Most conversations about Forgetting Sarah Marshall -- the new Judd Apatow-produced comedy about a devastating breakup -- are going to start with the penis shot. Sure, there have been willies in the movies before -- hell, there have been dongs in Apatow productions before (see Walk Hard). But a johnson this prominently featured, and in a mainstream romantic comedy? It breaks new ground. And not only is it funny, it's the perfect visual representation of what a guy goes through when he gets dumped. The film's star, Jason Segel, is stripped bare literally and figuratively -- exposed, embarrassed, emasculated. It's a comedy moment for the history books. I just wish I could say the rest of the film is as bold, as brave, as ... ballsy as that penis.

Oh, don't get me wrong. Sarah Marshall is a very funny movie. But its faults -- its sagginess, its tendency to let improvisation roll past the point of laughter, its relationships that often don't ring true -- are what separate this Judd Apatow production from a Judd Apatow film.

We already know that Kristen Bell is going to have some unconventional suitors in the new romcom When in Rome -- Jon Heder signed onto the cast back in March to play a smitten street magician. But in all the names that I could imagine being added next, there's one that definitely didn't cross my mind. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the next eligible bachelor to get his shot at nabbing the young, sleuthing, electric, heart-breaking Bell: Danny DeVito.

As we already know, Bell will play a "love-starved New York Curator" who takes a trip to Rome and steals coins from a fountain of love to try and get her chance at romance. When she gets home, she discovers that it actually worked -- a number of men try to woo her. But another bit of the puzzle has now been added by THR, that explains the whole thing -- the coins she steals were tossed there by the men who end up pursuing her.

The question that remains: will these men just try to catch her gaze when she walks on by, or will we see a nice, romantic sit-down dinner with Danny and Kristen? And an end-of-the-night kiss? It could be interesting, to say the least. The film, which also boasts the likes of Will Arnett, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, and Dax Shepard, begins filming this month in New York City.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall finds Jason Segel vacationing in Hawaii to forget the girl (Kristen Bell) who just dumped him. Alas, she's at the same resort with her new beau! It's the latest comedy from the Apatow camp, and it hits theaters this weekend. Cinematical spoke one-on-one with the film's director, Nicholas Stoller, regarding the movie, his upcoming Muppet project, and how much onscreen penis is too much onscreen penis.

Cinematical: Is it intimidating for you knowing that every movie associated with Apatow these days is such a comedy event? Does that put pressure on you as the director to live up to that standard?

Nicholas Stoller: Not really, I'm still excited I got to make a movie, so I'm not really thinking in terms of if it's going to be a big event. Our movie was cheap so we don't have to make up that much money. It amuses me, and I hope that it amuses more people.

Cinematical: It amused me, so there's one extra person anyway.

NS: We have you and me and we just need 30 million more Americans.

If Jason Segel was a character on Heroes, what would his super power be? And speaking of super powers, which comic book character would Kristen Bell take on without even reading a script? You can get the answers to these questions, as well as watch Segel talk, at length, about his good friend Mr. Johnson, over at Moviefone -- where they've unveiled the latest installment in their very funny (and thought-provoking) Unscripted series, featuring the two stars of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Above, you'll be able to see a special super secret exclusive clip from their chat that's NOT featured in the actual Unscripted session. Oh yes, that means you can only watch it right here ... on Cinematical. Aren't you glad you stopped in today? So listen to Kristen Bell mock Jesus Christ's comedic skills above, then head on over to Moviefone to see their entire chat. Remember, Segel and Bell are answering questions you left for them right here on this very blog, as well as mixing in some of their own. If you thought you knew everything about gratuitous male nudity on the big screen ... you have no idea.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall. April 18. Go!

Did you know this? I'm not exactly sure why, but news about Serious Moonlight isn't really getting released. I posted about the project back in October -- the film was written by the late Adrienne Shelly, is being produced by her widower, and had Cheryl Hines (who co-starred in Waitress) attached to direct. Sure, it's not the biggest selection of names, but after the shock that was Shelly's murder, and the positive reaction to Waitress, one would think that news about the feature would continue to roll in, especially when bigger names signed on.

While reading Lou Lumenick's current post about Meg Ryan, he mentioned the film and its stars -- Kristen Bell and Justin Long. So, I headed over to IMDb, and yes, the cast stars Veronica Mars and the ol' Apple guy, plus Ryan and Timothy Hutton. Did some press release get lost? The film was cast, and is already in post-production!

You've no doubt seen the ad campaign for Forgetting Sarah Marshall by now. Instead of a traditional poster, cities across the country have been littered with all-white signs that read (in black lettering), "You Suck Sarah Marshall" or "My Mom Always Hated You Sarah Marshall." Naturally, those not "in the know" may think these signs are a personal attack on one Sarah Marshall, who, in reality, is played by the adorable Kristen Bell in the film. Well, it's happened. Like, a lot.

According to The Daily News, a bunch of women from New York City -- who also happened to be named Sarah Marshall -- are definitely feeling the heat from this ad campaign. One girl actually got a phone call from her ex saying, "I don't know who's doing this, but it's not me." One ad which reads, "You DO look fat in those jeans Sarah Marshall" has some women signing up for gym classes, and applying extra make-up in the morning. Another Sarah Marshall says, "You see ... words like 'hate' and 'suck' with your name over and over again. It just doesn't feel pleasant inside." It does seem, though, that the younger the Sarah Marshall, the better. One girl who's 27 says her fourth-grade class constantly ask for her autograph.

What do you think about the ad campaign? And if you're a Sarah Marshall, definitely chime in below. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which happens to be one helluva funny flick) hits theaters on April 18.

[via Gothamist]

Sometimes you really need to be careful what you wish for, or at least where you steal coins from. In February, Jessica posted about the new Disney romantic comedy When in Rome, which will star the electric detective Kristen Bell. She will play a real estate agent in New York City who heads to Rome for her sister's impulsive marriage. There, she picks coins out of a "fountain of love" to try to find the romance out of her reach, and when she heads home, she finds a lot of mens waiting for her. Now surprise, surprise, Variety reports that Jon Heder and Dax Shepard have signed on for roles.

Oh, yes -- they're both potential suitors for the lucky Bell. Heder will take on the role of a street magician who tries to win her love with his..."talents," and Shepard will play "a self-absorbed suitor who falls under the spell and chases the girl." I must say -- these weren't the sort of choices I was imagining. Perhaps instead of finding all the possible men she could date, Bell will get a serving of Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. Where's Logan when you need him?

Oh wait! The Hollywood Reporter has more on the story, saying that Josh Duhamel and Anjelica Huston have also signed on. Bell has been saved -- they say that Josh will be the romantic lead. Huston, meanwhile, will be Bell's boss, who is the curator of the Guggenheim.

Still... I miss Veronica Mars.

It may be March, and the box office may be ruled by the likes of 10,000 B.C., but cheer up -- there's a new Judd Apatow joint just around the corner. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which opens April 18, stars Jason Segel (who also wrote the screenplay) as the now-familiar likable schmoe who worships his hot, TV-star girlfriend (Kristen Bell), gets dumped by said hot, TV-star girlfriend, then heads to a Hawaiian resort to get over said hot etc. girlfriend -- except, d'oh, she's staying at that same resort with her new rock-star man-toy.

(Note: Those of you who don't watch TV can just skip the following paragraph.)

Segel and Bell certainly know what it's like to be TV stars. Segel's best known these days as Marshall Eriksen, the goofy, Barney-slapping lawyer on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother -- though to some of us, he'll always be Nick Andopolis from Apatow's late, lamented Freaks and Geeks (I still can't hear Styx's "Lady" without thinking of him). Similarly: Kristen Bell = either Elle Bishop, the psychotic human electrical current on last season's Heroes, or crack teen P.I. Veronica on the late, lamented Veronica Mars.

Anyhoo, Segel and Bell have both signed on to interview each other for Moviefone's Unscripted series to promote Sarah Marshall, and we're hitting y'all up for questions -- about the movie, their respective TV shows, the hardships of filming in Hawaii, or anything else your heart desires. They're taping this Saturday, March 15, so please submit your question in the comments area below by Friday, and be sure to include your first name and the city and state where you live. Then check back here on April 14 to see if your question made the cut. Good luck ... and may the Apatow be with you.

A few days ago I enjoyed a very conventional comedy called Run Fatboy Run. The film succeeds (to a B-minus degree, anyway) thanks almost exclusively to the contributions of actors like Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran, and Hank Azaria. When you have talented people lugging familiar material around, the result can sometimes be unexpectedly amusing. Such is most definitely the case with Nick Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a semi-romantic comedy that covers some of the same ground as The Break-Up and The Heartbreak Kid but does one thing differently: It delivers a lot of laughs.

Produced by the recently very prolific Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad), Forgetting Sarah Marshall stars one of the producer's regulars (Jason Segel, who also penned the screenplay) as a TV music composer who is madly in love with his "hot actress" girlfriend. (Her name is Sarah Marshall, obviously.) But when Sarah dumps Peter for a preening British rock star, the sensitive slob of a guy goes into an emotional tailspin. At the advice of his well-meaning stepbrother, Peter decides to take a solo trip down to Hawaii. And ... you guessed it: Sarah and new posh new boyfriend Aldous are already vacationing there! Ack, how comically uncomfortable!