BillHader Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The first poster for Adventureland gives "from the director of Superbad" the lowest, smallest billing. The most recent poster puts it first and foremost, even making it more colorful than the title and, one could argue, the cast itself.

In the weeks leading up to its release this Friday, the marketing campaign for Adventureland has been slowly, steadily, understandably tweaking itself to play up director Greg Mottola's last hit teen comedy, Superbad, but ever since seeing the film, I've been convinced that those expecting something so raucous this weekend will soon find themselves shifting in their seats as they watch something that's a bit more concerned about the 'age' in 'coming-of-age' than the 'coming.' It's not a tremendously misleading sell, but rather a matter of tone, and as such, here's seven reasons why you should look forward to the film beyond thinking it's the Next Big Quotable Comedy.

It would seem a little weird to get a horror film from the Judd Apatow camp after an onslaught of films like Knocked Up, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express and Step Brothers, but that seems to be the case, according to Bill Hader. Back at Sundance, Hader told CHUD that he and Judd Apatow Productions were all working on a slasher film that, if made, would come served with a helping of their usual dopey-dude comedic shitck. At the time he said it would be "partially Straw Dogs meets Halloween meets Home Alone meets Monster Squad."

Now, however, there's been some more movement as CHUD updates us on the film's working title (House of Joel) and a previous title (When A Stranger Calls A Dude). Also, Hader tells the site that he'd play Joel himself, who'd most likely be the hero of the film unless there's a late-breaking plot twist -- and that the flick is now set up at Universal with a script co-written by Hader and Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live). On paper it sounds a little Shaun of the Dead-ish -- except that instead of zombies, we have a creepy killer showing up to wreak havoc on this normal dude's everyday shmucky life. Personally I'd love to see it; we don't get enough smart, worth-your-dollar horror comedies these days, and you know with these guys involved it will at least be an entertaining watch. What do you think?

The answer to that question appears to be everything! In a piece entitled Danny McBride, We Don't Get You!, writer Christopher Rosen takes the comedian to task for everything from his "ugly and unredeemable characters" to a more general complaint that the man is just plain unfunny. Rosen goes on to describe McBride as "...Will Ferrell, only without the charm or talent." Ouch, did McBride run over this guy's dog with a piece of Kenny F**king Powers Awesomeness, or what?

But Rosen has plenty of venom to go around, and he also tears a strip off McBride's latest comedy partner, David Gordon Green. The two worked together on the HBO series East Bound and Down and announced last year that they would be working together again on the medieval comedy, Your Highness. But according to Rosen, Green's choice to work with McBride is the equivalent of getting career advice from Tommy Chong.

McBride first appeared in the low-budget comedy The Foot Fist Way, but all I needed was a little Hot Rod and I was hooked (between McBride and Bill Hader, I wasn't quite sure who'd become my new comedy boyfriend). Since then McBride has taken small throwaway background parts and turned them into great works of scene-stealing hilarity. Okay, maybe his particular brand of humor isn't for everyone -- but comedy is by far the most subjective genre out there, since in the end everyone's sense of humor is a little different. But is it really fair to proclaim that someone is without talent, charm, or frankly any redeemable qualities just because their style isn't your thing?

So even though Mr. Rosen won't be lining up for any Danny McBride in the near future, the real question is ... will you?

It's been a pretty good year for Saturday Night Live, in my opinion. For the first time in awhile, I'm making sure each new episode is DVR'd (because I'm, like, way too important to be sitting home on a Saturday night ... not), and I'm enjoying what I see. Granted, it's not all good, but every week we get at least one gem. Take, for example, this past week's digital short called Party Guys. Starring Bill Hader and Andy Samberg, the short follows two jaded dudes who show up to a party and decide to stand around making fun of everyone else. You know, those guys. They might be you, they might be me ... um, okay, confession: I'm one of those guys who stands around at parties making fun of everyone. That's just what I do. I'm not proud of it, and I probably won't be invited to anymore parties once all of my two friends read this post -- but I had to get it off my chest. It's an addiction ... an a**hole addiction. (And I love Bill Hader.) Help?

Check it out below ...

We always leave the horror stories for our grand master, Scott Weinberg, but since he's having a grand old time at Sundance it falls to the rest of the crew to keep the horror fans updated. But honestly, this sounds like the kind of slasher flick that even the squeamish can get behind.

Devin Faraci of CHUD caught up with Bill Hader at Sundance, where Hader revealed that he and Saturday Night Live writer Simon Rich have scripted a horror film for director Judd Apatow, though its status is sketchy. "I don't know if it's even going to get made. Judd met with us and said 'I want to do a horror movie with you. I want to see you in a slasher movie.'"

Hader was tight-lipped on the finer story points, but revealed that it would be a horror comedy that would manage the delicate balance between Michael Myers and Macaulay Culkin. "It's partially Straw Dogs meets Halloween meets Home Alone meets Monster Squad ... It is definitely about guys nowadays, that idea that you watch fucked up shit on TV, how violence in our culture - this sounds really hoity toity - you watch f***ed up reality shows, I love true crime shows. The idea of that thing coming to your house, and what do you do? I would shit my pants. That's basically what the movie is about. What if that guy decided to come to your house? What would you and your dipshit friends do about it?" Now that he's gone and teased us, I want Apatow to commit to Hader, and show us what his brand of horror would be like, don't you?

I bet you were sitting around today wondering what the director of Superbad was up to, right? That was you, right? Well, good news is Greg Mottola has been finishing up a new film called Adventureland, and based on this hilarious new trailer (which just premiered over at Rotten Tomatoes), it's got an '80s Dazed and Confused vibe written all over it ... and me likey Dazed and Confused very much.

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig (the new comedic love of my life), Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart (OMG, what's Bella doing in another film?!), Adventureland takes place in 1987and follows an awkward kid straight out of school who takes a gig at an amusement park, falls in love, meets a bunch of maniacs and walks away with some pretty valuable life lessons. I had the pleasure of conversing with Jesse Eisenberg earlier this week during the NY premiere of The Living Wake (one of the funniest films of this year, no doubt) at the Big Apple Film Festival, and he's a very cool dude ... AND a big fan of Cinematical, no less. Check out the trailer below; I'm really looking forward to this one. You?

Adventureland hits theaters on March 27th.

Considering the lengths to which the Tropic Thunder gang went to sell all of their Hollywood fakery, it comes as little surprise that the mock making-of Rain of Madness does exist beyond a mere trailer (embedded above, and probably not kid-friendly) and website. However, while I'm sure it'll be included on the eventual DVD, who's really going to wait that long when it's currently available as a free iTunes exclusive?

That's right: for thirty minutes and zero dollars (yep), one can follow filmmaker Jan Jürgen (co-writer Justin Theroux, acting as if making Werner Herzog's Werner Herzog were making Hearts of Darkness) as he chronicles the expensive chaos that went behind making the movie within the movie. Star/director/co-writer/probable caterer Ben Stiller explained in a recent press release: "We wanted to do a fake documentary about the making of the movie within the movie which is called "Tropic Thunder" -- not the actual movie "Tropic Thunder". The fake documentary focuses on the real movie's fake director, and what happens to the fake cast before they go into the real jungle. It's pretty straightforward."

Well, I know who I am. I'm the dude playing the dude currently downloading this S.O.B. Any of you who follow suit, share your thoughts below.

For those concerned commenters, I'm well aware that Werner Herzog did not, in fact, direct Hearts of Darkness. However, Mr. Theroux is behaving as if he were Mr. Herzog and, as such, proceeded to make a film not unlike the doc actually made by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper.

What I didn't know was how to directly link to any items made available through the iTunes store. I still don't, but I do appreciate the considerate ones below who were both helpful and tactful in passing the direct iTunes link on - namely, Niraj and not the exceedingly impatient Marcos.

Earlier today Cinematical managed to grab the adorable and hysterical Anna Faris for a nice, quiet comfy-couch chat about what it's like appearing on the cover of Playboy Magazine, her new movie The House Bunny and a ton of other randomness (look for our interview later this week). While speaking with Anna about her upcoming projects, she did tell us a little bit more about the voice work she's doing for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, based on the popular book by Judi and Rob Barrett. The film follows "a scientist who tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance."

For Faris this is her first animated movie, and she'll be playing a weather girl who's kind of a tweaked version of her (they've filmed her movements and all that jazz). While speaking to her about it, Faris also revealed that aside from co-star Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and Mr. T will have roles in the flick. No word on who or what they'll be playing, though this marks Mr. T's first feature role since Not Another Teen Movie back in 2001. Ahem, I smell comeback ...

Faris said she's still doing a little work on the film, though most of her stuff is done. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is due in theaters on January 15, 2010. Stay tuned for our interview with my favorite bunny later this week ...

I had to make such a tough decision last week when offered to attend a screening of either Tropic Thunder or Pineapple Express this coming Wednesday. What the hell does one do in that kind of situation? Both films look hilariously awesome to the tenth degree. I mean, if I could split my movie brain in half and send each part to a different screening, I totally would. But I can't. So I had to make a decision. I won't say which flick I picked right now, because then you won't tune in later this week when I spoil everything! That's right! Every last minute of the movie, right down to the order of the credits. Spoiled!

But anyway, check out a new international trailer for Tropic Thunder up top (or over on the film's official international site). Since it's from our international friends, it might be a little beyond a green band trailer, so keep that in mind office folk. There's not much else to say about this one -- watch it for yourself and tell me it doesn't look out of control. Stiller worries me sometimes because he could be a little too "stupid," but with Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Bill Hader, Justin Theroux, Jay Baruchel and Jack Black in there, I think we'll be okay.

Tropic Thunder blows its way into theaters on August 15.

If the sequel to Night at the Museum wanted to retain the level of accuracy seen with the original, it would have a Chinese actor playing Russian Czar Ivan IV (aka Ivan the Terrible). But while I'm sure there will still be historical errors abound in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the honor of playing Ivan has gone instead to pale-enough actor/filmmaker Christopher Guest (Best in Show), according to the Hollywood Reporter. And since Guest is actually a far more serious man than you'd expect, despite all those silly mockumentaries he writes and directs, here's hoping he studies his Eisenstein for inspiration.

A bunch of other actors have also joined Ben Stiller in the fantasy film, including Jon Bernthal (World Trade Center) as Al Capone, Bill Hader (Superbad) as General Custer, Alain Chabat (The Science of Sleep) as Napoleon and the franchise's screenwriters, Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, as the Wright brothers. This makes for a very packed cast, considering most of the first movie's co-stars are apparently returning, including Robin Williams, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Jake Cherry and Patrick Gallagher, the guy who looked all wrong for the part of Atilla the Hun. Other newbies to the series include Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart and Hank Azaria as Egyptian pharaoh Kah Mun Rah.

The sequel is currently filming in Vancouver, which seems a bit far away from the actual Smithsonian Institute, but reportedly the production will have access to shoot a few scenes in the actual museum, which is located in Washington, D.C. Maybe it will actually look like it takes place there, too.