Beaks here...

Here's another comedy that's engendering wildly diverse responses. Some people love the desperate, Paul Schrader-esque vibe of Jody Hill's OBSERVE AND REPORT; others want nothing to do with this darkly comedic celebration of bottoming out.

Being a fan of Hill's THE FOOT FIST WAY and EASTBOUND & DOWN, I want everything to do with OBSERVE AND REPORT. I love his portraits of delusional fuck-ups who destroy their lives in spectacularly humiliating fashions. And I sincerely hope the "Seth Rogen as a Mall Cop" pitch lures in folks expecting PAUL BLART II - if only because I want to film their stunned reactions as they stagger out of the theater. The script didn't play nice, and I'm told the finished film is even nastier (the red band trailer would seem to support this).

Let's see what "Knox Harrington, video artist" had to say. And while I've got Thewlis on the brain, I dare Hill to attempt the "comedic NAKED".

Harry,

This is the first time I've submitted to your site. I tend to avoid contributing to these things, but after seeing a test screening for the new Seth Rogen movie, OBSERVE AND REPORT, and then not really reading anything from people who've actually seen it, just a lot of "is it Paul Blart 2?" speculation, I felt like I had no choice. If you use this, call me "Knox Harrington, video artist."

A little while ago I was invited to a test screening by a friend and not really knowing what I was about to see I will admit I got excited as soon as "A Film by Jody Hill" came on screen during the main titles, I loved FOOT FIST WAY and I became immediately enticed to see what he would do with a studio budget and a big star like Rogen.

First things first, this is not a "Seth Rogen Comedy." If you're looking for something fun and light, if you want his loveable oaf from KNOCKED UP or even his endearing stoner from PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, stay home, cause if you're just looking for something you've seen Apatow and Co. do this simply isn't it. This is a Jody Hill movie starring Seth Rogen, and it may be the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a gun obsessed mall security guard with delusions of grandeur and the social skills of David Brent. When a pervert flashes a group of women at the mall, including the object of Ronnie's desire, slutty make-up counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris at her funniest since JUST FRIENDS, exactly the character stuff we love to see her in), Ronnie declares it his life's purpose to solve the case. After the mall is robbed and Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta, also awesome and intense, this isn't Liotta selling out as you might expect in a comedy, he's at his best since NARC) is sent in by the police, Ronnie ignites a turf war that leads to an ultimate showdown with the local cops. I hesitate to give you any more as one, I know you already ran a script review a few months ago, and it seems to stay at least within the general realm of what was written, and two, the shock value of this movie is unlike we've ever seen. Stiller, Carrey, Ferrell and Myers can break out the pen and paper and start taking notes, this is shock/gross out/crude humor that is fresh and funny and pushes limits I didn't think were possible in a major motion picture. The movie is violent as hell, Hill taking a cue from Scorsese and really making us feel the fights, but that only helps to intensify the mind-raping that you're sitting through (I mean that in the best way possible, I just don't see how I can watch movies the same way after this...). I heard that Rogen said it was a "comedic TAXI DRIVER" and aside from being the weirdest grouping of words in cinematic history, it actually really holds up. This movie is about the descent of a man confronted with insignificance to the world and, who in addition to being bi-polar and off his meds, is unable to deal with his irrelevance and goes off the deep end; and earns a surprisingly dramatic turn from Seth Rogen (who knew?), but beyond all of that, it's really fucking funny.

For being mainly set inside a mall, the film looked amazing and was edited with a cool sense of style most at the helm of a comedy seem to ignore. I've already decided to buy the soundtrack and with the possible exception of the under-use of some of the cameo actors (Patton Oswald, Aziz Ansari of Human Giant, Dan Bakkedal (formerly?) of the Daily Show and FOOT FIST vets Danny McBride, Collette Wolfe and Ben Best) I can't think of anything negative to say.

One more mention about a supporting actor, Michael Pena. You probably know him as the Mexican guy with the little girl in CRASH or opposite Nic Cage in WORLD TRADE CENTER, but for the rest of his career he will rightfully be known as Ronnie's right hand man, Dennis. I'm struggling to draw comparisons to any other character I've ever seen in a film because it's just not there. Since Walter Sobchack we haven't laughed this hard at a supporting character, and that being said the two are nothing alike. There is a two minutes sequence later in this film that crosses so many boundaries and twists your perception of this guy so much that you'll feel cheated you only got to really know who this guy is later in the film..

There was just so much awesome all around this thing, it ran for a little over an hour and a half and for the first time ever walking out of a test screening I felt like it was too short if anything at all. I'm sure some of the girls in the audience were turned off by the violence and grossness (I was bummed not to be part of the focus group to hear some other people's thoughts) and it would be tough to say this movie is for everyone, but that's kind of the point (and at least whatever recruited audience I was in was dying with laughter the whole way through). OBSERVE AND REPORT is as different and fresh and gloriously successful as a comedy has been in years. Go see this movie.

Nice to hear that Michael Pena is the scene-stealer this time out. OBSERVE AND REPORT opens nationwide on April 10th.