AmyPoehler Tagged Articles at Cinematical

As thrilled as I am with the comic / graphic novel boom, I've had three major complaints: not enough superheroines, not enough stories geared for the wee ones, and not enough fresh (i.e. something that doesn't have 30+ years of continuity) adaptations. So, it's nice to read of a little franchise that might buck all three trends ... and that's Amy Poehler as a James Bond-esque lunch lady.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Poehler is set to star in Lunch Lady, based on an upcoming graphic novel series by Jarrett Krosoczka. It's a series aimed at the younger set, and stars a mild-mannered lady who serves school cafeteria food by day, and justice by night. She's not alone in the task. Assisting her is the hairnet wielding Betty, and an arsenal of cafeteria tools revamped into weapons such as fishstick nunchucks and a lunchtray laptop. Both must thwart criminals and three noisy kids, who are keen to discover their double lives. The first graphic novel, Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians is due on shelves this summer, followed closely by Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. The film's start date is a little more unclear, but the adaptation is being penned by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern.

Sure, it sounds goofy, but it could be a lot of fun, especially with Poehler involved. This generation seems to be missing out on the quirky kids movies those of us in our 20s and 30s enjoyed, and I'd like to think that each kid flick I hear about could be Goonies or Monster Squad for the whippersnappers.

While I'm sure we'll all agree that these past few years have given us some wonderful little comedic gems, it's often unfortunate to see most of the attention thrown at one particular sex, or, in some cases, one particular man: Judd Apatow. But this post won't be about Judd Apatow, or Seth Rogen ,or Jonah Hill, or Michael Cera, or Will Ferrell, or Adam McKay, or Vince Vaughn, or Owen Wilson, or Kevin Smith ... or any of the male names that currently populate (and dominate) some of your favorite comedies. Nope, because it's about damn time we give the ladies some respect.

I'm sick of the female roles in comedies today. She's either the bland girlfriend, or the bland friend, or the bland enemy -- she's full of cliches, and only serves two purposes: 1) to help move the story along, and 2) to make her male counterpart appear funnier. That said, Hollywood is beginning to take more chances on the female-driven comedy, with films like Baby Mama, The House Bunny, Sex and the City, Bride Wars and Confessions of a Shopaholic all arriving in theaters this year or in early 2009. But is this enough? Is there better, smarter and funnier material for women out there, somewhere ... over the rainbow? While you ponder that, here, in my opinion, are the funniest ladies of 2008 (in no particular order) ...


1. Tina Fey

Right now you know her as "that woman who does the awesome Sarah Palin impersonation," but people forget Fey has been making us laugh for a good while now. One of three four women on this list who began their career on Saturday Night Live, Fey brings hilarity from multiple directions. Whether she's producing, writing or starring, anything with her name on it is guaranteed to bring in more than a few laughs ... and then some. (See: Mean Girls, 30 Rock, Baby Mama)

While I'm still not convinced that North American audiences are ready for the strange genius that is Steve Coogan, at least they will get the chance to have a little taste. The first poster for Andy Fleming's comedy Hamlet 2 has arrived in our inbox (see to the right, and click to enlarge). So in case anyone was confused, the poster (and R-rated trailer) makes it clear that this movie is going to be packed to the brim with poop jokes.

Coogan stars as a hapless drama teacher in danger of losing his job. In an attempt to drum up some interest in his drama class, he writes the sequel to Hamlet. Now, as any good English student knows, everyone dies at the end of Hamlet (oops, 400-year- old spoiler alert), so where can you go from there? It turns out you make a politically incorrect musical with numbers like Rock Me, Sexy Jesus.

Joining Coogan in the cast are Catherine Keener, David Arquette, and Amy Poehler. With comedy talent like that, how can you go wrong? A cut of the film screened at Sundance back in January, and earned the film the highest bidding price since Little Miss Sunshine. But unlike Sunshine, something tells me Hamlet 2 won't be grabbing an Oscar nod.

Hamlet 2 is scheduled for wide release on August 28th.

In these supposedly progressive times, gender equality is one of those touchy issues relegated to the last paragraph of a trend piece nobody reads. When Katherine Heigl suggested to Vanity Fair that Judd Apatow's movies were sexist, the assertion came across like an after-the-fact shrug of acceptance. Ever the galvanizing provocateur, New York Times critic Manohla Dargis confronts the issue head-on with a thorough analysis of the gender bias in this year's summer blockbusters.

With "Iron Man, Batman, Big Angry Green Man" and other massive expressions of virility invading the box office, female roles appear to be relegated to the back of the multiplex. Dargis touches on the rumors that Warner Bros head Jeff Robinov believes no woman has been able to sell a movie since Julia Roberts (a point that Natalie Portman might contest, but not Paris Hilton) before sizing up numerous upcoming studio releases, with particular attention paid to Anna Faris, "who could be the next Judy Holliday but without the right material will, alas, probably end up the next Brittany Murphy." It's the kind of pronouncement that hits you in gut.

Amy Poehler certainly didn't look pregnant when she showed up for a chat at the Apple store in Soho last weekend (as part of a series of talks taking place during the Tribeca Film Festival), but in retrospect, the Baby Mama star had the sprightliness of a gal with a special secret. Along with moderator and Saturday Night Live co-star Fred Armisen, Poehler really worked the room, gently mocking the crowd ("I think all these guys are waiting to get into the Genius bar") while slipping in occasional hints that she actually has an authentic strategy behind her career.

"I would like to do more serious acting," she said, not mentioning her recent voiceover work for Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil. "I've been doing sketch comedy for a long time, and it'd be nice to turn the volume down a little bit and try other stuff. I have a secret desire to be on Law & Order, but I wish I could be on an old Law & Order, with Jerry Orbach." Armisen, somewhat facetiously, said he would never tire of comedy. "It's like eating to me," he claimed.

When I told a friend of mine that I was heading to a screening of Baby Mama, he immediately replied: "Oh, the Saturday Night Live movie?" Hmm -- well, sort of. The comedy -- which premiered at Tribeca and goes wide this weekend -- was produced by SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, and stars show veterans Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. On the other hand, it's not based on an SNL sketch, and doesn't feature any characters from the show.

Baby Mama's pre-release reputation as a "Saturday Night Live movie" probably isn't helpful: movies falling into that category don't have the best track record in the minds of people who pay attention. At the same time, the show has contributed a lot to the movies, mostly in its capacity as a breeding ground for comedic talent. This installment of Cinematical Seven collects films with an SNL connection that have actually been good, or in some way significant. I limited the pool to the last ten years; we all know that The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World are classics that started out as SNL sketches, but what has the show done for us lately?

Everyone who took part in last week's competition, myself included, failed to foresee The Forbidden Kingdom outdoing Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the martial arts actioner was the clear winner. Prom Night held on to third place, content in the knowledge that it had already earned back its $20 million budget last week. Here's the rundown:

1. The Forbidden Kingdom: $20.9 million
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: $17.3 million
3. Prom Night: $9.1 million
4. 88 Minutes: $6.8 million
5. Nim's Island: $5.7 million

Opening this week, we have:

What's It All About: Tina Fey plays an executive dying to be a mother, and when she finds out she's unable to conceive, she must turn to a flaky but fertile Amy Poehler
Why It Might Do Well: Fey is awesome on 30 Rock, and though I usually get flack for saying this, I thought the Fey/Poehler Weekend Update team on SNL was one of the best in the show's history. And with a supporting cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Steve Martin and Maura Tierney, I am so there. The 88% fresh rating from Rottentomatoes.com is icing on the cake.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The poster is so darn zany I could just puke.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $18 million

You enjoyed them for a long time on Saturday Night Live, and then one of these girls ran off to do her own show (the nerve!). But now Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are back together AND on the big screen in Baby Mama, which arrives in theaters on April 25. Both women sat down for one of those nifty Moviefone Unscripted segments recently -- ya know, the one where they interview each other with questions you submitted (through this very blog), as well as their own. Above you can check out an exclusive clip from their chat that's not included in the actual Unscripted installment. (And yes, to that boy picking his nose in the back corner -- that does mean you can only view it here on Cinematical.)

In Baby Mama, Tina Fey plays a straight-laced New York yuppie who desperately wants a baby, but is unable to conceive. Her only option is to bring on a surrogate mother (Poehler), but problems arise when that surrogate acts more like a child than a baby mama. So head on over to Moviefone's Unscripted area to check out their chat, which includes all kinds of tasty tidbits like what Amy Poehler wore to her prom, as well as which male celebrity Tina Fey would choose as her surrogate. Oh yes, it gets nasty. Enjoy.

Welcome back to another fun-filled edition of Insert Caption -- the game Totally Wicked Awesome Magazine called, "Delightful, Delicious and a Damn Good Time!" Last week we asked you to give us your bestest captions for a photo from this week's new release, The Forbidden Kingdom -- starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li and some white kid, who, judging from the picture, is quite obviously stuck in the middle with you ... and I'm wondering what it is I should do. Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right ... okay, that's enough. Congrats to our three winners below ...


1. "The MPAA's ongoing battle with illegal movie downloads in China as an interpretive dance routine." -- Todd G.

2. "This is my dance space, this is your dance space. Spaghetti arms!" -- Kathi F.

3. "Oh I know this! Wax on! Wax ggghhhhttt!" -- Paul R.

See full image and all captions


And speaking of things stuck in the middle, this week we're catching up with our old SNL pals Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as they prepare to launch their new comedy, Baby Mama. The three winning captions this week will carry away one Baby Mama poster, one Baby Mama t-shirt, one Baby Mama baseball hat and one Baby Mama baby blanket. (One Baby Mama baby unfortunately not included since you have to make that yourself.) Now push ... harder ... and sound off below!



Read the official rules for this contest

An upwardly mobile career woman wants to have a baby -- but she's fertility-challenged; so she enlists the help of a surrogate, who's unexpectedly free-spirited, immature, quick to speak her mind and nothing at all like the aspiring mama-to-be.

Sound a little like ... Juno? Well, sort of, only sort of not, since Baby Mama was written and directed by veteran Saturday Night Live scribe Michael McCullers -- and, most importantly, stars former and current SNL regulars Tina Fey (as the career woman) and Amy Poehler (as the free-livin' surrogate). Expect more laughs, more physical comedy, less indie music -- and of course, a whole bushel of Fey and Poehler, two of the most gifted comic actors working today.

OK, so maybe the Juno reference was a stretch (it's Monday, cut me some slack). It's more like if Liz Lemon wanted to have a baby and hired ... well, any character Amy Poehler's ever played. It's Fey's first big-screen starring role, and we're eager to see what she does with it when Baby Mama opens on April 25.

Fey and Poehler have signed on to interview each other for Moviefone's Unscripted series, and we need your questions to make it happen. Please submit a question for either Tina Fey or Amy Poehler (or double your chances, and submit one for each!) by this Friday, April 11; then come back here on April 21 to see if your question made the cut. Don't forget to include your first name and the city and state where you live. Good luck.