Uh-Oh...

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David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express (Sony, 8.8) has been showing here and there, and a friend is telling me that aside from James Franco's career-changing performance as a stupid pot dealer, it's a little coarse. It's loud, "lots of mayhem," youth-market-pandering, an "Abbott & Costello chase film," full of explosions and "very, very violent," he says. One comment was especially disturbing: "I'm not sure this is your kind of film." What?, I said. I love smart stoner humor, I said. The Big Lebowski, Wonder Boys ...that kind of thing. Guys with baked brains. It's not on that level, he said. It's louder, noisier...lots of explosions. Oh, I said. Well, there's always Franco.

That aside, the friend said, the young audience he saw it with "ate it up...laughed at everything, even the women." So it's not for stoner sophisticates...fine. Basically an animal movie. Another Harold and Kumar thing except on a slightly higher level, a young girl said last night. "But it's not Superbad," my guy says. It's not? "I don't know what it is but David Gordon Green was never directed comedy before and....well, the violence is a much bigger factor than I expected."

What about "episodic stoner segues," I said? Side episodes in which they get all tangled up and confused over stuff that a normal person without pot issues would be able to handle but the stoners can't because they're too fried? "It's not on that level," he said. "It's not as steeped in dry stoner humor as Lebowski is. It's a little more pandering than that."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 2, 2008 at 12:11 PM

comment #1

JD says ...

I thought you read the script, Jeff. There was nothing smart about the script. Nothing.

Posted by JD at May 2, 2008 12:37 PM

comment #2

DavidF says ...

"A little coarse?" Oh, dear!
Whatever will the neighbours say!

They have been test screening this thing forever and I can't imagine it could possibly be as good as the hype has been but one slightly-off review won't be enough to kill the buzz at this point.

Especially given that this is a movie not opening for another 3 months. Maybe you've seen tracking numbers but I'm imagining that most people still don't know jack about Pineapple Express. What did we know about Superbad this far out except that it was funny, if not just a wee bit "coarse?"

Posted by DavidF at May 2, 2008 12:38 PM

comment #3

actionman says ...

A violent, coarse, stoner action movie with lots of mayhem, explosions, and gratuitous on-screen pot smoking. Sounds DIRECTLY up my alley.

Every single review I have read on line has been a 10/10 or grade-A.

When you market a film as "from the guys who brought you Superbad and Knocked Up" how could comparrisons to coarse not come up?

Posted by actionman at May 2, 2008 12:43 PM

comment #4

gradystiles says ...

JD: Movies aren't tracked 3 months before their releases.

Posted by gradystiles at May 2, 2008 12:44 PM

comment #5

JayMaloneyJr says ...

Prepare for disappointment you Apatow cock smokers....Prepare!

Posted by JayMaloneyJr at May 2, 2008 12:45 PM

comment #6

storymark says ...

I was only barely interested in this before. But that description has turned my anticipation up several notches.

Posted by storymark at May 2, 2008 12:46 PM

comment #7

actionman says ...

And the involvement of David Gordon Green, easily one of the most underrated filmmakers currently working, has heightened my expectations and excitement for this film considerably.

Snow Angels is the best film of the year thus far.

Posted by actionman at May 2, 2008 12:47 PM

comment #8

p.Vice says ...

I'm in shock. A film written by a talentless "actor" and directed by an indie filmmaker cashing in his credibility for a payday turns out violent and pandering? That's never happened before! What's the world coming to?

Then again, if you believed this film was going to be quality, maybe there's some laughs to be found after all.

Posted by p.Vice at May 2, 2008 12:53 PM

comment #9

MiraJeffAICN says ...

I saw it a while ago (I'm sure they've changed it a little) but it's still the best movie I've seen all year, followed by The Wackness and Cloverfield. That could change tonight with Iron Man but right now, PE owns the throne.

Posted by MiraJeffAICN at May 2, 2008 12:58 PM

comment #10

Devin Faraci says ...

It's an action film in the vein of 48 HOURS or MIDNIGHT RUN, but with stoners in the lead roles. This has not been a secret.

Posted by Devin Faraci at May 2, 2008 1:07 PM

comment #11

sugar3 says ...

Wells, in the end, what did you actually think of the script? I'm with JD, I thought it was startingly unfunny.

Posted by sugar3 at May 2, 2008 1:11 PM

comment #12

York "Budd" Durden says ...

mirajeff speak! I'm sold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by York "Budd" Durden at May 2, 2008 1:13 PM

comment #13

corey3rd says ...

they have been test screening this for so long that by the time it's released, who will be left to buy a ticket? Are people going to pay $10 to see it after they've seen it for free? Or will they wait till the DVD comes out so they can light up a joint and watch it with the proper refreshments without worrying about theater managers calling the cops?

Posted by corey3rd at May 2, 2008 1:25 PM

comment #14

Adonis says ...

The trailer played in front of Harold & Kumar: I kid you not, quite possibly the funniest and best trailer I've seen in years.

The trailer is amazing... especially when seen in theatres.

So, I'm seeing it regardless...

And since when does Wells like smart, low-brow?

Posted by Adonis at May 2, 2008 1:52 PM

comment #15

George Prager says ...

Where's the DVD of 92 IN THE SHADE? That Key Video VHS version is all washed out.

Posted by George Prager at May 2, 2008 2:02 PM

comment #16

storymark says ...

Holy shit! p.Vice is being negative about something!

Who saw that coming??

Posted by storymark at May 2, 2008 2:10 PM

comment #17

Terry McCarty says ...

Saw the trailer for PINEAPPLE EXPRESS yesterday--ironically enough before HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANOMO BAY. It does seem like it's living down to p.Vice's expectations.

As for HAROLD AND KUMAR, it wasn't up to the first one. But it has a funnier exposed-penis joke than anything Judd Apatow and his disciples have come up with to date.

Posted by Terry McCarty at May 2, 2008 2:17 PM

comment #18

Jay T. says ...

The trailer is playing VERY WELL in theaters, at least the times I've seen it. It's going to do big business.

Posted by Jay T. at May 2, 2008 2:19 PM

comment #19

Rothchild says ...

The only movies in my life that I thought were funnier than PE were Trading Places and The Big Lebowski. This is an unbelievably fucking funny movie and the action stuff is very '80s and very fun.

Posted by Rothchild at May 2, 2008 2:22 PM

comment #20

Rothchild says ...

And Green didn't sell out for a paycheck. He's been trying to get a comedy gig for years but this town is too stupid to realize that great directors can do many different genres. The only reason he got this film is because Apatow vouched for him and The Foot Fist Way. Never underestimate the power of McBride.

Posted by Rothchild at May 2, 2008 2:26 PM

comment #21

corey3rd says ...

it is shaping up to be the summer of Danny McBride "Fever." I haven't seen him in this many movies since Year 2 screenings.

Posted by corey3rd at May 2, 2008 2:40 PM

comment #22

Richardson says ...

corey - oddly, unlike 'Drillbit Taylor', 'Knocked Up', 'Superbad', 'Baby Mama', 'Hot Rod', and a few others I can think of, the numerous 'Pineapple Express' screenings have not, as far as I know, hit NYC. (To my knowledge, we never got 'Walk Hard' either.)

Either that or the fact that I didn't go to any screenings for a while got me put on their shit list.

Posted by Richardson at May 2, 2008 3:05 PM

comment #23

corey3rd says ...

But you still have three month to get preview screenings in the big apple.

Posted by corey3rd at May 2, 2008 3:10 PM

comment #24

Rothchild says ...

How could the preview screenings hurt the movie? If the few thousand people that have seen it already were the only people that were going to buy a ticket then Sony would be deeply fucked. You're really bad at math, Corey.

Posted by Rothchild at May 2, 2008 3:23 PM

comment #25

MiraJeffAICN says ...

The theme of the movie is friendship, and how you never know where your real friends will come from. At first Rogen looks down on Franco cuz he's 'just his dealer' but by the end, he realizes this guy would sacrifice life and limb for his only real friend. And a lot of shit blows up and spliffs get lit up in between. But there IS heart in this movie, just as much as Superbad in fact. Franco and Wackness' Kingsley for Supporting Actor!

Posted by MiraJeffAICN at May 2, 2008 3:27 PM

comment #26

Rothchild says ...

I hate that I agree with you MiraJeff. I really do.

Posted by Rothchild at May 2, 2008 3:34 PM

comment #27

corey3rd says ...

most of the stoned people who saw the previews will have think it's due out on DVD in August.

And people on drugs do stupid things - like risking their lives for idiots - especially if they have more drugs.

Posted by corey3rd at May 2, 2008 4:47 PM

comment #28

Rothchild says ...

You make no sense.

Posted by Rothchild at May 2, 2008 4:53 PM

comment #29

corey3rd says ...

an R-rated violent drug movie is going to do a majority of its business on DVD.

The preview process is allowing David to not get Mattola-ed by Apatow.

The production design does look like an extension of "Will You Lather Up My Rough House?"

Posted by corey3rd at May 2, 2008 5:01 PM

comment #30

bb says ...

"So it's not for stoner sophisticates..."

Is that a joke?

Posted by bb at May 2, 2008 9:12 PM

comment #31

jany says ...

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Posted by jany at April 22, 2011 2:08 AM

comment #32