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.

The Judd Apatow gang always markets the crap out of their movies, and the promotional blitz is in full force for their latest, Walk Hard. Posters are everywhere, they released the "R" Rated international trailer to the internets, they took out a very cool "For Your Consideration" ad in The Hollywood Reporter, and John C. Reilly is rocking the country on the "Cox Across America" tour, which I was lucky enough to check out this week. And now you can watch the first ten minutes of the film online! Head over to http://rocklikecox.com/myspace/ to enjoy. If you figure it costs ten bucks to see a movie, and the movie is 100 minutes -- this is one dollar's worth of entertainment for free!

You have to verify your age to see the clip -- the film is Rated "R" after all, but this ten minutes is strictly "PG." Sorry, folks. (By the way, has anyone under the age of 18 ever been dissuaded by an age verification? You can enter any birthdate you want! It's not like they're asking for a thumb print or something! Fools! Let's move on.) The clip mainly focuses on Dewey as a boy, played by Conner Rayburn, and it builds to a 14 year-old Dewey's declaration "Just wait 'till you see what happens now." I must say, I only laughed out loud once during the clip -- the line "How are we gonna follow that?" got to me -- but I have a feeling this is going to be a very funny movie. I'm checking it out Wednesday night, and I'm muy excitedo. How about you guys, thoughts on the opening scenes?

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 ...

Hey, it's good enough for Spinal Tap, Hannah Montana and The Monkees. Now Dewey Cox, of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, is the latest fictional music artist to go on a real-life tour. Yes, according to Variety, John C. Reilly is suiting up to perform in character for the "Cox Across America Tour." Joined by his band, the Hard Walkers, Reilly/Cox is making appearances in seven cities: Cleveland; Chicago; Austin; Nashville; San Francisco; Los Angeles and New York City. The first gig is this Wednesday at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and all shows include a screening of the movie, a music biopic spoof from the smartest man in Hollywood, Judd Apatow, and director Jake Kasdan (The TV Set).

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, only the Chicago date is not sold out. My guess is that by the time of posting, even that show will be unavailable, but feel free to check Sony's RSVP page to find out. Otherwise, you can at least hear Cox's music on the Walk Hard soundtrack, which hits stores today.

I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Reilly as Cox. I also wish I could have seen Reilly tour the nation as Lefty, his character from A Prairie Home Companion -- accompanied by Woody Harrelson as Dusty, of course. If I could see any fictional artist in concert, though, I'd pick The Venus in Furs, or maybe Jesse and the Rippers. How about you? What fictional band or artist would you most like to see go on tour?

Anyway, stay tuned to Cinematical because we're working on something special to coincide with the "Cox Across America Tour."

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.

Cinematical has just received the first official poster for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (click on the image above for a larger version), the upcoming comedy written by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan. Do I need to say more, or are you already sold? I mean, if John C. Reilly in a Jim Morrison-like pose doesn't do it for ya, we've got issues to discuss. Essentially, the film will be spoofing all those popular musical biopics, like Walk the Line, etc ..., but I take it the flick will be a major step up from the silly spoofs like Scary Movie and Not Another Teen Movie, etc .. It'll be silly, sure, but check out some of this cast: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Paul Rudd, Justin Long, Jason Schwartzman, Jack Black, just about every popular SNL cast member in recent years and White Striper Jack White as Elvis Presley.

Walk Hard follows the life and times of fictional music legend Dewey Cox (Reilly) who, throughout his turbulent (yet awe-inspiring) career, fathers 22 kids, 14 step-kids, becomes addicted and subsequently kicks every drug known to man, and falls in love with his longtime backup singer Darlene (Fischer). Somewhere along the way, he also makes friends with everyone from The Beatles to Elvis -- and stars in his own 70s Variety Show. As a big fan of everyone involved, I know this movie is going to kick major ass -- how can it not? Directed by Jake Kasdan (who also helmed the very funny Orange County and comes from the same Freaks and Geeks world as Apatow), Walk Hard is set to sing its way into theaters on December 21.

Paul Verhoeven in his native land, making an independent movie about a hot naked woman and Nazis? That's got to be my pick of the week. Of course, this being Verhoeven, he subverts expectations, at least according to the critics, and produces a film with a serious intent in mind. And the result was so good it prompted Cinematical's Ryan Stewart to declare it "the best film of 2007 so far" when he reviewed it in April. I'm talking about Black Book, Paul Verhoeven's "sweeping war epic ... following a Jewish girl on the run in Nazi-occupied Holland." Sony Pictures' DVD features an audio commentary by Verhoeven, who is usually entertaining on yak tracks, and a "making of" feature.

William Friedkin's films have been generally derided for many years -- pretty much everything since The Exorcist in 1973 -- though, personally, I have a soft spot for the failed Sorcerer, really love To Live and Die in L.A., and am glad that Cruising has recently received some critical reevaluation. Though it didn't make much of a ripple at the box office, Bug seems to be a comeback of sorts for him. Our own Jette Kernion wrote: "Bug blends paranoia, trust and love into a riveting story, driven by intense characters." She also commented very favorably on the "incredible" performances, especially the one by by Michael Shannon, but also those by Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr. The Lionsgate DVD includes both a commentary by director Friedkin and a discussion with him.

If you're looking for something a bit further out of the mainstream, Ten Canoes sounds like the best bet. The critics were pretty well united in their praise. Stephen Holden of The New York Times said it "interweaves two versions of the same story, one filmed in black and white and set a thousand years ago, and an even older one, filmed in color and set in a mythic, prehistoric past." The Palm Pictures DVD sounds like it's worth a rental.

Also out are two comedies: mockumentary Chalk (about high school teachers) and Jake Kasdan's The TV Set (about a television pilot). Several friends of mine -- and many festival audiences -- thought Chalk was hilarious, while The TV Set has received mixed response. Perhaps the respective subjects will help you decide if you'll want to check those out.

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.

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book" -- Groucho Marx

The only good thing to come out of the cancellation of the television show Freaks and Geeks was the emergence of some pure comedic talents; writer-director Jake Kasdan being one of them. With The TV Set, Kasdan dives back into the seedy cesspool that is network television in order to provide us with a first-hand look at what goes on behind the scenes of one little show trying desperately to land a spot in the primetime line-up. From the lonely writer whose only goal is to transform his original vision into a new hit show, to the network executive who judges the quality of a product based solely on the opinion of her 15 year-old kid, The TV Set is at its best when its characters are at their worst. If you thought the folks on your favorite reality show were pathetic, wait until you meet those who fought to put it on the air.

In the vein of films like Network and Broadcast News, The TV Set revolves around the trials and tribulations of writer Mike Klein (David Duchovny). After selling his pilot script for a show called The Wexler Chronicles, Mike sets out on a journey to not only produce a successful pilot, but also sell his unique and personal vision to the same folks who think the new reality show Slut Wars is the greatest thing to happen to television since its inception. Though it's not based on any one particular experience, it's quite obvious that this film is very personal for Kasdan. These are people he's dealt with; these soulless, emotionless network devils are probably the same ones who canceled Freaks and Geeks because, let's face it -- the audience at home would take hot and sexy over awkward and ugly any day of the week. At least, that's what the people running the show like to think.

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.

Here are some trailers to peek at before the weekend:

• Last month, I could only share a brief teaser of the upcoming Zombie flick, Fido. Now, there's finally a very substantial trailer, if you want to see more before you head to theaters to watch it. (It finally opens tomorrow!) We've got head coffins, zombie crossing guards and just a little bit of zombie luvin'. Honestly, the film is fun, and just as zany as the trailers suggest. Check it out.
• On the more foreign side of things, there is a strange "teaser" up for Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson's latest film, You, The Living. It's more like a behind-the-scenes clip, and it doesn't show much, but it will test your curiosity factor. Me, I'm wondering what the hell it's all about. The film's website has a number of stills as well, with pasty-looking people, so I can't help but wonder if this is some sort of zombie film too. Or, maybe it is a Swedish film version of Six Feet Under. The film will premiere at Cannes this May, so I'm sure things will become clear soon enough.
• Lastly, we've got some television. Last summer, Martha Fischer shared that Jake Kasdan's The TV Set was picked up by THINKFilm. The movie goes through the Mike's (David Duchovny) struggle to maintain the integrity of his TV pilot while it goes through the process of being made -- casting, production and airing. The movie will finally be released next month, and Moviefone has a trailer up for you to follow the struggles of maintaining sanity when execs say things like: "Frankly, 'original' scares me a little," and "Suicide is depressing to like 82% of everybody." In other words, one of those things you could laugh at, but would never want to experience.