2029: Wanderlust

I wanted to see this when it first came out and never got around to it.  It tells the story of a couple who gets beaten up by life a bit and tries to make a go of it on a commune - hilarity ensues.  I like that the film doesn't just take a crap on hippies and make super obvious jokes despite the fact that it's a big comedy - can you make fun of this stuff - sure - but these are people too, and their way of life is a worthy way to live if that's your thing.  Aniston and Rudd do their usual thing and are super enjoyable as always.  Lauren Ambrose steals the film in a birthing scene near the end for me.  This isn't a film that blew me away, but it's enjoyable enough if you like the cast and want something light and fun for your viewing pleasure.

1933 - Walk Hard: The Dewey Coxe Story

I saw this film in theatres and haven't revisited it - one thing that surprised me was the amount of cameos in the film, or at least they'd be considered that now - the little bit parts with Ed Helms and Craig Robinson, the inspired casting for both the Beatles and Elvis - even that alone make it worth watching.
When I first saw this I hadn't see the American version of The Office yet, so the thing that leaped out at me here was Jenna Fischer.  I fell in love with her the first time I watched this.  I thought that she was easily one of the most beautiful women on the planet - first because she's ridiculously attractive, especially in this film - but also because her comedy timing and chops are sensational.  It's been a delight to watch her since then - I'd love the chance to work with her.
This film still holds up - the comedy is over the top - but it sure does take a piss on bio pics - which I recall there was a plethora of around that time, so good on them.  The music is sharp, the attention to the time periods as well.  It's a really enjoyable flick that's funny and smart at the same time.  If you've never seen it and you're a music lover, or just a lover of comedy that's a bit over the top, look no further!

1859 - The 40 Year Old Virgin

Today's my day at home to get some office work done so I'm also re-watching some much loved classics.  I rewatched this last year with the commentary but it's been a LONG time since I've watched the actual film - and it's a good reference for something I'm developing.  This is a cast that would be hard to assemble today if you look at the tremendous talent that's in all of the supporting roles.  What I love about this is that it's, technically, a dirty movie but it's done with such a sweetness.  Steve Carrel is just goddamn delightful here.  You buy into him and his situation without a second thought.  It's so interesting to look at how far Apatow has come since this, especially visually.  No offence to him or his team, but it's not a great looking film - it's not overly cinematic - which makes sense since I believe all his directing experience up to this point was in sitcom, and this absolutely looks like it. 
If you haven't seen this it's kind of a classic by this point.  If you're a fan of comedy you owe it to yourself to check it out.

1855 - This Is The End

I chose this over Superman, 'cause to me - this is the real superhero flick.  One of the most meta-comedies every - this film tells the story of a group of actor friends who play themselves locked in a house with the apolocolyse forcing them to stick together and discover the true meaning of friendship is.

It's hard to pinpoint a favourite "character" here as I love pretty much all of them.  And I also don't want to give anything away and spoil all the fun that goes on inside of the flick.  It's not trying to be anything than what it is - a fun satire on hollywood and also big action flicks and it work way better than I expected it too.  I'm not going to give away any of the big fun moments, because that's truly for you to discover.  If you're a fan of anyone in this group it's worth checking out.  First time directors did a pretty good job of balancing he tone and also all of the effects that go through this.  

So while it's by no means my new favourite film, it's a bucket full of laughs and entertaining from beginning to end.  Still in theatres.  Go! 

1808 - I Could Never Be You Woman

It's always quite amazing when Hollywood casts someone like Michelle Pfeiffer to play a television show runner, and especially make us believe that she's out of her league in dating a younger man.  Let's cut the shit - Pfeiffer will be a smoking hot number at any age.  But whatever, I'll take it - I'll buy into your premise because I love Amy Heckerling and I adore the shit out of Paul Rudd.  If I'd picked this up randomly the Tracy Uhlman mother-nature rant that opens the film might have completely turned me off, but I stuck with it.
This film works because the cast pops.  Pfeiffer and Rudd are a solid pairing - and Saoirse Ronan is a goddamn scene stealer if ever there was one.  She's fantastic in every scene she's in, but the music parody bits are truly sensational.  Looking forward to seeking out more of her stuff. 
If I'm not giving it a glowing review is because it feels like they wanted this thing to be a big satire and take the piss out of society, but in truth only kind of went about it in a half-ass way.  Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about this flick, but it's not Heckerling's best.  I liked it, I just didn't love it.  But please judge for yourself - netflix it up!

1795 - This is 40

I'm a big fan of Judd Apatow - I like how much he throws himself into and this little empire and network of people that he's created - it's quite something.  Throw that and Paul Rudd into the mix and I'm a happy camper.  This is by no means a perfect film.  And it's not for everyone - if you like slice-of-life family drama that connects pretty deeply, you'll dig it - but if you like big stakes then I imagine a film about middle class white people not being able to afford their amazing lifestyle isn't going to quite do it for you.  And that's fine too.
The Apatow "method" of improv heavy films has never been quite so obvious as it is here - and I'm not passing judgement or suggesting that it doesn't largely work, but at the same time I find it difficult to justify the running time for this sort of film.  There's no need for a 2hr, 14 minute film about a mid-life crisis comedy.  Good for Judd for getting away with it, but I think that this is a film that could benefit from a good deal of pruning.  As it is I like it, but I probably could have loved it.
If you've liked his previous films, this one is worth checking out - although I feel like it's his less heart-filled film.  At the end I don't know if I felt like Pete and Debbie so much resolved their issues as they just stopped bitching at each other about their current problems.  I sound like I didn't like the film, but I swear I did.  Can't wait for the special features that'll be loaded to the tits on the BluRay.

1758 - Knocked Up (commentary

This film is a huge leap forward for Apatow as a filmmaker.  Not only is it visually miles ahead from his first film, but the storytelling feels tighter (even in this extended version) and the emotions more toned.  You get a real sense that he's in command of his craft here.  The commentary was was entertaining enough with Apatow, Rogen, and Bill Hader along.  They start off promising that it's going to be like a film school in a box, but it's not really.  Still enjoyable enough for fans though!  Made me want to re-watch it with the commentary off!
One more night of unpacking in the shop... one more Apatow film :)

1757 - The 40 Year Old Virgin (commentary)

I've been getting my studio space set up for editing my new film Sex After Kids, so I threw this on in the background with the commentary which includes a ridiculously large amount of people.  It's interesting listening to commentaries with actors because you very quickly get a sense of who are interesting and fun people, and who are very desperately trying to be as interesting and fun as the people whom it comes naturally to.  It's goddamn awkward to listen to sometimes.  As I'm going to be working around the studio for the next few days in the evening there's a good chance I'll check out the commentaries on the other Apatow films as well.
Part of the issue with watching an Apatow film on DVD is that you never get the theatrical cut, you get his bloated version - which isn't a bad thing - but it's tricky to make a comedy really work after it's pushing two hours.  It's interesting to hear them on the commentary talking about how most of the crew had no idea how they were going to possibly string this thing into a film in the end.  A large part of what Judd does is he slaps down two cameras and just has the actors throw a bunch of stuff out and see what happens.  I can see how this could work quite well, but it's also a reason that the visual style of the film is pretty damn ugly.  It looks like a badly shot three-camera-sitcom in some scenes - which I'm not sure if I noticed before. 
The commentary doesn't offer a whole lot of insight into their productions, but it is entertaining if you like this group of people.  If you don't, then steer clear. 

1632 - Our Idiot Brother

Paul Rudd can pretty much do no harm in my eyes.  I think that the guy is just hands down pretty fantastic, and this is a great role for him.  He plays a slacker brother to three girls whom are all at a cross-roads in their lives, and when their idiot brother gets involved all their stuff starts going to hell, of course it's not his fault, but of course he's the one to blame.  It's one of those stories where it's those around our lovable idiot that need to learn the real lessons.
This film has a great packed cast and is full of a lot of fun and lovely little moments.  Slightly unbalanced and not perfect, it's a cute little film and those who love Rudd, like I, will greatly enjoy it!

1622 - Dinner For Schmucks

It very well may be safe to say that I'll watch anything with Paul Rudd and/or Steve Carell in it.  I loved the title sequence to this film.  I haven't seen the original version of the film, but it's no surprise why they thought that this title would translate over here.
So let's just start by saying that this is a pure fun movie, nothing more and nothing less.  And that's totally fine.  It's entertaining as hell.  The set-up is that a man is trying to get a promotion at his company, but to become part of the "boy's club" he must bring a dinner guest to their secret dinner, but it has to be someone that is just over-the-top weird. 
I didn't love the film, but I quite liked a lot of it - I thought they did a nice job of integrating the plot threads and giving a nice escalation.  The bank scene in particular was pretty damn well done.  The ending felt a little easy, but I'll let it fly.
Jemaine Clement also features here as, essentially the Russell Brand character (nothing against Clement by saying that, he's actually delightful here). 
If you want a fun film to watch this might be your cup of tea. 

1497 - Year One

 

When this film first got announced I thought that the concept had enormous potential.  The idea of putting someone with a modern consciousness in the period of biblical times was just pure comic gold.  And then seeing the cast that they'd assembled got me extra excited.  Then it came out and people shit all over it, so I kinda forgot about it.  

So I decided to check it out anyway, and honestly, there's some funny stuff going on in here.  But I think that my biggest issue with it, and probably the reason that it didn't go over so well, is that it really lacks a driving force.  It just feels like it goes from one bit to another, stringed together by a loose narrative.  So if you don't care about something as silly as a "plot" then this will probably be just fine for you. 

On the upside, really enjoyed discovering June Diane Raphael here.  She's funny, sexy, and just over all wonderful. 

Year One (Theatrical & Unrated Edition)

1455 - Wet Hot American Summer

This film has been on my life to watch for some time now and I actually can't recall who told me that I should check it out. I have to say that I had an issue with the tone. It danced a weird line, but then as it went on it got more and more over-the-top, but the tone - outside of a few examples - wasn't as 'off' at the top of the film. It should have been crazier earlier. It's full of great comedic moments and an amazing cast full of people that I would love to work with one day. A laundry list, really - especially Paul Rudd who is just brilliant in this film. I love that all these actors are playing teenagers despite not even being close to those years anymore - it adds a fun dynamic.
I wanted to like this film more than I did - but it's worth recommending if you're given the tone warning up front and if you love even half of this fantastic cast. An interesting film that should have been just a little bit stronger. Look forward to director Wain's other work - especially The Ten (which is on netflix!!!)

1358 - Knocked Up

So it's been a little while since my last post. I've been doing a lot of writing and I've even decided to catch up on my sleep - what a weird concept - but according to my wife I was sleep deprived (don't tell her I said so, but I think she's right). I want to bed last night at 7:30pm. And it was awesome.

So, again, despite the fact that I've got a STACK of films I haven't seen before, again I felt the need to watch something in reference to a project I'm working through - I'm working on a script right now that bares a few similarities to this film and so I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't hitting the same notes too hard. It was lovely to revisit - it's chalk full of people that I really really adore. I read somewhere that, post-film, Heigl considered it a sexist film. It's a shame 'cause I think she's pretty fantastic in it. I would say that the film is probably targeted more to guys - but I mean, come on! What a feat is that considering the content is about a guy getting a girl pregnant. And Apatow made guys want to see that!

Really glad I revisited again - a really nice little flick.

1357 - I Love You, Man

I saw this when it first came out, and I'm happy to say that it holds up on repeated viewings. God damn there is some really strong comedy writing in this film. Each character, right down to the small supporting ones, has a super strong voice and P.O.V. Segal and Rudd are lovely together. Rashida Jones holds her own and does wonderful things in what could be a rather thankless role. Really glad I picked this film up - looking forward to listening to the commentary at some point in the near future. Really great, fun film.

1238 - Role Models

Paul Rudd can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes. The guy is just fucking funny. It's that simple. This is a pretty formula heavy film, but it's also really funny so the formula doesn't hurt it. There's some really great jokes in here. I laughed often and hard. A comedy that's actually funny. What a novelty! It's on DVD now so check it out!

1222 - I Love You, Man

I really really enjoyed this. First off I'm a huge fan of Paul Rudd, and I dig Jason Segal a lot as an actor and writer, can't wait to see what he does with the new Muppet film. This film is full of really fun and great, solid writing. Great characters all the way from the leads to the minor supporting roles. Jamie Pressly and Jon Favreau play a fantastic couple. I can't say enough good about this one and I look forward to seeing it again. Solid solid solid.

1090 - Knocked Up

I've been wanting to watch this film again for awhile now, but my Dad had it. When I'm writing something new I pick some reference films and this is one for something I'm in the midst of at the moment. This film isn't perfect, but it's still a lot of fun. My only big problem with this film is that I don't buy it when she tells him that she loves him. Maybe I'm not supposed to, and maybe that's the point, but it's never quite clear. I buy at the end that she's turned to him and that mostly works. I think I just wanted a slight bit more chemistry between them.

I love Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann in this film. I think that there's more truth in their relationship than in the rest of the film (not that there isn't some great bits when it comes to the pregnancy), but what I love about the B story in this film is that it's what Alison and Ben could turn into. Leslie Mann's sad scene is really fantastic. I like her.

I'm big on the Apatow camp and I look forward to many more things from them. I need to revisit '40 Year Old Virgin' at some point.

1067 - The Oh in Ohio

I was blown away by how much I liked this movie. I was honestly just expecting to like it, but it's a great great little film. It's a sex comedy that's about.... wait for it... sex. Not in the way other films like to pretend that they are about sex. This one actually deals with some sexual issues, but in a very light, but enjoyable way.

The cast is stellar. Paul Rudd, whom I always like, is really great here as a biology teacher in need of a shake up, and then finds a student who wants to 'save him'.

Danny DeVito has this great part as an unlikely love interest who I dare women not to fall in love with. I've always like him, and he's a charming little bastard here. Hell, if I was a woman, I'd 'swim in his pool'.

And then there's Parker Posey, who is just great in almost everything she does, but brings a real human element to moments that could just go way over the top. She knows when to go for it and when to hold back.

The highlight of this film though is the story. It's really smart and well crafted. It's engaging and keeps you going. I highly recommend it. There feels like there's a scene missing from one of the sub-plot stories, but other than that it's practically a perfect little film. Liked it a lot.