ScreenCrave.com » Judd Apatow

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

Judd Apatow’s ‘This is 40′ Trailer Debuts

Damon Houx — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:55:17 +0000

It didn’t take long for Judd Apatow to segue into Dramedy, did it? The director, who launched Steve Carell and Seth Rogen into stardom with The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, seems to want to add a little more pathos into the mix, and maybe that’s why there are no laugh out loud moments in the trailer for his upcoming film This is 40. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Oh, there are some giggles, and it looks like they brought in Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy to play, but this is very much a film about getting older. It’s a semi-sequel to Knocked Up in that Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann seem to be playing the same characters, and have the same children (Mann and Apatow’s daughters), but it’s hard to say if Jason Segal is playing the same character. Or – for that matter – if Seth Rogen or Katherine Heigl will show up (for the record, neither are listed on the IMDb, but that proves nothing).

This is a small glimpse of the film, and the way Apatow shoots, there’s no guarantee anything in the trailer will be in the film as is. This is 40 also features Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd and Lena Dunham, so there’s likely a lot that’s not in the trailer. This looks promising, but there’s no killer moment. Because it’s a winter release, my guess is that they’re going to go for the Oscars again.

Would you like to see Judd Apatow win an Oscar?

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?

Tribeca Film Fest 2012: Mansome – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:42:30 +0000

Ever wonder how men really feel about their body hair? Or about the difference between shampoo and shower gel? What do Will Arnett and Jason Bateman talk about when they go to the spa together? Is it okay for men to be as conscious of and careful about their bodily upkeep as women? Does the manicure make the man? Get some shocking and hilarious answers to these questions in Morgan Spurlock‘s new documentary, Mansome.

Check out our review…

The Players:

Director: Morgan Spurlock
Screenwriter: Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock
Producer(s): Jeremy Chilnick, Meri Haitkin, Morgan Spurlock, Michael Ruchton
Cast: Morgan Spurlock, Zach Galifianakis, Will Arnett, Paul Rudd, Jason Bateman, Judd Apatow

Tribeca Synopsis:

These days, men are getting just as many spa treatments as women. And with a slew of products aiming to freshen and sculpt their manly parts, does this newfound grooming challenge the age-old question of what it means to be masculine? Or have dudes just finally succumbed to human hygiene? Oscar nominee Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and executive producers Ben Silverman, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman present a delightfully entertaining documentary exploring the current state of Mandom in America and beyond.

Traveling to traditional barbershops, trend-savvy salons, and even an international beard contest in Austria, Spurlock shows us the art of being a man has been taken to hilarious heights. Complete with candid interviews from Arnett, Bateman, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, and lots of everyday people. Spurlock sets out to uncover the true secrets of being “Mansome.”

The Good:

Arrested Development fans will be thrilled to see Bateman and Arnett banter about personal hygiene, grooming, and masculinity as they enjoy a boys’ day at the spa. Galifianakis, Rudd, and Judd Apatow offer equally hilarious insights into their own experiences with body hair, manscaping, and what it means to feel attractive. You will definitely laugh.

The Bad:

This is a “documentary” in very loose terms. Some parts feel true, while others feel like sketch comedy bits that are loosely tied to the topic. The combination is a little confusing. Of course, I was expecting some humor, but I was also looking for a more developed message to take me through a journey. This piece doesn’t have a fully formed thesis or revelation, so it was difficult to stay interested for the full 84 minutes.

Overall:

I think Morgan Spurlock started this project with a good idea, but it devolved into a joke for many of its subjects. Luckily, the people being interviewed are some of the funniest on the planet, so the jokes came out great!

I enjoyed the more serious examination of metro-sexuality, and I was interested to learn about the psychology behind that. But I didn’t feel the individual stories built on each other to produce an overarching message from the film.

This female writer might hazard a guess that this documentary ended up a comedy because men get uncomfortable talking about personal hygiene and receding hairlines. But that might be a little too harsh…

Rating: 3/10

Interview: Judd Apatow and Director Nicholas Stoller on ‘The Five-Year Engagement’

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:56:26 +0000

Judd Apatow has become the face of modern comedy films. Whether it’s as director, writer, producer or all three, he’s the brains behind the operation. His latest is the upcoming romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement, directed by Nicholas Stoller, the man behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek (also movies of the Apatow universe). We recently had the chance to talk to Apatow and Stoller about the hallmarks of a successful comedy, as well as casting what feels like most of NBC’s Thursday night lineup in the film. Check out our interview below.

Where did the idea for this movie come from?

Nicholas Stroller: After Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason [Segel] and I wanted to do another romantic comedy and we’re both obsessed with long relationships that aren’t headed towards marriage, but aren’t necessarily headed towards breaking up. That seems to be something that is happening a lot these days. I was sitting in my office and the words Five-Year Engagement popped into my head and I wrote it down and got excited. I called Jason and he was like, “Oh yeah that sounds awesome.” And it went from there. I wanted explore the long romantic comedy movies, that take please over a long period of time like in When Harry Met Sally and Annie Hall, Broadcast News and Terms of Endearment. This was a way to make a low concept movie seem high concept.

In the Apatow universe, what are the hallmarks of a successful comedy?

Judd Apatow: We like comedies that are truthful and when people reveal something personal.

NS: Like Jason’s penis.

JA: In any type of art or music or movies, I always connect when someone is telling me something that I know means a lot to them. Whether it’s a song, like when you say, “I don’t think that person’s kidding around, Kurt Cobain means that.” I think it’s the same for comedy. You can tell when people are passionate about something. There’s just a quality to it when someone’s just funny and knows what they are doing. Why things work is hard to define, but originality also.

Are you good at identifying real moments?

JA: I’m a fan of television and movies and I’ve seen a lot. When we are kicking around ideas, there’s always a moment when we’ll say, “Oh I saw that in that Salma Hayek movie. Let’s not do that, let’s see if we can think of something different.” Even if we liked it in the Salma Hayek movie. The question is, what’s a new way to do this.

How would you describe working together?

JA: I just look for problems. I try to stay out of the way. At some point people say, “What do you think?” I just say, “I don’t understand this or I’m really responding to that.” Then I try to get out of the way again because you want people to go with their gut on it. Working with Nick is like holding a bird. You don’t want to crush the bird. I think about what I would want people to do to me. You want encouragement, you want to know what they understand – honest discourse – but you also want them to leave so you can do your thing.

NS: Yeah, Jason and I, for the first movie, we batted the movie around. We really worked on the outline, writing the script and all that, but we also come to Judd in the early stages of the process. The three of us, and Rodney Rothman, get together and really pitch a million ideas. It’s an all-day spew. We are all pitching all this stuff and a lot of this stuff ends up in the outline and then in the script. As you get more successful there are more and more yes people around. Judd isn’t one; he’s very hard on stuff which is what you need. Both Jason and I are really hard on the stuff and then we do the table read and Judd is really hard on stuff. You can’t even be happy with anything which is why I’m always happily surprised when people enjoy the film.

JA: We invite a lot of writers to come to the table reads. Our whole world is about everybody being allowed to be as critical as they want to be.

NS: You know you’ll get to do it to them later.

JA: [Laughs] We want people to just be very frank and vicious to us. And then sometimes we get back into another room and go, “That guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Did you read his last script? Don’t listen to him?” [Laughs] But for someone else, we’ll go, “Shit they’re right.”

Is is hard to deal a movie that takes place over a long period of time and not make it too long in the narrative of it?

NS: I watched all the movies I just named and graphed out how they did it, and then I ripped them off. It’s a lot of telling the story. You cut and suddenly it’s a year later. That’s the way that you keep the audience engaged. In Annie Hall they kind of cut back and forth between time, but Harry Met Sally has a brilliant way of cutting forward in time. You’re like, “Where are they now, who are they dating now?” We really copied that. We were also very strict on keeping the film from wandering, it’s always charging forward and charging towards important plot points.

Was there any struggle in keeping Emily’s [Blunt] character likable?

JA: That’s why we hire likable people. We make them do unlikable things. We talked a lot about that, but I think for all of our work, what we try to do is show people in good moments and their worst moments. We try to not obsess over making everybody likable or do the right thing. If everyone is a mess, then it’s okay. She means well. She got a great job and it’s the only job she’s been offered so one one level you could say, “It’s kind of brutal to have him come with you,” but those are the big decisions you make in your life. Who’s going to sacrifice in which moment?

NS: She’s so likable as a person. If we had had someone that wasn’t – like Harry and Sally, on the page are pretty irritating people, but in this movie it’s funny to see these people fight. It’s funny to watch Seth and Heigl fight; that’s what’s funny about it. If it’s not funny then you’ve cast the wrong person.

Was Emily always going to be British in the movie?

NS: Yeah, she was always going to be British. I broke this role in this movie, but I don’t love to have people do an accent that isn’t theirs. We had Allison [Brie] do an accent that wasn’t hers – but she’s great – it’s easier because we are doing a lot of improv. Allison nailed it. We did have long conversations that went like, “Could Allison be her sister and be somehow American?”

JA: Her half-sister like the Nolan brothers.

When you were casting did you just look at Thursday night TV and pull them all out?

NS: Yeah, that was it. Unfortunately Aziz [Ansari] wasn’t available. I didn’t even realize until after we cast that we had the cast of NBC’s Thursday night lineup.

JA: I didn’t even know who Allison Brie was at the table. I am such a fan of Mad Men, and then I saw her at the table and they said, “Allison Brie is great.” I had no idea who she was, I didn’t know that she wasn’t from England. Afterwards someone said, “She’s on Mad Men.” I thought, “What is the matter with me, how much cholesterol medication am I on that I didn’t notice that?” She’s so great.

She and Chris [Pratt] steal a lot of their scenes, did you intend to do that?

NS: I think they’re so funny. When you think of Harry Met Sally, the supporting characters Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher kind of steal a lot of that movie. It’s their role to comment on what’s happening. They could also do more because they aren’t as romantically invested in what’s happening between them.

When did you approach Allison?

NS: From the beginning we wanted it to be her. I don’t know what we would have done if she would have said no. In one of these long work sessions that we all have, we had Emily come to it and sit with us for many hours over the course of a few days. We basically had long therapy sessions asking, “When you break up with someone, how do you do it? When you’re mad at someone what do you say? How do you behave?” We’re really trying to get to know her. It’s basically a very lazy form of creating a character. We just form it around the actor.

Are these characters taken from people that you know?

NS: I think that Jason and I have a similar outlook on life, which is why we love to collaborate, it’s a big combination of things, it’s not just one person.

What inspired the hunting subplot?

NS: Yeah I think it was in one of those work-sessions with Rodney. They do a lot of hunting. That seemed like a funny way for him to be incredible passive aggressive and have this mental breakdown. And there’s no one funnier a mental breakdown than Jason.

How were the weird psychology experiments dreamt up?

NS: We consulted with a doctor, Bejamin Karney at UCLA. We ad a few meetings with him. It started as a behavioral economist which no one understood, so we brought a psychology experiment. Judd brought a marshmallow experiment.

JA: I had seen that because I’m fascinated by it with my kids. They do all these experiment where they say, “If a kid can’t delay gratification, their life is going to be really hard.” My kids have not shown that ability. [Laughs] I’ll tell my kids, “You need to learn to delay gratification, your life is going to be terrible.”

NS: Once we put that experiment, we thought it should become part of the story.

Was there a temptation to not have things work out at the end?

NS: At the very beginning we thought that maybe it didn’t have to end in happiness, but that didn’t feel like the story we were telling. With Audrey, who is played by the hilarious Dakota Johnson, we didn’t realize how funny she was, and we shot the breakup, which is crazy funny. One of our days of re-shoots we were like, “We have to brings her back and so we shot that whole sequence where she’s having sex with him and making him do Zumba, which is something Judd pitched –

JA: I pitched, but do not do. [Laughs] It requires exercise. That’s Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson’s daughter from Social Network. She’s really funny.

NS: She has the same lack of self-awareness that Jason has.

Why didn’t Jason’s penis make an appearance?

JA: We didn’t want his penis to jump the shark. [Laughs]

NS: He gets one or two more showings of his penis in his career and we didn’t want to use them in this.

JA: He has to save his penis for a Coen Brothers movie. He can’t overuse it. Or make a comeback. [Laughs]

What do you have coming up next?

NS: I’ve started writing the second Muppets with James Bobin. We’ve outlined it have been on it this week. It’s fun.

JA: I’m just finishing up This It Forty which it the sort-of sequel to Knocked Up.

How’s working with your kids?

JA: It’s really fun, but it’s harder afterwards because then they say, “Well I want to be in something else.” I have to tell them they can’t because I’m not just going to chop you off at a Fast Five set and have them do with you what they will. I tell them, “You only get to be in daddies movies because daddy doesn’t want to meet other kids.” [Laughs]

The Five-Year Engagement opens Friday, April 27th. Will you be seeing the film this weekend?

News Roundup: Bully Loses MPAA Appeal, Jean Dujardin Sleeping, The Raid Trailer And More

Laura Aguirre — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:50:41 +0000

It’s time to catch up on this week’s news. For starters, it seems like a head honcho, Harvey Weinstein, is seriously considering ending his relationship with the MPAA. Also, a new meme has hit the web, this time involving French actor Jean Dujardin. It seems he’s been sleeping around (it’s not what you’re thinking though). Also, we’ve got clips for Morgan Spurlock‘s Comic-Con Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope, Sony Classics’ The Raid: Redemption, and Judd Apatow‘s “Girls“. All that and more below.

MPAA: Now here’s an ironic piece of news – The MPAA (the unofficial bully of the film industry) has slapped an R-rating on Harvey Weinstein’s new documentary Bully. Said documentary takes an intimate look at America’s bullying crisis. Mr. Weinstein and Bully director Lee Hirsch were both hoping for a PG-13 rating, with hopes of getting the film into high schools, but with the R-rating that’s going to be very hard to do. That’s not all though – after Bully lost the appeal, Mr. Weinstein released a statement saying that TWC is now considering taking a leave of absence from the MPAA. Having a giant like Mr. Weinstein take a stand against the MPAA could really change the film industry, for the better.
Jean Dujardin Sleeping on People: When Oscar nominee Jean Dujardin got caught sleeping on George Clooney‘s shoulder on the red carpet, someone saw it as an opportunity to start a new meme. Head over to Unreality Magazine to check out Dujardin resting his head on several famous people’s shoulder including President Obama, Ben Stiller, Homer Simpson, and Scarlett Johansson.
Unscripted Success: Unreality Magazine also took time to make a list of 8 memorable movie lines that weren’t on the script. Their list includes “Here’s Looking at You Kid” from Casablanca (bet you didn’t know that one wasn’t scripted), “Here’s Johnny!” from The Shinning, and “You Talking to me?” from Taxi Driver. Head over there to check out all 8.
Movies That’ll Make You Hate Your Vacation: And finally, Unreality Magazine put together a list of movies you shouldn’t watch if you want to enjoy your upcoming vacation. Films like Hostel and Open Water should be avoided if you’re planning a backpacking trip across Europe or on going scuba diving. Head over there to see the 12 Movies That Will Make You Afraid To Go On Vacation.

New Clips And Trailers:

Morgan Spurlock Trailer: Below is the brand new trailer for Morgan Spurlock’s Comic-Con episode IV – A Fan’s Hope. This fanboy documentary is an inside look at comic-con and some of the people that make it so special like Stan Lee and Kevin Smith. Look for it in April.

The Raid: Redemption Trailer: Now check out the brand new trailer for the much-talked about Sony Classics’ film The Raid: Redemption. The film caused quite a stir at Sundance (our very own Brendan Walsh really enjoyed it). The film hits theaters March 23, 2012.

Judd Apatow’s Girls Clip: And lastly, here’s a new clip from Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham‘s “Girls”. There’s some stuff in there we’ve already seen, but also some brand new footage. And yes, it still looks awesome.

That’s the end of our round-up. Keep checking back at ScreenCrave for more entertainment news.

What are you excited for?

News Roundup: Clint Eastwood, Barbara Walters, Judd Apatow’s Girls, and More

Laura Aguirre — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Clint Eastwood is generating a lot of buzz, and it has nothing to do with his latest film J. Edgar. The respected actor and director, whose name is synonymous with Hollywood, is going to the last place any of us thought he’d go – E! Find out more below. We’ve also got news on ABC and a long-running show they’ve decided to cancel.

Catch up below…

ABC Cans Long-Running Show: After nine seasons of chanting “Move that bus!” ABC has cancelled the reality series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The final episode will be on January 13, 2012.
Clint Eastwood Heading For Reality TV: No, you’re not dreaming. This is reality. Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood is following in the steps of the Kardashians. It turns out his wife Dina Eastwood and their two daughters are currently shooting a family reality show (a la Kardashian) for E! The show will explore what it’s like to live in a family of “Hollywood royalty” which Mr. Eastwood is clearly a part of. The show will focus more on the relationship between mother and daughters, and Mr. Clint will only be making a couple of cameos.
Barbara Walters Will Retire: Legendary journalist Barbara Walters is going to retire next year. During a break Ms. Walters leaned over to President Obama and told him that she needed to interview him before she retired next year. This was suppose to be a private conversation, but her mic was still on and a lot of people heard the news. There’s no telling is this is definite because she’s joked about retiring for many years, but who knows, maybe 2012 is her year to call it quits.

New Trailers:

G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation: The new trailer for G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation features big explosions, sword fighting and exotic locations. Bruce Willis also makes a brief appearance towards the end of the trailer. In this sequel, the team faces off against Zartan, his accomplices, and the world leaders he has under his influence. Check it out below.

Judd Apatow’s “Girls”: And finally, something refreshing. The first teaser for Judd Apatow’s HBO show “Girls,” starring the awesome Lena Dunham has hit the web, and it looks, well, quite entertaining. It’s got an early “Sex and the City” vibe to it, but these girls are in their 20s, not 30s. Take a look:

That’s the end of our round-up. Keep checking back at ScreenCrave for more entertainment news.

What are you excited for?

Bridesmaids Interview with Kristen Wiig, Judd Apatow and Paul Feig

Mali Elfman — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:19:30 +0000

It’s about time a film like this hits the theaters and proves that the women of comedy can take on the men. This week in theaters is the comedy of year, Bridesmaids by director Paul Feig, with the stellar writer/actress Kristen Wiig and produced by the comedy master Judd Apatow. Thanks to Paul Feig (“Arrested Development,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Weeds”) finally seeing Kristen Wiig’s potential to be a leading lady and the force of Judd Apatow’s approval behind the project, this film is the perfect storm of talent coming together and doing what they all do best — make people laugh. Find out how they got this project going and what it took to make it in our interview with the trio below…

The film is very much appealing to both women and men, but the title Bridesmaids sounds more like a chick, flick. Did you ever question that?

Judd Apatow: Originally it was called “Maid of Honor,” but a friend of mine made a movie and was trying to call his “Maid of Honor” and he called me said “is it okay if we use that title?” And I said “no we’re just about to make this movie, Maid of Honor!” And then he named his movie “M-A-D-E of Honor” and he out-played me.

Wiig: And then to get guys we were just going to call it “Naked Boobs and Guns”. [laughter] Honestly, we had a really hard time trying to think of the title.

Apatow: We gave up.

Feig: I think the feeling was it’s always going to play in previews as it’s about a wedding and with women, so what we didn’t want to do is alienate the female audience by pretending it wasn’t what it was. So I just thought of it as Devil Where’s Prada which I saw the trailer for and thought that wasn’t my demographic, then I saw it and called my male friends and said “you have to go see it,” so I think that’s the way to go.

Apatow: Is your demographic, men who where fancy three-piece suits?

Feig: Yes and they all showed up!

The comedy in this film is at times, out right raunchy, being the writers and creators of this film, was there anything that you felt bad about making your actresses do?

Kristen Wiig: I guess when they had to puke on each others hair I felt a little bit bad. But they actually liked it. It was fun! We made them really vomit.

Paul Feig: We were method that way. That was the only moment I really felt weird. It was Wendy that not only had throw-up in her hair, but had to sit, on her knees with her head in the toilet for about an hour while we were thinking up jokes, like “what would be even more funny.” That’s what’s so great about working with really funny women is that vanity comes second and anything that makes it real and funny, they’re just going to go for it, which is great!

Wiig, how free were you to work on set and are you able to improvise as much on the big screen as you are on the small?

Wiig: We rehearsed for weeks before, and did a lot of improvising there and then on the set, we shot it every way, we did the script, we would improvise, people would hand in lines from off camera, plus all of the cast are amazing improvisers so why not them go to town on what they do best.

Did that ruin a lot of takes?

Wiig: Oh yeah! Luckily you didn’t see that part.

Feig: That’s why we have no many jokes that aren’t in the trailer that aren’t in the film because we have this wealth of jokes and it’s better that because you get to see a new batch of jokes when you go to the movie.

Apatow, you seem to always have your finger on the pulse, how do you decide what comedies to tackle and who you want to be in them?

Apatow: I don’t think about it too much. I just think about what I’m interested in and what makes me laugh. A lot of the time it starts with performers. Kristen and I had so much fun on Knocked Up and Walk Hard, and then I think “who do I want to be around” and talk to for a couple of years. Because it takes a long time to make these films and there’s a lot to debate. Even now I’m going to cast this new movie that I’m going to direct and a lot of it is just “who do you want to see everyday” and “who really just personally makes you personally laugh.” But I never think in terms of the audicne or what they’ll expect or what they want, because you always try to do something different every time and feel like you’re breaking new ground and challenging yourself.

Feig: The great thing about Judd and his brand and what his name means to the public, is that it allows us to not have to cast famous movie stars, we can cast amazing people who you might know, but who might not normally get to star in their own movie. It’s such a testament to him and that he’s been doing it right, because he gets to launch people like Kristen who should be a star and the studio might want Angelina Jolie…

Wiig: …Are you saying I’m different from Angelina Jolie?

Feig: Well, she better watch out now! Kristen will now be playing Tomb Raider, we’re very excited.

Wiig: And the sequel to the Tourist.

Apatow: I thought Salt was very strong for someone who weighed 90 lbs. Those are strong, thin arms.

Apparently Apatow won’t be working with Angelina anytime soon! As you can see, none of them take anything too seriously, it’s all just part of the game.

The film is absolutely extraordinary and should not be missed! It’s in theaters tomorrow May 13th. Bring your friends and enjoy!

Judd Apatow to Produce Do Gooders

Damon Houx — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:38:06 +0000

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Judd Apatow has signed on to produce the upcoming film Do Gooders – the most recent in what seems to be a flurry of activity for the once-overexposed writer/director/producer. The film is based on a script by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, who recently wrote and directed A Good Old Fashioned Orgy with SNL vets Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte. Such suggest Gregory and Huyck (who started writing for TV) will want to direct this one as well.

There was a moment there where it seems Judd Apatow was going to take over all on-screen comedy. Working with Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and on and on, his finger seemed in every pie. But by the time of Funny People, both he and Seth Rogen seemed to have worked too much over the last couple of years, and people were tired. Which seems to have led to many of his regulars moving on to their own projects without him (The Green Hornet, Your Highness, etc.)

But for Apatow, the break period is over. He is currently casting his newest film, and Bridesmaids is due May 13. He’s also producing the Pee-Wee Herman film – which is in pre-production – and has scores of other films and projects that are in development. Ultimately, Apatow’s break from the big screen may have had more to do with scheduling or possibly even just wanting to take a breather more than anything outside pressures. That said, the Apatow brand was becoming so prodigious that it was inevitable it would have to recede a little.

Are you happy for the return of Apatow?

Albert Brooks To Star In New Judd Apatow Film?

Travis Woods — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:19:10 +0000

Yesterday, we reported that Megan Fox was set to bring her box office poison unique charm to the set of Judd Apatow’s new film, starring as a yet to be detailed character. Today, it seems, someone with actual comedic talent and chops a little more familiar to the comedy world is now in negotiations to join the cast—Albert Brooks.

According to /Film, the movie, which centers around Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann’s unhappily married couple from Knocked Up, is set for release on June 1, 2012. Brooks, like Fox, would be playing an as yet undetermined role—but, considering this is an Apatow film, I’m guessing that he’ll play a mentor-like father to Rudd, who occasionally smokes pot but is still fairly grounded, and gives his wild, permanently-adolescent son the advice he needs to finally mature and be the man his wife deserves. I can’t swear to it, but since that seems to be the general Apatow model for films, I’m guessing it’s not far off, either. Either that or everyone will just give up and point the camera at Seth Rogan and just let him grumble and giggle for two hours straight (which, yeah, I’d probably pay to watch).

What do you think of Albert Brooks in a Judd Apatow film?

Megan Fox May Join Latest Apatow Comedy

Damon Houx — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:23:25 +0000

Megan Fox seemed to be teetering on the edge of fame for a couple months. After Fox was let go from Transformers 3 it was hard to know if the actress’s career could recover. Sure, she could model, but who was going to take her seriously as an actress? Now word comes from The Hollywood Reporter that one of those people is Judd Apatow. Fox is now in negotiations to star in Apatow’s next film, which will star Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann.

Megan Fox – even at her best – has been cast as the hot girl. To be fair, she can’t exactly pull of the “cute neighbor with glasses” routine, but her career has been defined by her work in the Michael Bay Transformer movies. A role that could be described as: “look sexy, run.” After that, she was in films like How to Lose Friends & Alienate People and Jennifer’s Body, films which played on the fact that she was incredibly hot. And then there’s Jonah Hex…

It’s worth noting this when talking about Fox’s range, as she’s never been asked to have much, and if her emotional commitment may have been lacking in the Transformers movies (she was functional, above competent), it seems a byproduct of the movies. Being a star and an attractive women sometimes puts you in a box, much as did Marilyn Monroe (someone Fox has tattooed on herself).

Who’s to say what Apatow has in mind for Fox, but she showed some wit in Jennifer’s Body, and seems self-aware, but has yet to have a great role. Between this and the upcoming Friends with Kids – which co-stars Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig – perhaps she’s redefining herself as a comic hottie.

Megan Fox: Do you think she’s a movie star or magazine cover icon?

Judd Apatow Reunites Rudd and Mann for Knocked Up Spin-Off

Krystal Clark — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:14:10 +0000

Judd Apatow is gearing up for his next directorial project following 2009′s Funny People. According to reports, he plans to reunite his Knocked Up co-stars Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann for a spin-off that features their characters Pete and Debbie. Previously, it was thought to be either a prequel or a sequel but it’s neither.

In Knocked Up, Mann played the older sister of Katherine Heigl’s pregnant character. She had two children (played by her real life daughters with Apatow) and was married to Rudd’s character Pete. Throughout the majority of the movie their relationship is strained and they deal with issues of trust, communication, and responsibility in a way that only Apatow could write it.

Apatow will once again pen this script, which will feature an original story surrounding the characters. The film is expected to hit theaters on June 1, 2012.

To be completely honest, we’re not sure how we feel about Apatow doing spin-offs. With the exception of Funny People, we loved his previous scripts for The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up as solo and original efforts. He typically uses the same actors in his films, so why not use them again but create new characters?

Would you be interested in seeing a feature based on Pete and Debbie?

Source: Variety

ScreenCrave.com » Judd Apatow

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

Related Posts

Judd Apatow’s ‘This is 40′ Trailer Debuts

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

Tribeca Film Fest 2012: Mansome – Movie Review

The Players:

Tribeca Synopsis:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 3/10

Related Posts

Interview: Judd Apatow and Director Nicholas Stoller on ‘The Five-Year Engagement’

Related Posts

News Roundup: Bully Loses MPAA Appeal, Jean Dujardin Sleeping, The Raid Trailer And More

New Clips And Trailers:

Related Posts

News Roundup: Clint Eastwood, Barbara Walters, Judd Apatow’s Girls, and More

New Trailers:

Related Posts

Bridesmaids Interview with Kristen Wiig, Judd Apatow and Paul Feig

Related Posts

Judd Apatow to Produce Do Gooders

Related Posts

Albert Brooks To Star In New Judd Apatow Film?

Related Posts

Megan Fox May Join Latest Apatow Comedy

Related Posts

Judd Apatow Reunites Rudd and Mann for Knocked Up Spin-Off

Related Posts