The parody subgenre once gave us comedy classics like Young Frankenstein, Airplane!, Top Secret!, and The Naked Gun. This glorious tradition has been disgracefully violated in recent years by the likes of the cleverly titled Epic Movie and Date Movie. (As for the latter -- a spoof of comedies? Outstanding idea!) Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, a parody of musical biopics like Walk the Line and Ray, marks the pretty damn triumphant return of the spoof film. The movie also marks the return of Judd Apatow, and I'm pleased to report that Walk Hard completes a 2007 hat trick for the man. It easily joins Knocked Up and Superbad to form the unholy trinity of the year's superior comedies.

Starting in fictional rock star Dewey Cox's boyhood Tennessee home and ending some sixty years later after his bouts with women, booze, and pills, the film traces the blood pumping rise...of Cox. (First and last Cox joke, I promise.) The script gets Cox making music quickly, and good thing. I'm not sure why the first ten minutes of Walk Hard were released online as part of the marketing plan, they're easily the weakest scenes of the film. But once John C. Reilly enters the picture, portraying Cox at age fourteen despite being 25 years older (a dig at Kevin Spacey in Beyond the Sea?), it's pretty much smooth sailing.

The stars of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story recently made their way to the offices of Columbia Pictures in Manhattan and did some roundtable interviews about the film. The highlight of the day was probably John C. Reilly comparing the film's money -- Willie the Chimp -- to Elvis's pet chimp Scatter and pointing out that Scatter ended up freezing to death in an outdoor cage while the Dewey Cox monkey was given a good home in Northern California after his usefulness came to an end. Other than that, it was pretty much what you might expect -- lots of questions about the life and times of Dewey Cox, the occasional question about the strike and how it's affecting actors, and assorted other tidbits. Here are some samples from the roundtables of John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer.


John C. Reilly

You have to navigate a lot of different musical styles in this film.

Yeah, it really suited me well, I thought. As an actor I kind of think of myself as a chameleon, you know? Not really someone who plays my own personality. I'm not even really sure what my own personality is. I'm sort of a collection of the characters I've played. So playing all these different musical styles was great for me because rather than having to pick one thing that I was gonna specialize in, I could just go with the times like Dewey does. That was one of the things, as we kind of discover the character -- we recorded the music six months before we made the movie and we recorded something like 40 original songs. After we did a couple of songs we were trying to figure out, as we go from the 50s to the 60s, how is this guy gonna change with the times? Who is he? And I said to Jake that we should just decide what the guy's nickname is, because once we have the nickname then it gives us a guide to where to go with the music. So we kept recording music and it became apparent, the guy's nickname is The Chameleon or The Changeling or The Shape-Shifter. Dewey's almost like this Forrest Gump-like character -- he transforms with the times

How did you decide on what music to include?

Well, it was a few different things. The songs needed to be funny but they also needed to be really listenable, because there's so much music in the movie. We didn't want it to be just silly joke songs that would be tough to listen to, you know? Also, the musicians involved had a lot of pride on the line. They weren't going to just make some thing that sounds stupid. So yeah, we were trying to make stuff sound good and be funny but also be specific to the character, and that's why it was really helpful to have Jake Kasdan, the director, there in the recording studio every day when we were making this music. Sometimes we'd be trying to evoke a certain artist and other times and other times we were just trying to make the song fit into a time period and other times we were just trying to have the song reflect what the character was going through at a different point in the movie.

Monday night I had the privilege of seeing Dewey Cox -- better known as John C. Reilly -- live at The Roxy ("Coxy") Theater on the Sunset Strip. Cox and his band The Hard Walkers put on a hell of a show, tearing through all the hits from Cox's glorious career -- soon to be given the big screen treatment in Walk Hard. Reilly came out of the gate ready to rock, and stayed in character all night. He came off like a cruder, nastier Elvis Presley -- guzzling tequila, repeatedly calling us all "motherf***ers, making a downright overwhelming amount of "Cox" jokes, and asking a woman in the audience if he could grab her breast. And grab he did!

But what about the music? Cox performed nearly every track from the Walk Hard soundtrack, and considering this was his "first performance since 1984," he was in fine voice. Reilly dropped out of tune for a song or two but on the whole he sounded pretty terrific, especially on the strangely affecting Roy Orbison homage "A Life Without You (Is No Life at All)." Other standouts included the Johnny Cashtastic "Guilty as Charged," the rollicking "You've Got to Love Your Negro Man," and the hilariously offensive protest song "Dear Mr. President." Reilly played guitar and harmonica pretty well, but since the actors in Cox's movie band (Chris Parnell, Tim Meadows) don't really play, they had to watch on from the audience -- along with co-writer/director Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow -- while a stand-in group of musicians rocked the house.

The show closed with a shirtless Cox moaning through the beguiling "Have You Heard the News (Dewey Cox Died)," rubbing his nipples, and throwing down his microphone. I can't imagine anyone leaving the theater disappointed, and if the live show is any indication, Walk Hard is going to be one hysterical movie. Wanna see Cox? There's still a few dates left on the "Cox Across America" mini-tour.

Check out the gallery below ...

After skyrocketing to big-screen fame while playing the girl-next-door-type on NBC's The Office, Jenna Fischer is itching to do what most actresses fear: nudity. Lots of it. While speaking to MTV, Fischer revealed that she's currently working on her own film, one she's co-writing, producing and -- we imagine -- starring in as well. It's an indie comedy -- or as she calls it, "a real ensemble comedy" -- and while she wouldn't give up a whole lot of details, she did reveal two of the stars: "Boobs! You don't see the whole thing, folks, but there's a lot of the ladies in this film that have been hidden under Pam's sweaters for a long time. I also just think the sort of humor of it [will surprise people]. I think we're used to seeing me a little more confined. And this is, like, a bigger, bolder, brassier part ... with a lot of boobies."

Mmmm, nothing wrong with "a lot of boobies," says the guy whose wife isn't in the room. When asked who else she'd like to see in the film, Fischer responded, "I hope John C. Reilly will star in with me. Because I would actually like to do every single film with John C. Reilly for the rest of my career." There's something we have in common -- I, myself, wouldn't mind seeing John C. Reilly perform in every single film that comes out for the rest of my life. Love the guy. Always have, always will. And if that's her wish, then she's off to a good start: Fischer currently stars opposite Reilly in the musical comedy Walk Hard (due out later this month), and is also working on a comedy called The Promotion opposite -- you guessed it - John C. Reilly. So look for plenty of Fischer, Reilly and boobies at your local cineplex real soon.

UPDATE: Jenna was mis-quoted in the MTV interview; she does not, in fact, get naked in this new indie feature. I repeat: She does NOT go topless. She was referring to her role in Walk Hard, and the fact that she "shows a lot of chest" in the movie. Not her bare chest, mind you, but her chest. Clothed. Sorry guys. But we still love you Jenna!

Other than a few "f-bombs" and a positive endorsement of marijuana, there really isn't all that much in the new international trailer for Judd Apatow's musical spoof, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story that could be considered particularly controversial. This is a film from the same man who brought us Superbad and Knocked Up, so it's not like we weren't already expecting drug references and potty mouth. Thankfully, in the age of the Yellow Band trailer, anything goes. You can check out the trailer now over on YouTube, or look for it after the jump. Walk Hard stars John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox, Jenna Fischer as his long-suffering love, and Tim Meadows as Dewey's long-time drummer and friend. Jake Kasdan (Orange County) directed and also helped write the script along with Apatow. This time, rather than just riff on the dramatic spoof angle, this one goes straight for the belly laugh. Not necessarily a bad choice, but I still like the overt seriousness of the first trailer (but that could just be me).

So despite not being completely blown away by what I've seen, there still seems to plenty of giggles to be had -- plus you have to love a 'For Your Consideration' ad that has the star flipping off the camera. We've been reporting on the film for a while now, and can you blame us? Now that 'R' rated comedy is finally getting the respect it deserves, it's just nice to go to the movies without a "tween" in sight. Walk Hard was originally set for release this month, but instead the movie hits theaters on December 21.

I'm an enormous fan of The Office, which is probably the finest sitcom on TV right now. It's perfectly cast, right down to the tiniest roles. And when they don't take the character too broad, Rainn Wilson's Dwight Schrute is one of the best characters on the air. (This clip of Dwight contains one of the biggest laughs I got from the boob tube last year). It seems you can't turn around these days without seeing the Office gang on the big screen. Jenna Fischer is in theaters now with Blades of Glory. Steve Carell will be Evan Almighty this summer. Wilson just starred in The Last Mimzy, and today brings the announcement of a new comedy called Girlfriend Experience. In it, Wilson will play "a lonely geek who, in an effort to make himself seem more desirable, hires a prostitute to pretend she's his girlfriend."

Wilson came up with the idea, which has to have been done before at some point, right? He hired Mark and Brian Gunn to write the script after reading Juvie -- written for Michael Scott himself, Steve Carell -- about a man sentenced to a youth prison. The Gunns also wrote the upcoming Mighty Mouse film. You'd think Wilson would be nervous about that title after the absolutely disastrous My Super Ex-Girlfriend, which was among the worst movies I saw last year. Hopefully he'll have better luck with this new Girlfriend. Wilson also just completed work on Juno, a teen pregnancy comedy starring Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, and my beloved Arrested Development combo Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. Juno is director Jason Reitman's follow-up to Thank You for Smoking. The two must have hit it off, because Wilson is currently working on a script for Reitman to direct. Let it Rainn!

About a year ago I was sure that Rob Corddry would be the next big thing to come out of The Daily Show. But now it looks like Ed Helms could pass him by. While Corddry waits around for his new show The Winner to get canceled (if it hasn't been killed already), Helms is busy setting up a good amount of decent movie gigs, including a starring role in A Whole New Hugh, which he will co-write and which Judd Apatow will produce. The movie, which was pitched to Universal by Helms, Jake Fleisher and Ian Berger, will be about a guy who gains confidence thanks to three friends who make him appear successful.

I'm glad for Helms, though I don't see him having enough appeal to be the next Steve Carell. I am also surprised by his sudden rise because the last thing I saw him in was Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, in which Corddry starred and Helms merely had a cameo. What likely has helped Helms' success is his obnoxious run on The Office, co-starring with Carell, his former Daily Show cast mate. Other upcoming movies Helms can be seen in include Evan Almighty, where he'll again be supporting Carell, Starship Dave and Walk Hard, which stars The Office's Jenna Fischer. Both he and Corddry have parts in Harold and Kumar 2, so maybe he could give his old friend some tips on breaking out.

David Krumholtz is doing what everybody in comedy should be doing right now: aligning himself with Judd Apatow. Krumholtz has not one but two deals going with uber-producer Apatow, the man who directed The 40 Year-Old Virgin and this summer's Knocked Up (which I just saw and is near perfect.) Krumholtz will write and star in Attorneys at Raw, and will play a slimy record producer in Walk Hard. Attorneys at Raw will be produced by Apatow, and is said to be a comedy about two young attorneys who decide they want to become rappers. As long as Jamie Kennedy or Matthew Lillard doesn't play the other guy, that could be funny. I dig the title. We've given you lots of Walk Hard news lately, it is the mock biopic of fictional singer Dewey Cox, starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig, and David Koechner. That film was written by Apatow and Jake Kasdan and is being directed by Kasdan.

Even if you don't know Krumholtz's name, odds are you know his face. He had a memorable scene singing "Luck Be a Lady" in his tighty-whities in Slums of Beverly Hills, played a great stoner in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and will next appear in Live!, a mockumentary with Eva Mendes. He also stars in the CBS drama Numb3rs, which I h3ar is pr3tty n3at. Krumholtz has worked with Apatow before, on his short-lived television classics Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. I imagine his role in Walk Hard will be a spoof of his role as Milt Shaw in Ray, although I'm not sure anyone will make the connection.

Walk Hard, a mock biopic spoofing the likes of Walk The Line and Ray, has John C. Reilly playing Dewey Cox, a fictional musician with shades of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Over the course of Cox's life, he crosses a lot of real-life music legends, and now we know who will be playing the role of the King. Jack White, singer/guitarist for both The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, will be stepping into the Blue Suede Shoes of Elvis Presley. What an awesome bit of news -- one of my favorite modern musicians playing one of my favorite musicians from the past! Will Ferrell and Jack Black (Jack Black and Jack White!) are also rumored to be doing bit parts. No word on who they'll be playing, but here's hoping for an appearance by Ferrell's Neil Diamond. "I wrote this song on the back of a Dixie cup!"

You probably know Jack White from his music, (White Blood Cells is a great place to start if you don't), but he has acted before, including bit parts in both Cold Mountain and Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes. Walk Hard also stars The Office's secretary Jenna Fischer (somewhat disappointing in Blades of Glory), David Koechner ("Whammy!"), and Saturday Night Live's razor-sharp character actress Kristen Wiig. The script was written by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, with Kasdan directing. The pair have worked together before, most notably on two wonderful and sadly departed television programs, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. Kasdan's got a little film you should keep an eye out for in the coming months called The TV Set, a very interesting and funny look at the television business. Walk Hard is scheduled to rock and roll into theaters early next year, and as a fan of everyone involved, I can't wait.

While not working as Pam Beesly on The Office, Jenna Fischer has been busy. Since nabbing a role in the hit sitcom, she's getting the chance to work with a slew of Hollywood's comedic names in a bunch of upcoming comedies. She's getting her feet in The Brothers Solomon with Will Arnet and Will Forte, more Will action with Arnet, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in Blades of Glory and then she grabbed a little Quebec with Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly. I guess each role brings her the next, as she's gearing up to co-star with Reilly in his next comedy, Walk Hard.

While the film sounds more like a Pump Up the Volume re-make for pirate speedwalkers, it's actually a comedy about a messed-up music legend, Dewey Cox. In August, Martha Fischer discussed the magic-that-is-Reilly when the Hard pitch was given to Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan to write; and in December, Erik Davis shared that Reilly would be grabbing the lead role. Now, the comedy, which obviously gets its name from Walk the Line, has its June Carter Cash in Fischer. She'll be Reilly's love interest, and she'll also get to dazzle us with her vocal stylings.

I see Fischer going nowhere but up, if her upcoming comedies do half as well as expected -- but what about Reilly? Sure, he's got a secure hold on comedy, but will this flick finally give him some starring clout? He headlined Criminal, but no one really saw that. Hopefully Walk Hard will become Reilly's Capote, and finally give the actor some high-profile, first-billed cred.

The good news for James Gunn is that moviegoers and critics alike seem to have really enjoyed his little Slither flick. The bad news is that the movie, ahem, kinda, well, stumbled out of the box office gates upon its big-screen debut. (In its first 19 days of release, Slither has grossed less than $8 million.) But that's not slowing this guy down. Mr. Gunn's next feature will be (you guessed it) a horror movie that, in the filmmaker's own words, "has a little bit to do with Satan."

Tentatively titled Scratch, Gunn's next baby is not yet attached to a studio, but that's just the way he seems to like it. "I’m just writing it. I’m doing exactly what I did the last couple times, which is write it and then go out," JG told Now Playing, "because the thing is I like making movies. I like going out and getting them made. What happens when you get attached to a studio beforehand, you can end up in development hell."

But what is Scratch actually about? The husband of Jenna Fischer had this to say: "I love creepy kids and I love bad pregnancies. Those are my two favorite things so this one has both in spades."

Anyone else out there think James Gunn and Eli Roth would make one hell of a horror team?

(By the way, Gunn and his lovely Mrs. put together a really funny indie called LolliLove, and I highly recommend you give it a rental.)