Did I mention that we’re changing the site’s name to Ain’t It Apatow News?
The SUPERBAD publicity blitz is underway right now, and there are tons of screenings happening everywhere.
Here’s an example of the feedback we’re hearing.
Hey Harry,
Long time reader, you posted my review of The Island a while bad, thought I would chime in on a sneak preview of Superbad that was tonight.
First of all, I did not think that Knocked Up was that funny, but it was a really good movie. I thought that the 40 year old virgin was 10x funnier and I was a little disappointed with the overall product and that Judd went a little too 'real' with his second feature.
Secondly, I loved Arrested Development, stayed with it to its glorious end. Micheal Cera was a huge reason why i watched that show.
So when i got a chance to see the second best reason of Knocked Up Jonah HIll (Kristin Wiig took the cake for me) and George-Michael banter for two hours, i couldnt pass it up.
Michael Cera has arguably the best comedic timing in movies today. I have no doubt that the script was funny by itself but there is no way that it had all the little quips that Cera threw in there (just wait until his response when a girl says he has a smooth c*ck).
Jonah Hill is a mini Seth Rogen. He can fire off and make an argument of any topic. The guy is so incredibly natural. Even though he is 24, you can
totally buy him as a high school senior.
Fogell is funny, but not as iconic as people are making him out to be. His scenes with the two cops are classic, but his stuff isnt instantly quotable.
I would say for me, that this was 10x funnier than Knocked Up and up there with 40 year old virgin as far as minute to laugh ratio.
If you use this, call me Son of a blitch.
Here’s another quick one:
Hey Harry,
I saw a sneak of Superbad at the WGA in beverly hills last night. It fucking rocked. Here are my thoughts;
Last night I went a sneak preview of Superbad at the WGA in Beverly Hills. As a preface I was not a big fan of Knocked Up. It was too long and not all that funny. I guess I didn’t see what most people did. Or others were just desperate for a laugh (Same with The Simpsons) My type of humor is generally dark. It took me four views to see all of Bad Santa because I was laughing so hard the entire time. I burned at least 500 calories watching that movie due to extreme laughter.
Superbad is right up there. If you liked Knocked Up you are going to need to bring a defibrillator. It really is that funny. Like Knocked Up, it suffers from a few gaps in humor that drag the movie on too long. I’d love to see them cut 10 minutes, although that could be hard to do (More on that in a second). Despite that, this movie is going to rake in the cash. They’ll make back the 23 million production cost the first night.
After the screening there was a Q&A with writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Seth did most of the talking (And lots of laughing). The two have been working on the script for over ten years(!). They started while in high school. The intial story and even some dialogue remains in the filmed version. They used almost every scene they shot in the final cut. In fact only two scenes were cut. This will lead to a pretty boring deleted scenes feature on the DVD. I wonder if a few more should have gone into the scrap bin to speed the movie up. Regardless, Superbad rocked and Seth and Evean are on an amazing roll. Their next film, The Pineapple Express is, accoridng to Seths interview, a mix of Cheech and Chong and Die Hard.
A great surprise in the film was the character McLovin. He could have been that cliched dork we have seen all too many times. They cast this kid by putting out notices in drama departments in California. Some kid in one high school saw it, thought of his friend and Christopher Mintz-Plasse was cast. He is awesome in it. As is everyone else. It was great seeing Michael Cera in a feature (I am a huge Arrested Development fan). Great cast. Awesome script. Kick ass film.
Their Q&A is available for free on iTunes. Just search for Creative Screenwriting Magazine and listen to their most recent podcast.
Superbad comes out the 17th and is going to make $70 million opening weekend.
And then there’s this great big in-depth review from a first-time spy that really is worth reading:
Long have I watched from the sidelines waiting to jump into the game.
The chance to finally contribute fell into my lap last night when, out of the clear Texas sky (and thanks to one A. Reher), came the opportunity to see SUPERBAD three full weeks before the official release date.
It is as funny as I hoped it would be.
BUT... it's not QUITE as funny as Knocked Up.
Superbad starts off at a brisk pace as characters and their relationships are exposed. We have Evan and Seth, two archetypical "geeks" that are just trying to get laid before the end of High School; Becca and Jules, the two female leads that Evan and Seth are trying to mash papas with; and there's Fogel, a.k.a. "McLovin," a man who seems like the third wheel at first, but ends up being the driving force in Superbad's paper-thin plot.
Speaking of plots…
The story of Superbad revolves around Evan and Seth, two seniors in High School trying to get boned before the end of High School. After graduation, Evan plans on going to Dartmouth, while Seth will be going to State, where "the women are twice as dumb, and thus, twice as likely to (insert sexually act of your preference)." Strain is put on their Mission to Smash by the previously mentioned third wheel McLovin. McLovin plans to acquire a fake I.D. in an effort to purchase alcohol, so when Becca and Jules ask Evan and Seth (respectively) to buy them booze, McLovin is their go-to guy, and naturally…calamity ensues.
It's your basic High-School plot, but depth is added in the character arcs. Evan and Seth are BFF's, but Seth feels as though McLovin is moving in on his best man, Evan. At the same time, Evan feels as if Seth is weighing him down with all his cockamamie schemes. And McLovin feels as though his stock is on the rise now that he and Evan are going to Dartmouth and rooming together.
This being the third Apatow-Rogen produced project I'm familiar with (the other two being 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up), I think I'm on to their formula. Here's how they seem to shake down:
Step 1:
Purposely Have Very Little Plot
These Apatow-Rogen projects aren't exactly the deepest films, plot wise; this isn't necessarily a bad thing though. Guy's a Virgin; Guy realizes this is not a bad thing. Guy accidentally knocks up a fine-ass woman; guy realizes babies are blessings. So on and so forth. Superbad is the same thing; Best friends are virgins, best friends learn that making sex-time isn't all it's cracked up to be; Pineapple Express will almost assuredly be of similar depth. HOWEVER…With a not-so deep plot, it isn't hard to keep the film focused on the main draw of the story, which is always…
Step 2
Character Development
Even though I'm only 21, I figgered out long ago that characters are the only reason we watch films or read books. If there aren't any characters you care for, then who gives a shit, right? Who cares if they live, die, get dumped or cheated on, or get period blood on their BFF's Dad's pants?!?! There is no Spiderman 3 Syndrome (S3S; true disease; look it up) here; by keeping plot lines thin and uncluttered, the filmmakers are actually able to ADD depth where it counts: in the character arcs. I truly felt connected to Evan and Seth, and even, at some level, to McLovin.
Step 3
Keep the Funny Flowing
Whereas some comedies rely on 3-4 comedic set pieces for most of the laughs (think Darts in the Neck or Evaluation by Board of Directors), Apatow-Rogen projects keep the laughs flowing through clever (if vulgar and juvenile) dialogue. Yeah, occasionally there are some set-up type laughs, like when Seth, Evan and McLovin exscape from the Popo, but for the most part, the laughs in Superbad sneak up on you and pounce like a Liger, sucker-punch style. This presentation keeps the movie flowing at a seemingly brisk pace that keeps the audience thoroughly involved for 85% of the film (see below to find out what happened to the other 15%).
And there you have it: The Three-Step Guide to Understanding and Analyzing Apatow-Rogen Movies!
And just so you sticklers know…I realize that this film was NOT directed by Apaptow. But he was involved in some capacity. Producer, I think.
So, all-in-all, the film was great. In the end, our heroes get to a fork in the road and are given the opportunity to get what they originally came for, but they realize it isn't quite what they thought it would be. SPOILER ALERT: Evan thought Becca was sweet and didn't want to use booze to get her in the mood; turns out…she was a drunken whore. Seth, on the other hand, planned on using his booze-producing skills to make himself seem more attractive to Jules…turns out she doesn't drink, and he makes an ass out of himself. And McLovin gets his penis wet, much in the style of Sherminator of American Pie-fame. Morals of the Story: Be yourself, trust the force, and don't let alcohol ruin your life. And…sex complicates things. ALWAYS.
Much like Jonah Hill, Superbad is a little chunky through the midsection during the scenes where Evan and Seth found themselves at a strange house party; the laughs slow down a little (the unfunniest 15% of the film, but still funnier than Chuck and Larry). Luckily, the action quickly picks up, and the laughs resume. The jokes are vulgar as Schweaty balls, but it's all delivered with such style and sincerity by the films stars that it seems smart; it very much resembles dialogue I hear (and participate in) on a day-to-day basis with fellow UNT students in my Denton apartment.
Speaking of stars…I'll be damned if Michael Cera and Jonah Hill didn't have some of the best chemistry I've seen in a movie since…Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up. Seriously. I BELIEVED they were best friends, and because I've had such relationships before…with males…in a totally hetero-lifemate type way…that I truly connected with it. Jonah Hill is already a fairly-recognizable young actor (in face, not name), but look for Michael Cera to break out after this movie, Shia-style. Loved him. Couldn't get enough. Just loved him.
Bottom Line
Go see this movie the day it comes out. With your best friend. You'll laugh your genitalia off…but best of all…you'll come out closer, and you may even hold hands. Bonus!
BTW…I love it when a movie makes "nerds" look cool. Evan and Seth were wearing some of the GOOFIEST fucking clothing I've ever seen during this movie, but somehow, at the end of it all, after their trials and tribulations, I found myself wanting to dress like them. They went from nerdy to bahdass in a matter of hours. I literally watching my definition of "cool" change in front of my eyes. I love the movement to make nerdy cool…we'll call it "NERD CHIC." You heard it first here. It's happening because nerds write screenplays, not jocks. I think High School movies about cliques and school hierarchy will be obsolete soon. Hopefully. Cool is being redefined. Not that I really know what cool is…let's be honest…I'm writing a movie review at 1:55 in the morning…
If you use this…
Call me…Coots.
Still not convinced?
Maybe this clip, which makes me cry laughing, might push you over the edge:
Hey man, you seem to be the point person for SuperBad you lucky bastard. Someone sent me this clip supposedly from SuperBad, you said you saw it. Is it real?
It's fucking hilarious, I hope it made the final cut!
