JuddApatow-related stories
'The Zookeeper' Snares a Slew of Big Voices
Filed under: Comedy », Casting »
In February, Kevin James signed on to play The Zookeeper in MGM's upcoming live action comedy. At the time, the plot was described as the story of a zookeeper who decides to leave the zoo because he's having trouble meeting a girl ... but the animals intervene. Now we know what that intervention is. The guy wants to win back the woman of his dreams, so the animals teach him their methods of dating and mating. I hate to say it, but this sounds cute.The instructors of ze love, according to Variety, will be Adam Sandler as a capuchin monkey, Cher as a giraffe, Jon Favreau as a bear, Sylvester Stallone as a lion, and Judd Apatow as an elephant. I think they missed an opportunity by not making Sly a stallion, but otherwise, those voices could make for an interesting set of mating rituals.
Jim Breuer, Faizon Love, and Bas Rutten are rounding out the voice cast, but there's also one other name on the roster -- Rosario Dawson. Yes, she will play the woman of his dreams. Oh, men must love the fantasies that Hollywood provides.
The idea of anthropomorphized animals teaching a lonely sap mating rituals could make for a lot of comedy -- if they're allowed to really dip into the mating rituals. Do you think this James laffer will live up to the promise, or pale in comparison to projects like Green Porno?
Adam Sandler's 'Redo' and Other Fake 'Funny People' Films
Filed under: Comedy », Universal », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Images », Summer Movies », Trailers and Clips »
Sandler isn't the only one getting a bit of viral action. Jason Schwartzman also has a sitcom kicking around the Internet called Yo, Teach! starring his Funny People character, Mark Taylor Jackson. The best part about Jackson's promo (besides how wincingly familiar it is) is that NBC.com helpfully hosted it as if it was promoting a real show. There's probably going to be a lot of people sitting around this fall waiting for "that really sweet looking teacher show" ...
Summer 2009 Comedies
Summer Comedy Movies
Judd Apatow directing Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen as stand-up comedians ... Harold Ramis directing Jack Black and Michael Cera as inept cavemen ... Sacha Baron Cohen shocking even more innocent bystanders ... No, you haven't died and gone to comedy heaven. Or maybe you have.
From gigolos to Sleestaks and everything in between, read on to see which comedies you'll be quoting from this summer until the next summer rolls around.
Universa(2)l/ Sony/ Getty Images
'Next Day Air'
Opening: May 8
Starring: Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Mos Def
What It's About: When Faison and Mos Def's slacker parcel men accidentally deliver a giant box filled with cocaine to lowly criminals Epps and Wood Harris, gangsters are out to hurt them all (and by "hurt," we mean "kill"). It's a crime thriller with comedic elements -- it's sort of like a Guy Ritchie flick, except with a mostly African-American cast.
More on 'Next Day Air':
Summit Entertainment
'Dance Flick'
Opening: May 22
Starring: Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Shoshanna Bush
What It's About: The Wayans clan couldn't sit back and let Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the "minds" behind 'Epic Movie,' 'Date Movie,' 'Disaster Movie,' etc., corner the spoof market. Thus their latest effort, which sends up the 'Save the Last Dance' and 'Step Up' subgenre, and introduces fresh Wayanses (try saying that one fast) Craig and Damon Jr.
More on 'Dance Flick':
Paramount
'Year One'
Opening: June 19
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde
What It's About: Think 'Superbad' meets 'Forrest Gump,' set in caveman times, starring Judd Apatow regulars, directed by comedy great Harold Ramis. Black and Cera play inept hunter-gatherers who set off for epic adventure when they're banished from their village. They meet biblical figures (David Cross, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Hank Azaria), a hottie princess and a sexy slave (Wilde and June Diane Raphael) ... and leave their footprints on history.
More on 'Year One':
Get 'Superbad':
Sony
'Land of the Lost'
Opening: June 5
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride
What It's About: Ferrell heads up this remake of the cult '70s Saturday-morning time-travel adventure. We were growing weary of Ferrell's sports spoofs, so we're excited for his take on the surreal show we loved to sort of hate (even as young 'uns, we recognized cheesy effects when we saw 'em). But even greater than our curiosity about Ferrell is the undying appeal of one word, drawing us like a Siren song to the theater: Sleestaks. Oh, and remember Chaka? Color us nostalgic.
More on 'Land of the Lost':
Get the original 'Land of the Lost':
Universal
'The Hangover'
Opening: June 5
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Heather Graham
What It's About: Todd Phillips ('Old School,' 'Road Trip') revisits the theme of boys behaving badly with a Vegas bachelor party gone awry -- which leads to hangovers, spotty memories and a missing groom-to-be (Justin Bartha). Will the three groomsmen reclaim their best friend and deliver him to the altar in time? If Philips' previous movies are any indication, there'll be plenty of raucousness, a touch of male-bonding sweetness, and at least 12 lines that call for "earmuffs."
More on 'The Hangover':
Get 'Old School':
Warner Bros.
'Bruno'
Opening: July 10
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
What It's About: If you're under the assumption that there's no way Sacha Baron Cohen could top the envelope-pushing humor of his '06 hit 'Borat,' you probably haven't watched the red-band trailer for 'Bruno.' Once again paired with director Larry Charles, Cohen adopts the persona of a gay Austrian fashionista to wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims with antics that include destroying a fashion show, naming his adopted African-American baby OJ and using a prosthetic penis as a weapon. And that's just the stuff that's safe to print.
More on 'Bruno':
Get 'Borat':
Universal
'Funny People'
Opening: July 31
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jason Schwartzman
What It's About: Writer-director Judd Apatow, who redefined the rom-com with 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up,' returns with his most dramatic flick yet. Sandler stars as a successful comedian who, after learning he has only a year to live, enters into a life-altering bromance with a struggling comic (Rogen). Sandler's character reevaluates his priorities, trying to win back the one that got away (Mann) -- and hopefully making audiences pee their pants laughing in the process.
More on 'Funny People':
Get 'Knocked Up':
Universal
'The Goods: The Don Ready Story'
Opening: August 14
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, Ed Helms, James Brolin
What It's About: Taking cues from his Emmy-winning TV gig as a smarmy agent ('Entourage'), Piven plays title character Don Ready, the ultimate car salesman. Ready can seal the deal on any motor vehicle but has issues smooth-talking when it comes to the woman of his dreams.
More on 'The Goods':
Get 'Entourage':
Paramount Vantage
'Post Grad'
Opening: August 14
Starring: Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford, Michael Keaton
What It's About: Recent college grad Ryden (Bledel), lacking a job or any real prospects, is forced to move back in with her oddball family and figure out a new path for herself. She may be experiencing an early-life crisis, but nothing helps the blow like a longtime best friend ('Friday Night Lights' star Gilford) ... and maybe some My Little Pony bedsheets.
More on 'Post Grad':
Get 'Friday Night Lights':
Fox Atomic
Funny stuff. All they're missing is a cameo by Kirk Lazarus.
Interview: 'Year One' Director Harold Ramis
Filed under: Comedy », Sony », Fandom », New in Theaters », Interviews », Summer Movies »
Harold Ramis is the comedy writer and director everyone's cribbed from, from Sandler to Apatow. After leaving "Second City TV," Ramis went on to write, direct, and occasionally star in comedic touchstones like Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day, and of course, Ghostbusters, which have starred a slew of loveable losers fighting to get their sh*t together in the army, on the golf course, or in the middle of a war with supernatural beings. After taking a few years off, Ramis is taking it back to the beginning with this summer's Year One, which stars Jack Black and Michael Cera as loveable loser cavemen who, when Black's Zed accidentally burns down the village, find themselves in the middle of a very familiar holy war. Read on and find out what the big daddy of buddy movies had to say about evolution and self-improvement, male full frontal nudity and the lack thereof, and what the heck is up with Ghostbusters 3.
Year One opens nationwide this Friday, June 19th.
Cinematical: How much more stressful is it to deal with marketing a summer blockbuster and competing with the other movies that are out?
Harold Ramis: You know, it's the same level of stress every time you make a movie, because you've pinned all your hopes and dreams on it and you've fantasized what success will be like, but at the time you can't escape fantasizing what failure will be like. [laughs]
I conceived this movie on a big scale, to do a Biblical epic comedy. I knew it was ambitious and when the studio said "Yes, we'll do it," and it became real, I thought, "Oh my God!" [laughs] It's one thing to fail small, but to make a big movie that doesn't work is so risky.
Watch This: Jason Schwartzman's TV Show, 'Yo Teach'
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Summer Movies », Trailers and Clips »
Hey, did you know that Jason Schwartzman was starring in a new NBC show called Yo Teach, about a teacher with a big heart who goes all Stand and Deliver/Dangerous Minds-like on the inner-city troublemakers in his class? I'm lying, of course -- Schwartzman isn't starring in any real TV show; instead, this is just a taste of the first piece of viral marketing for Judd Apatow's Funny People, which, because it stars actors playing popular actors, is filled with all sorts of fake movies and TV shows, like Yo Teach. (Read about some of the fake movies within the movie.)
Funny People stars Adam Sandler as a comedian-turned-crappy high concept actor who mentors a younger up-and-coming comedian (Seth Rogen), all while struggling to beat cancer and win back the girl (Leslie Mann) that got away. Jason Schwartzman stars as one of Rogen's pals, an egocentric TV actor. So far two clips from Yo Teach have arrived online, with one being a behind-the-scenes look and the other a straight-up scene that features YouTube comedian/songwriter Bo Burnham, who Apatow is a fan of. One expects tons more viral stuff to hit prior to the release of Funny People on July 31 (which is currently sporting a two and a half hour runtime, apparently), so stay tuned.
And you know what? I think I'd actually watch this show if it was real. It's lame, sure, but I dig it for some reason. What say you?
[via The Playlist]
Apatow Talks Up 'Funny People' Mini Movies Starring Sandler and ...
Filed under: Fandom », Newsstand »
Slightly reminiscent of Tropic Thunder, Judd Apatow has revealed to MTV that his upcoming film Funny People will feature scenes and marketing materials for a whole bunch of fake films starring Adam Sandler. Only in the film he's not Adam Sandler -- he's George Simmons; a stand-up comedian-turned-mega-successful actor who stars in a whole ton of crappy high concept movies. Not exactly too much of a stretch for Sandler (ahem, Click, Zohan), which is why it sounds pretty funny. Here are some of the mini-movies within the movie:
- My Best Friend is a Robot -- This one co-stars Owen Wilson, and shows up as a poster in Simmons' (Sandler) house.
- Redux -- Apatow describes this one -- which they actually shot a few scenes of -- as a cross between Little Man and 17 Again ... "except he [meaning Sandler] becomes a six month old baby."
- Mistake -- This one, featuring Elizabeth Banks, is a romantic comedy.
- Mer-man -- Picture Splash ... but it's Adam Sandler. Says Apatow, "I've heard they already sold [Mer-man] to be a real movie after we made it as a joke."
Cinematical Seven: Our Most Anticipated Films of Summer '09
Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Disney », Paramount », Universal », Warner Brothers », Fandom », The Weinstein Co. », Brad Pitt », Quentin Tarantino », Cinematical Seven », Harry Potter », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Lists », War », Summer Movies »
Not many movie-going summers have had the good sense or fortune to formally kick themselves off with the likes of Hugh Jackman and his razor-sharp jazz hands, but as these are the times in which we live in, it's a clear indication that we're in for about eighteen weeks of spectacular spectaculars worth gulping down popcorn and guzzling down pop* with.
Eugene's already shone the spotlight on a fair amount of smaller titles worth your while, so our staff tried to keep the focus on that which we haven't seen, those spectacles for which we're most excited and least likely to text during. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: sit down and shut up, because these are the seven movies that we're fairly f**kin' pumped for.
(*Okay, I pretty much never call soda that, but you get the idea.)
Watch This: In an Apatow World
Filed under: Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
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What would life be like if we all lived in an Apatow world? Chances are the socially-awkward fat dude with the beer gut would always get the hot girl, right after becoming a news anchor or a rock star. Judd Apatow's third directorial feature, Funny People, hits theaters this summer, and College Humor has come along to show just how funny their people are, too. In the following music video, watch as some overweight shlub with a beard romances the beautiful women on stage and at the dance club. College Humor Show stars Streeter Seidell and Sarah Schneider sing the song (which I have to admit is sorta catchy), and the video does a good job of hopping from one Apatow flick to the next in an effort to show us just how fantastical life would be if Mr. Judd Apatow was controlling it all.
Funny People hits theaters on July 31. How close do you think we are from actually living in an Apatow world?
[via Vulture]
Just How Funny is Seth Rogen Anyway?
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
So maybe I was a little late to the party, but over the weekend I finally caught a screening of Observe and Report and as I wandered from the theater in a misanthropic haze, I began to wonder: Just how funny is Seth Rogen? Being hailed "the new hero of comedy" is a lot of pressure for anyone -- and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like the guy; I know he's a great writer and a whiz at improv, but after getting a load of the darker side of Rogen's range as Ronnie Barnhardt I was kind of happy to see that maybe he wasn't the soft and fuzzy stoner (not to mention one-note wonder) that Hollywood would like us to believe.
Think back to 1999 when Rogen made his acting debut in Judd Apatow's Freaks and Geeks as the acid tongued 'freak', Ken Miller; it was a role that was perfect for Rogen's sarcastic laid back style, and he's been doing a variation of it ever since. Whether it was Cal from 40 Year Old Virgin, Ben in Knocked Up, or Zack Brown in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, each character wasn't necessarily someone you wanted to bring home to Mom, but they charmed audiences nonetheless. Sure they were all kind of jerks, but they were all loveable jerks, and more importantly they were relatively 'toothless' when it came to their bad behavior -- compared to Ronnie, Officer Michaels was practically a choirboy.
Is Adam Sandler Really the Most Valuable Comedian?
Filed under: Comedy », Newsstand »
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Forbes has released its Most Valuable Comedians list, and through some intricate calculations I stopped studying after high school, came up with Adam Sandler as Hollywood's most powerful laugh riot, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Sandler is gaining traction not only because of his starring roles in such critic-proof movies as You Don't Mess with the Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, but because he can also occasionally show off some real acting chops as in 2007's Reign Over Me and Punch-Drunk Love. The number of movies he's producing and has in development under Happy Madison Productions are growing in number. And despite its premise, this summer's Funny People, which stars Sandler as a comedian dying of cancer who mentors a younger comedian, has quite a number of big names attached. Judd Apatow wrote, directed, and produced the film; Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill costar. Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski is behind the lens. So even though at first glance, I thought, "Adam Sandler, WTF?" it's clear that even though Sandler doesn't tickle my funny bone, he does have all the criteria for Forbes's list firmly in place.
Will Ferrell, who's #2, is getting more and more into production along with writing and acting, and launching FunnyorDie.com with director and writer Adam McKay was a watershed moment for viral video. HBO's investment in the website led to a deal with Ferrell and his FoD cohorts for a TV show - 10 episodes to be exact - which turned out to be the hit Eastbound and Down.
'Year One' Gets Its PG-13
Filed under: Comedy », Distribution », Movie Marketing », Summer Movies »
There's been a flurry of activity this week around Year One, the Harold Ramis-directed and Judd Apatow-produced comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as a pair of shiftless cavemen on a epic journey. (To see the film's kinda funny trailer, mosey on over here.) Some time ago, the MPAA awarded the film an R rating -- something that neither Harold Ramis, Judd Apatow, Michael Cera nor Jack Black are strangers to. This Tuesday, Sony appealed, hoping to get a PG-13 without making any cuts to the film, but the MPAA stuck to the R, prompting many of the internet usual suspects to speculate that Sony would give in and release the film with the tougher rating. It wouldn't have surprised me -- Apatow has plenty of clout, and a great track record with R-rated comedies; the same, to a lesser extent, goes for Ramis. But no: Sony made cuts to the film, and merely two days after the appeal ruling, Year One is rated PG-13 "for crude and sexual content throughout, brief strong language and comic violence."
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