancing story arcs from the little kids so his life can be better.

Everyone in the movie is great. Guy Pierce makes a great, more-or-less believable villain (teamed with Lucy Lawless), and Keri Russell is a good foil for a love interest. The story is cute and the bedtime stories that Sandler tells are full of good ol'e clean yet Sandler-esque humor. Russell Brand was a great surprise in the film (He's not in even one trailer), he's basically Skeeters friend that sleeps over and watches the kids every night, providing a very wavy opinion at every choice made in the story, in a hilarious way.

The film does a great job of lampooning the degree that schools and parents watch over what their kids eat nowadays, with Rice Crackers and Wheat Germ being all the kids have, and when it comes down to it, when the kids in the movie eat sugar, nothing bad happens, showing that sometimes people just need to lighten up and have a good time once in a while, knowing that little harm is going to come of a light unhealthy experience.

The only thing I did not like about the movie was the inclusion of an obnoxious CGI Guinea Pig named Bugsy (Cause he has HUGE eyes). He is there for a constantly absurd call back gag, and I have no idea why the kids insist on taking him everywhere they go. Other than that, the movie is well worth the trip to go see.

What isn't Judd Apatow doing these days?

Judd Apatow. I've heard of him (obviously), you've heard of him (likely) and even the little baby what will be born in 10 seconds will hear of him soon enough. Since 2007, Apatow has become the biggest comedy producer in all of Hollywood. I know there has been a lot of talk about him lately (there always is), even on this blog. So I figured I would do a big ole' update about all his upcoming projects right now, knowing that I'll probably have to do another in three weeks.

To Sum Up: In the film industry, Judd headed the producing (and sometimes directing and writing) of Crossing the Bridge, Heavyweights, Celtic Pride, The Cable Guy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, Kicking & Screaming, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Fun with Dick and Jane, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The TV Set, Knocked Up, Superbad, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Drillbit Taylor, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express.

So, now what is Judd doing?


Get Him to the Greek

I already talked about this one in the past so this post will be short. Pretty much, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand's character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) is back on drugs and he is also still a rock star. He needs to get from London to the Greek theater in Los Angeles, and is relying on a 'fresh out of college' insurance adjuster (Jonah Hill) to get him there. Since Hill was also in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, it seems weird that he is not going to be playing the same character this time around. Or is he... nobody really knows yet...

Funny People

Also previously written posted about, the next feature to be DIRECTED by Judd (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) is called Funny People. Not surprisingly it is about stand up comedy. The film will star Adam Sandler (as a comedian with a near death experience), Seth Rogen, Aubrey Plaza (30 Rock), Jonah Hill. For this film, Apatow hosted two shows at the UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) in Hollywood, featuring all the principal actors as well as special appearances from Andy Dick, Kevin James, Mike O'Connell and Ken Jeong (Million Dollar Strong), and some others. Sandler performed in character for about 20 minutes, and all the others proved they can be just as hilarious in real life as they are on the screen.

Anti High School Musical

Over the summer Apatow hosted a show at the Montreal 'Just For Laughs' festival. His lineup featured Craig Robinson, Million Dollar Strong, Rogen, Hill, and many more- including Judd onstage performing a version of 'Painted Pony', with music from Craig Robinson's jazz band. However, Judd was not the last one on the menu that night, in fact, 18 year old Bo Burnham came on stage after (which if you know the world of comedy is a big deal). Burnham is a pun master, and has many hilarious comedy songs. Apparently, Judd loved the songs and Burnham so much that he enlisted him to write a musical, an 'Anti-High School Musical' so to speak, because it will probably be quite filthy. Burnham may star in the film as well. Sounds like a musical Superbad... but taking place over a whole year as opposed to one night.

Sherlock Holmes

Teaming up with Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat) as the illustrious detective and Will Ferrell as Dr. Watson, Apatow is bringing what might be the first vulgar comedy about Sherlock Holms. Not much else on that at the moment besides the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is also starring as Sherlock in another adaptation, which will probably ring more 'true' to the original... hopefully they aren't released at the same time. I could see a lot of people being angry that they walked into the wrong theater.

5 Year Engagement

After "Greek" Nick Stoller and Jason Segel are reuniting to write and create a romantic comedy about a couple who has been engaged for five years and I suppose something happens to upset the groove they have fallen into. Sounds like fun, but also sounds like a prequel to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Maybe Aldous Snow will be in this one too... that would be fun. I don't see Russell Brand really playing any other characters in Apatow-land.

Year One

Harold Ramis is making this one (You'll remember him from the 1980's). Starring Michael Cera (Superbad) and Jack Black as people in the first year ever (of all time). It should be fun watching Cera and Black interacting in slapstick ways with the formation of the biblical events we know so well. I say expect a delightful 1980's style comedy... they say expect a Monty Pyton comedy. I didn't know other people could make Monty Python movies... then again, those were made in the 1980's as well, so maybe we're both right.

Pineapple Express / Superbad Crossover

This might be a rumor. I have no idea. It could work I suppose as both films take place in Clark County... only problem is Seth Rogen has roles in both, so unless they nix the cops (which were integral to Superbad) it would be quite a weird film. Then again... digital double effects have been used in more weird ways...

Upcoming Movie: Judd Apatow's "Funny People"

Judd Apatow is back in the directorial chair with his upcoming, self written, comedy "Funny People". The film chronicles the lives of a few stand up comedians trying to make it big, and one comedian who has a near death experience somewhere along the way. They say it will have more drama than other Apatow creations, so that should be thoroughly interesting.

Most of the cast has been announced so far. It stars Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler, but also will feature Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, and.... Eric Bana (who used to do stand-up himself).

We can probably expect appearances from all the other Apatow regulars, it will be interesting, but it seems to be genuine Apatow, which will be nice to see, since everyone loved "40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up". Lets see where it goes. More on this film soon.

Review: YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

Lets start with that Poster. I love it only because I have not seen it until this moment and it is absoultly ludacris. But in a good way. Like the movie.

I must preface by saying my favorite Adam Sandler/ Happy Madison comedy movies are easily "Little Nicky" "Click" and also "You Don't Mess With The Zohan". The Wedding Singer is also nice, but for some reason Sandlers troupe and taste in comedy irks me a bit. However, in "Zohan" it all works perfectly.

People may have forgotton that Apatow did a draft of "The Wedding Singer," and this is not his first forray with Sandler, nor will it be his last. Next year the two unite in yet another movie featuring Seth Rogen, but for now, lets talk about the movie at hand.

Zohan is a delightful little film filled with zany laughs and fun gags, as well as a tad of heart. The Zohan (Sandler) is the best anti-terrorist unit in the Israeli army, but has grown tired of his life of sex, beach, and kicking ass. So he fakes his death in a fight against "The Phantom" (John Tuturro) so he can move to New York and be a hair stylist. Which he does and is quite happy with until his past finally catches up to him, as we as viewers all knew it would.

Filled with hillarious sight gags and some suprisingly nicely coreographed action, Zohan crashes throughout Israel and New York. Emmanuelle Chriqui puts in some nice acting as the attractive Palestinian hair dresser, who the Zohan falls for. She is a very likeable character, though not to funny, is always a pleasure to have on screen.

Rob Schnieder pulls off a role that is actually tolerable for once as the secondary taxi driving antagonist of the film. Nick Swarsden and Sayed Badreya play the minor leads in the film Swarsden as the guy who rooms with the Zohan and Sayed as the number two hezbolah terrorist. Chris Rock and Kevin James make some very unnecessry and slightly odd cameos and random people in the film who have little or no consequence to the films outcome.

Sandler and Tuturro are hillarious as the protagonist and antagonist of the film, acting as perfect foils to each other with questionable accents, but hillarious none the less. While Sandler alias "Scrappy Coco" sucks the rest of his character is hillarious and scene stealing in every scene he is in, rightfully so, since he is the star. When Tuturro is on screen there seems to be a small struggle for power, but they always align and work out fine each scene they are both in.

Dennis Dugan could direct a fantastic action film if he set his mind to it, and Zohan is never quite sure what type of film it is, though it delivers well every other shot. It is nowhere near the best comedy ever made, but it has some very good laughs and a nice rewatch at a party value.

Some people are concerned with the idea that the film may glorify Israeli's and Put down Palestinians, but while the film starts off with that as a possible angle, most offenses are avoided and it is shown how the two can co-exist happily and peacefully in society, and how life is not so different for each when they are set in a new unfamilar world like New York and that they must put aside thier differences to make the best life for each other possible.

Go see the film, you'll get a chuckle and when you are throwing a party later in the future you will know exactly what to put on.