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Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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"Knocked Up" again

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In honor of tomorrow's opening of Judd Apatow's Knocked Up, here's a re-run of that HE-vs.-Joe Leydon piece I wrote after seeing it 40 days ago. And that Seth Rogenis-the-new-John-Belushi piece. Doing so conveys as impression I'm linked up to the USA hubba-hubba, which, let's face it, I'm not. Not in the laughing Mediterannean culture of sunny Italy, which is still living in the Bill Clinton internet era. It is easily the biggest and darkest black internet/wifi hole I've ever struggled with in my professional life.

Goldstein on two scripts<< previous | next >>"Pompeii" and Johansson

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 31, 2007 at 4:46 AM

comment #1

Joe Leydon says ...

Last time I checked, "Knocked Up" had a 92 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Obviously, I'm not the only one who thinks this is some kind of terrific movie.

(Must..constrain myself... Don't razz Jeff... Let him enjoy his vacation... Don't say "Knocked Up" will make more money.. will be better reviewed... than "Miami Vice." Arrrrrgh! Can't resist...cheap shot...)

Posted by Joe Leydon at May 31, 2007 9:31 AM

comment #2

snoop says ...

I see where your coming from with this new Belushi thing, but it seems to me he's mre of a Belushi-Albert Brooks combo. Right now he seems to have a lot of heat, feuled by Apatow, in terms of producing, writing, and acting in films. His next few films - Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express - all seem as if they'll be hilarious and he has been very instrumental behind the scenes. To me that's where the albert Brooks comes in. I wont be surprised if he eventually takes on Albert Brooks-like roles as well in dramatic comedies.

Posted by snoop at May 31, 2007 9:40 AM

comment #3

christian says ...

will it be as unfunny and overrated as 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN or THE WEDDING CRASHERS? only time will tell...

Posted by christian at May 31, 2007 9:45 AM

comment #4

SomeCallMe...Tim says ...

I have to agree with the Albert Brooks comparison, especially in the looks department. I was watching the first season of Saturday Night Live the other day on DVD and there was an Albert Brooks film in the Richard Pryor episode where Brooks was pretending to be sick in bed and he hadn't shaved and he looked exactly like Rogen. It was was one of those Separated At Birth moments.

Posted by SomeCallMe...Tim at May 31, 2007 9:46 AM

comment #5

Josh Massey says ...

Christian: Do you really think The 40-Year-Old Virgin was unfunny? I'll grant you that Wedding Crashers' last laugh occurred around the hour mark, but I can't imagine not being at least moderately amused throughout Virgin, even if in the end it wasn't your kind of flick.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 31, 2007 9:59 AM

comment #6

christian says ...

i thought 40YOV was above caliber in terms of recent american comedy, but it relies too much on what i dislike about recent american comedy: the reliance on pain and humiliation like in the wretched DODGEBALL. even the trailer for SUPERBAD contains a scene with a kid getting hit by a baseball bat -- all of which you can see in any tv commercial playing.

i know, pain is humor. but i'm not impressed with the cold smugness of most film comedies. i'll go see this, but it better be fucking hilarious.

Posted by christian at May 31, 2007 10:36 AM

comment #7

cjKennedy says ...

I hated Wedding Crashers but really liked 40-Year-Old Virgin. Like most things that are really popular, it was overrated but it brought the laughs and unlike many of the humiliation comedies you might be thinking of, it had a genuine heart and soul.

Did John Belushi appeal to women the way Seth Rogan seems to? I was too young to notice such things at the time but I'm wondering if Jeff's comparison is a little shallow.

Posted by cjKennedy at May 31, 2007 11:14 AM

comment #8

jeffmcm says ...

"Football in Crotch" has a football in the crotch!

I think comparing Belushi and Rogen is dopey. One was manic and drug-addled, the other is just a regular guy (aka Wells's enemy number 1).

Posted by jeffmcm at May 31, 2007 11:29 AM

comment #9

cjKennedy says ...

That's sort of what I was getting at. Wells sees Rogan and all he sees is "slob". I think he's underestimating his appeal by a longshot.

Posted by cjKennedy at May 31, 2007 11:50 AM

comment #10

DavidF says ...

I see nothing in common between Belushi and Rogen besides the fact that they are both likeable dudes and neither is svelte. (Rogen's not FAT, except maybe in Hollywood/Jeff Wells terms.)

Belushi (and Chris Farley) were always wild, hard-living guys. I've heard and read enough stuff about those two guys to think they must have been amazing to know - but neither was designed for the long term.

Aside from being a bit unkempt and liking the weed, I don't see what Rogen has to do with them at all. Any interviews I've read/seen/heard with him make him seem like a very sharp and pretty mellow dude. Even when he was asleep I don't think someone would accuse Belushi of being mellow....

I'll second what cjKennedy said and throw in a Bushism in saying that Wells is misjudging and underestimating Rogen - ie he is "misunderestimating" him.

For my part, I've loved Apatow's stuff since the Larry Sanders/Ben Stiller show era and I've loved Rogen (and 1/2 the cast of this movie) since Freaks & Geeks. It's AWESEOME seeing them come into their own after the way their show (and Apatow's other TV efforts) was treated and I can't wait to see Knocked UP.

Posted by DavidF at May 31, 2007 1:42 PM

comment #11

Terry McCarty says ...

Re Josh on WEDDING CRASHERS:
If the film had run 85 minutes, it would have been a modern comedy classic. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Posted by Terry McCarty at May 31, 2007 3:01 PM

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

christian: I liked Virgin, haven't seen 'Crashers, but the clips I've seen of Knocked Up just aren't doing it for me. Maybe I just don't understand the appeal of an R-rated "Nine Months", but I expect more than just throw-away sex jokes. Though at least Apatow delivers them better than most of the comedians in "The Aristocrats".

On a related disappointing comedy note, I don't buy Ben Stiller playing the opposite of his "Something About Mary" character in "The Heartbreak Kid". http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2007/DEFGH/Heartbreak-Kid,The/trailer.php

Posted by D.Z. at May 31, 2007 7:34 PM

comment #13

renorambler says ...

The review of Knocked Up at Salon has peeked my curiousity. I'm personnaly a 40 Year Old Virgin fan. At least in comparison to Wedding Crashers which lost me 2/3s of the way through. 40 had terrible cinematography but a sweetness that played well against the crassness of some of the writing.

Posted by renorambler at May 31, 2007 8:28 PM

comment #14

dangovich says ...

If "Knocked Up" is worthy of the raves being directed its way, then the TV commercials for it are a grave injustice and whoever put them together should be shitcanned.

The commercials I've seen (there's a few slightly different versions) suffer from the common mistake of cramming too many unfunny jokes into 30 seconds. It's like the marketing people are saying, "we're much more likely to hit the target if we take more shots!"

A single well paced and funny bit would be far more effective in selling this movie.

Posted by dangovich at May 31, 2007 9:18 PM

comment #15

Jayne Gacey says ...

I think the casting of Harold Ramis as Rogen's father is very apt. Maybe we can get a Ghostbusters with Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen & Will Forte. Better idea: remake Shane!

Posted by Jayne Gacey at May 31, 2007 10:07 PM

comment #16

christian says ...

THE HEARTBREAK KID looks awful and is another example of a remake that totally jettisons the core of what made the original a breakout role for charles grodin: he's a shallow shit.

true to today's hollywood, they make stiller's wife crazy and his new conquest a down to earth gal to justifty the limp hijinks. can't wait for the shit and vomit jokes -- but with heart!

move along.

Posted by christian at June 1, 2007 10:20 AM

comment #17

Aladdin Sane says ...

I really liked Knocked Up. Definitely a great comedy and a heartwarming story.
I bought the premise overall, and I think it's nice to see a movie that honors the reality that ordinary guys sometimes do score and even sometimes they do end up with girls way out of their league.
One of my favourite lines of the film has to be Paul Rudd's "It tastes like rainbow." That killed me for some reason. Hehe. Maybe cos he has most of his fist in his mouth.

Posted by Aladdin Sane at June 1, 2007 9:18 PM

comment #18

david says ...

Hollywood Elsewhere

Upcoming

"Knocked Up" again

Joe Leydon says ...

snoop says ...

christian says ...

SomeCallMe...Tim says ...

Josh Massey says ...

christian says ...

cjKennedy says ...

jeffmcm says ...

cjKennedy says ...

DavidF says ...

Terry McCarty says ...

D.Z. says ...

renorambler says ...

dangovich says ...

Jayne Gacey says ...

christian says ...

Aladdin Sane says ...

david says ...