ScreenCrave.com » jason segel

Paul Reubens Set To Start Filming On ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: The Movie’ Very Soon

Bronwen Winter Phoenix — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:08:15 +0000

It’s been a long time coming, but filming for Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Movie is set finally to begin “any minute, supposedly,” according to Paul Reubens, who created the iconic character at The Groundlings in 1977. It’s been almost 25 years since we last saw Reubens’ iconic character Pee-wee Herman on the big screen, so this is great news for fans of the bow-tie wearing oddball man-child.

Reubens (now aged 59) announced at a press conference that the long-awaiting film will being filming very soon, as well as hinting at “two incredibly exciting projects” that will follow the new Pee-Wee film:

“We have a meeting this coming week, and we just did a very quick little rewrite on it. As far as I know, it’s getting shot very soon. I actually wasn’t supposed to talk about it, initially. I was talking about it in this very veiled, secretive way, saying, ‘Oh, I wish I could talk about it.’ A journalist figured out that it was Judd Apatow that I was talking about because my writing partner was in the audience and he’s written so much with Judd. So, it got leaked about six months to a year before it was supposed to. I’ve been warned not to talk about any of my new projects, but that I can talk about because I blew it and it’s out. It’s even on IMDB now. So, that’s supposedly any minute. Right after that, I’m following that up with two incredibly exciting projects. I would give anything to be able to just brag to you right now and drop some names, but I can’t. “

Many of us grew up watching Reubens’ Pee-wee character on TV, film, and in theaters, so it’s not a surprise that this new film is already attracting a lot of attention. It’s been said Reubens and co-writer Paul Rust are attempting something similar to Jason Segel and Nick Stoller’s trick with The Muppets last year, and are finally ready to bring Pee-wee back to a wider audience – but can they pull it off? Let’s hope so. After all, The Muppets appeal to a huge audience, Pee-wee perhaps less so. Maybe Reubens and Rust will look to producer Judd Apatow’s influence and infamous magic touch to bring some wider appeal to the film?

Of course, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) was a much-loved children’s adventure film, and who can forget watching the eccentric character set-out across the US in search of his beloved bike? From ’86 to ’91, the successful show Pee-wee’s Playhouse kept youngsters entertained, and a second film, Big Top Pee-wee followed the first in 1988 (the less said about that one, though, the better). Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Movie certainly has a lot to live up to.

More recently, in 2010, Reubens brought The Pee-wee Herman Show to Broadway, and Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Movie has actually been on the cards for a few years now. You may have also seen Reubens in various cameos and guest appearances, on shows such as 30 Rock, Reno 911!, Dirt, and Pushing Daisies.

What are your thoughts on Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Movie?

Source: FirstShowing

The Five-Year Engagement: Movie Review

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:12:21 +0000

One look at The Five-Year Engagement and you’ll know it’s a Judd Apatow production. It’s got all the Apatow touches like profanity, men acting like children and a stellar supporting cast. Co-written by Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, the movie stars Emily Blunt and Segel as Violet and Tom, a recently engaged couple who go through many obstacles to keep their relationship afloat.

Check out our review of The Five-Year Engagement…

The Players:

Directors: Nicholas Stoller
Writers: Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel
Executive Producer: Judd Apatow
Starring: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, Chris Pratt

The Plot:

When Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) proposes to his girlfriend Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt), things don’t go as planned. The pair has to relocate after Violet’s offered a job at the University of Michigan, inadvertently pushing their engagement back five years (hence the title). This gives them more than enough time to question whether or not their marriage is actually in the cards.

The Good:

The Supporting Cast: The supporting cast is top notch, many of them picked from NBC’s current Thursday night line-up. There’s Chris Pratt from Parks and Recreation; Alison Brie from Community; and Mindy Kaling from The Office. Each is given their moment to shine and they bring it. Pratt and Brie pick up the film when it gets a bit slow and have their fair share of witty banter; While Kaling is similar to her Office character [Kelly Kapoor] making smart remarks and gossipy comments. There’s also the fabulous Jacki Weaver, an amazing dramatic actress, who proves she can tackle comedy just as well. Then there were actual comedians like Kevin Hart, Brian Posehn and Chris Parnell, who showcased their individual humor.
Wacky Premise, But Good Story: Stoller and Segel’s story begins where most romantic comedies end — after the protagonists have fallen in love. Their job was to follow a couple that’s already achieved what most rom-com characters are looking for. Therefore, the screenplay had to keep us engaged and interested in something else — and it did. The Five-Year Engagement explores the realities of long-term relationships, touching upon themes of love and loss.
Lunch Scene (With Tom And His Parents): There’s a great scene between Tom and his parents (played by David Paymer and Mimi Kennedy) that literally saves the whole movie from being another typical romantic comedy. In these films, characters tend to magically realize they’re in love with someone, but not here. Tom gets help from his parents. They pull him out of the black hole he’s carved for himself and remind him that Violet is the love of his life. It’s a truly eye-opening moment for him. That scene saves this movie.

The So-So:

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt: Tom and Violet are a lovely couple, but their relationship never reaches a level of passion that makes us believe they’re ridiculously in love with each other. It’s more like they’re really good friends — best friends. The problem is that their characters are too laid back and even when they get into heated arguments it seems like they’re not really fighting, just pretending.

The Bad:

Long Run-Time: Unfortunately, The Five-Year Engagement is about 15-20 minutes too long. There definitely could have been some more tightening up and cutting of the running gags. The movie felt like the energizer bunny, it just kept going and going and going. Good for batteries, bad for movies.

Overall:

The Five-Year Engagement is funny. It’s filled with great TV actors and comedians, and the script is made by two guys who’ve honed their craft. With that said, it’s a little long in the tooth, but still worth watching. This is definitely an Apatow film, and if you’re a fan of his, this is necessary viewing.

Rating: 7.5/10

The Five-Year Engagement opens in theaters on April 27, 2012.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Are you excited for The Five-Year Engagement?

Interview: Jason Segel and Emily Blunt on ‘The Five-Year Engagement’

Laura Aguirre — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:53:07 +0000

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are together again. The Five-Year Engagement marks their third onscreen collaboration after The Muppets and Gulliver’s Travels. In Judd Apatow‘s latest production, Segel and Blunt play Tom and Violet, a couple that lives through the ups and downs of a very lengthy engagement (hence the title of the film). We recently had the chance to talk to both actors about their characters and what it takes to make a good romantic comedy.

Check out our interview below…

ScreenCrave: Emily, you seem to put your own spin on every character you play. Do you work hard on that?

Emily Blunt: That’s very nice. Thank you for saying that. I find it really hard to talk about approaching stuff. I don’t know how to talk about it actually. I always get very confused. When I read a script, I’ll have a very visceral gut reaction: what does this mean to me? How does she feel in my skin? Could I play this role? I think I know very instantly, but I can’t list why I know. I do try to pick roles that differ. I love that about the job; the variety that’s out there is to be taken advantage of and I enjoy that element of shape-shifting. I love character roles. I’m happier in them. Really I look for roles that have complexity. For this genre, it was a huge draw to work with Jason [Segel] again because we’re friends. The script was really fresh. I though it was a really original take on a relationship. It felt awkward and loving and flawed and messy and everything that love is. It was a very easy thing for me to jump into working with these guys. It felt like a really effortless experience. It was a blast. One of my happiest experiences.

SC: How were your brainstorming sessions?

EB: They tend to do that with every new actor that signs on. They do a complete rewrite simply for that character. I think that’s why every character is very rich and juicy and there’s a lot to play with. They really spend a few weeks doing new rewrites to who has just signed on. When I signed on, they brought me in and we had a big brainstorming session where they asked opinions and perspective on things. I do think this is one of the most personal movies I’ve done because these guys require you to bring a lot of yourself to the process. They want to make the scenarios feel real and that’s based on something you’ve experienced. That’s why I think it feels quiet fresh and not derivative of another romantic comedy.

SC: Jason, did you rewrite the Tom role for yourself when you realized you would play it?

Jason Segel: I have the easiest task when it gets time to actually act. I’ve done five years of writing at that point. I’ve done all the homework that all the actors have to do because I wrote it. I just have to show up and do exactly what I intended to do when I wrote it.

SC: So you intentionally put yourself through that emotional breakdown?

JS: Absolutely. I like to be challenged acting-wise. I like to do things that I’m scared of so I do write scenes that I hope that I’m capable of doing. It’s also the reason why I would take a part that I didn’t write. I like to feel that it’s going to be challenging.

EM: If you’re playing a historical figure you can do research and read books and listen to music and then when you get on set you just have to do it. As much as you can absorb beforehand, everyone has their own process. At the end of the day you just show up and you just have to do it. There are days when you’ve questioned what you’ve done.

SC: Was there any moment in the film you were seriously nervous about?

EM: The breakup scene.

JS: Yeah, the big breakup scene. But to go back to the other question, this may very well be a delusion, but when I walk on set, I think nobody can act this better than I can. I’m not saying that that is true. It’s an athletic mentality. It’s when you walk unto a basketball court, you think, ‘I am about to dominate this game.’ Doesn’t mean you’re right, but that better be what’s going on in your head or you’re about to get killed.

SC: On that note, was there any competition between the two of you?

EB: Be honest. I’m not competitive. I never think about those things.

JS: Okay, I am well aware, as evidenced by the opening of this roundtable that Emily is a more prolific and better actress than I am. [Laughs] I felt very much in my wheelhouse doing the comedy scenes, but when it came time for the breakup scene or the more dramatic scenes, and I come from an athletic background as you can tell, but I would think, ‘I am not going to let her out-actor me.’

EB: He would tell me this once the scene was done and I was like, ‘Jason, I thought that scene was really fun.’ And he was like, ‘You should, I was getting myself all pumped up.’

SC: So were you comfortable with the Chris Pratt scenes where he kind of stole the show?

JS: Part of my strategy is to setup people to be their best. We want everyone to come in a nail it. Ego-wise, I’m very happy to be the straight man in a movie. I’ve played the best friend before and the job of that is to be the person with the huge comedy pop in every scene you do. That’s the job of Chris Pratt’s role and he nails it. He knocks it out of the park.

EB: Chris Pratt is a comedy savant. He’s so spooky good.

JS: That’s the function of that part. And same with the Alison Brie part. They have to come in a kill it every time out story line is starting to bring you down a bit. You want to be able to cut to Chris Pratt or Alison Brie or her study mates – Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, Chris Parnell – they’re suppose to lift the script.

SC: Was there any fear that Emily’s character would come off as unlikable?

JS: It’s so funny when you do testing on any movie, people have a lot less leniency for a woman straying from a relationship than they do for men. They feel like they can understand why a man would leave if the woman is bit naggy, but it’s very easy for them to look at a woman and start saying that she’s cold or whatever. She’s human. I write every part as if I might play it whether it’s a man or a woman. People are all the same and I don’t think we should treat those characters differently.

SC: What inspired your transformation into ‘Mountain Man?’

JS: I call it passive aggressive facial hair. It’s a move that I’ve done in relationships. It’s a move that I’ve done when I’m unemployed like when people won’t hire me. I’m like, ‘Well watch this I don’t care either.’ It is a form of defiance.

SC: It’s one of the most disturbing beards I’ve ever seen.

EB: I loved it. I thought it was so cool.

JS: It is. If you saw me, not in a sweater, you would think, ‘He’s right up there with Chris Hemsworth.’ [Laughs]

SC: Was there ever any temptation to keep Tom and Violet apart?

JS: We knew that it was going to end in a weeding, however, seeing the movie, I am incredibly impressed and surprised at how much people think there might not be a wedding. I have always felt like romantic comedies are incredibly predictable, you look at a poster and you know those two are ending up together at the end of the movie.

EB: Even if they’re back to back. [Laughs]

JS: There is a legitimate section in this movie where you’re not sure if they are going to get back together. It was not planned. We really thought everyone would just be waiting for them to get back together, but it’s kind of interesting to see them with other people.

SC: Were you trying really hard to avoid cliches?

JS: Yeah, absolutely. Trying to avoid cliches or also just not defying this movie by a genre. I don’t know that it’s just a strict romantic comedy. I don’t know how you would label a James Brooks movie or how you would label Annie Hall. Is that a romantic comedy? I don’t even know what you call that. That’s what life is like, it’s the tone of life. That’s sort of what we were shooting for.

SC: If you’d written the script earlier, when you didn’t have as much street cred, would it have been difficult to get made?

JS: Yes! There’s no big plot movements. It’s about exploring relationships.

EB: We had one explosion, but it got cut out of the movie. All the movie for the budget went –

JS: At one point we have a talk about money and I can see that I’m broke and she admits that she has a huge amount of money saved in her bank account and I’m like, ‘What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me this?’ And she feels terrible and she gives me money to open my own restaurant in Michigan, and within two weeks it explodes.

SC: Can you talk about what you have coming up next?

EB: I’m not sure what I’m doing next actually.

JS: I’m going to take my first break. I’ve been churning them out. I think this year I had Muppets, Jeff Who Loves At Home, this movie, and then I’m in Judd’s [Apatow] next movie This Is 40. Plus a full-time TV show [How I Met Your Mother], which sometimes you forget is a full time job.

EB: That’s how I felt last year. I haven’t worked this year yet. I’ve been doing press. I don’t know when I’m going to work.

JS: I was doing a radio interview for Jeff Who Lives At Home and this reporter was like, ‘Well you must be exhausted.’ And I say, ‘Well, why do you say that?’ ‘Well you have four movies coming out over the span of a year and you wrote two of them and you’re doing the TV show.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, reporter. You’re right! I’m exhausted. You’re right reporter!’

The Five-Year Engagement opens Friday, April 27th.

The Muppets Gets a Sequel Sans Jason Segel as Writer

Damon Houx — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:05:03 +0000

2011′s The Muppets wasn’t a flop, but it wasn’t exactly a hit either. Grossing a little less than $90 Million at the box office, it was done for relatively cheap but was also seen as a brand relaunch. In situations like that good word of mouth and a renewed interest in the characters trumps the end results (and may also lead to higher sales when it hits home video). but though the film seemed willed into existence by Jason Segel, he won’t be writing on the sequel, according to Vulture.

Returning for the second will be director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller, both of whom will pen the new script. Segel is too busy between his television show How I Met Your Mother, and will be promoting upcoming films Five Year Engagement and Judd Apatow‘s This Is Forty for the rest of the year. If promotion sounds like a weak excuse, it’s usually a month of talking to journalists and doing TV spots (and sometimes Saturday Night Live), and then there’s international consideration and premieres to contend with. On top of which, the Apatow film is coming out in December, so it seems likely the film is courting Oscars. If Segel has a meaty enough part he will have to do some campaigning. That film also co-stars Albert Brooks, so it’s possible he could be up for Oscar snubbing yet again.

All parties say they’re open to Segel returning as an actor. But it’s unknown if this is a straight sequel, or – like so many of the Muppet efforts – another story in their universe. If I had a problem with last year’s reboot, it would be that so much of it was dedicated to making you remember and love the characters again. It would be nice to see a film where they aren’t laying so heavily on that as a backbone, and instead let the Muppets cut a little looser. But as a way to introduce a new generation to the characters (and to make parents misty-eyed), it worked.

One of the most interesting things about last year’s film was seeing how it was so anticipated by other journalists. They seemed way more excited than the general population, and I think part of that was knowing that “we” would get to interview the Muppets themselves. That enthusiasm didn’t translate, though I can’t deny when I was sitting in front of Kermit, it did get me a bit misty-eyed.

What do you want out of a Muppet sequel?

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt in The Five-Year Engagement Trailer

Damon Houx — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:49:36 +0000

Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel are quite the comic duo – at this point they’re making a movie a year together, and are just coming off The Muppets. Their latest is The Five-Year Engagement, and it’s due out April 27, 2012. It’s even more of a reunion as the duo have also made two of their other recent films with Emily Blunt. She shows up in The Muppets, and also appeared with Segel in Gulliver’s Travels. Check out the trailer…

The film also features Community‘s Alison Brie, Parks and Recreation‘s Chris Pratt, The Office‘s Mindy Kahling, and Chris Parnell (Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock) so basically NBC’s Thursday night line up is repped. Also featured are Rhys Ifans, Brian Posehn, Kevin Hart and David Paymer.

This looks reasonably funny, though much of it may play better in context. The most concerning thing about the movie is the release date: it comes out a week before The Avengers, and often the air gets sucked out of older pictures when blockbuster season hits. Then again last year we saw Fast Five kick off the summer with that date, and Bridesmaids was a May release that is still one of the highest grossing films of the year.

Were you a fan of Forgetting Sarah Marshall?

The Muppets: Movie Review

Damon Houx — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:00:21 +0000

There’s something curious about relaunching a famous brand that has gotten dusty. Sometimes reboots are done out of love, but more often than not it’s just a cashgrab. But don’t worry about 2011′s The Muppets, it was made by the right people for the right reasons. There’s no denying that The Muppets are a beloved group of performers, but between lesser films and TV movies, the gang has fallen from the spotlight – something that was inevitable after the passing of creator Jim Henson. Enter Jason Segel, who obviously helped will the production into existence, and now the muppets are back and as good as they once were. And if the movie mostly serves to push nostalgia buttons, it pushes them well.

The Players:

Director: James Bobin
Writers: Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, The Muppets, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones
Original Music by: Christophe Beck
Original Songs by: Brett McKenzie
Cinematography by: Don Burgess

The Plot:

Walter is an 18 inch Muppet living in Smalltown, USA, who’s always been in love with The Muppets and The Muppet Show. His brother Gary (Segel) also loves the Muppets – about as much as he loves his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), who he’s been dating for ten years. For their anniversary Gary, Mary and Walter head to Los Angeles, where they discover Tex Richman (Cooper) is planning on taking over the dilapidated Muppet Studios to drill for oil. The only way to save the studio is get the gang back together, put them on television, and make ten million dollars. But Kermit has become a recluse and they haven’t performed together for a very long time. Can they do it?

The Good:

They’re Back: Though obviously the voices are not Jim Henson’s and Frank Oz’s, the work by James Bobin, Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller captures the essence of these characters. There was a worry that Segel and company might take the characters too dark or dirty, but there’s a childlike innocence to everything, and also the proper amount of insouciance. The players are mostly aware that they’re in a film, and make note of it from time to time – much as they did in the original Muppet movies. And all of the lead Muppets get a moment or two of greatness – though if you’re a fan of a minor character, you may be disappointed with some screen time (Gonzo seems short changed). This is a story about Kermit the Frog, and everyone else is there for support. And that’s fine.
The Music: Working with Brett McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords, the new music has the flavor of the classic Paul Williams songs (some of which show in the film), but an edge of silliness. “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Man or Muppet” are earworms, almost deadly in how catchy and engaging they are. Early on there’s a big musical number, and it’s almost disappointing the rest of the film isn’t a full-blown musical. Perhaps it’s because Muppets can’t dance that well.
Chris Cooper: The villain really defines the piece. You get to watch a performer have fun and play against his serious image, while also enjoying every moment he’s on screen, even when he’s being mean to the Muppets. He also gets his own rap number, and has a catch phrase (“Maniacal Laugh”)

The Bad:

The Ending: The movie sort of stops. Perhaps it would take too much screen time and work to wrap everything up in a neater fashion, but it feels like the end was just going on too long, and so cuts were made.
The Message: Look, I’m happy the Muppets are back, and I really enjoyed the movie, but I wish the movie told its own story instead of being about nostalgia. Though you cold argue that the film is about showing that The Muppets and their sensibility are still meaningful in this “cynical” day and age, it’s a film that keeps reminding you how much you love its characters. It’s done so well it’s never a problem, but it’s still annoying that so many movies now are more about reminding what you loved about something instead of being something that can be loved. This is compounded by the fact that The Muppets have to raise ten million dollars. I think this would have been better if the money number were more absurd, because the idea of famous people doing a telethon to raise money for themselves is kind of weird. In that way the film works in spite of its narrative. Similar complaints could be made about the relationship of the humans, which goes on a plot course that is evident from their first scene together. But the film is silly enough to never take it all that seriously.

Overall:

The Muppets are a very powerful franchise in that if you’ve grown up in the last forty years – between Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and the Muppet movies – they’ve been a part of your life. And James Bobin’s The Muppets trades on that nostalgia beautifully for an emotional and funny love letter to those characters that’s respectful but not mummified. It manages to be one of the better films of the year.

Rating: 8.5 / 10

The Muppets opens November 23.

Stills:

Trailer:

Interview: Writer Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel on The Muppets

Damon Houx — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:03 +0000

For anyone who saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the idea of Jason Segel and writer/director Nicholas Stoller making a Muppet movie seemed like their greatest dream. That film ended with a muppet musical, and it was obvious everyone involved loved The Muppets. So it’s nice that Disney gave the two the keys to the kingdom, the keys to reboot the beloved franchise. And they pulled it off. Segel and Stoller are old friends, and they have a natural comic rhythm together. Our chat follows, check it out…

Was getting The Muppets back together the idea you had from the start?

Jason Segel: I must say that a lot of the plot came from Nick. I said, “I want to make a Muppet movie,” and he said, “Okay, I’ll think of the idea.”

Nicholas Stoller: We had an initial phone call. He had a meeting at Disney, and then literally on that drive, we pitched out the whole thing.

Segel: Nick and I have a weird kismet relationship, so we riffed it out. But, Nick thought of a lot of it, and then I went in and pitched it. And then, I called Nick back and told him he was writing the movie with me. That is what happened.

How soon did that happen after Forgetting Sarah Marshall?

Segel: It was the first thing that I pitched after Sarah Marshall. I did go in and pitch it alone, but Nick is my buddy and had helped me flesh out the idea. And then, while I was in there, I was like, “And, by the way, I’m writing this with Nick Stoller,” and they were like, “Oh, great! That’s terrific! I didn’t even know Nick would want to do this.” I was like, “Yeah!” And then, I called Nick and presented it as an option.

Stoller: Yeah, it was awesome. It was thrilling. It paid off. It was very exciting.

Why do you think The Muppets still work today, when a lot of kids’ shows are much more cynical now?

Segel: I think that’s why they needed to come back. We have reached a very cynical era of comedy. The Muppets have proven, for 40 years, that you can get laughs without ever doing it at someone else’s expense, and I think that that’s a really important thing for kids to realize.

Stoller: I also think the best entertainment isn’t cynical. The Pixar movies aren’t cynical. They’re heartfelt. Big, big hits like that aren’t cynical.

Segel: I think it’s that The Muppets remind us of who we wanted to be, when we were kids. They remind us of the best version of ourselves. The world beats out of you that anything is possible. You have this wide-eyed wonder, and then you come to the reality of what the world is like. But, The Muppets have never given in to that. They believe that they can accomplish anything, and they just go forward with their eyes open wide and a smile on their face. It reminds us of the best in us.

Jason, having been a fan of The Muppets since you were a kid, do you remember the moment you thought you’d like to write something for them?

Segel: My goal was to be a cameo in a Muppet movie, someday. I never thought that I would be working in this capacity with The Muppets. For Nick and I to get to write and produce a movie like this is thrilling, and it’s unbelievable. It really does feel like a fantasy, sometimes.

Stoller: It’s all a giant prank.

What was it like to actually see yourself as a Muppet?

Segel: That’s how I see myself when I look in the mirror, since I was very young.

Stoller: He suffers from a rare medical condition. It’s a problem.

Segel: A man can certainly be a Muppet. Being a Muppet is a state of mind. It’s about finding that little part of you that’s unique, and not being embarrassed by it, but cherishing it.

Was there any specific Muppet that you just immediately knew what to do with?

Segel: We knew that Animal should be in anger management.

Stoller: A lot of that stuff came immediately.

Segel: We were trying to think of just the funniest places to find people.

Stoller: The one that was cut early on, that would have been funny, was that the Swedish Chef was on Top Chef.

Segel: He was a judge on Top Chef, but you couldn’t ever understand his criticisms.

Stoller: But, the people he was critiquing would be crying.

Segel: Fozzie Bear performing in Reno came pretty quickly.

Stoller: That sequence was a lot longer. We trimmed it down for time.

How did you get the idea for the montage?

Stoller: We wrote that part more than maybe any other part in the movie.

Segel: We wrote that part, over and over and over again. You didn’t know how many Muppets to service with full stories.

Stoller: When you’re writing a movie, you have different theories. There are times when we thought, “Most of this movie is about getting The Muppets back together.” But then, we realized, “No, it’s not much of this movie.” And then, we split the difference .

Segel: The Muppets are always better together than they are apart. That’s one of the themes of the movie, so we wanted to get them together. My favorite in the montage, by the way, is Rowlf. That was neat.

What was it like to work with Bret McKenzie and put together the songs?

Segel: He was a perfect choice.

Stoller: He’s just awesome. He’s great.

Segel: Flight of the Conchords is very Muppety. It’s about two wide-eyed innocents, making their way through tough New York. When we found James (Bobin), we knew that we had the perfect director for this movie ‘cause he knew how to do those musical numbers so well, and without a sense of irony. And so, then we brought Bret along and we felt very lucky.

Stoller: I was so excited. I’ve been friends with James for years, before this. Actual friends, not Hollywood friends. When he expressed interest, I was thrilled.

At what point did you decide to use “Rainbow Connection”? Was that in the film, from the beginning?

Segel: It was not, actually. I remember the moment we decided to use “Rainbow Connection.” I was listening, in my car, to a CD of people covering Muppet songs, and there was a duet of “Rainbow Connection.” I had never heard it sung as a duet, between a guy and a girl, and I said, “Oh, this would be an amazing Kermit and Piggy resolution.” And then, in the middle of the song, drums kicked in and it became rockier. I thought, “Oh, my god, Animal hasn’t been drumming, this whole time. That’s where you resolve the Animal story, and you turn it into a Queen-esque rock opera, where all the Muppets come out and sing.” It just fit, perfectly. That’s a pretty cool moment, I must say.

Did you reach out to anyone for a cameo who refused to do it?

Stoller: President Barack Obama. Disney said no to [Muammar] Gaddafi. I’m not going to hide the truth anymore. We went after him, but other people got to him first.

Jason, did you have any idea how logistically difficult it would be to shoot this movie?

Segel: I knew that it would be logistically difficult, but I think that was much harder for (director) James [Bobin] then it was for me. It actually worked out well for me. I had to sit a lot because I’m so tall. Nick knows, from directing me a couple times, that I way prefer to sit then to stand or walk.

Stoller: Scenes where he’s asleep are his favorite.

Segel: I just don’t like moving around. It’s true. I’m not making a joke.

Stoller: He way prefers it. He’s like, “Can we do this scene sitting?”

Segel: “Why? It’s a chase sequence, Jason!”

Stoller: “Can you just put my face on someone else running?”

Jason, were you nervous about the big dance number, at the beginning of the film?

Segel: I actually wasn’t, no. I really like to sing and dance.

Stoller: But, you don’t like moving!

Segel: That’s true! But, music starts and the rhythm takes me over. A lot of those numbers weren’t even planned. They just happened, spontaneously, and everyone joined in.

Stoller: Apparently, he’s unaware of all the prep that goes into it.

Segel: I was very excited about the idea of a lavish, MGM-style musical number. Singin’ in the Rain is one of my favorite movies. That Donald O’Connor, “Make ‘Em Laugh,” number is maybe one of my favorite pieces of film, of all time.

Was there ever a fear of meeting your idols, or seeing the mechanics behind it all?

Segel: No. If anything, I walked away with a greater appreciation for the puppeteers. The biggest shame is that the puppeteers’ job is to be invisible. You’re never supposed to think about them. They’re acting and they’re puppeteering, and they’re singing and dancing, and they’re comedians, and they’re contortionists, all at the same time. Eric Jacobson, for example, plays Fozzie and Piggy and Animal. In any other context, besides being a puppeteer, that’s a Peter Sellers-esque feat, but unless you’re a crazy Muppet fan, you don’t even know these guys’ names. So, the biggest thing I walked away with was that it’s a really underappreciated art.

Has Frank Oz seen the movie?

Segel: He hasn’t, no. Not as far as I know. I think that he’ll be very proud when he does, though. I hope.

Are The Muppets good at improvising?

Segel: Yes! There was surprisingly more improv than you would think. Fozzie improvised the best line in the whole movie.

Stoller: That was during the Emily Blunt scene, when she says, “Oh, we don’t have an opening until September.” Kermit is like, “That’s months away!” And then, Fozzie said, “You think that’s bad? One time, I had to wait a whole year for September.”

Segel: Eric Jacobson improvised that, on the spot. I lost it. It’s the best joke I’ve ever heard.

Stoller: There’s a lot of improv in the movies that Jason and I have done together, but I’ve never heard a joke improvised. That’s a proper set-up, punchline, joke, and not just a funny line.

Segel: He did the greatest thing in a TV interview with me. It was unscripted. He’s Miss Piggy, Fozzie and Animal, and I was doing an interview with Piggy. One of the questions from the viewers at home was, “Jason, do you do any impressions of The Muppets?” I said, “I guess I can do a Kermit impression,” and I did a weak Kermit impression. And then, Miss Piggy said, “You know, I actually do impressions of Muppets as well. Here is my Fozzie Bear.” Then, Miss Piggy did Fozzie’s voice, and it was the best joke, ever. They had never done that bit before. He said he thought of it, on the spot. They had literally never done that joke.

Stoller: That’s amazing!

Jason, did you have any sexual tension with Miss Piggy, during filming?

Segel: I felt it. I feel like she’s attracted to me.

Were there moments on set when you forgot they were puppets?

Segel: I never forgot that they were puppets, but you do forget about the puppeteer. You see it happen with a kid in about 10 seconds, and it happens to every adult in about a minute. Something kicks in, where you’re looking right into these puppets’ eyes. It’s unbelievable.

Did you ever think about including your Dracula puppet from Forgetting Sarah Marshall?

Segel: I tried to get him in as a cameo, but Universal wouldn’t allow it.

The Muppets opens November 23. Check it out!

Final Muppet Trailer Absolutely Delightful

Damon Houx — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:29:14 +0000

With the film coming out November 23, The Muppets is almost upon us, and each trailer brings a warm feeling of nostalgia. With this new trailer, many of the jokes feel like they could have been made in the earlier movies, or on the TV show. It looks like a warm hearted but funny attempt to bring these characters to the fore, and it looks like writer/star Jason Segel delivered. Check it out…

This also includes some of the rumored cameos, including Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, that kid from Modern Family, and more – is that Neil Patrick Harris doing “mahna mahna?” Maybe.

As a child of the 80′s, it’s hard for me not to find that this hits my nostalgia button over and over, and I like seeing these characters back doing what they do. From Fozzie’s fart shoes, to the parody Muppets, to the Wall*E-esque robot, I can’t wait to see what the film has in store. It looks like a lot. But as I’ve said before, I don’t know if mainstream audiences will be as quick to embrace it – though parents are the right age to have fond memories of the show, this isn’t Pixar, it isn’t animated, and it’s not 3-D. You never know with films like this. Hopefully it’s good, and if so hopefully people will go.

Mahna mahna?

The Muppets Don’t Want You to Talk in the Theater

Damon Houx — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:06:39 +0000

One of the big movies of the winter season is The Muppets, and we’re starting to see advertising for the film gear up (though they’ve had a fun run of movie trailer parodies). Jason Segel and Amy Adams star alongside such familiar felt faces as Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and Gonzo in the film that hits theaters November 23. But until then we should be inundated with more creative marketing, like this pre-movie clip for AMC theaters. Check it out…

The world seems ready for the return of the Muppets, as many people who are now having children grew up with Jim Henson’s creations. And they were able to turn the company into a movie franchise in the 1970′s and 80′s with a trilogy of films. After that – and after Jim Henson’s passing – there were a number of attempts to return the main cast to the big screen to mixed results.

But now, it feels like it’s been just long enough for mainstream audiences to re-embrace these characters in an all-new adventure. This does involve a whole new generation of children who may not be as entranced with puppetry in the digital age. It will be interesting to see who turns out more – the new generation or those raised on Kermit and Company.

Is it time to play the music? Is it time to light the lights?

The Muppets Do The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo

Damon Houx — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:39:59 +0000

The marketing for The Muppets has been nothing if not creative, and now they’ve moved on to parodying The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trailer. This doesn’t have the same psyche-out reveal of their earlier trailers, and stars Jason Segel, Amy Adams, and Chris Cooper are front and center, while many of the film’s cameos are now readily apparent. This is a fun trailer and plays to what looks to be the film’s strength: its sense of humor. Check it out…

At this point the drum beat is pretty steady for this film, and I’m pretty excited. It will be interesting to see how the general public responds to the return of The Muppets, which is the big question at this point.

But the timing seems right. Even though more recent Muppet fare was nothing if not – let’s say – Direct to DVD, the main characters have never seemed as exploited or run into the ground as some of their more recent counterparts. And there are generations now that have grown up on the material. Regardless how the film fares, the marketing has been great, it’s easily the least irritating and most fun marketing campaign in a very long time.

The film opens November 23. Here’s the parody poster that goes with the trailer.

Who’s your favorite Muppet?

Bad Teacher: Movie Review

Damon Houx — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:00:42 +0000

Black comedies are tricky, because you are usually following a main character who is a terrible human being. But when they work they become classics – like the more recent Bad Santa. That film seems a direct inspiration for Bad Teacher, which stars Cameron Diaz as a teacher who’s happy to show her students movies every class until she learns she can get money for having them do well on a test. Though not as scathing as Bad Santa, Teacher is an amusing lark, with solid performances by the cast who keep the film moving. Find out more below…

The Players

Director: Jake Kasdan
Screenplay: Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Actors: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Phillis Smith, John Michael Higgins
Original Music: Michael Andrews
Cinematography: Alar Kivilo

The Story

After being dumped by her rich boyfriend, Elizabeth Halsey (Diaz) is stuck back teaching kids. She decides the best way to get ahead is to get breast implants, and tries to court substitute teacher and rich kid Scott Delacorte (Timberlake), even though Gym teacher Russell Gettis (Segel) is not very subtle about wanting to hook up. Elizabeth often sleeps her way through classes, which annoys her rival Amy Squirrel (Punch), but even more annoying is when Elizabeth finds out that she can win money for having high test scores. And since Amy starts dating Scott, their rivalry must come to a head.

The Good

Comic Ringers: Though Diaz is front and center (and great), the film is peppered with great comic performers. From The Office’s Phillis Smith, John Michael Higgins and David “Gruber” Allen as fellow teachers, to Thomas Lennon as a testmaker – everyone is funny, and everyone who shows up kills when necessary.
No Real Moral: Though the ending is a positive change for the character of Elizabeth, with black comedies you don’t want your main character (who Bugs Bunny would refer to as a “stinkah”) suddenly figure out that they’re a asshole, and try to atone. It’s fun to watch people behave badly, the film knows it, and so there may be compromise, there thankfully isn’t an about-face.
Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake: Segel is a reliable comic foil, and his stoner gym teacher has the right attitude about Diaz’s character. And though Timberlake has proved he’s got chops before, there is something sort of “pink poodle”-y about watching him do a film like this. Yeah, he’s done his time on SNL, but it’s fun to watch him play a buttoned up loser who’s also a terrible musician.
Cameron Diaz and Lucy Punch: Cameron Diaz as an actress knows her limitations (or should after Gangs of New York), but here she gets to be a real bitch, and it’s fun for that – you’re with her. And though Lucy Punch’s chipperness will make her a “love her or hate her” character, it’s great that you can root against the person who is – it turns out – the most right about Elizabeth.

The Bad

Modesty: Though the school year gives the film some structure, it’s a lackadaisical film that mostly sets up things and then pays them off, but not with such a great wit that the film builds into something. If Bad Santa was the role model, that film goes deeper and darker, and builds to a great third act. And though the film goes to some less than savory places (the film features cinema’s greatest dry-humping scene), the film never feels transgressive. Where Bad Santa also functions as a critique on consumer culture, Bad Teacher never expresses much contempt for teachers or public education, etc. Here, it’s a pleasant enough ride, but it feels like something that will be more enjoyable in the comfort of one’s home. The film could easily be turned into a TV show.
The Shooting Schedule: Bad Teacher is what amounts to a studio low budget film and star Segel has talked about how he shot for eight days. Watching the film you can sense that – other than Diaz – most everyone was on set only for when they were needed, and so often it feels like Diaz is playing to one person, even if there are more than one people in the scene.

Overall

Though the film doesn’t sizzle or reinvent the wheel, it’s still consistently funny. That’s really all a comedy needs to be, and this works, though it feels like there’s a slightly better movie in the material. But director Jake Kasdan knows how to make watchable films, and much like his Walk Hard (which is often more conceptually funny than something that makes you laugh out loud), the replay factor on this one looks high.

Rating: 7.5/10

Bad Teacher hits theaters June 24!

Trailer:

The Real Muppet Movie Trailer Finally Hits

Damon Houx — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:05:31 +0000

After three psyche-out trailers, The Muppets finally has a non-parody trailer. Of all the reboots and relaunches, The Muppets could not be coming back at a more opportune time – people love the characters, most people in the United States grew up with Kermit and company (if not through the show and the series of movies, then through Sesame Street). The human cast includes Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Chris Cooper, and the trailer is great. Check it out…

Everything so far about the marketing campaign of this movie is aces. The playfully irreverent tone, the weird cameos (that is Wall*E driving them, isn’t it?), and the interplay seems right on the money. And perhaps it’s just the journalist set, but the excitement around this title is palpable among our peers.

This is partly because the characters never got mercilessly beaten into the ground. Where Disney churned out a number of feature films and direct to video titles with these characters, that works never hit over-saturation. These characters are beloved, and the people making the film seem to approach it with reverence to what makes them work. All will be known when the opens November 23, just in time for the Holidays. This is the start of what appears to be a long marketing campaign, so expect more until it hits.

Mahna Mahna?

ScreenCrave.com » jason segel

Paul Reubens Set To Start Filming On ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: The Movie’ Very Soon

Related Posts

The Five-Year Engagement: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The So-So:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Related Posts

Interview: Jason Segel and Emily Blunt on ‘The Five-Year Engagement’

Related Posts

The Muppets Gets a Sequel Sans Jason Segel as Writer

Related Posts

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt in The Five-Year Engagement Trailer

Related Posts

The Muppets: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Stills:

Trailer:

Related Posts

Interview: Writer Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel on The Muppets

Related Posts

Final Muppet Trailer Absolutely Delightful

Related Posts

The Muppets Don’t Want You to Talk in the Theater

Related Posts

The Muppets Do The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo

Related Posts

Bad Teacher: Movie Review

The Players

The Story

The Good

The Bad

Overall

Rating: 7.5/10

Trailer:

Related Posts

The Real Muppet Movie Trailer Finally Hits

Related Posts