Showing posts with label Judd Apatow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judd Apatow. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

I Want My Movie Trailers



Pitch Perfect - May 15


The first domestic trailer did very good job to get excited for the sequel; the group doing the Cups song from the original, Anna Kendrick making fart noises. The Super Bowl spot gave up an a capella version of Before He Cheats and the Green Bay Packers covering Bootylicious. The latest trailer brings the funny (...because of World War II... boom). We got some new musical performances: Wrecking Ball.. yawn. But the Germans pick things up with an eerie snippet of Muse and a funny take on Bell Biv DeVoe. Then something that is giving me pause about the second movie happened: Rebel Wilson giving her take on the A Tribe Called Quest / Leaders of the New School classic collaboration. Hopefully that turns out better than the trailer would have me believe. I would be much more confident if Anna Kendrick had taken lead on that one after she crushed No Diggity in the first film. Maybe they are saving her for the epic Busta Rhymes part which is so great you have to spend money to see it, they just will not give away something that good during a free trailer.

Aloha - May 29


News broke last year that Cameron Crowe was filming a new movie in Hawaii with Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Rachel McAdams, and Danny McBride. Just the casting and with Crowe writing and directing I was almost ready to call it the greatest movie in the history of cinema. I probably would have if they cast Ryan Gosling instead of Bradly Cooper. Last week we finally a title (Aloha) and a trailer. It was not as great as I was hoping (though I cannot confirm nor deny I have already watched it over twenty-five) most it falling on me being disappointed that it stars Cooper instead of Gosling and Stone as an Air Force liaison (with that said if she were cast in a female reboot of Top Gun, I would start camping out at my local multiplex tomorrow). But of course there are some good times in the trailer: "You're gonna wear this like Flavor Flav wears a clock," the dude from The Office saying "a lot," the best Cold War Kids song in their catalogue, the scene with Emma covering her face with her hands (if I was a fourteen year old girl with a Tumblr I would gif the crap out of that, granted if I were a fourteen year old girl, I would probably be giffing Cooper rolling his eyes at Emma playing guitar instead; wait Emma Stone plays guitar in this movie? Why is this not out yet?); and most importantly the triumphant return of Rachael McAdams who has not been in a watchable movie since maybe Morning Glory five years ago.

Trainwreck - July 17


After popularizing the beta male bro comedy genre ten years ago, Judd Apatow seems to be trying to get the female version of the genre off the ground. He produced Bridesmaid and now the first film he has ever directed but not write looks to continue that beta female route with Trainwreck. The movie was instead written by star Amy Schumer. I am a little iffy about the trailer because I am one of the few Clevelanders still hates LeBron James. But hey, there is Brie Larson (if Amy is Seth Rogan, does that make Briw Paul Rudd?) And it seems clear LeBron is playing himself, does that mean John Cena does too? Either way I do not think I could lookm at him the same way ever again.

Hot Pursuit - May 8


When I heard Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergarra were in a trailer together for a female buddy comedy I though it was a fake one for Funny or Die. After seeing it and learning it is a real movie, I am still suspicious that it may really end up being fake. Maybe Reese was right to stop making comedies and should have continued to take serious roles.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2012-13


It is weird to talk about movies these days especially about Batman considering the massacre in Colorado. My heart goes out to anyone who was affected by the shooting. I actually planned to run this for a while and wanted it to coincide with The Dark Knight Rises hitting theaters because it had been on top of my most anticipated list since it was announced. So now that it is out, I need to figure out a new number one. So here are the movies I am looking forward to over the next year.

10. The Is 40 (December 21): I did not find the first trailer particularly funny, but Judd Apatow has yet to make a completely unwatchable movie so hopefully the promo monkeys are to blame and the movie will be as good as the rest of his resume.

9. Iron Man 3 (May 4): I was apparently one of the few people who enjoyed the second installment and am excited a Ben Kingsley enhanced third film even if I am more of a DC guy.

8. Man of Steel (June 14): Another teaser I am not much of a fan of. Couldn’t we at least get a glimpse of Amy Adams as Lois Lane? And I am not sure if I need a Superman movie the in the tone of Christopher Nolan’s Batman. Did they not learn from the moody Bryan Singer version that led to a quick reboot? But I am a DC guy, so I hope this succeeds so we can finally get a Justice League movie, even if that means a new Batman so soon.

7. Oz The Great and Powerful (March 8): Sure this may lead to a crappy The Wizard of Oz reboot, but I am really interested in what Sam Raimi can do with this world.

8. Django Unchained (December 25): Is it wrong that I kind of hope Quentin Tarantino worked in the line, “Where all the white women at?” somewhere into this movie?



5. The Hobbit (December 14): Peter Jackson and J. R. R. Tolkien. What could possibly go wrong.



4. The Evil Dead (April 12): This should be on my list of Movies You Cannot Pay Me to Watch because I hold the original trilogy in such high regard. And who could you possibly get to replace Bruce Campbell’s chin? The answer turned out to be the chick from Suburgatory. Since both Campbell and Sam Raimi are involved hopefully this will be the one remake that does not suck massively.

3. The Watch (July 27): Another movie with an unfortunate history. It was originally called Neighborhood Watch but quickly shortened it after the Travon Martin murder. But this movie is less about vigilante suburbanites and more about aliens. Sure I may be a bit optimistic considering the spotty track record of Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn of late, but at least the trailer looks extremely funny.



2. The Man with the Iron Fists (November 2): If there was one thing I have learned in my life is that you never, under any circumstance, trust a big butt and a smile. If there was a second thing I have learned, Wu-Tang Can ain’t nuthin’ to frack with. For those who do not know why, just check out RZA in this film.



1. Gangsta Squad (September 7): Another movie affected by the massacre in Colorado, the trailer, which was originally attached to The Dark Knight Rises, actually featured a theater being shot up. Now the trailer has been pulled and it looks like the scene will also hit the cutting room floor even though it was integral to the plot, so there are going to be reshoots and presumable the release date is no in questions. Scandals aside, after watching Crazy Stupid Love, I fully endorse any movie that features both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Best of the Week - 5/5/12


Quote of the Week: You can’t escape it, Don. Soon your little girl will spread her legs and fly. (Megan’s dad, Mad Men)

Song of the Week: You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrissette (as sung by June, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Adam Yauch: I grew up with the Beastie Boys. Quite literally. I was a childish elementary school student when the sophomoric License to Ill came out. I was going through my alternative phase as they got weird on Check Your Head. I was heading out to the club when the released their most danceable Hello, Nasty. And I was getting political when they released their pro-New York, anti-Bush To the the 5 Boroughs. Where most groups have a standout performer, no one have a favorite Beastie Boy, they were all equally great and at their best when they were trading lines. I can count the number of artist whose whole catalogue I own on one hand and the Beastie Boys were one of them. MCA’s diagnosis of cancer pushed back the release of Hot Sauce Committee, part 1 in 2009 which did not get released until a year later (renamed part 2) but his illness kept him from promoting the album and recently had to miss his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month (which will be premiering on HBO tonight).

Free Download of the Week: China Girl – David Bowie (Google Play)

Deal of the Week: 100 Album for $5 on Amazon MP3: This month’s $5 albums include Norah Jones, Amos Lee, Dawes, and Rosie Thomas.



New Album Release of the Week: Strangeland - Keane

New DVD Release of the Week: Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season

Video of the Week: I have been worshiping at the altar of Apatow for about a decade now, but something is just not working with the first trailer to his four movie that he wrote and directed This Is Forty, a sequel of sorts to Knocked Up (which was probably done so he didn’t have to work with Katharine Heigl again which is understandable). At one point Leslie Mann tells Paul Rudd his eyes are glazing over an that is actually what he looks like throughout the whole trailer when he is fully clothed. And the only part I actually laughed was the “No technology” line. Hopefully this is just a case of a bad trailer and movie ends up being much better.



Next Week Pick of the Week: 2 Broke Girls, Monday at 8:00 on CBS: Sure the show ranks number one on my list of the most disappointing show of the season but Kat Dennings still carries the show fairly well even if all the other characters are one dimensional and the second lead has an annoying voice. But Caroline is less annoying than The Voices of other people that will be airing during the same timeslot on Monday.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I Want My Movie Trailers - 12/13/11

Every week or so I like to take a look at new music videos that catch my eye and really do not do the same for movie trailers because interesting ones do not hit the interwebs as frequently as music videos, but a bunch that caught my eye have been released recently and I thought I would share them. I am not sure if this will become a regular feature, but feel free to shout me a holler if you think you can come up with a better title than I did (which should not be too hard).


Cabin in the Woods – April 13



When I first heard about the new Joss Whedon movie Cabin in the Woods my first thought was, that sounded much better when it was called Evil Dead (and to show nothing is sacred anymore, word is we are getting an Evil Dead reboot in the near feature sans Ash; my soul is weeping). But like it says I the trailer, “You think you know the story… Think again” and after watching it I look to be wrong pigeonholing it because from the cabin in the woods setting, there looks to be something entirely different going on a bigger scale. At the very least Cabin in the Woods will be something to hold us over until the inevitable Army of Darkness reboot nobody ask for hits movie theaters.


The Five Year Engagement – April 27



Comedies are notorious for frontloading trailers with all the funniest bits, but if there are other scenes even half as funny as Bright Abbott singing We Didn’t Start the Fire with past girlfriends and a child shooting people with arrows, The Five Year Engagement will be worth watching. Really, when was the last unfunny movie Judd Apatow (who apparently now goes by “The Producers of Bridesmaids
” for some reason) was apart of? And I swear I heard Annie Edition try to do an English accent in the trailer which may also make the movie worth the price of admission.


Battleship – May 18



The second Battleship trailer has landed, now with 100% more Landry Clarke. But the movie could employ the entire cast of Friday Night Lights and I’d still be a bit worried. Best case scenario is it is Independence Day at seas. Worst case scenario, Transformers at sea.


What to Expect When You’re Expecting – May 11



The trailer work like the longest game of good news (Elizabeth Banks) bad new (Cameron Diaz) good news (Brooklyn Decker) bad news (Brooklyn Decker in a fat suit) good news (Chris Rock) ban news (Jennifer Lopez) good news (Anna Kendrick) bad news (the dude from Gossip Girl) good news (Big Poppa) bad new (the dude from Glee). I think the bad news will win out because the movie looks like He's Just Not That Into You if the all the chicks got knocked up. But seriously, can we please stop these horrible “ensemble” movies that spend too much money on talent and none on actual screenwriting?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Previewing The Green Room with Paul Provenza


The Green Room with Paul Provenza welcomed Garry Shandling and Judd Apatow

The Green Room with Paul Provenza returns for its second season tonight at 11:00 on Showtime. For those that have never seen the show, Provenza (director and co-producer of The Aristocrats) conducts a roundtable discussion (sans actual table) with a bunch of stand up comedians with nothing off limits, this is Showtime.

Tonight Paul pulls out all the stops by bringing in Ray Romano, Garry Shandling, Judd Apatow, and Bo Burnham. Some stand out bits to look forward to, of all things, is the 1990 Grammy Awards which was one of Apatow’s first writing gigs with Shandling acting as host. Shandling would later repay Apatow by appearing in his movie Knocked Up leading to another funny story when Gary brought a monk to the set during the birth scene. We are also treated with a performance of Art Is Dead by Dead by Burnham.

Next week’s episode may not be as star studded as tonight as they may need some introduction and the most recognizable is also the least funny. In the Green Room will be Dana Gould (writer for The Simpsons), Greg Proops (Who’s Line Is it Anyway?), Franklyn Ajaye (the jazz comic), and Ka Griffin (the unfunny one). Even though they are lesser know, there is plenty to laugh at like Steven Hawkings visiting The Simpsons, Ajaye putting current comedy on blast (and learns who the president is), and someone actually makes fun of Joan Rivers face then all the other conic try to make Griffin feal as if her cosmetic surgeries have still left her looking normal even though she has not looked human in over a decade.

The Green Room is a great look into the minds as comedians as the talk shop and allow us to listen is. The show is a great mix of humor (and much funnier than most sitcoms these days) and education look into the profession of a stand p comic.

The Green Room with Paul Provenza airs Thursdays at 11:00 on Showtime. Check out a clip below.



Saturday, March 12, 2011

Best of the Week - 3/12/11


Quote of the Week: You’re like the hillbilly whisperer… put you on Oprah. (Art – Justified)

Song of the Week: Sea of Love – Cat Power (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: Sheen off the Charlie: Last week’s media blitz was entertaining with all the tiger blood and warlock talk but that wore real quick when Charlie Sheen went from crazy fun to just crazy. I’ve talked more about Two and a Half Men over the past two weekes than the two season before and now it is time to not caring about one of the least funny shows on television.

Free Download of the Week: Childish Gambino EP (iamdonald.com): Last week I brought you the new video from Community’s Donald Glover’s rap alter ego Childish Gambino and you can download that and the rest of the songs on his EP for free on his website.

Deal of the Week: Blu-ray for Under $15 (Kick-Ass, Sin City, 300)

New Album Release of the Week: Scandalous - Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

New DVD Release of the Week: Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part Two

Video of the Week: After a decae of making a name for himself on the backs of Beta Males, Judd Apatow’s next film in his production teny will focas on the quintisential Beta Female, the bridesmaid.

Bridesmaids Trailer


Next Week Pick of the Week: March Madness, Starting Thursday at Noon on CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV: It’s the most wonderful time of year, Spring, Shamrock Shakes, St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness all happening this Thursday (assuming McDonalds doesn’t run out prematurely like they seem to do every year). Seriously, can we just declare it national holiday because nothing will get done. Or just make next Thursday a half day like we had in grade school? To get geared up, tune into Selection Sunday starting at 5:00 on CBS while ESPN will have a three hour braketology special. And the field gets expanded to 68 teams with the last eight in battle Tuesday and Wednesday during the newly announced First Four round.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Breaking Down the 100 Greatest Movies of the 00’s


I have never claimed to be some sort of film connoisseur as I only cared enough to make it inside a movie theater twice last decade, but when the holy grail of movie awards handed out a Best Picture award to crap like Crash, who can really trust? But anyway. Here is how my list of The 100 Greatest Movies of the 00’s broke down by the numbers.

Movies by Year
2000 – 8
2001 – 8
2002 – 8
2003 – 4
2004 – 12
2005 – 8
2006 – 11
2007 – 14
2008 – 14
2009 – 13

Movies by Genre
Comedy – 31
Drama – 24
Action – 18
Romantic Comedy – 7
War – 5
Animation – 3
Documentary – 3
Horror – 3
Sports – 3
Suspense - 3

Foreign Language Films - 4 (5 if you count Inglorious Bastards which was German heavy)

Actors Who Appeared in Multiple Movies
Jason Bateman – 6
Justin Long – 6
Seth Rogan - 6
Bill Hader – 5
Jay Baruchel – 5
Natalie Portman – 5
Samuel L. Jackson - 5
Adam Sandler – 4
Ben Stiller – 4
Christine Taylor - 4
Craig Robinson - 4
Danny McBride – 4
Jack Black - 4
Jonah Hill - 4
Keira Knightly – 4
Kristen Bell - 4
Mandy Moore – 4
Orlando Bloom – 4
Vince Vaughn – 4

Directors with Multiple Films
Clint Eastwood – 3
Ridley Scott - 3
Ben Stiller – 2
Cameron Crowe – 2
Edgar Wright – 2
Guillermo del Toro – 2
Jason Reitman – 2
Judd Apatow – 2
Kevin Smith – 2
Martin Scorsese – 2
Paul Thomas Anderson – 2
Peter Berg – 2
Quentin Tarantino – 2
Robert Rodriguez – 2
Sam Raimi – 2
Steven Spielberg – 2
Zach Snyder - 2

Monday, March 29, 2010

The 100 Greatest Duos of the 00's


Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon1. Tony Kornhetunesser and Michael Wilbon

2. Eric and Tami Taylor

3. Jack and Meg White

4. Batman and The Joker

5. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson

6. Al Swearengen and Seth Bullock

7. Sheldon Cooper and Penny

8. Charlie Murphy and Rick James

9. Benjamin Linus and John Locke

Tami and Eric Taylor10. John Stewart and Stephen Colbert

11. Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell

12. Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo

13. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill

14. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo

15. Jay-Z and Kanye West

16. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling

17. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez

18. Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn

19. Sydney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin

The White Stripes20. Bill “the Butcher” Cutting and Amsterdam Vallon

21. Kanye West and Taylor Swift

22. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson

23. ?uestlove and Black Thought

24. David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey

25. Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green

26. Judd Apatow and Seth Rogan

27. Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb

28. Jack Sheppard and John Locke

29. Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Batman and The Joker30. Mark Cuban and David Stern

31. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

32. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

33. Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel

34. Seth and Scott Avett

35. Beyoncé and Jay-Z

36. Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams

37. Lily Allen and Mark Ronson

38. M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel

39. Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson40. Landry Clarke and Matt Sarasen

41. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

42. Bill Simmons and Jack O

43. The Rock and Mankind

44. Vince McMahon and Eric Bishoff

45. Jack Black and Kyle Gass

46. Justin Long and John Hodgman

47. Seth Rogan and James Franco

48. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

49. Chris Matthews and Zell Miller

Al Swearengen and Seth Bullock50. Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel

51. Bono and the Edge

52. Olivia Munn and Kevin Ferreira

53. Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson

54. Samuel L. Jackson and Snakes

55. Boyd Tinsley and LeRoi Moore

56. Jay-Z and Nas

57. Charlie Murphy and Prince

58. Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza

59. Kyle Broflovski and Stan Marsh

Sheldon and Penny60. Any Combination of the Bluth Family

61. Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen

62. George Bush and Michael Moore

63. Lars Ulrich and Napster

64. Roger Federer and Raphel Nadal

65. Chris Hanson and Predators

66. Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler

67. Terrell Owens and his Quarterback

68. Eminem and Dr. Dre

69. Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler

Ben Linus and John Locke70. Jon Stewart and Tucker Carlson

71. Ed Stevens and Dr Mike Burton

72. Ron Artest and the city of Detroit

73. Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd

74. Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston

75. Emerson Cod and Olive Snook

76. Ed Stevens and Carol Vessey

77. John McCain and Sarah Palin

78. Santana and Michelle Branch

79. Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada

John Stewart and Stephen Colbert80. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

81. Vanilla Ice and Ron Jeremy

82. Ben Stiller and Jack Black

83. Dr. Harold Abbott and Andy Brown

84. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton

85. Method Man and Redman

86. Veronica Mars and Dick Casablancas

87. Hannity and Colmes

88. George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh

89. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes

Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas90. Rick Castle and Kate Beckett

91. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony

92. Al Davis and Lane Kiffen

93. Judd Apatow and Jason Segal

94. Bill O’Reilly and Keith Olberman

95. Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg

96. Henry Louis Gates and James Crawley

97. Richard Hatch and Rudy Boash

98. Dave Grohl and Josh Homme

99. Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan

100. Andre 3000 and Big Boi