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Massawyrm calls FUNNY PEOPLE Judd Apatow's masterpiece!!
Hola all. Massawyrm here.
I still remember the first time I saw MAN ON THE MOON. Walking out I was marveling at the performance, stunned that I was finding myself looking forward to seeing another Jim Carrey movie. Between this and THE TRUMAN SHOW I was sold. Carrey was a hell of a lot more than weird hair and jokes involving him talking, quite literally at times, out his own ass. He was the real deal. And as I was turning to my wife to share my newfound admiration, a loud, burly redneck was walking out with his mumu wearing wife in tow behind us, bellowing “Well, that’s the last time I see one of them Jim Carrey movies. He used to be funny. Now he just owes me six dollars.” It took all the strength I could muster not to turn around and ask him what the hell he was thinking. I mean, what could he have doing in the theater that had distracted him from what we were watching?
That was the first time I really remember seeing firsthand the disconnect between a casual filmgoer and an avid one. I’ve seen it a hundred times over since then, but tonight I was taken back to that particular moment because I’ve seen a very similar film and had a very similar experience. Tonight I saw FUNNY PEOPLE with a crowd of people hoping to see I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY only to be delivered a very personal, emotional and deeply satisfying film about friendship. Sure, there were dick jokes, fart jokes, gay jokes; the whole shebang. But it wasn’t about funny faces, mistaken identities or confused sexuality. And with Adam Sandler playing a central role, I can understand the confusion.
Sandler’s made a career out of zany, madcap, and unfortunately decidedly lowbrow comedies that appeal to the type of person I try not to sit next to on public transit. He’s also made a million-zillion dollars doing it. But here, he’s satirizing himself; playing an alternaverse version of Sandler named George Simmons. Instead of the retarded son of the Devil or a functionally retarded Waterboy or a juvenile manchild, he plays something more akin to Tim Allen’s career: a merman, a baby with the (digitally added) head of a full grown man, a guy with a robot for a best friend. You know. Dog shit.
And in this alternaverse, George Simmons learns that he is dying and begins to realize that he is surrounded by celebrity acquaintances, but no real friends. Which is when he meets young, pathetic comic Ira (Seth Rogen). After a disastrous and depressing walk-on at the Improv, Simmons is followed by Ira who has to save the crowd (and himself from bombing) by mocking Simmons and in turn catches Simmons attention. What follows is a buddy movie. Not a buddy on an adventure movie. Just a film about friendship.
With dick jokes. LOTS of dick jokes.
What makes this film incredibly interesting is that it is set in the underground scene of up and coming comedy in Hollywood; a scene that Sandler and longtime friend director Judd Apatow came up in together. This is both their expose on and critique of the scene as well their love letter to it. Every major character in the film is a comedian. From the douchebag roommate headlining a shitty sitcom, to the joke writing stand up best friend, to the girl next door who has material of her own. There’s walk-ons by a dozen different comedy greats and a genuine sense of what the scene is like out there – and how tough it is to break in. It even exposes one of the open secrets of the industry: that the big guys use young talent to help write material for them when they’re dry. And while all of this is fascinating to anyone interested in seeing the behind the scenes of an industry – it’s going to stray a bit from what the mainstream is looking for. Because this movie is not THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN or KNOCKED UP.
I’ve been a bit rough on Apatow in the past. Both of his previous theatrical directorial efforts felt like hollow, disingenuous fluff. And over time I came to realize my biggest problem was with his method. While I can appreciate the fun of sitting in a room with your closest friends and doing twenty different takes of each moment - looking for the comedians to mostly write their own jokes to find the funniest – I hate how superficial it makes each joke. None of them matter. They certainly never pay off later. They are flash in pan, fire and forget moments that are funny one moment and completely forgotten the next. And with each of his films’ plots virtually the same (socially inept, romantically non functional men falling in with women way out of their league) they come across not as real stories, but as vehicles for his buddies dick jokes.
But this is very, very different. This is his James L. Brooks movie. FUNNY PEOPLE is very much about something. It’s about Apatow’s youth, his career, his longtime friendship with Sandler, his coming up in the industry he always dreamed of. It is about friendship and understanding. It is about being loved by people who don’t know you but not by those who do. Most of all, it is about the hollowness of success and the importance of loved ones. And he made the film with some of the people closest to him: his wife, his kids, his old roommate (Sandler) and a couple of the kids he discovered and made into stars. Everything about this movie feels personal, genuine, authentic - like Apatow is laying his heart bare and inviting us in for a stroll in his soul.
The effect is nothing short of stunning. It is Judd Apatow’s masterpiece. His great American novel. There is nothing hollow or inauthentic about FUNNY PEOPLE. Rather, it is the summation of everything Apatow has been trying to do and finally mastered. There are so many beautiful moments intermingled with outrageously funny banter. Sure, the jokes are very similar to those in his other films. But here they are being spoken by 3-dimensional characters - not cartoons - who are clearly drawn from the real world. And it feels like the real world talk of people who tell jokes for a living. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels cheap. It is a very human story told with some very funny dialog.
If the film has one flaw that will surely draw complaints, it is the length. FUNNY PEOPLE is long. But it is never truly long in the tooth and it never overstays its welcome. By the time you realize you’re in for a longer haul than anticipated, you welcome it, because there is clearly more story to see. But at 2 and a half hours, it is nearly epic in length, especially for a film in which nothing but real life events occur.
I love the hell out of this film – and it will probably end up on my top 10 list by the end of the year. It is deeply moving and has this Cameron Crowe like connection to its music that had me staying through the credits meditating upon the film just to listen to whatever it was that Apatow was throwing at me next.
Do I think this is the end of the mainstream, Apatow style, R-rated dick and fart joke brand of movies? No, absolutely not. But now we know just what Apatow is capable of and how good he can really be. I want to see more movies like this out of him. This is the Apatow I really feel a connection to, that I really want to spend time with time and again. And I hope this Apatow returns every so often to grace us with something as transcendent as this. For now, at least, we have FUNNY PEOPLE – a film which took me from nearly two weeks of writers block and relit a fire under me to brew a pot of coffee and write all night. It was a reminder of why I love to do what I do. For the first time I really feel like I know Judd Apatow. And I like him. I like him a lot.
Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.
Massawyrm
Got something for the Wyrm? Mail it here.
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Can't get enough Apatow
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Saw it last week in NY with an Apatow Q&A before the film. Both Apatow himself and the movie were hilarious. Best picture of the year so far.
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I still can't get over you calling the Coen Brothers "experimental". Although I did see Funny People and it is very good (not a masterpiece though).
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I don't know if it's any good, but how the fuck does it look lame? The trailers that I've seen on TV don't tell me one way or another if it's "lame" or "brilliant".
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Jul 29, 2009 1:26:04 PM CDT
This is the vibe I get from commercials. Smiteboy is the rednec
by dr sauch
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Ohmygod, Massy. You are SO off on this, it hurts. Saw this last night, and it is FAR from a masterpiece. Some funny parts and solid performances. But if this is what passes for a masterpiece today, the film industry is more F'ed than ever. Following a complete douche bag for two and a half hours for a sliver of enlightenment in the final moments is just not worth people's $10.
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MASS-YOUR NORMALLY VERY VERY DEAD-ON WITH REVIEWS....but...you LIKED Man on the Moon? I found it o be stupid and pointless.
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the world of stand up than Punchline. Although, I've never seen that Jerry Seinfeld movie that followed his return to stand up. THAT is supposed to be great.
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It looks like it's good, the length is a bit killer. oh well.
How's the Eminem cameo curious to how he plays. Always thought after 8 Mile he'd be doing more movies -
for 7.50 in Movie Cash from Universal, good for this, Bruno, or Away We Go...
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He's a genius.
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I almost trashed you bout like MAN ON THE MOON.However, I am a Jim Carrey fan-and you're one of the better reviwers on here,so I won't go there
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I miss his knee jerk reactions to all things Apatow. He was predictable but funny.
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Apatow and his crew have to be the most overrated bullshit to hit the Internet cannot sites since Kevin Smith. Their movies are average at best.
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always seem unfunny. Give me random two minutes of any stand up on Comedy Central, and its 10 times funnier than scripted stand up. Maybe this will change my mind.
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Stupid iPhone keyboard
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..aside from Dane Cook, of course..
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nice!
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...Ghosts of Girlfriends Past?
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I think the problem that is emerging with all Apatow films is the running time. "40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" were good films that had ran about 25 minutes too long. Same thing with this film. Funny, surprisingly has heart, but it's a little too long for it's own good.
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honestly, its what makes it appelain.I think appatow and the gange protrayed friendships(at least mine!) and what people talk about pretty accurately in KNOCKED UP and 40-year old virgin.(hell, even superbad! thats exactly what highschool was like)
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Well, thank fuck for that. That was one seriously shit film that was totally underserving of the seemingly overwhelming positive reviews it received.
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God forbid the guy decides to make a change in his career and reach out to a different audience.
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CRADDLE THE BALLS. OH YEAH THAT FEELS REAL GOOD. YEAH SURE YOU CAN STICK YOUR FINGER IN THERE. I DON'T CARE!
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Apatow sucks! And he's overexposed! And Rogen isn't funny and he's in a movie like every other week, who is he Jude Law? This movie can't be funny! It just can't, it's impossible.
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I think Sandlers best performence is Punch, Drunk, Love. Its actually one of my favorite movies.
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Like Little Nicky.
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Jul 29, 2009 1:57:22 PM CDT
Adam Sandler already performed very well dramtically in Punch Dr
by lovecraftfan
I'm rather surprised PDL is never mentioned in Funny People reviews.
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Now that Carlin has passed away.
He's at his best when he's improvising. His appearances on Conan are classic. His roasting of Bob Saget is legendary. The best host of SNL's Weekend Update.
The Clinton roast in front some of the most powerful people in the world. The balls this guy has.
I admire him. He always says what's on his mind no matter what.
Treats everyone the same equally.
He and Sandler are friends, but he didn't call him even when he wasn't doing too well. He's too proud, too good for that. He'd rather deal with his problems on his own then ask his famous buddies
for help. This guy is criminally underrated. I honestly encourage you to check his stuff out. -
Master-bation piece, maybe!
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That Jerry Snienfield documentary called Comedian was ok. You didn't really learn anything. Just that Jerry is more famous then an up and coming comedian.
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I thought I was the only one that liked Little Nicky, me and Roger Ebert. I'll probably watch this when it comes out on DVD. I spent my movie money on the Green Lantern First Flight DVD, but it was money well spent!
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Has anyone ever uttered that sentence in the history of mankind?
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Is it a white thing? Because this sounds more like Eddie Murphy. Is Tim Allen a dick?
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Tim Dick, actually. That's his real name.
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Good. Now can he please fuck off?
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The same thing happened when a friend and I saw "Man On the Moon", we walked out totally enchanted by Carrey's transformation and were confused how others had walked out or were bitching about it, but then again I remember when Comedy Central was showing a lot of Kaufman's stuff before the movie was made.
I have been worried about "Funny People", but your review has given me hope. I'm probably one of the few who has enjoyed all of Sandler's dramatic turns in "Punch Drunk Love", "Spanglish", and "Reign Over Me" so to know that you liked it, and you're one of the few reviewers on this site I seem to be on the same wavelength with, I'll see it in theaters now. Thanks for the good review. -
Quality reviews that don't rely on endless personal stories or fanboy history.
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The only time he was actually funny was in Pineapple express and that was mostly due to the chemistry between him and james franco. Now the fucker has the audacity to star as green hornet? another Comic adapatation ruined thanks to that fozzy the bear fucktard.
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Jul 29, 2009 2:38:06 PM CDT
For the people who hate Apatow and Rogen and their colleagues
by jor-el23
Do you just not like movie comedies, or are there other kind of movie comedies you prefer? Because the big movie comedies of the last decade fall into 5 categories
1.) Tim Allen/Eddie Murphy crap
2.) Broken Lizard garbage
3.) Seltzer and Fleischman or whatever the fuck their names are parody movies
4.) Apatow-a-verse/Wain-a-verse
5.) Pegg/Frost
Maybe I'm missing a category...only the last two are worth your trouble. And really the last one is at best a subcategory of 4. -
was it really Janusz Kaminski shooting it? did you feel that at all?it fascinates me that they got him for this...
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BUT...after reading this review, it sounds like the thoughts and feelings I had after wrapping up my time with Freaks and Geeks. The guy HAS the potential, as long as the character development is there. I just wish I could have gotten more Freaks and Geeks, but Funny People will have to do!
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dont try to say it wasnt. 40 year old virgin mixed jokes and heartfelt scenes much better than knocked up. i might pass on funny people. maybe.
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For the most part I can't stand his movies But Galaxy Quest is fucking brilliant. It's up there with Ghostbusters.
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Like previous posters have said, Sandler has ventured into dramatic material before. You are implying that Sandler only does comedies. If this were 2002 your comments about Sandler and his comedy fans would be relevant.
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F&G was grounded 95% of the time whereas Undeclared was only 65% of the time.
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And I also LOVED Man on the Moon, not just for Carreys amazing perfomance, but for discovering the acting god that was Paul Giamatti. That films almost a two hander with Paul. And Im liking Sandlers later stuff like Reign over Me and Punch Drunk Love. Am actually bored of Rogen, and thought Virgin and Superbad were pretty over-rated, but will defo check this out.
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Good point skimn, when did DGDB retire? And was his retirement forced or voluntary? He was as annoying as he was funny. Is 'MELGIBSONS_DICKCHEESE' his 2nd cousin or something?
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See him in Redbelt, and tell me he doesn't.
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Jul 29, 2009 3:26:41 PM CDT
Great review - Adam Sandler needed to go in this direction.
by hallmitchell
That man child act was getting so tired. I haven't seen one on his movies at the cinema for a while. I saw the one Judd Apatow wrote for him last year. That's been it for ages.
Judd Apatow's writing and comedy is just inspiring. A true light in an era of lazy sequels and remakes.
Thankyou Hollywood that this man has so much clout he can get anything made he wants to. -
What about a Stiller category? Or William Ferrall category? I think Tropic Thunder is one of the funniest movies ever made. It'll be around much longer then Knocked Up.
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Knocked up was neither, it was not dramatic or touching nor was it funny. It is a nothing.
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Right now I'd put Ferrell and Stiller in the Apatow category. Night at the Museum would go in the Allen/Murphy category of unfunny family oriented comedies with a lot of scatological humor and nothing of substance though.
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ALthough some of his people are starting to venture into Apatow related movies.
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I remember when it was Woody Allen and Mel Brooks comedies, and everyone else. Those were the only two that mattered. The occasional Paul Mazursky...
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Man On The moon was a good movie that introduced the mainstream audience to Paul Giammati. It had one fatal flaw, however: Jim Carrey. Can Carrey act? Yeah, he can act as Truman Show and the overly-sentimental but grossly underrated The Majestic proved. He was fucking horrible as Andy Kauffman, though. I appreciate Andy K. for what he was, I don't hold him in god-like regard like others. Like Lenny Bruce before him, Andy was an innovater who was made great by the work of those he influenced. But Andy was cocky, arrogant, totally sure of himself, and aware of himself at all times. Carrey played Andy as he saw him or maybe as Forman saw him, not how Andy truly was. It was the most off the mark biopic performance I can remember. To transform Andy into an ultra-sensitive, naive, and soft spoken manchild is to do a complete disservice to who he really was. Man on the Moon is the low point of Carrey's career acting-wise. Not counting the Ace Ventura shit because that's not acting.
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I think the performance is good, but I don't think it's incredibly unSandleresque. He plays a shy introvert that occasionally explodes into violent fits. It was The Waterboy minus retardation. That's not to say that his performance is bad, it's a very good performance that's given more credit because it's in an excellent film that seemed outside of Sandler's interest up until that point.
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Not really putting too much hope into it as Sandler has proven to be a horrible actor when given the chance. Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish were supposed to be showcases for his range but only stood to showcase how limited it is. The scene that has been previewed online and on talk shows in which he's apologizing to Leslie Mann is horribly over-the-top busch-league pathetic acting. It's almost as if he's parodying an actor emoting. I really hope that scene isn't an emotional peak of the movie because watching Sandler "act" in that scene has made me laugh more than any other scene from the movie that I've seen.
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It won;t be the first time and I'd love to be pleasantly surprised by this movie. There I said something nice.
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Reign Over Me wasn't fart/dick jokes, I believe.
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Jul 29, 2009 4:10:10 PM CDT
"That was the first time I really remember seeing firsthand...
by asimovlives
... the disconnect between a casual filmgoer and an avid one."And then Massawyrm recuperated and closed the gap when he praised the shit out of Jar Jar Abram's Dawson's Trek.
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I forgot about that movie, mostly because I hated it so much. BUT!!!!!!!!!! I thought Sandler was really good in it. I stand corrected and thank you sir for putting me in my place.
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If anything for dual nature I've either heard about or witnessed. Some of the most cynical and mean are incredibly sweet in person while some of the more lighthearted ones are sad and shy. Paul Mooney was actually very petty to a friend of mine and Steve Martin has been known to be painfully shy and aloof. David Letterman, even according to him, seems to clam up off camera. Can't blame him, who wants to be "on" all the time? Kind of curious how Jerry Seinfeld is, though. I saw do a show just a few days ago, one of the most finely tuned acts I have ever seen, even if you hate him. Tons of energy, phrased for maximum effectiveness. At the very least he seems to have a strong work ethic, but I have heard nothing about him offstage.
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"Both of his previous theatrical directorial efforts felt like hollow, disingenuous fluff." HUH?! You appreciate good, funny yet intelligent comedy but you hated The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up?!! You may say all the jokes are forgettable, but I remember them all because I love those movies and own them. They certainly "stayed with" me. Take away Apatow and what else is left in the comedy marketplace? The Hangover...Land of the Lost...Employee of the Month...the latest Van Wilder dvd sequel? Ugh. Give me Superbad, 40 year-old Virgin, Knocked Up, Walk Hard (criminally passed over; it's hilarious), Pineapple Express over...Man on the Moon?
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Without a doubt, Dumb and Dumber is the greatest and most quoted comedy of all time. A love of that movie unites every male currently aged 18-30. There is no debate. I will never watch a comedy so many times and laugh at so many different things.
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the bad one is.
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I can’t wait to check this movie out. The trailers and all the funny promo campaign videos have me psyched, and I'm curious to see how Apatow deals with more serious subject matter. I also thought it was great that, in typical Apatow fashion, the TV trailer features a great song – “Ain’t That Strange” by Rhett Miller – wouldn’t be surprised at all if this ended up pulling a “Paper Planes” and getting huge from this movie alone.
You can check out this this TV spot at : http://displacedbrett.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/funny-people/ -
I can’t wait to check this movie out. The trailers and all the funny promo campaign videos have me psyched, and I'm curious to see how Apatow deals with more serious subject matter. I also thought it was great that, in typical Apatow fashion, the TV trailer features a great song – “Ain’t That Strange” by Rhett Miller – wouldn’t be surprised at all if this ended up pulling a “Paper Planes” and getting huge from this movie alone.
You can check out this this TV spot at : http://displacedbrett.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/funny-people/ -
i miss the 80s and early 90s comedies. Stripes, brewsters millions, trading places, see no evil hear no evil, the great outdoors. wish john candy was stil around
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I despise Sandler with a white-hot fury. He is one of the least talented people to ever have a sustained career and I haven't seen a movie of his since THE WEDDING SINGER. And I liked TWS. The trailer for BIG DADDY so soured me on Sandler jock-goon persona (which he augmented with his baby-voiced retard "serious ack-tor" persona) that I've given everything he's done since a miss.Now I've got to miss an Apatow flick because he had to put his old roommate in as the lead. Pffft.
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moralizing in this one?
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Then again, I do NOT trust Massa.
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i have long held on to the belief that it is the greatest american comedy of all time.
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Which is good.
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And neither will anything by anyone else, for that matter.
http://tinyurl.com/nyd3mn
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Note the use of the words "directorial efforts". I have expressed nothing but sincere fondness for all the other works you mentioned - film's he produced - and would add my love for Forgetting Sarah Marshal.
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Is Apatow himself. He pretty much gives the same review Massawyrm gave the movie himself whenever anyone ask him about it. I almost thought Massawyrm just copied down one of Apatows late night apperences. Its fine if critics want to suck his cock, but to sit around and perform self fellactio is a bit pompous. Everyone in this movie is just so impressed with it, like the time they spent doing stand up they make it seem like they did some intensive physical training. Or immersion training to get into character.
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I could've sworn from watching the Funny People trailers it was a really bad James L. Brooks film along the lines of Spanglish.
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Year One, Fun with Dick and Jane. Yeah this guy has his finger on the pulse of comedy for sure.
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Even 2 hours is usually stretching it. Comedies need to be short and sweet b/c there's often not a lot of story and it's hard to write 90+ minutes of jokes. I hope Apatow proves me wrong, but his two previous directorial efforts could've lost 20 min. each.
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"Screw off man!" Love that flick...
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HOW OLD IS THAT KID!!
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...was great. Juliette Binoche is gmilf.
Not really liking the dumping on Sandler, Massy. He's reached a LOT. You laughed at his low brow stuff too, admit it. Happy Gilmore? Come ON! -
...comes from NH. Whats funnier than that?
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KIDDING. Ok, too much weed today...
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What about the Kevin Smith/Askewniverse category?
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I was already sold on this. I like Sandler, despite some of the crap he's made. Im there opening weekend.
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Hold on, this one has Adam Sandler and it's called 'Funny People'?!
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His movies are pretty funny, but I wouldn't consider them comedy classics. They all are too long and seem to run out of steam towards the end. They don't make comedies like they used to in the 80's and early 90's. Agree with someone above said Walk Hard is very underrated. Still say the best comedy of the last 20 years has got to be Kingpin.
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The trio of prime '90s comedies. Thank you Farrelly Brothers.
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Other than that line, I really dug this review.
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Don't think that quite dates back 20 years, but for me nothing has beat it since for sheer quantity of laughs. Going back 20 years would probably be the first Naked Gun.
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Schindler's List. Seriously, Apatow loves casting Jews.
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... remember me, old bean? Just skimming through this talkback here and noticed you predictably yelping about "Jay Jay Abrams" and "Dawson's Trek"... We had a good old debate about The Only Relevant Entry Into Star Trek Canon In Two Decades Which People The World Over Have Gone To See, Loved, And Gone To See Again, so I don't want to get into flaming, I enjoyed our back-and-forth and difference of opinion.... But holy fuck, man - in an Apatow talkback? LET IT GO! You're going to give yourself an embolism.
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second, HIS James L. Brooks movie? James L. Brooks is shit. He's a manipulative hack. His movies try to make women cry. He's made one decent film and that's Broadcast News. Apatow has already made more films that are better than Brooks. Second, no mention of Sandler's Punch Drunk Love. This is not his first "real" film.
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moriarty had better taste than mr beard and trenchcoat.
"masterpeice" c'mon dont throw that word around--granted i havent seen it but the trailer made me want to barf , with sandler belting out an acoustic ringo starr song--UGHH, lame lame lame.
this looks so goddamn sappy- i knew i was in trouble when massa worm talked about man on the moon (another peice of shite) as a good experience.
granted the behind the scenes of comics might be interesting, but this review is as corny as im sure the movie will be.
mid life crisis, "im in the moment" jeeez if i want deep ill rent a tarkovsky movie, and fr the record the fact that this guys are good at improv is apealing as opposed to set up staged jokes that (can) grow stale with time.
massawyrm your a sap. "i like him....i like him a lot" blahhhhh.
lame. -
"The effect is nothing short of stunning. It is Judd Apatow’s masterpiece. His great American novel"
-highlight of this shitty review -
"inviting us in for a stroll in his soul."
..jesus christ -
If you had readmy cioment properly, you would understand the real point of it was a critic on Massa's smug assumption that he is so seperated from the "mainstream audiences" or, as he called it, the casual filmgoer, in contrast what he called himself the avid filmgoer. And then that "avid filmgoer" geos and praises the shit out of a movie that has the "hoi polloi, love me to death" shit ever made in the last 10 years not called Transformers. That is the fucking point, and it was not much a of a streatch to udnerstand.As for that bullshit movie you aforementioned, i already say enough about it, and what i said is the truth, and i can support the claim with more then just mere repetation of the advertizement text from he marketing department or regurgitated nonsense without substance, something the fans can't.
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Jul 29, 2009 6:23:04 PM CDT
I'D RATHER WATCH A BIOPIC ON THE EVOLUTION OF DANCE GUY
by bringingsexyback
At least he has talent.
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I can't believe there is a single person who could see the trailer for this and want to see it. Adam Sandler as a dying [tragi-]comic; Seth Rogan doing what he always does; and Jonah Hill playing . . . Jonah fucking Hill, like EVERY OTHER MOVIE he's ever been in.I would rather watch a Uwe Boll movie.
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Neither of them. However I Love you man was funny as I didn't expect it to be. Also Forgetting Sarah marshall had it's moments.It reminds me of the previous R-rated gems like something about mary and that Jim Carrey movie me myself and irene. I just think Rogen is overrated and not to mention how i loathed knocked up and that PoS Zack and Miri. (what do you expect from a hack like Kevin Smith?)Now scuse me while i read the rest of the posts.
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fuck movies like pineapple express, 40 year old virgin etc... they aren't classics. they're funny but they aint classics. classic comedies are movies like groundhog day. thats heartfelt and funny as fuck
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I was like, What the hell does this movie have to do with Jim Carrey?
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That's comedy.
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"Maybe a little mu shu?" CLASSIC!
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Jul 29, 2009 7:06:31 PM CDT
"hollowness of success and the importance of loved ones"
by jackrabbitslim
Oh, Sweet Jesus, do NOT be another one of these inane movies (Notting Fucking Hill comes to mind) where the message comes down to "they are worth 10,000 times you - but you great unwashed out there should be content in your poverty because those rich folks aren't happy" "Love is something the rich invented to keep the poor from jumping out of tall buildings" Wall Street
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Now that's no apology comedy.
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I'm 38 and I LOVED Dumb and Dumber. I teach high school, and most of my students (boys at least) can quote some dialogue from it. Naked Gun 1 and 2.5, as well as Borat, are also in my list of top comedies of all time, with Dumb & Dumber near the top of the list.
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And I had my hopes up for this - now this means it is going to suck ass, just Taken and his review of it.
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is the most quotable comedy (for those older than 30 I guess)
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Jul 29, 2009 7:56:47 PM CDT
the bob dylan scenes in walk hard are fucking classic
by supercowbell5thecowbellhasspoken
thats all i say for now ive only seen bits in pieces of that movie but theres some good shit in there
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The replay value for that movieis insane. I've watched that movie at least 25 times. No shit. It still doesn't come close to Stand By Me though. I've seen that 63 times. Fuckin love that movie.
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Jul 29, 2009 8:00:44 PM CDT
oh and the beatles scenes were funny except for jack black
by supercowbell5thecowbellhasspoken
that guy sucks!
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The hot dog scene is .... CLASSIC!!!!
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Jul 29, 2009 9:48:24 PM CDT
Catherine Keener was "way out" of Steve Carell's league...?
by nasty in the pasty
Elizabeth Banks, sure, but Keener? I actually find Keener pretty attractive, but she was TOTALLY non-threatening and attainable for a middle-aged virgin.
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Jul 29, 2009 10:27:40 PM CDT
Hey lets get Apatow, Sandler, Rogen and a ton of comedians toget
by jaysin420
and make a drama?
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Don't say Tarkovsky's name when you can't spell shit correctly. You're either drunk, or dumb; and in either case you're in no condition to talk about Tarkovsky.
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bonus points for man on the moon, bud. I've doubted your taste before, but in this case I've a feeling you are spot on with funny people. Will see asap now instead of waiting for dvd. Good review man.
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is the greatest reviewer on this site to you lot, but heaven forbid he likes a movie by somebody you have unjustified hate for. amazing.
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This write up... made me have to poop.
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Jul 30, 2009 12:09:32 AM CDT
Great. Another behind the scenes... like Hanks in Punchline.
by chrismata
Optical Poptitude!
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I supposed we're supposed to be "touched" by the exploits of these douches, but I remain unmoved. It will be interesting to see how this does, especially in the wake of the execrable "The Ugly Truth," the "number 1 comedy in America!" The bar has been set pretty low.
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Norm McDonald is weak. Very weak. Same old crap, different day.
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I Love you man has a lot of hallmarks of an Apatow picture including cast but to my knowledge Judd had nothing to do with it
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If comedy has to rely on dick and fart jokes or bashing Bush for the zillionth time, then the art of comedy is dead. There's a freakin' show called Wipeout on ABC, where all it is is people getting knocked off ridiculous contraptions for utterly no reason! It's slapstick without any acting! Give me Without a Clue or Noises Off! for comedy. Sigh.
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on this talkback but if you pop up BMW I'm curious if you've checked out KICKING AND SCREAMINGbtw someone above mentioned FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, Apatow produced THAT! Really?
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Very well written review. I'm looking forward to seeing the film even more now.
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i spelled his name wrong dipshit. ive seen nostaghia ,solaris ,mirror ivans childhood , and andrei rublev.
i "have no business" because i mispelled his name, are you serious?
gimme a break buddy, im neither drunk or stupid i just type fast and sloppy. big woop, if your going to criticize me do it for what i said, not spelling.
some talkbackers really fucking piss me off. -
turns out i didnt misspell his name, i just spelled somewhere in my post incorrectly. truly you are a douche sir.
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I'm already wary of Apatow. Consider me turned off already, see ya!
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i dont think the guy has any integrity at all, and its too late to start with the real movies now. for every Punch Drunk Love, there is twenty Bedtime Stories. I just dont respect the guy. sure, the occassional paycheck movie is fine, but he's just gone overboard. like Eddie Murphy.
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this looks funny, but so did Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up. will it be about another beautiful, successful woman attracted to a fat, broke, whiny loser? id put money on it.
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I agree with Massa that Jim Carrey both gave a good performance and broke out of his schtick, but the movie itself wasn't really memorable. It was like all those biopics that just give you a collection of highpoints from some dude's life without connecting the dots. The subject didn't make that task any easier.As for Apatow, I really don't like his movies. I agree with Massa that he doesn't really build stories and doesn't know how to edit. I probably would've enjoyed most of his films if he'd been able to make the tough calls and chop 30 minutes out of them even if something funny happened in those scenes. I like raunchy humour, but I have a limited appetite for it. Anything over 90 minutes is too much for me.
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You really are a drippy little whore."As for that bullshit movie you aforementioned, i already say enough about it, and what i said is the truth, and i can support the claim with more then just mere repetation of the advertizement text from he marketing department or regurgitated nonsense without substance, something the fans can't."You fucking can't control yourself, huh? ALWAYS have to say your view is the ONLY correct one.You've got issues dude.
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enough. Here we go.
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Apatow killed comedy and I don't care. Apatow killed comedy and I don't care. R-O-G-E-N!
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name me some of your funny films---to me i think ghostbusters is pretty damn good.
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Jul 30, 2009 9:23:15 AM CDT
the trailer must not do it justice. I like 75% of Apatow,
by doctorzoidberg
but this movie looks like a self-indulgent bore, with a few chuckles from time to time
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I didn't say you spelled his name wrong. I said you can't spell. I spelled his name the same way you did. If you can't read then don't respond either. This is fun. Keep it going.
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bFD.. Give me boobies
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Ferrell and McKay (yeah, I know, tangetially connected with Apatow, whatever), Todd Phillips, and the Coens. Yes, the f*cking Coens. Apatow could work until he's 100 and he'll never make anything close to the Big Lebowski.
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Unless it was directed by Apatow.
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movie looks really good. We need more movies like this with brains, heart, and soul and less movies like Fast and Furious and The Collector which are empty, soulless, monstrosities that play on the sociopathic and violent impulses of society's lowest common denominators.
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Tropic Thunder was the last movie I thought was really funny and I'm not a Ben Stiller fan. Superbad was funny, I'll give Apatow and Rogen that. In no particular order: There's Something About Mary, Kingpin, South Park Movie, Old School, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Take the Money and Run, Caddyshack of course, The Naked Gun, Up in Smoke, Fish Called Wanda, Meet the Parents, Austin Powers trilogy, Vacation.
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I didn't like it then and I'm sure I won't like it now.
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Jul 30, 2009 11:07:12 AM CDT
We need more movies about women overcoming breast cancer
by jackrabbitslim
And 6 year olds with leukemia who teach spoiled baseball players the meaning of life. And a big screen version of Tuesdays I'm Horny ... errr ... Tuesdays With Morrie. These life-affirming, wwjd movies that make you feel all gooey inside. Cameron's next moobie - a 2 hour version of Jim Valvano's insipid "Never Give Up" speech?
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Or at least in a coma on life support. Comedy is subjective...I get it. I must resist the urge to declare to you all that Will Ferell is NOT funny and Dumb and Dumber is just that...dumb. But to many of you, it's 'fall out of your chair' funny. I can't tell you how many people I know who piss themselves laughing at Jeff Daniels blowing diarhea out of his ass. Yeah...comedy gold.
But as I say it's TOTALLY subjective. I can rant why your WRONG about not seeing the brilliance in certain movies I think are obviously brilliant but with comedies it's different. If a comedy makes YOU laugh...it's good.
Just for the record, what I think are funny movies would be The Party, Young Frankenstein, Ground Hog Day, Caddyshack, Tropic Thunder(not usually a Stiller fan), Nacho Libre (did not see that one coming...hated Napoleon Dynamite), Spinal Tap, Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show (Love improv)...
And frankly some Apatow stuff makes me laugh too. That scene in 40 yr Old Virgin with Rogen and Jane Lynch where she wants to buy weed off him. And the improv out takes in Super Bad is some funny shit too.
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Very funny movie. Jane Lynch is a riot in everything she does.
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Will not see.
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those are pretty good...i can still watch naked gun and airplane and laugh at them even though ive seen them who knows how many times...thats what im saying..mary, kingpin, south park..i dont think will be funny 10 years from now...fish called wanda yes. blazing saddles is up there too with me--i mean a film that "offends" everyone has to be classic...where are the white women at?
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there are ben stiller films and then there are ben stiller movies...night at the museum and meet the parents and ...i dunno, heartbreak kid are not the same as tropic thunder and mystery men and your friends and neighbors and permanent midnight.
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ha...eh.
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Flirting With Disaater.
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Will defintiely be catching this on DVD.
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It may well be good, and I too find Hill and Rogen tiresome after a while, but my main resistance to giving Funny People a chance is Adam Sandler. After Click the man is dead to me. He damn well knew how insipid that premise was but signed on the line for a cheap, quick cash grab, like the soulless whore he is, and I simply don't want to support someone like that. He can self parody himself now all he wants, but you know the next asinine guy gets a magic remote controller script that comes his way and has a 3 million dollar paycheck stapled to it is getting signed and Fed Ex'd back to the studio without a second thought. Fuck Adam Sandler in the ass.
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There are the two most overrated pricks out there right now.
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I loved the first half of this movie. Sandler and Rogen becoming friends because of Sandler's willingness to finally open up to someone? It's nice. But the second half - the romance stuff with Leslie Mann? It just doesn't work. And the movie drags for the final hour because of it. Until the focus is back on Sandler and Rogen, and then it becomes great again. I'm an Apatow fan, and wanted very much to love this movie. But it lost me for a good 45 minutes. I still enjoyed the movie overall, but this is far from a masterpiece.
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I'm not really a big fan of Steve Martin, but that is one of my fave comedies. As well as The 3 Amigos. "You got me... A sweater!"
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DeNiro's best work since Raging Bull, IMO.
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But, don't forget Midnight Run.
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As in all three of 'em? Including the one with Be-yawn-ce?
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that are funny up to a point...watch them endlessly and they arent funny anymore...GHOSTBUSTERS has been watched by me since i was a child..still funny...BURBS too..raising arizona is still hilarious. austin powers and other so called comedies arent funny after the 20th time..apatow's films i like--they make me giggle and they seem "real" enough..i kinda like the fact that its a bunch of friends making films together goofing off..
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thats still funny to me..i can put that in anytime and laugh.
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That's what she said.
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This broke me up. And like all things funny, there is truth in it. Sandler is indeed a moneygrabbing hack who makes movies for the lowest common denominator. He's fucking terrible. I'm a big Apatow fan but because of Sandler's presence I have to give Funny People a swerve. Fuck him.
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Yet another talkback phrase that needs to be retired, like FFS and that being said.
Comedy films are by definition aimed low so that even the stuffed shirts can get a chuckle out of them. Just imagine the shit storms TBers would have had in the Murry/Chase/Belushi heydays in the 80's.
And AsimovLives, please do give it a rest, you're posting BS about Abrams/Trek in every TB has gone beyond obsessed fanboy into dyslexic psychosis. Peace -
Adam Sandler can act. That means he's present and connects with his fellow actors and the audience. Adam Sandler can also use his voice and body to enhance his performances. These are all signs of a talented performer. Examples: Billy Madison had some great Sandler slapstick, Little Nicky had Sandler immerse himself in a character (it didn't work though, but more on that later), Punch Drunk Love saw Sandler find emotional levels that he played honestly with out going too over the top, and Reign Over Me (really shitty movie) had Sandler deliever a monolouge where all the felling was in his eyes, his most subdued performance. By all this, I mean to say that I believe in Sandler.
Now, he might have acting chops, but Sandler needs a director to guide his performance. The direction in Little Nicky is retarded and Reign Over Me's direction is soooooooo lazy. Punch Drunk Love, on the other hand, is perfection and PTA really harnesses Sandler's persona and deepens it.
Can Judd Apatow do the same? I'm not so sure. He doesn't really go deep with his character work. He's more concerned with filming as many takes as possible so that he'll have enough silly lines to entertain the potheads.
I'm one of them, so don't think me an asshole. I enjoyed all the Apatow movies. What I don't like is that he now is attempting something different. I don't think he has the skill or talent to pull it off and I think both he and Sandler will suffer for it. If this movie sucks, I blame Apatow and that running time has me very nervous.
Last thing: Network is my favorite comedy. -
I thought the first part of the movie was eh, but when Leslie mann came in, I thought it got better because it had a purpose.
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I usually love your stuff, man, I do, but even with that clarification that you're only talking about 40 yr-old Virgin and Knocked Up...sorry, how can you knock those movies? They are SO far ahead of 99% of other comedies, in both laugh count and truthful moments. A movie like Old School may make you laugh, maybe more times (not me), but you know it's ridiculous and would never happen in real life. These two films may have some silly moments (Carell pissing in his face in the opening) but ultimately they feel truthful, and that's what sucks me into a movie. Same with The Hangover -- would a guy really fork over $4,300 to get a penthouse room at a vegas hotel for a bachelor party? Would a cop really taser guys in front of school children? Just my personal taste, but when I see situations that push the boundaries of truth so far in comedies that are purporting to be about "regular guys," I tune out. To each his own, I know we all have different tastes. And yes, I'm worried that Apatow has lost touch with the regular guy, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I see it. Thanks for listening.
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