I wonder if the poster powers that be realized the monster they were creating when they whipped up that memorable poster for The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Since Steve Carell's virginal, bright smile graced walls and billboards everywhere, tons of comedies have followed suit, throwing up their takes on the one-face, and Pineapple Express is no exception.

Following the trio poster Jessica posted about in April, Trailer Addict has premiered two new posters, one highlighting Seth Rogen's happily high face, and the other showcasing James Franco's verrrry happy high face. You can see both above, and click to check out larger versions over at TA. They're cute, but man, I hope this trend ends before a really great movie gets burned by the annoyance brought on by a repetitive poster.

Luckily, nothing has deterred me from Pineapple Express yet. 38 days to go until we get lots of stoner action set to the tune of Huey Lewis!

Immediately after watching what appeared to be a last second decision gone awry, I knew people would be talking about it the next day -- especially because it's MTV, because it's a show designed for teens and pre-teens and because Seth Rogen and James Franco kinda made pot smoking "look cool." In an article over at AOL News, Franco admitted that MTV put them up to it -- "even supplying the script, the fake marijuana and the fake joint - then had a last-second change of heart about the bit." That "change of heart" turned into the camera remaining on a wide shot of the stage while Rogen and Franco took hits off the fake joint, coughing in between. Of course, even though the camera was wide, we still heard everything being said -- and could still see the awkward, uncomfortable faces in the crowd, some of whom (like Will Smith) brought their young children with them as dates.

From the article: "MTV wrote it! ... Then backstage there was this big commotion: 'You guys can't say that,"' Franco said. "It says right in the script: 'Lights fake joint."' Of course, this shouldn't take anything away from The Pineapple Express (which I heard was absolutely hysterical and am dying to see), because it's rated R and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. However, the film's green band trailer makes sure not to use the word marijuana or show either character actually putting a joint to their mouth to smoke (going so far as to change the word 'weed' in the trailer song to 'seed') -- so, obviously, it's an issue with the MPAA.

Should it be an issue with the FCC? Did MTV make a huge mistake with this bit, or should they be applauded for taking the comedic risk? (Check out the video after the jump and let us know ...)



[photo courtesy of Getty Images]

While the 2008 MTV Movie Awards was probably more like one long commercial for summer movies than it was an actual awards show, there were some funny, memorable bits featuring old friends and a few clips worth mentioning for those who missed it last night. (Anyone else catch Brendan Fraser screaming like a lunatic into the camera on the red carpet, promoting Journey 3-D, while they were interviewing SJP about Sex and the City? I mean, dude, I know this show is all about promoting your movies, but calm the F down -- even SJP looked a tad freaked out.)

But anyway, my favorite bit of the night was a tie between watching a Wayne's World reunion and the Tropic Thunder viral spoof by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black. Surprisingly, it wasn't even any of the three who stole the show; it was, instead, the kid playing Stiller's nephew. Hilarious. Watch the Wayne's World routine above, then head after the jump for the full Tropic Thunder video, Megan Fox looking extremely hot and freaked out by a naked Rainn Wilson and the footage you DIDN'T see of Seth Rogen and James Franco smoking a "pretend" joint on stage. I'd like to think the bit would've been funnier if the cameras were actually allowed within 700 feet of the stage and they didn't cutaway to several different actors who weren't laughing ... at all. In fact, Downey Jr. looked kind of insulted. Not the best anti-drug advertisement I've ever seen, but what the hey ...

Why We Can't Wait to See It: It's a fresh, yet classic stoner story written by Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, and Evan Goldberg. The trailer looks funnier than hell, there's 227 references, and Huey frickin' Lewis wrote the theme song. Also, Rogen gets to not only fly through the air, but also carry James Franco out of a burning building all action hero-style.

Why It Might Do Well: Between The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, Seth Rogen has been comedy gold lately. At the very least, the movie will get the loyal Judd Apatow contingent, along with those curious to see what David Gordon Green can do with comedy.

Why It Might Not Do Well: Aliens land on earth and the world ends. Realistically, it should do quite well, but it won't get as many young girls and action-hungry mens seeing it -- both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and Hell Ride open on the same day.

Fun Fact: The chorus of Huey Lewis' theme song for the film: "We got in trouble, we got to get out of here. I've got you, you've got me. We are as high as we can be. That's all right. How did we get into this mess? Pineapple Express!"

Trivia:



Answer Key

While I'm not willing to go into too many details about my personal habits, I will say that I do have an affinity for the so-called 'stoner movie' (well, at least the ones that try to portray smokers with just a modicum of reality). So with that in mind, you can guess why I am looking forward to the release of Pineapple Express -- the first poster of which has just hit the interwebs (check out the full size in the gallery below).

Seth Rogen stars as Dale Denton, a perpetually baked process server with a close relationship to his dealer, Saul (as played by James Franco). When Dale accidentally witnesses a murder, he and Saul are forced on the run from bad guys while suffering from the mother of all paranoid freak outs. Rosie Perez also stars as a crooked cop, and Gary Cole (aka Bill Lumbergh) as a drug lord.

Finally, after all of the waiting, Moviefone has the trailer for The Pineapple Express, which you can watch above (or over there in glorious HD)! And man, it's been worth the anxious wait, even if there's no Huey Lewis to be heard. Under the directorial eye of David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen and James Franco are two pot smoking friends who get in over their heads when Rogen witnesses a cop murder someone. Of course, the only thing to do is go straight to the pot-dealing Franco.

Rogen is, well, Rogen, although he's got one heck of a flying through the air moment that was just completely brilliant, and has me waiting for Seth to take on a buddy cop movie. Franco, meanwhile, is just excellent. Really -- after pushing the boundaries of annoyance with Spidey, he's just stoner greatness. And, it's nice to see Rosie Perez getting down with her bad self.

Watch out for the barracudas!

(Fun Fact: A little birdie out at SXSW told us that, originally, Rogen was supposed to play the stoner and Franco the straight guy. However, Judd Apatow wanted to take a risk and flipped the roles before filming began.)

For a very short while today, some folks were able to watch a leaked Red Band trailer for Pineapple Express over on YouTube. A little birdie gave us the heads up, and I was right in the middle of bringing you folks the leaked version when I had to stop writing and -- wham -- the video was gone. But I can tell you that what I watched had me in friggin' stitches. Holy crap is this movie going to be funny. I won't say much as to not spoil the trailer (because it will be online soon, promise), but I just about lost my lunch when Seth Rogen stuck his head in a bag of weed and James Franco said, "Smell it ... it's like God's vagina."

Like with most of the films Judd Apatow sticks his name on, the regular "family-friendly" trailer does it no justice. Oh no, you NEED to see this Red Band trailer. It's absolutely fantastical! I think I'll go on record now saying this will be the funniest film of the summer -- an action comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, produced by Judd Apatow and directed by ... David Gordon Green. Crazy. Anyway, just thought I'd release some excitement since I can't bring you the trailer now. Fear not, though, because when this puppy officially hits, we'll be the first to let you know.

UPDATE: A few different websites grabbed the trailer, and have it up now (for how long -- we dunno). Kinda not allowed to go there, but I'd check out all the usual suspects.

Is it me, or does someone look like he needs either a joint or a bath? Slashfilm has snagged the first photos of Sean Penn from off the set of the new Gus Van Sant flick, Milk. Penn plays Harvey Milk in the biopic, who, back in 1977, became California's first openly gay official when he was voted to the city supervisor's board of San Francisco. One year later -- and this may be a spoiler warning for those not in the know -- Milk, along with the city's mayor George Mascone, were assassinated by another city supervisor, Dan White. Also starring in the film are Josh Brolin (White), Emile Hirsch (Cleve Jones), Victor Garber (Moscone), Denis O'Hare (Senator Brigg) and James Franco is rumored to be playing Scott Smith (according to the IMDb).

As Slashfilm points out with their photos, parts of the Castro District in San Francisco have been magically given a 70's-style facelift, including one such storefront that's housing Milk's campaign headquarters (see photo after the jump). At one point, director Bryan Singer wanted to direct his own Harvey Milk biopic called The Mayor of Castro Street, but there's been no word on that for awhile (apparently it needed a rewrite). Milk is due out later this year. Check out more photos after the jump ...

Slashfilm now has the first on-set photos from Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic, Milk. As we all know, Bryan Singer's competing Milk film, The Mayor of Castor Street, has been parked in development hell. Now it looks like Van Sant's film will be the first Hollywood life-story of the legendary mayor of San Francisco, so get ready for a little stroll down memory lane since most of these photos are of the local spots in the area being given a 1970's makeover.

For those of you not familiar with Milk's legacy, he was, "an American politician and gay rights activist, was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California, and therefore, according to Time magazine, 'the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.'" The perpetually dour Sean Penn will play Milk, and most gossip had Matt Damon in the role of Milk's murderer and co-worker, Dan White. Now it's looking like Josh Brolin will step in. Other cast members include Emile Hirsch, James Franco, and Diego Luna

While most of the focus had been on whether Penn could pull off the congenial and upbeat Milk, I have to admit I'm a little nervous on the directing end of things as well. As much as I respect Van Sant, I wonder whether he is willing to make a more 'conventional' biopic. It might be the only way to introduce as many people as possible to this invaluable figure in gay rights, rather than alienating them with something a little more along the lines of Last Days. Milk is set to open in theaters later this year.

I once thought that Matt Damon was the only actor suitable to portray Dan White. But that was a whole month ago, before I saw Josh Brolin in American Gangster and No Country for Old Men. Now I'm satisfied that he too would be great as the bad guy in Gus Van Sant's Milk, and fortunately enough, he's close to being cast in the role. According to Variety, Brolin is in negotiations to replace the never-quite-locked-in Damon as the man who assassinated two prominent city officials in 1978. For those of you not living in the Bay Area in the late '70s and who haven't seen the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk and who haven't been reading my coverage of this movie, Milk dramatizes the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician, who served as a San Francisco county supervisor before being shot by his former co-worker Dan White. Also killed by White at the same time was S.F. Mayor George Moscone.

While I still kinda wish Damon was attached, I have an easier time picturing Brolin under that little boy haircut of White's. Of course, just as Damon would have, Brolin will need a prosthetic dimple chin in order to get the look just right. Then again, it might be bad if he looks too much like the real White, who was eventually convicted of manslaughter and who later took his own life after serving five years in prison. The actor portraying the title character is Sean Penn, and he hardly looks anything like Milk. Anyway, it sure wouldn't be the first time an actor didn't look much like the famous person he or she is playing.

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Emile Hirsch and James Franco are also in negotiations to star, with Hirsch playing gay rights activist Cleve Jones and Franco playing Milk's lover and campaign manager, Scott Smith.