Judd Apatow’s brand of R-rated comedy is aging far better than Kevin Smith’s slacker variety. The latter attempted to grow up on screen after branding himself as the king of “Clerks,” and the result was the pedestrian flop “Jersey Girl.”
There’s no question that over the last decade, my least favorite film genre has become what was once a favorite — the R-rated comedy. With the exception of “The Hangover” and the under-appreciated “Role Models,” the genre founded by comedic
Judd Apatow, the producer of some of the biggest comedy hits from the last decade, isn’t laughing about “The Innocence of Muslims.” The crude video inflamed Muslims across the Middle East and was temporarily blamed by the Obama administration for
It speaks volumes that the man who gave us raunchy films like “Superbad,” “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” is attacked for slipping in a few family friendly messages betwixt the potty humor. Hollywood types don’t take kindly to films
Celebrities breathed a sigh of relief last night as President Barack Obama didn’t repeat his lethargic debate performance from the previous presidential showdown. That wasn’t enough for some liberal stars. They had to profess their hate for GOP presidential candidate
President Barack Obama’s legion of liberal celebrity supporters must be getting nervous. A president with a devastatingly bad resume will do that to you. Some of the president’s most loyal, and famous, backers are rallying to the his side courtesy
“The Watch’s” woes can’t be blamed on lousy timing. The high concept comedy endured a hasty name change from “Neighborhood Watch” to simply “The Watch” when the Trayvon Martin case blew up in the media, and suddenly citizens defending their
This is what a fascist sounds like: I don’t understand why anyone thinks a bunch of billionaires personally giving tens of millions of dollars to campaigns will benefit them. —– it is not about Hollywood. It is about rich very
Super essay from City Art’s Armond White: If you didn’t get the Memo to hate Adam Sandler, his new movie That’s My Boy would seem another likable, if minor, entry in his continuing series of unexpectedly challenging human comedies. The
DHD: [F]our new low-cost movies open[ed] in North American [in]wide release and [are performing] worse than expected at the box office. Universal’s R-rated comedy The Five-Year Engagement (2,936 theaters) from Judd Apatow’s banner is falling victim to both Sony/Screen Gems7
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A lighthearted romantic comedy opened New York’s Tribeca film festival on Wednesday bringing some crowd-pleasing laughs and a smattering of red carpet glamour before audiences settle into 12 days of mostly independent cinema. The premiere of
(AP) Will Ferrell announces ‘Anchorman’ sequel NEW YORK Will Ferrell’s swashbuckling newscaster Ron Burgundy had his own breaking news to announce Wednesday night: A sequel to “Anchorman” is finally happening. Ferrell made a surprise, in-character appearance on “Conan” to regale
One 1999 comedy had its pie and ate it, too. It’s best not to say what else happened to the unfortunate pastry. “American Pie” not only launched, albeit briefly, the careers of several young actors but it brought the teen comedy
Due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no HomeVideodrome podcast this week. Head on over to The Film Thugs for other shows and update. Adam Sandler movies are my comedy comfort food. Ever since the one-two punch of “Billy Madison”
And you wonder why Apatow’s overlong, forgettable films are about as edgy as a baby’s pacifier. Huffington Post: While accepting the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy film, “Bridesmaids” producer slammed Jerry Lewis for a sexist remark the legendary comedian
The star of “Bridesmaids” isn’t sure she wants to revisit one of 2011’s most popular films. The screenwriters of “Horrible Bosses” are gearing up for round two. Both film projects help define the sorry shape of mainstream movie making today.
A great actor is one who takes their role, researches it, studies that character’s story and puts themselves in that person’s shoes without holding anything back. A fantastic actor is all of the above, plays well with others, and takes
Somebody in Hollywood didn’t get the memo that rebooted TV properties from the ’80s are a dicey proposition. Just ask the folks who gave us “The A-Team,” the wannabe blockbuster that made us pity the fools who sank good money
Head on over to The Film Thugs blog to listen to the second episode of the HomeVideodrome podcast! Folks, last week was overstuffed with new releases, this week is a bit of a dry spell. One of the bigger releases
Ed. Note: Please welcome Matthew to the BH family and encourage him to return. — JN I’ve followed Kevin Smith’s career since I was old enough to sneak into Dogma, and I fell out of love with him at about
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are dynamite as a comedic duo, as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are two of the best comedies of the past decade. Paul is their first outing sans the directorial guidance of Edgar
I don’t get why people hated The Green Hornet so much. Granted, I’m no long-time fan of the character, my knowledge of The Green Hornet begins and ends with the fact that the mighty Bruce Lee played Kato in an
– Director Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (December 3rd) is getting good reviews from some reviewers I trust but it’s all so Oscar-baity and bloated with importance, especially the widely publicized and now seemingly obligatory (if you want Academy attention) lesbian
Long-distance relationships have always been a true test of love and fidelity for any couple attempting them, but at least in the modern age of cellphones and Skype and occasionally cheap air travel, it’s easier to keep the flame going
I know I was supposed to write about Hoop Dreams, but it’s been years since I have seen it and I wanted to give it a fair shot. Instead, please find my thoughts below on Clerks, a movie I should
The Oscar-nominated movies in recent years have been enough to make a grown man cry… Or worse. Consider “There Will Be Blood,” “No Country for Old Men” and “The Reader” as a sampling of the morbid films jockeying for Oscar
There are some filmmakers whom movie fans turn to for serious, introspective fare, like Oliver Stone or Lasse Hallstrom. Others are counted on as masters of the fantastic, like Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson. And for comedy these days, you
Quick! Think fast – who’s making the most morally conservative films in Hollywood? The answer may surprise you, but it’s none other than Judd Apatow. Yes, the writer-director of “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up” and the new film
As one of America’s most popular comedians, George Simmons seemingly has the world on a string. But then one thing happens that can ruin everything: he’s diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and told that even with aggressive experimental
Never in a million years did I think Judd Apatow was capable of making something as sharp and penetrating as “Funny People.” Never. Since the director first started dabbling in film, I’ve been a harsh critic of everything he’s touched,
The new film Year One is definitely taking a beating from the critics, especially conservative ones. Two reviews by my colleagues at Big Hollywood exemplify the complaints. Comedienne Victoria Jackson expresses immense disappointment with the film’s high proportion of obscenity
I had a date with Judd Apatow. It was around 1991 and I was between husbands: the out-of-work-Jewish-Gypsy-fire-eater-musician, and the high-school-sweetheart-Baptist-helicopter-police-pilot. I needed a date to a premiere. I knew the rules of engagement for a Hollywood career, and I
You could feel it in the air as Apatow basked in the glow of his 2006 double whammy, the hilarious “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.” By the time 2007’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” rolled around, the backlash was gathering steam. I told
“Wax on, wax off.” “He slimed me.” “Fortune and Glory, kid.” “I’ll be back.” “Don’t get him wet. Keep him out of bright light. And never feed him after midnight.” It’s hard to believe that a quarter century has passed
With “Wolverine” opening this Friday, summer finally, finally arrives. We’ve celebrated the good. We’ve dreaded the bad. Now on to the maybes; those that could fall either way, or just do the minimum by delivering a couple hours of forgettable
Good news for the Motion Picture Academy. Despite the fact that the five Best Picture nominees had combined to gross less than $300M domestic by showtime, Oscar ratings were up considerably from last year’s all-time low. Early numbers show that
I write crime novels for a living. They are full of men–and other disreputable types–who talk like men talk and think in the words men think in. As a result of this, I frequently get letters from my fellow conservatives