Hola blog readers,
It's been a week since the Earthquakes... I didn't feel the one that was in the 4.somthing range the other day, so for me it's been a week since my tangible world has been rocked. To be perfectly honest, they scared the bajesus out of me. Being woken up at 5:30 in the morning because my entire apartment was shaking was one of the craziest/most terrifying thing that's happened in awhile. I was the only one in the office to feel the aftershock at 11:15, but at least that one only lasted 3 seconds as opposed to the eternity the 5:30AM one felt like it lasted.
Last Friday night, my sister and I took in an evening screening of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". How awesome/adorable is Jason Segel? He wrote a very funny script and though some critics felt like he couldn't quite carry a movie like Seth Rogen, I think his performance was inspiring. As someone who attempts to write scripts every now and again, I have been taught by a professor whom I respect that you should always "write what you know" and that's exactly what Segel did. That naked breakup scene? He actually experienced that? That friggin' sweet Dracula puppet rock opera? Segel once aspired to produce one. Brilliant... that's what this movie is.
Yes, it's completely predictable and completely follows the recent Apatow formula for the buddy/romantic comedy, but it's still entirely entertaining. After watching "Superbad" for the bajillionth time the day after I saw "Sarah Marshall", I realized that "Sarah Marshall" is consistently funnier throughout the entire film. "Superbad" and even "Knocked Up" are funny, but they both have long pockets of movie where the audience doesn't laugh. "Sarah Marshall", even in its most serious moments, still provides the audience (or at least me) with enough material where I was laughing every few minutes.
This week I didn't have much time to watch any more movies, though I'm seeing a matinee of "Baby Mama" tomorrow. Tina Fey is my idol... she is an amazing writer and actress. So much so that 30 Rock has just barely scouched by The Office as my favorite show on television. This past week's episode was great - how many people actually got all the Amadeus references? Probably not many, but they were PRICELESS. And Will Arnett, back for a 3rd time... too funny. "I called you, but not on a phone, so you probably didn't get it."
Going back to the gloriousness that is Jason Segel for a second... did you see How I Met Your Mother????? The 2nd Robin Sparkles video was great - "Sandcastles in the Sand", a power ballad featuring James Van Der Beek... good times.
And "Lost"??? That was one of the best episodes in a long, long time. Benjamin Linus is a person with feelings... who knew? And poor Alex! And the smoke monster... hello! How come Ben can control it? And, I called it during a commercial break that (Crazy) Jack has appendicitus. Sure enough "Next time on 'Lost'", Jack bites it in the sand... Get up Jack - you make it off the island. I'm so glad this show is back on track. The Michael episode was kind of a drag... we needed the back story, but come on...
And of course, American Idol.
Oh, American Idol. You were such bad and then such good television this week.
Andrew Lloyd Webber week proved to be disastrous for poor Jason Castro. After his subpar performance of "Memory", the judges (especially Simon) wailed on him. Come to find out the next morning he was really sick the past few days, but was man enough not to bring it up on the show for pity votes.
The elimination show was one for the books. First off, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber was kind of nasty talking about Brooke and Jason while both of them were sitting mere feet behind him. So not everyone has the skills to sing his showtunes. I watched Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to become more familiar with his music... those songs aren't really that catchy/memorable. And I can empathize with Jason... though I know "Memory" is sung by a Cat, I had never heard that song all the way through before ... and I LOVE showtunes. (Sweeney Todd is playing on my iTunes right now... the Michael Cerveris/Patti LuPone stage version, so ha)
The actual elimination was intense. Even though I hate Syesha, I thought Brooke deserved to go home. But, after Brooke was safe and Syesha was put in the bottom 2, I thought for sure that Jason was going to do home. But, once Seacrest brought out Carly and Jason and then he started asking Carly about how she thought she did, I had a glimmer of hope that Carly, and not Jason, would be in the bottom 2 (even though, vocally this week, Jason should have been in the bottom 2).
When Seacrest said Jason was safe, my sister and I screamed with happiness. I have never felt more like a loser watching television than that moment, but whatever... :)
I was sad that Carly got kicked off instead of Syesha... Syesha needs to leave. She's pitchy all the time (why Randy never says this is beyond me) and she messed up her opening last week, but no one said anything. No one said anything when little David A. messed up his words, which makes you wonder... why do they think he's the greatest thing to happen to that show since Kelly Clarkson? If he was older, they would pick on him for being boring and predictable. For reals. And Brooke... poor Brooke and her 2nd false start of the season. Yikes
So, next week is Neil Diamond week (woot!). I friggin' LOVE Neil Diamond music. You can go on and laugh about that, but his songs are catchy and I really like his voice. I think David Cook should sing "Coming to America", Brooke should sing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and Jason should sing "Cherry Cherry"... I don't know about the others because chances are regardless of what songs they pick, I won't care.
Well, enough randomness for the evening... I need to finish watching "The Flying Scotsman".
I bid you farewell and happy movie/TV/Idol watching :)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Judd Apatow movies - I love 'em :)
(this is a rough draft of an article that will appear in next month's issue of The Ryder... I'll edit it as necessary, but it's been awhile since you've gotten a new article out of me....)
Apatow Productions – Laugh. Love. Laugh Some More.
Judd Apatow has built an entertainment empire based entirely on comedy and working with his friends. His television and film work has made us laugh hysterically while tugging at our hearts with themes of love and friendship.
In 1999, Apatow executive produced, wrote and directed the cult TV show Freaks and Geeks. The cast of high school kids featured a then unknown bunch of actors who have since spawned successful careers. One of the Freaks on that show who has now become a household name was played by a then 17 year old Seth Rogen. Though the show only lasted a season, Apatow and Rogen became friends and collaborated on another TV show in 2001, Undeclared. Like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared was critically acclaimed, centered on students in an academic setting (freshmen year of college instead of high school in the 1980s), and cancelled after one season.
Undeclared lasted only 17 episodes and Rogen didn’t get to work with Apatow again until he snagged a small role as "Eager Cameraman" in the Apatow-produced Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004). The next year, Apatow and Steve Carell teamed up to write The 40-Year Old Virgin, marking the first of several "raunchy comedies with heart" Apatow would produce. In this film, a small posse of Smart Tech employees (one of whom is played by Rogen) are trying to get their colleague, 40-year old virgin Andy Stitzer, laid.
Though the plot sounds crass at first, audiences and critics embraced this film because it made people laugh while dealing with a potentially touchy subject. Yes, the Smart Tech guys initially teased Andy for being a virgin at his age, but the film was as much about men with different backgrounds becoming friends with each other as it dealt with Andy having sex. Andy goes from being a lonely action figure collector to an active member of the dating scene with the help and encouragement of his new found friends. Though the Smart Tech guys steer Andy in the wrong direction every now and again (chest waxing, a private party with a transvestite, finding "drunk bitches"), by the end of the film, they are a close knit group.
Apatow and Rogen’s next collaborations were Knocked Up and Superbad. Written and directed by Apatow, Knocked Up reunited Rogen with some of his former Freaks and Geeks co-stars (including Jason Segel – remember that name) and became one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2007, with a freshness rating of 90% on RottenTomatoes.com. Though this film features a group of young men who spend their days taking hits from their bongs while designing a website which features the exact moments in films where actresses are naked, this film has a lot of heart largely due to the sincerity of Rogen’s performance. As Ben, Rogen proves that he is capable of being more than just the foul-mouthed sidekick – he can be the foul-mouthed star with a heart of gold. Throughout the film, Ben Stone strives to keep his own identity as he deals with becoming a father when he himself has yet to grow up. As his feelings for Allison grow stronger and his sense of responsibility for his unborn child start to emerge, Ben takes it upon himself to get his life in order and his friends (and the audience) believe that he is in this relationship for the long haul.
Though the film is not an autobiography, several scenes in the film were inspired by events that happened with Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann (who co-stars in the film as Heigl’s sister). On the DVD commentary, Apatow shares that scenes like when Ben gets thrown out of Allison’s car and then later on when he flips out while leaving a message on their OB/GYN’s phone are all based in truth. These personal anecdotes and the relationships between Ben and Allison/his friends make Knocked Up more than just a funny film about accidental pregnancy – they give the film heart and a way for the audience to connect with the characters.
Rogen’s next film produced by Apatow, Superbad, is also about relationships – this time between high school pals named Seth and Evan (named after Rogen and his co-writer/childhood best friend/current producing partner, Evan Goldberg). Deemed too old to play to the part of Seth, Rogen is featured as Officer Michaels, an out of shape cop who likens holding a gun to "…having two cocks. If one of your cocks could kill someone." Given Rogen’s track record of film characters who use four letter words in just about every sentence, Superbad is appropriately laced with profanity from all of its male leads, but instead of being appalling, these men are endearing. Yes, Seth and Evan (though mostly Seth) are looking to get at least to third base with their crushes, but the main focus of the film is their friendship.
With his script, Rogen mixes the humor of dick jokes with the seriousness of growing up and graduating from high school. In the film, Evan is heading off to Dartmouth in the fall but Seth didn’t get in. Their forthcoming separation is inevitable, but after a fight, they don’t know if their friendship will survive the split – a topic that is all too familiar with high school friends who are going to different colleges. In a drunken stupor, the two friends admit that they love each other and wish they could say that everyday. Society doesn’t frown upon girlfriends giving each other hugs and saying they love each other, but when these guys are literally nose to nose in their camping bags on Evan’s basement floor expressing feelings of love for each other, it suddenly gets uncomfortable for the audience. People laugh at the non-heteroness of this scene, but the friendship and genuine love between Seth and Evan is not uncommon in "real life" – guys just are reluctant to show vulnerable emotion… which is exactly what Apatow’s next production, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is all about.
Written by and starring Jason Segel (did you remember this name?), Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a breakup comedy where the girl dumps the guy, the guy cries about it (a lot) and then he pines for her while she’s screwing someone else at the Hawaiian resort where they’ve all decided to vacation. That plot doesn’t sound very funny or romantic on paper, but when you watch the movie, you will fluctuate from hysterical laughter to "Awwwww" in a matter of minutes. Segel based the script off of his own experiences (including the now infamous naked breakup scene and the Dracula puppet musical) and created one of the most vulnerable male characters in recent film comedy.
Segel’s Peter Bretter is an every-man. He doesn’t have rock hard abs and he eats cereal out of a metal mixing bowl. When his girlfriend dumps him, he’s hurt and unsuccessfully tries to make himself feel better with meaningless sex. He wants to be with Sarah and spends a majority of the film trying to get her back. Segel has said in interviews that with this film, he wanted his character to be the "girl" in the movie – the one who gets sentimental about the relationship. While that is a sexist stereotype, it’s nice to finally see a film where the guy is an emotional wreck who has to lean on his friends to help him realize that he’s better off without her. Peter makes friends with other guests and employees at the Hawaiian resort and is able to work out his issues and put his life (and Dracula puppet musical) back on track.
What Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Sarah Marshall have in common besides curse words and obsessions with someone getting laid, is that they all address situations that we deal with at one time or another and overcome them with humor, honesty and (awkward) grace. The men in these films are seriously flawed, but that doesn’t stop them from making/staying friends and achieving something they once thought was beyond their means. Andy Stitzer doesn’t just have sex, but he finds love and camaraderie among colleagues. Ben Stone doesn’t just knock some pretty girl up; he now contributes to society and has the ability to be a loving boyfriend and father. Seth and Evan, they learn that they’ll be okay on their own at college, but still have a best friend in each other. As for Peter, he finally gets over Sarah Marshall and produces his puppet musical.
Apatow’s next project, Pineapple Express, is set to hit theaters on August 8, 2008. Once again, Apatow is producing a buddy comedy written by and starring Rogen whom is, once again, playing a pot smoking chubby guy. The title of the film is a reference to a specific type of weed Rogen’s character, Dale Denton, scores from his friend/pot dealer Saul Silver (played by another Freaks and Geeks alum/friend of Apatow and Rogen… James Franco). Expect the same style of dialogue we are used to from previous Apatow productions as well as a tender/extremely hilarious relationship between Dale and Saul.
Thanks to quotable dialogue, memorable characters and identifiable subject matter, Apatow’s productions have been keeping audiences in stitches for the better part of a decade. Besides having major impact on popular culture, Apatow has managed to maintain personal and working relationships with many of his casts, creating an ensemble who is guaranteed to make us smile. For our sake, may those friendships continue so that we can laugh louder and longer at any future Apatow film projects that may be headed to a theater near us in the coming years.
Apatow Productions – Laugh. Love. Laugh Some More.
Judd Apatow has built an entertainment empire based entirely on comedy and working with his friends. His television and film work has made us laugh hysterically while tugging at our hearts with themes of love and friendship.
In 1999, Apatow executive produced, wrote and directed the cult TV show Freaks and Geeks. The cast of high school kids featured a then unknown bunch of actors who have since spawned successful careers. One of the Freaks on that show who has now become a household name was played by a then 17 year old Seth Rogen. Though the show only lasted a season, Apatow and Rogen became friends and collaborated on another TV show in 2001, Undeclared. Like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared was critically acclaimed, centered on students in an academic setting (freshmen year of college instead of high school in the 1980s), and cancelled after one season.
Undeclared lasted only 17 episodes and Rogen didn’t get to work with Apatow again until he snagged a small role as "Eager Cameraman" in the Apatow-produced Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004). The next year, Apatow and Steve Carell teamed up to write The 40-Year Old Virgin, marking the first of several "raunchy comedies with heart" Apatow would produce. In this film, a small posse of Smart Tech employees (one of whom is played by Rogen) are trying to get their colleague, 40-year old virgin Andy Stitzer, laid.
Though the plot sounds crass at first, audiences and critics embraced this film because it made people laugh while dealing with a potentially touchy subject. Yes, the Smart Tech guys initially teased Andy for being a virgin at his age, but the film was as much about men with different backgrounds becoming friends with each other as it dealt with Andy having sex. Andy goes from being a lonely action figure collector to an active member of the dating scene with the help and encouragement of his new found friends. Though the Smart Tech guys steer Andy in the wrong direction every now and again (chest waxing, a private party with a transvestite, finding "drunk bitches"), by the end of the film, they are a close knit group.
Apatow and Rogen’s next collaborations were Knocked Up and Superbad. Written and directed by Apatow, Knocked Up reunited Rogen with some of his former Freaks and Geeks co-stars (including Jason Segel – remember that name) and became one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2007, with a freshness rating of 90% on RottenTomatoes.com. Though this film features a group of young men who spend their days taking hits from their bongs while designing a website which features the exact moments in films where actresses are naked, this film has a lot of heart largely due to the sincerity of Rogen’s performance. As Ben, Rogen proves that he is capable of being more than just the foul-mouthed sidekick – he can be the foul-mouthed star with a heart of gold. Throughout the film, Ben Stone strives to keep his own identity as he deals with becoming a father when he himself has yet to grow up. As his feelings for Allison grow stronger and his sense of responsibility for his unborn child start to emerge, Ben takes it upon himself to get his life in order and his friends (and the audience) believe that he is in this relationship for the long haul.
Though the film is not an autobiography, several scenes in the film were inspired by events that happened with Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann (who co-stars in the film as Heigl’s sister). On the DVD commentary, Apatow shares that scenes like when Ben gets thrown out of Allison’s car and then later on when he flips out while leaving a message on their OB/GYN’s phone are all based in truth. These personal anecdotes and the relationships between Ben and Allison/his friends make Knocked Up more than just a funny film about accidental pregnancy – they give the film heart and a way for the audience to connect with the characters.
Rogen’s next film produced by Apatow, Superbad, is also about relationships – this time between high school pals named Seth and Evan (named after Rogen and his co-writer/childhood best friend/current producing partner, Evan Goldberg). Deemed too old to play to the part of Seth, Rogen is featured as Officer Michaels, an out of shape cop who likens holding a gun to "…having two cocks. If one of your cocks could kill someone." Given Rogen’s track record of film characters who use four letter words in just about every sentence, Superbad is appropriately laced with profanity from all of its male leads, but instead of being appalling, these men are endearing. Yes, Seth and Evan (though mostly Seth) are looking to get at least to third base with their crushes, but the main focus of the film is their friendship.
With his script, Rogen mixes the humor of dick jokes with the seriousness of growing up and graduating from high school. In the film, Evan is heading off to Dartmouth in the fall but Seth didn’t get in. Their forthcoming separation is inevitable, but after a fight, they don’t know if their friendship will survive the split – a topic that is all too familiar with high school friends who are going to different colleges. In a drunken stupor, the two friends admit that they love each other and wish they could say that everyday. Society doesn’t frown upon girlfriends giving each other hugs and saying they love each other, but when these guys are literally nose to nose in their camping bags on Evan’s basement floor expressing feelings of love for each other, it suddenly gets uncomfortable for the audience. People laugh at the non-heteroness of this scene, but the friendship and genuine love between Seth and Evan is not uncommon in "real life" – guys just are reluctant to show vulnerable emotion… which is exactly what Apatow’s next production, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is all about.
Written by and starring Jason Segel (did you remember this name?), Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a breakup comedy where the girl dumps the guy, the guy cries about it (a lot) and then he pines for her while she’s screwing someone else at the Hawaiian resort where they’ve all decided to vacation. That plot doesn’t sound very funny or romantic on paper, but when you watch the movie, you will fluctuate from hysterical laughter to "Awwwww" in a matter of minutes. Segel based the script off of his own experiences (including the now infamous naked breakup scene and the Dracula puppet musical) and created one of the most vulnerable male characters in recent film comedy.
Segel’s Peter Bretter is an every-man. He doesn’t have rock hard abs and he eats cereal out of a metal mixing bowl. When his girlfriend dumps him, he’s hurt and unsuccessfully tries to make himself feel better with meaningless sex. He wants to be with Sarah and spends a majority of the film trying to get her back. Segel has said in interviews that with this film, he wanted his character to be the "girl" in the movie – the one who gets sentimental about the relationship. While that is a sexist stereotype, it’s nice to finally see a film where the guy is an emotional wreck who has to lean on his friends to help him realize that he’s better off without her. Peter makes friends with other guests and employees at the Hawaiian resort and is able to work out his issues and put his life (and Dracula puppet musical) back on track.
What Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Sarah Marshall have in common besides curse words and obsessions with someone getting laid, is that they all address situations that we deal with at one time or another and overcome them with humor, honesty and (awkward) grace. The men in these films are seriously flawed, but that doesn’t stop them from making/staying friends and achieving something they once thought was beyond their means. Andy Stitzer doesn’t just have sex, but he finds love and camaraderie among colleagues. Ben Stone doesn’t just knock some pretty girl up; he now contributes to society and has the ability to be a loving boyfriend and father. Seth and Evan, they learn that they’ll be okay on their own at college, but still have a best friend in each other. As for Peter, he finally gets over Sarah Marshall and produces his puppet musical.
Apatow’s next project, Pineapple Express, is set to hit theaters on August 8, 2008. Once again, Apatow is producing a buddy comedy written by and starring Rogen whom is, once again, playing a pot smoking chubby guy. The title of the film is a reference to a specific type of weed Rogen’s character, Dale Denton, scores from his friend/pot dealer Saul Silver (played by another Freaks and Geeks alum/friend of Apatow and Rogen… James Franco). Expect the same style of dialogue we are used to from previous Apatow productions as well as a tender/extremely hilarious relationship between Dale and Saul.
Thanks to quotable dialogue, memorable characters and identifiable subject matter, Apatow’s productions have been keeping audiences in stitches for the better part of a decade. Besides having major impact on popular culture, Apatow has managed to maintain personal and working relationships with many of his casts, creating an ensemble who is guaranteed to make us smile. For our sake, may those friendships continue so that we can laugh louder and longer at any future Apatow film projects that may be headed to a theater near us in the coming years.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
This week in TV - 2 nights of near panic attacks...
Hey everyone,
This will be one of the more random postings, just a heads up :)
I haven't been watching as many movies as I should these past couple weeks, but I have been watching plenty of television.
First off - American Idol - so glad Mariah Carey week is behind us now. (Though as much as I love showtunes, I am a bit leary for Andrew Lloyd Webber week next week...)
I was a bit bummed to see that Syesha didn't get kicked off yet, but I'm glad Kristy Lee Cook is gone. She always had a blank look in her eyes when she sang, which meant she wasn't connecting to the song, or the audience. As for Syesha, surely she must leave soon... she's so affected. I say that each week and when I watch her perform I usually find myself talking to the TV, trying to will her off the screen.
This week's results show had me worried for my new # 1 favorite, Jason Castro. (For the record, I still really, really like David Cook - and he did have the best performance the other night - but I'm gonna root for Castro from here on out. The guy's not going to win the whole thing, but he seems genuine and chill)
When Seacrest put Jason and David Cook in separate groups, I thought for sure Jason was going to be in the bottom 3. I didn't think he was going to go home, as all the guys did way better than the girls the other night, but I was really on the edge of my seat until the last couple minutes of the show.
Wow, that sounds really lame. But it's the truth. Oh American Idol...
But the biggest panic attack of the week came during this evening's episode of The Office. Pretty normal episode... Michael being weird about his break-up with Jan, etc... and then Jim and Pam joke about her moving in together... and then Pam says she's only going to move in if she's engaged... and then Jim jokes that he hasn't asked her yet... and then in his talking head, he busts out the RING.
And then the show went back to normal with Michael and Dwight talking about new chair models.
B.J. Novak, props to you for writing this episode... after last week's bizzare dinner party episode, this one gets back into the swing of things at the workplace and then, WHAM, the Jim/Pam storyline is back on track and moving forward full steam ahead.
Craziness.
This will be one of the more random postings, just a heads up :)
I haven't been watching as many movies as I should these past couple weeks, but I have been watching plenty of television.
First off - American Idol - so glad Mariah Carey week is behind us now. (Though as much as I love showtunes, I am a bit leary for Andrew Lloyd Webber week next week...)
I was a bit bummed to see that Syesha didn't get kicked off yet, but I'm glad Kristy Lee Cook is gone. She always had a blank look in her eyes when she sang, which meant she wasn't connecting to the song, or the audience. As for Syesha, surely she must leave soon... she's so affected. I say that each week and when I watch her perform I usually find myself talking to the TV, trying to will her off the screen.
This week's results show had me worried for my new # 1 favorite, Jason Castro. (For the record, I still really, really like David Cook - and he did have the best performance the other night - but I'm gonna root for Castro from here on out. The guy's not going to win the whole thing, but he seems genuine and chill)
When Seacrest put Jason and David Cook in separate groups, I thought for sure Jason was going to be in the bottom 3. I didn't think he was going to go home, as all the guys did way better than the girls the other night, but I was really on the edge of my seat until the last couple minutes of the show.
Wow, that sounds really lame. But it's the truth. Oh American Idol...
But the biggest panic attack of the week came during this evening's episode of The Office. Pretty normal episode... Michael being weird about his break-up with Jan, etc... and then Jim and Pam joke about her moving in together... and then Pam says she's only going to move in if she's engaged... and then Jim jokes that he hasn't asked her yet... and then in his talking head, he busts out the RING.
And then the show went back to normal with Michael and Dwight talking about new chair models.
B.J. Novak, props to you for writing this episode... after last week's bizzare dinner party episode, this one gets back into the swing of things at the workplace and then, WHAM, the Jim/Pam storyline is back on track and moving forward full steam ahead.
Craziness.
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