Although I'd seen it twice already, I went ahead and accompanied my father to a showing of Pineapple Express last night, only to be greeted with a surprisingly packed 8:10 showing in the theater's largest auditorium. When we exited, the immediate lobby was fairly lined up with those waiting to catch the next showtime, and when I dashed across the hall to peek in on the 9:30 showing that some of my friends had caught, it was in an auditorium half the size and equally packed, down to people actually sitting on the floor space typically reserved for those in wheelchairs (fire hazard, schmire hazard).
I only say this because, if I hadn't gone last night, I would've been truly taken aback with the film's record-breaking $12.5 million opening yesterday. (In comparison, Superbad opened to $12.3 million last year, but on a Friday.) This bodes better for Pineapple than I had expected in general, what with it only having a week to itself before Tropic Thunder does its best to snatch away its overlapping audience.
(No, I'm not stoned. It's just that Pineapple Express opens today (8/6), but my review was published over a week ago. This reprint is brought to you by Cinematical's Recycling Division. We care about wasted bandwidth.)
I won't get into the precise reasons, but my friends always seem to think I'm going to LOVE the next big "pot comedy." They chuckle and assume such silly things despite the fact that the only real pothead comedies that I truly enjoy are Up in Smoke, Next Movie, and a large portion of the Harold & Kumar misadventures. Frankly I'm of the opinion that most pot comedies feel like they were written by someone very stoned, and let's just say that writers don't always do their best work when they're extra-baked. (They might THINK their stuff is hilarious, but usually it's not. That's just the weed talking.) Oh, you'll definitely find a few cannabis-caked giggles in Half-Baked, Grandma's Boy, and Smiley Face -- just not enough to sustain a whole movie, if it's me you're asking.
So it is with much pleasure, enthusiasm, and recently-applied Visine that I offer you Pineapple Express, which just may be the Casablanca of Pot Comedies. Or perhaps it's more like When Ultra-High Harry Met Super-Stoned Sally, but either way Pineapple Express showcases some of the funniest "weed culture" insights since the arrival of Richard Linklater's fantastic Dazed & Confused -- which I wouldn't call a full-bore "pot comedy," but it sure isn't shy about passing those joints around. Best of all, while Pineapple Express will absolutely appeal to both the casual and committed pot-smokers, it's also just a very funny buddy comedy / action flick parody that comes bearing the very unique stamp of director David Gordon Green.
The most we can hope for now is the unrated director's cut of Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, because the filmmaker has won his appeal with the MPAA and received an R rating, according to the Associated Press. It's been a long road for Smith's movie, which was unsurprisingly smacked with an NC-17 last month -- as if we didn't see it coming due to Smith's track record and the fact that it's a movie about a couple who, yes, that's right, make a porno. Oh, and of course there was that raunchy trailer, which gave us some semblance of the material the movie is dealing with (coprophilia jokes are likely always deemed adults-only content, at least in the initial ratings board screening).
So much for the MPAA and National Association of Theatre Owners' plans to remove the stigma attached to the NC-17. If ever there was a popular filmmaker to usher in a new wave of non-porn adults-only fare, Smith would be that person. And considering that Zack and Miri is about porn, it would be an appropriate gateway for the rating. Last week, when Smith spoke to AICN about the appeal, he seemed fine with the need for an R rating, stating that it's just "part of the process." Of course it is. The process consists of toning down a film to ensure an R and then releasing the original raunchier version on DVD in order for Hollywood to get the most buck for its bang.
Update: When Cinematical reached Smith for a quote, he had this to say on the decision:"I'm very happy with the result of the appeals process. Sadly, however, it doesn't cure my biggest headache: I'm still grossly overweight."
If there's one film that's going to finally beat The Dark Knight at the box office this weekend, it's the hip, hysterical Apatow-produced stoner action/comedy Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen stars as a process server/stoner who, along with his flaky pot dealer (James Franco), go on the run from a crooked cop and a drug kingpin after witnessing them commit a murder. While you can't see the movie in theaters until tomorrow, we've got you covered: Rogen and Franco sat down for another installment in Moviefone's fabulous Unscripted series, where stars interview one another using your questions and some of their own.
Above you'll see an outtake from their chat that's only featured here on Cinematical (the boys talk Hudson Hawk, Shane Black, etc ...), then you can skip on over to Moviefone and watch the entire thing. In it, Rogen and Franco talk about Pineapple Express, they wonder what their Freaks and Geeks characters would be up to today, why James Franco won't be acting much in the near future and what they consider to be the best stoner movie of all time, among a slew of other things. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of either dude, or you just feel like laughing a little this morning. I'll be back later with some more quotes from the Pineapple Express NT press day where Rosie Perez was looking totally hot. You go girl!
For awhile now -- and ever since it was announced there would be a new Ghostbusters video game -- those Ghostbusters live-action sequel rumors have been all over the place. The latest, shoveled out through Dread Central last week, claimed that the sequel was going forward -- with all four original Ghostbusters (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Harold Ramis) returning -- along with "Seth Rogen and the crew fromThe 40 Year Old Virgin." Yes, word on the street had it that the new ghost hunters would be played by Rogen, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Romany Malco.
Hey, as a fan of all those dudes, I personally think it's a pretty good idea. Unfortunately, Rogen knows nothing about the so-called collaboration. I asked him about it earlier today during the Pineapple Express NY press day, and it kinda took him by surprise. "Really? That's f**king rad! No one's told me about it, you're the first one. You got a script? [laughter] "Yeah, no -- are they actually remaking Ghostbusters? Sounds fun, though -- I'm psyched about it ... but are you sure I'm not playing Slimer?" Rogen joked, following that up with his trademark deep, cough-like laugh.
So, sorry Ghostbusters fans -- at least you have the video game to look forward to. And, who knows, enough people get onboard with the idea and maybe this wild rumor will eventually become reality. Question is, would you want it to?
I won't get into the precise reasons, but my friends always seem to think I'm going to LOVE the next big "pot comedy." They chuckle and assume such silly things despite the fact that the only real pothead comedies that I truly enjoy are Up in Smoke, Next Movie, and a large portion of the Harold & Kumar misadventures. Frankly I'm of the opinion that most pot comedies feel like they were written by someone very stoned, and let's just say that writers don't always do their best work when they're extra-baked. (They might THINK their stuff is hilarious, but usually it's not. That's just the weed talking.) Oh, you'll definitely find a few cannabis-caked giggles in Half-Baked, Grandma's Boy, and Smiley Face -- just not enough to sustain a whole movie, if it's me you're asking.
So it is with much pleasure, enthusiasm, and recently-applied Visine that I offer you Pineapple Express, which just may be the Casablanca of Pot Comedies. Or perhaps it's more like When Ultra-High Harry Met Super-Stoned Sally, but either way Pineapple Express showcases some of the funniest "weed culture" insights since the arrival of Richard Linklater's fantastic Dazed & Confused -- which I wouldn't call a full-bore "pot comedy," but it sure isn't shy about passing those joints around. Best of all, while Pineapple Express will absolutely appeal to both the casual and committed pot-smokers, it's also just a very funny buddy comedy / action flick parody that comes bearing the very unique stamp of director David Gordon Green.
I sure hope that by now, you've not only seen Seth Rogen in comedies like Superbad, Knocked Up, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but also his television work on Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. But ... have you seen him before he got his first role as Ken Miller?
Above you can check him out during his Freaks and Geeks audition, where he talks about his career options, and just how he would run a grow house where "the pot would make me happy." It's pretty much the Rogen we know and love today, just a tad younger.
But there's also another oldie, where he popped up on Dawson's Creek as a loser that Busy Philipps' Audrey sleeps with (the scenes also feature pre-Cruise mom Katie and Kate Hudson's brother). You can check that out after the jump. Last Rewind Answer: Sorry folks! A whopping 63% of you said that the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad are also the names of the enemies of G.I. Joe. They are the names of enemies of Captain America.
Yeah, he's been around the Judd Apatow world for a while now, between Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, but I think it was The 40-Year-Old Virgin that really solidified Seth Rogen's stock. He stole pretty much every scene he was in, and now he's hotter than hot. In a recent discussion with Moviehole, Rogen talked up all those projects we've been hearing about for a while.
At the top of the current buzz is The Pineapple Express, so of course, thoughts are already spinning about a sequel. Rogen mentioned refusing to put a "2" at the end of Superbad, but says of the drug movie: "But this one, it's not a precious coming-of-age story like Superbad, it's a weed action movie and if it did well, and they gave us like $50 million (as opposed to the $26 million we got for this one) we could benefit from that." More Huey Lewis? Sign me up!
As for The Green Hornet, they're currently on the hunt for a director, to start shooting early next year, and to be released in 2010. Funny enough, he also didn't seem to know until he started working on the film that Kevin Smith had taken a stab at the story.
But then there's that untitled project with Judd Apatow, which is now called Funny People. He discussed adding Eric Bana to the mix, which Eugene discussed here. As an added perk -- Cinema Blend got a peek at a small part of the script, if you're curious.
I wonder if the poster powers that be realized the monster they were creating when they whipped up that memorable poster for The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Since Steve Carell's virginal, bright smile graced walls and billboards everywhere, tons of comedies have followed suit, throwing up their takes on the one-face, and Pineapple Express is no exception.
Following the trio poster Jessica posted about in April, Trailer Addict has premiered two new posters, one highlighting Seth Rogen's happily high face, and the other showcasing James Franco's verrrry happy high face. You can see both above, and click to check out larger versions over at TA. They're cute, but man, I hope this trend ends before a really great movie gets burned by the annoyance brought on by a repetitive poster.
Luckily, nothing has deterred me from Pineapple Express yet. 38 days to go until we get lots of stoner action set to the tune of Huey Lewis!
On the final episode of Dinner for Five, Jon Favreau and guests discussed the legendary "is" credit. The only person at the table to have received an "is" credit in his lifetime was, surprisingly, Peter Billingsley, who was given an "is" credit for The Dirt Bike Kid. The "is" credit is indeed rare, so when it comes along we must congratulate the actor or actress enjoying this royal honor. And, as you can see above, Hollywood has given out another "is" credit, and it's gone to ... Seth Rogen.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen ... Seth Rogen is The Green Hornet. Sony has established a teaser site for the previously-announced film, which comes with a nice shade of green and a release date of June 25, 2010. Still a far way to go, but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait. Rogen will play newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who, at night, fights crime as a masked superhero known as The Green Hornet with Kato, a martial arts expert, at his side. This version of GH was written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), and there's no director currently attached.
Kevin Smith's latest, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, is apparently having trouble securing an R rating from the MPAA, sending star Seth Rogen on the obligatory rant about how the MPAA cracks down on sex while giving virtually all violence a pass. You can check out his full comments at MTV if you like, and no prizes for guessing which torture-happy recent horror franchise he cites as an example of what the MPAA should be targeting instead of pestering his movie. The tongue-halfway-in-cheek kicker from Rogen: "The MPAA? It's my mission to sue the MPAA and take them down. I don't know how to go about doing that. But to me, it seems like it's something that has to be taken care of."
I'm in the camp that thinks the problem lies less in the MPAA's attitudes toward "objectionable" content and more in the stigma placed on the NC-17. For a movie whose marketing campaign has consisted of cheerfully courting controversy -- check out the hilarious teaser if you don't believe me -- it's a bit disappointing that Zack and Miri doesn't run with the harsher rating. The asinine restrictions on advertising that accompany the NC-17 stamp would be a bummer, but the blogs and magazines would go nuts, and I think the movie would do pretty well.
Do watch that teaser (which had MPAA issues of its own) if you haven't already. Among other things, it will make you fall in love with Elizabeth Banks. Uh, if you haven't already.
We've talked about the next Judd Apatow-helmed flick, Funny People, and how one of that film's stars, Eric Bana, is not exactly the kind of guy you picture in an Apatow comedy. Especially when his co-stars are people like Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. You might say, "Is Bana playing the evil villain who never cracks a smile?" And I wouldn't blame you for thinking that, because if you're not from Australia or familiar with Bana's early work, you wouldn't know that he used to be a stand-up comedian and starred in a very popular sketch comedy series called Full Frontal.
So, for some this might be a nice, refreshing blast from the past. For others, well, welcome to the comedic side of Eric Bana. There's a bunch of other Full Frontalclips on YouTube in case you're interested in watching Bana take on the funny.
About a year ago, a goofy trailer for what appeared to be a comedy short film appeared on YouTube. The movie it advertised was called Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse, and it starred Undeclared buds Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen as two schlubby guys dealing with a world ravaged by some sort of civilization-ending catastrophe. (You can still see the trailer here, though now I suspect it may disappear soon.) As best I can determine, the actual short film was never made available for public consumption, and maybe this is why: Mandate Pictures has bought the rights to make the short into a feature film with Rogen and Baruchel, to be shot next year.
The short was written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg who, of course, collaborated to bring us last year's Superbad. They'll be writing and producing the feature too, though no director is yet attached. (Judd Apatow's name is nowhere mentioned, and after seeing You Don't Mess with the Zohan, I kind of think it's just as well.) I wonder if this is something else the two cooked up as teenagers and are now seizing the opportunity to realize. It worked out pretty well last time.
The trailer is moderately funny, though you should probably use headphones if you're at work, or around kids, or something. The jokes aren't brilliant, but Rogen's delivery brings them pretty close.
I love a surprise, even a small one like finding out that Kung Fu Panda was more likeable and fun than I might have expected. I have a secret mini-crush on Jack Black (okay, maybe not so secret), so I was hoping that Kung Fu Panda wouldn't suck and if nothing else, I'd be able to enjoy his vocal stylings in the Dreamworks animated film. Surprise! I liked the movie for more reasons than Jack Black.
Black voices the title character, Po, who helps in his father's noodle shop but dreams of becoming a kung fu fighter and joining the Furious Five: Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Crane (David Cross) and especially Tigress (Angelina Jolie). He wants to watch the Five compete to be the great Dragon Warrior, and is somehow dragged into the selection process himself. Kung-fu master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is irritated that a fat clumsy clown of a panda is joining his elite cadre of students, especially since it's predicted that the supremely evil snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) may escape from prison and try to steal the Dragon Warrior scroll of power for himself.
It is indeed happening. Entertainment Weekly has reported that Seth Rogen's Green Hornet movie has the go-ahead, even down to its release date: June 25th, 2010.
Rogen is still set to star as Britt Reid, the bored newspaper publisher by day, crimefighter by night. He is also still writing the script with his partner, Evan Goldberg. But no director has yet been named, nor has Kato been cast. (If you remember, Rogen favors Stephen Chow. Sounds like he still does.)
Rogen's attachment to the project was reported a year ago, but given how many Green Hornet movies have fallen apart, I don't think anyone was holding their breath. Were they? I mean, this was once a property attached to everyone from George Clooney to Jake Gyllenhaal. Kevin Smith spent years trying to develop it. Who knew Rogen would be the one to finally do it?
This news comes on the heels of CHUD's brief chat with Rogen, where he was saying the film still hadn't been green lit. He discussed the tone they were trying to set with the film -- it isn't going to be bumbling humor, and it will feature some serious action. Rogen and Goldberg are hoping the comedy comes from the unconventional relationship between the Hornet and Kato. Perhaps that will soothe the doubts of our readers, who were quite furious when the news broke. Have you become more reconciled to it, or are you still wishing for what could have been?
Although I'd seen it twice already, I went ahead and accompanied my father to a showing of Pineapple Express last night, only to be greeted with a surprisingly packed 8:10 showing in the theater's largest auditorium. When we exited, the immediate lobby was fairly lined up with those waiting to catch the next showtime, and when I dashed across the hall to peek in on the 9:30 showing that some of my friends had caught, it was in an auditorium half the size and equally packed, down to people actually sitting on the floor space typically reserved for those in wheelchairs (fire hazard, schmire hazard).
The most we can hope for now is the unrated director's cut of Kevin Smith's 
For awhile now -- and ever since it was announced there would be a new 
Yeah, he's been around the Judd Apatow world for a while now, between Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, but I think it was The 40-Year-Old Virgin that really solidified 
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Kevin Smith's latest, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, is apparently having trouble securing an R rating from the MPAA, sending star Seth Rogen on the obligatory rant about how the MPAA cracks down on sex while giving virtually all violence a pass. You can check out his full comments at 
About a year ago, a goofy trailer for what appeared to be a comedy short film appeared on YouTube. The movie it advertised was called Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse, and it starred Undeclared buds 
It is indeed happening. 
