Discland
edited by Jonathan Doyle
Mafioso (The Criterion Collection, 3.18.2008) Nino Badalamenti is a supervisor in a car manufacturing plant who hasn't taken a vacation in over two years. On his way out the door to visit his beloved childhood hometown of Sicily -- with his blonde wife and daughters -- Nino is handed a package by his boss and asked to deliver it to a powerful and influential Sicilian gangster named Don Vincenzo. Once in Sicily, Nino has a hoot seeing friends and family, but his wife has trouble fitting in and is unfairly dismissed as a snob by Nino's family. Even more worrisome, Nino finds himself entangled in an intricate web of secret mafioso dealings and is eventually sent on an unexpectedly... elaborate errand. (continued)

Pinapple vs. Thunder

A friend who passed along PDF copies of the scripts for Pineapple Express, which I've read, and Tropic Thunder, which I haven't, shared a short opinion. "I think the Pineapple Express script is funny -- if a bit underwhelming -- but Tropic Thunder is surprisingly primitive," he said. "It's a really uninspired execution of a terrific premise. Here's hoping they improvised some better material on set. In an odd coincidence, the final acts of both scripts are very similar. Strange."

I don't want this to turn into a huge spoiler thread by those who've read both, but is there any kind of consensus among readers? Without divulging anything particular, I mean. Write me privately if you wish.

Nathan Lee Clipped<< previous | next >>Mood Lardo

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 24, 2008 at 08:05 PM

comment #1

D.Z. [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Why is that person so surprised an action movie spoof would be dumb?

Posted by D.Z. [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 08:36 PM

comment #2

actionman [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Every single test screening review for Tropic Thunder has been through the roof. Every single website said that the footage shown at Show West was fantastic. So...we'll have to see...

Wells -- did you like the Pineapple script?

Posted by actionman [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 08:52 PM

comment #3

sugar1 [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I was surprised by how good the trailer for Pineapple Express looked because the script was thoroughly lame. Everything about it felt watered down and diluted. Like a poor man's Half Baked.

Posted by sugar1 [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 09:35 PM

comment #4

MiraJeffAICN [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

J-Dubya, I saw Pineapple Express last week. Whatchu wanna know, homey? It's the best thing Judd's produced that he didn't direct.

Posted by MiraJeffAICN [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 09:46 PM

comment #5

Rothchild [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Like MiraJeff's taste means anything.

But Pineapple Express is the best movie with Apatow's name on it. I've only seen a few funnier movies in my lifetime.

Posted by Rothchild [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 09:52 PM

comment #6

Mulder215 [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I have several friends who has seen both. The most recent said that Tropic was one of the funniest comedies he has seen in the past couple of years. The crowd ate it up and Tom Cruise is so good in his cameo people may actually start liking him again. Robert Downey off the charts.

Pineapple let him down given how great the trailer was. He said the crowd didn't go nuts for it like they did for Tropic.

I've heard a lot of "not as good as the trailer makes it seem" from people I know who have seen PE. Though everyone agrees that Franco is amazing.

Posted by Mulder215 [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 24, 2008 11:07 PM

comment #7

Nick Plowman [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I have read the screenplay for both, and think that Tropic Thunder is hilarious. Pineapple Express - not so much. I am not privileged enough to have seen either at test screenings, so all I have to go on is the screenplays. I know I could just say I have seen it {I am assuming a lot of people just say that to make themselves seem important or something - maybe they just like attention} but I won't. Seriously, some of these comments are hilarious.

Posted by Nick Plowman [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 12:49 AM

comment #8

scooterzz [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

i hate this movie on the grounds that it was shot in my neighborhood and all concrned were a tremendous pain in the ass......no, really....you have no idea how serious i am..... it was cute at first. (all the changed street signs on laurel canyon)...then it was all about apatow......this movie made me root for more 'runaway production'......
hmmm....'nuff venting, i guess.....

Posted by scooterzz [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 01:03 AM

comment #9

ZayTonday [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I saw Pineapple Express at a test screening back in September 07.

I was VERY underwhelmed having just seen Superbad because it didn't have many parts that reached the level on zaniness in Superbad. I did enjoy the final action scene though, that was the best part of the movie. The action scenes are where Pineapple Express really shines, and also, James Franco OWNS this movie. It's probably the best performance of his career, not that it is saying much.

Posted by ZayTonday [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 02:51 AM

comment #10

MiraJeffAICN [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Rothchild, I know who you are and I know where you live. Watch your back, friend-o. Your taste means jack shit to me and everyone else here. Call me when I should give a crap what you think. Bite me or fight me.

Posted by MiraJeffAICN [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 03:02 AM

comment #11

York "Budd" Durden [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Doesn't such a retort merely underscore why everyone already thinks you're such a juvenile bonehead? Bite me or fight me. Nice. You just took me back to seventh grade.

Look--I made a new paragraph just by hitting the enter key! Nyuck nyuck nyuck.

Posted by York "Budd" Durden [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 03:51 AM

comment #12

romeoisbleeding [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I have not seen either movie but I can say this. I have been a fan of Downeys for a long time and read interviews with him and by people who have worked with him. He is known to adlib a great deal aind do a lot of improvisation. So I kind of doubt he went word for word by what ever script is floating around out there.

Posted by romeoisbleeding [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 05:26 AM

comment #13

mizerock [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

"Tom Cruise is so good in his cameo people may actually start liking him again"

PLANT!
j/k, this is already on my list but only because of Downey.

Posted by mizerock [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 25, 2008 07:46 AM

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