Judd Apatow's Next Directorial Effort Announced

My in-depth ramblings on Judd Apatow's next project are after the jump.

so before I go on, here's the story from Variety:

Judd Apatow has tapped Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann to star in the next comedy he'll direct.

Untitled pic will be a co-production of Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment, with production to start in late summer or early fall.

Apatow, the sole writer on the project, is keeping the plot under wraps. While the studios will split the costs, U will distribute worldwide. Dealmaking is under way with his cast, and producing credits are still being worked out.

Apatow continues to work with familiar faces: He and Sandler collaborated to write, with Robert Smigel, "Don't Mess With the Zohan," the Sandler starrer that Columbia will release June 6. Rogen and Mann starred in Apatow's first two feature directing efforts, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up."

Mann (who is married to Apatow) stars with Owen Wilson in "Drillbit Taylor," which Rogen co-wrote and Apatow produced. Paramount releases the comedy March 21.

Apatow also produced "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," the comedy that stars Jason Segel, who, like Rogen, began in the ensemble of the Apatow-exec produced TV series "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared." Universal releases that comedy April 18.

Sandler is shooting the Adam Shankman-directed comedy "Bedtime Stories" for Disney, while Mann stars opposite Zac Efron in the Burr Steers-directed "17 Again" for New Line. Rogen, who lends his voice to "Horton Hears a Who," which Fox releases Friday, is shooting "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982103.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

okay. now to dive in.

• First off, the big story of this is that Adam Sandler has been cast as the lead in the movie. This is pretty startling news in that for Judd's previous two movies (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up for those in a cave) he has gone with smaller stars that went to break out with the movie (Steve Carell and Seth Rogen for those, again, living under a cave).
  
  It's not surprising that Judd would work with Adam, because they have been buddies since College. Judd also did some re-writes to some of Sandler's movies (Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, and Big Daddy), and also co-wrote Sandler's upcoming comedy Don't Mess With The Zohan. So their involvement isn't surprising at all. It's just surprising that it's one of Judd's movies. I think it's fascinating stuff, and I think Judd with push Sandler to not do his usual shtick, and make it more realistic. Something that Paul Thomas Anderson did amazingly in his film Punch-Drunk Love, which is Sandler's finest work as an actor. Judd should make Adam do some of his best work to date while also being very funny.



• It wouldn't be an Apatow film without Seth Rogen in there somewhere. Really glad he's in this, because his projects were lining up to not working with Judd for a bit (Zach and Miri Make A Porno, Observe and Report). While both of those movies sound fantastic, Seth is always best when is working with the Apatow crew.



• It also wouldn't be an Apatow film without Leslie Mann either. Besides being Judd's wife, Leslie is a very talented and hilarious actress. While I enjoy Kevin Smith's films, his inclusion to always put his wife Jennifer Schwallbach in his movies is very ill-advised. I don't think she's a good actress, she isn't funny, and she just brings nothing to her roles, in my opinion. it seems like Jenn is forcing Kevin to put her in all of his movies. While in the case of Leslie, she is just tremendous. She should be someone always in Judd's movies even if they weren't married, because she does a great job every time she's on screen.



• I also can't help but be remembered of the episode of Undeclared where Adam Sandler visits the dorm with Seth Rogen's Ron there. The exchanges between Sandler and Rogen in that episode were fantastic, and I hope we get more of them with this new movie.



• I also think it's hilarious how both Universal Picture and Sony are teaming up to produce it. They are the studios in which Apatow has worked with the most. With Universal he has The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Five-Year Engagement, A Whole New Hugh, and some others. While at Sony's Columbia Pictures he has Talladega Nights, Superbad, Walk Hard, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, The Year One, and others. They both couldn't handle losing him, and this sure-to-be huge hit so I guess they decided to partner up. Just goes to show how big Apatow has gotten over the past few years.



• So yeah, there is no title or plot details at all as it says in the story. Just left here speculating of what it could be. I have heard that Judd wants to try to make a movie about addiction the same way he made movies about sex, and pregnancy. Whatever it is, i'll be there opening day.

Whenever new details of this project emerge, i'll be posting them on my blog. Look out in the upcoming days for Benjammin' #4, and whatever else pops in my mind at the moment.

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Seth Rogen is actually blowing up (!)

I like getting behind things (pause). Whether it be musicians, actors, comedians, TV shows, whatever. I like trying to spread the gospel of a certain thing to get that thing into the public spotlight. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Probably one of my biggest campaigns has been Seth Rogen. I watched Undeclared when it aired in 2001, but I wasn't a Seth fan then. More a fan of the show overall. I become a rabid Seth Rogen fan like many people did with his role as Cal in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He consistently cracked my shit up during the film, and he shares probably my two favorite scenes in the movie (besides the finale): The woman fucking a horse monologue, and the phone conversation between Andy and Cal where Cal says his grandma looks like Jack Palance and makes old people jokes. Just gold. I then watched Freaks And Geeks and re watched Undeclared and became a full fledged fanboy for Seth.

News came out following the huge success of Virgin that Judd Apatow's next directorial film would be a film called Knocked Up which would be a vehicle for Rogen. I was completely jazzed. The pre-release buzz for Knocked Up was over the moon. Seeing the now iconic What If This Guy Got You Pregnant? poster was just amazing, and I was so happy for him. I realized that he might actually be becoming a big star. Of course, Knocked Up came out and did huge business, and so did his pet project Superbad which he had a co-starring role and co-wrote the script.

Following that he went to shoot Pineapple Express with James Franco, which you have all heard about by now. Then he went to do Kevin Smith's Zach And Miri Make A Porno with Elizabeth Banks. Now word comes tonight that he just got signed on for Jody "The Foot Fist Way" Hill's Observe and Report where Rogen will be playing a mall cop. Just amazing projects all around.

The thing that really blew me away last week was seeing the TV spot for Horton Hears A Who in which Seth Rogen gets billed in the commercial with such heavyweights as Jim Carrey, and Steve Carell. Hell, in another spot i've seen he's third billed behind them! I didn't realize Rogen would ever get this big. It was just wishful thinking on my part, and now he is just going to the moon. I am so, so, happy for him, and hope this success continues on for years to come.

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Semi-Pro review

My review of Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro after the jump

This movie is such a vast improvement over Blades Of Glory, which I felt to be a colossal misfire. Yeah, it had a great cast, but there wasn't a whole lot of laughs to be found I thought. I think it has a lot to do with Jon "One-Note" Heder co-starring with Ferrell. But that isn't the topic of this review. It's about Semi-Pro which I thought delivered in ways that Blades didn't.

When you give Will an R-rating, he shines like crazy. I mean "SUCK MY COCK, I'LL MURDER YOUR FAMILY" is just hilarious as shit to me. You can't say that in a PG-13 comedy.

As well the absolutely stellar supporting cast is a comedy juggernaut which includes such comedic treasures as Andy Daly (amazing as Dick Pepperfield), Andy Richter, Will Arnett, Rob Corddry, Jackie Earle Haley, Kristen Wiig, and more. The supporting cast alone is worth your money. Andy Daly should get some award for his work in it. Dude is just fuckin' jokes.

The surprising thing about the film is that it actually plays as a very faithful sports movie. Woody Harrelson's Monix character seems to be ripped directly from another sports film and it really works. His whole plotline with Andre 3000's Coffee Black was a nice touch and puts some real weight into the whole plotline. Don't be fooled though, it is still a laugh-riot of a movie but just expect some nice dramatic scenes as well.

If you are a fan of Will Ferrell, you have probably already seen Semi-Pro and loved it. If you haven't and are, then it's definitely worth it. There isn't a worthwhile movie until Drillbit Taylor's March 21st release so you have no excuse to not seeing it.

Sadly, the movie for some reason underperformed at the box office, and that makes me sad. Blades deserved this type of run, not Semi-Pro. Oh well! Walk Hard didn't do well at the box office either, and that looks to murder on DVD. Semi-Pro should do the same.

As you probably saw before the movie (or on the internet), the Step Brothers trailer played before it and it's just amazing. It really looks to rank up there with Anchorman for one of Will's best. Also really helps that you have John C. Reilly in it to bring the laughs. People who have seen the movie at test-screenings this week have said that Ferrell and Reilly could end up as one of the best comedic teams of this generation with this movie. From the trailer, I can definitely see that, and can't wait to see the movie for myself in July.

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Benjammin' #3

Benjammin #3 after the jump.


The Black Keys
"Same Old Thing"
"Oceans And Streams"
"Things Ain't Like They Used To Be"
Album: Attack & Release
release date: April 1st, 2008

This was the album I couldn't get enough of this weekend. I had heard a lot about The Black Keys over the years, but never gave them a proper chance. So, when their new album leaked on Monday I was ecstatic to hear it. I heard one of their albums Rubber Factory before listening to Attack & Release, and I really dug it. Attack & Release is a shift from that sound a bit, but it's the best album of theirs that I have heard. It was produced by Danger Mouse, who produced my #3 favorite album of 2007 in The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and he does an equally good job here giving the group some new things to do. These three songs are among my favorites of an album that doesn't have a single weak spot. I suggest if you like these songs to check out the full album. You'll really like it. Check out the Yazz flute on "Same Old Thing". It's hardcore.

Sondre Lerche
"My Hands Are Shaking"
"Modern Nature" with Lillian Samdal
album: Dan In Real Life soundtrack (Modern Nature originally found on 2001's Faces Down)
release date: October 2nd, 2007

I just saw the movie Dan In Real Life, the Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche rom-com, this week, and I really enjoyed it. Carell does some great acting in it, and it's just a nice story to watch unfold. Very realistic. The other thing I really enjoyed about it is the soundtrack provided by Sondre Lerche. He pretty much handles every song in the movie, either with instrumental interludes or songs written especially for the movie. He also has some songs from previous albums in the film like "Modern Nature" which closes the film with a performance in the movie by Sondre and Lillian Samdal. These are great, well-written songs that get stuck in your head.

Billy Bragg & Wilco
"Walt Whitman's Niece"
"Hoodoo Vooodoo"
album: Mermaid Avenue
release date: June 23rd, 1998

Now this is a classic album. One of my all-time favorite bands in Wilco collaborating with probably one of the coolest people around in Billy Bragg with previously unreleased lyrics by Woody Guthrie. Both Wilco and Bragg got together to give these great Guthrie lyrics justice, and they deliver hugely. I just really love the whole album, and these two songs are among my favorites. "Hoodoo Voodoo" should of been the theme song to some kids show. Please do check out the entire albums. It's one of my all-time favs.

Also on a completely unrelated note, the name Walt Whitman is the name of Bryan Cranston's character on one of the best shows currently on TV in AMC's Breaking Bad. I know that is obviously where they didn't get the name from, because the album's been out for 10 years but yeah. Just thought I should point that out/pimp the show.

EDIT: well, I fucked up there. I just mixed two AMC series' into a name. Walter White is Bryan Cranston's character on Breaking Bad, while Dick Whitman is the real name of Don Draper on Mad Men. Two of the best series' on TV. Just wanted to clear that up.

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