Funny People

Mr E

New Judd Apatow movie, due out in the Summer. Looks to be a similar style to Knocked Up (which I know alot of people hated, but I really liked).

Some old Apatow regulars (Rogen, Hill, Mann), plus Adam Sandler, Jason Schwartzman and Eric Bana. Looks like fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCmCveWATHg

MagicMarker

Well it looks good, but I think it's safe to say it will be shít.

Basq

I'm a self-confessed Apatow-bitch...

Loved more or less everything he's done. More of a fan of his directorial efforts than some of the crap he's produced (Superbad, Drillbit Taylor etc).

Shame the trailer suffers from the "well... I don't need to pay to see that. They've condensed the movie into a nice bitesize 3 and a half minute long trailer" chunk. Hollywood.. listen up.. 2 minutes should be the cut-off for any trailer. End of discussion!

Apatow needs to stop casting his wife and kids in his movies though.. Leslie Mann's comedic timing has just turned into sheer annoyance the older she's gotten, and his kids cuteness wants me want to vomit crayons!

Anyhoo... Apatow + Rogen + Schwartzmann + Hill + Use of The Postal Service = me there in front row opening night. Shame about Adam Sandler... he literally is comedy death! * shudder *

Mr E

basquille wrote: »

Shame about Adam Sandler... he literally is comedy death! * shudder *

At least they wrote that into the story.
Ba-dum tish. Thank you, I'm here all week.

johnny_ultimate

Will be avoiding the trailer for the time being (think comedy trailers tend to give away too much - but will probably end up being subjected to it before some film in the cinema anyway) but glad to see Apatow back directing, because I really do think his own films are the only ones that stand out of the mountains of stuff he produces. Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin were both hilarious IMO.

But Adam Sandler - that has me worried!

Tusky

I have loved everything Apatow has directed and most of the stuff he produced too. Really good cast, I'm a big fan of Eric Bana although he has made a few crap movies recently. Sandler is a worry, but he is capable of a good performance (Punch Drunk Love). Looks good.

JP Liz

Eric Bana in a comedy i will definitely watch

Vamoose Killers

Apatow should do us all a favour and just **** off with his **** 'comedy'.

Tusky

Vamoose Killers wrote: »

Apatow should do us all a favour and just **** off with his **** 'comedy'.

But...he wouldnt be doing everyone a favor, as a lot of people like his work. Heres a crazy idea...why dont you not watch his films ? That would solve your problem.

JP Liz

Eminem will appear in a cameo role

Basq

Red-Band Trailer..

http://www.movieweb.com/video/VIFGAMIGKYO7KG

Magic Eight Ball

Speaking of Apatow, I just ordered the 'Freaks and Geeks' boxset.

Mr E

First trailer was much better, imho.

Basq

Trevor Coulahan wrote:

Speaking of Apatow, I just ordered the 'Freaks and Geeks' boxset.

Good buy sir.... very good buy!

robby^5

Trevor Coulahan wrote: »

Speaking of Apatow, I just ordered the 'Freaks and Geeks' boxset.

Best. TV. Show. Ever. I got it way back when it was first released and can safely say its best series I've ever bought on dvd, the show and the extras are brilliant. I think I'll get the yearbook edition at some stage now that its no longer a limited edition.

As for funny people, I think Sandler has been painfully unfunny for years and I'm not looking forward to seeing him in this, but it is Apatow and any films from his camp usually go down well with me.

fisgon

Adam Sandler is actually really good in it, appropriately bitter and hostile. There is a cast of the regulars from the Apatow films, and the Apatow spin offs, and even his two kids appear in it! The film as a whole is great, it's got heart as well as laughs, which is what Apatow at his best does, though as the Sunday Times said it falls off in the last half an hour, the bit with Eric Bana in it, which really should have been slimmed down. For Apatow fans there is a lot of familiar here, but the added interest is the examination of the life of a comic superstar and the self-hatred that this involves, and there are also loads of cameos in it that are worth watching out for.

Interested to hear if anyone thought that the last half hour worked, as I though it let the film down a little. Still worth a watch.

Basq

fisgon wrote: »

though as the Sunday Times said it falls off in the last half an hour, the bit with Eric Bana in it, which really should have been slimmed down.

..

Interested to hear if anyone thought that the last half hour worked, as I though it let the film down a little. Still worth a watch.

As much as I love Apatow, his films running times as of late have been a problem.

90 - 100 minutes is more than enough for a comedy - making a comedy 146 minutes is madness. It's a difficult task to keep a film's momentum than long, moreso with a comedy.

Mr E

It was enjoyable enough, but far too bloody long. The cinema I was in decided to turn on the heating about half way through, and people were starting to sit forward in their seats.

The length also diluted the laughs. I know it is supposed to have a serious side, but the last half hour dragged a bit, and its like they didn't know how to end it.

Apatow's kids were annoying, Leslie Mann wasn't as annoying as usual, and Sarah Silverman has always, and forever will be, the most unfunny person ever.

Oh, and 95% of the funniest bits were in the trailers. Hate that.

davenewt

Also saw this at the weekend. Let's just say when Sandler starts singing, you're safe to leave. All the funny bits are over. Shame - the start of the film showed plenty of promise... but then it all got bogged down with

relationships.

johnny_ultimate

Have to agree, this film really tests the audience's attention span. The first hour and a bit is great - as funny as anything Apatow has done (I would probably watch an hour and a half of Seth Rogen, Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill sitting in a room insulting each other) and a very interesting look at the loneliness of celebrity culture. Like 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, the film stands above anything Apatow has merely produced because it has interesting characters and more than just hilarious banter (even though there is plenty of it).

And then Sandler gets better

and the film plummets into a rut. Pacing and timing go all over the place, and you can't care less about the increasingly dull and trivial exploits of these characters. Things lighten up briefly when

Eric Bana shows up - one of those rare 'husband' characters that is likable and funny

. But it's here you begin to wonder who to root for, and the film loses momentum. Few of the characters seem particularly intriguing any more, and their motivations and actions become more muddled. And there are fewer laughs too. Knocked Up had this problem too in the final act, but here the running time is far longer, and less forgivable.

I admire Apatow for trying to create a comedy that is more than audiences have come to expect. There are plenty of interesting ideas here, mostly in the first half. But the overall experience drags, and the last hour could easily have been cut out to make a far more rounded and rewarding experience. As a result of the meandering last act, this comes out much worse for wear. I still think Apatow is a talented writer and director who has two hilarious comedies and two wonderful TV shows under his belt. And while parts of this film exhibit his talent, overall this is by far the weakest addition to his filmography.

JP Liz

The movie is way too long and Bana is wasted in it

Also Starring LeVar Burton

I really enjoyed the whole thing. I understand why most people didn't like how the last part was dragged out, but I still enjoyed every minute. I am a huge Apatow fanboy though, so it's unlikely that I'll ever fault any of his work.

big_show

Watched it last night. What a let down, mainly with Bana being tagged on at the end.

Boom_Bap

watched this the other night and i really enjoyed it. Thought Bana was brilliant in it, Sandler showed more range than what we normally see from him. Rogen, Hill and Schwarzman where all excellent. Although long and drawn out towards the end, i was glued to the screen. The whole thing with Daisy was excellent, 10 days etc.

Basq

I'm a big fan of Apatow.. but this was a bit of a let-down!

Apatow has two areas where he excels - extremely witty (often very crass) writing and sly but accurate pops at pop culture / celebrities.

But this film lacked the latter.. too much "balls and masturbation jokes" and not enough clever humour. Don't get me wrong.. as a Kevin Smith fan, I appreciate crass humour and "dick and balls jokes" but you can't build a movie on it (as was Zack & Miri's downfall).

Sandler was very good, Rogen was decent (but starting to tire of him) and felt both Schwartzman and Hill were underused. Bana was superb when he finally appeared in the movie a good chunk of the running time into it.

It was too long.. and while Apatow's last two movies have had over 2 hour runtimes (unusual in comedies), neither of his previous 2 movies felt overlong - this definitely did!

Apatow is a very clever writer and this movie definitely was his first real miss.

krudler

Worst movie of 2009 for me, just crap from start to finish, god I hate Sandler

PirateShampoo

lol Funny People, its everything but funny.

ultain

I'm sorry but adam sandler is a tit:)

Hank_Jones

I actually like Sandler, one of the rare people that do...

This film certainly wasn't funny anyway.

Who wrote the stand up comedy bits...god were they awful and not even slightly amusing...

qwertplaywert

I really wish Bana would go back more often to comedy, hes the best thing in this movie by a clear mile!