Here's a text message/email you're not going to get from me on an average weeknight close to home:
"A-Rod just walked into the bar I'm at."
Here's another:
"... so I am walking back to my desk earlier this morning ... and I literally almost bump into Judd Apatow. Turns out he was here for a meeting ... anyway, they invited the whole staff to later met with the guy and he was really, really cool. Talked about some of his upcoming projects and answered one of my questions and didn't make me feel like a tool in the process."
This email came from, you guessed it, my dad - Judd was in Sheboygan today checking on some insurance details.
Actually, you might have guessed it came from our good friend Will, who once called me to tell me that he'd seen Sandy Duncan while working at Blockbuster over the summer. You've come a long way, Willie!
Very exciting to hear about Will's brush with greatness. The Scandinavia Tappas are big fans of most everything Judd, and would loved to have been in the audience. Our one serious question would have been this: "Did Undeclared ever get close to being picked up by another network after Fox dropped the most awesome half-hour show ever?" (What was your question, Will?)
I thought we'd take a moment to hit the filmography and pass out some grades on projects Mr. Apatow has been associated with, in reverse chronological order:
Knocked Up: C - not bad, but Jana and I were hoping for more. We love Seth Rogen, but not as a leading guy. And oh my goodness, was he terrible on SNL last week. To me the best parts of the movie were Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, Judd's wife.
Talladega Nights: B-minus - Had a carafe of wine on our anniversary, walked to the theater, saw this, laughed, went home happy.
40-year-old Virgin: A - His best work, hilarious and touching at the same time. This is how Knocked Up was hyped, but it just didn't get near it. (And if you haven't seen the DVD extras with the Rudd-Rogen "you know how I know you're gay?" extended sequence, you must.) Jonah Hill made about a 90-second appearance in this movie, and it was far better than his time cussing through Knocked Up, and I would wager better than his starring role in Superbad, which I have yet to see. Also love that he cast his wife as a drunken lady of loose morals who pukes on Steve Carrell. Romany Malco, now on Weeds, really had his coming out party here.
-Kicking & Screaming: A-minus - Great flick, Ditka was really good in it.
-Anchorman: D - Felt like one long inside joke that I wasn't let in on. Pretty much everyone who's seen this totally disagrees with us on this one, but I'm standing firm. Although I did like "Whammy!"
-Undeclared: A - you probably didn't see this when it was on in 2001-02, but this show about four college suitemates was terrific. It was Rogen's best work, he was totally natural and semi-improvisational, and Jay Baruchel was an inspired lead who who haven't really seen again since his overeager role in Knocked Up. Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Will Ferrell all guest starred, but the show was so strong on its own that they seemed like unnecessary distractions. Jason Segal as a dude whose girlfriend went off to college but couldn't let go was so spot-on, reminded me of 100 losers we knew in Madison.
-Freaks and Geeks: B-plus - we just got done watching the DVDs of this show's one season. You've probably read critical acclaim for this show at some time or another, and it deserved it. What made it great was that it accurately depicted teenage life, but didn't go for the cheap, formulaic ending like other classic high school shows - 90210, Dawson's Creek, or Saved By The Bell.
Also worked on some '90s stuff of note - Larry Sanders Show, Cable Guy, Celtic Pride, The Critic - that I was too busy racing slot cars and playing Ping Pong to watch.
So that's my hero worship post for the week. I'll be in Atlantic City next week for an antiques show we run, and there's an outside chance I'll bump into the last surviving Munchkin from Wizard of Oz - we'll cover his career and the rest of the Lollipop Guild then.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Another brush with greatness for Will: Judd Apatow
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8 comments:
You mean you didn't like the multiple McGruber skits? Just kidding. I didn't either.
Count me as pro-Anchorman. I didn't enjoy it very much the first time, but it has grown on me a lot. There's also a scene not in the movie - it's on one of the DVDs - where Champ expresses his love to Ron and his desire to get married in Vermont with Roger Staubach officiating. Good stuff.
Can't disagree with the rest of the grades. And you are right, the 40-year-old Virgin was the best of the lot.
40 was his best, but Knocked Up and Anchorman are a close second to me
I really liked Knocked Up because I thought it was funny, but it nailed a lot of the marriage stuff. Also, the roommate who's on How I Met Your Mother was outstanding. I also loved the guy with the faux-hawk and the Unibomber guy.
Anchorman, to me, has to be viewed multiple times to really appreciate it. There are so many things in there that you won't catch the first time you see it. I didn't see it until probably a year after it came out on DVD thinking it would be stupid, and it's one of my favorite comedies ever.
Superbad, by the way, is absolutely hilarious. The most purely funny movie I've seen in a long time. Nothing truly sentimental about it, just laughs for a good hour and a half.
Kicking and Screaming? Really? I didn't like that movie the first time it came out (Ladybugs), or the second (Little Giants).
Let me try to top Will on this one:
So I'm eating at the McDonald's on Regent Street. And in walks, none other than, hoops star Jason Bohannon. I was shocked as anyone to see him out in public like that but he seemed really cool. He even didn't mind signing autographs -- even though nobody asked him for one or knew who he was.
In case anyone cares, I really liked Superbad and Knocked Up. Megan and I loved the marriage/relationship stuff in Knocked Up. Millie is right on with his assessment of Superbad.
In my opinion, "McLovin" stole the show in Superbad. I also didn't like that Rogan/Hader characters (too goofy).
I would agree that 40-year-old is still the best.
I have to say that Anchorman is still my least favorite even after watching it multiple times.
I think it's the team of Carell/Apatow that makes several of the movies better than others (with Carell's role in Little Miss Sunshine being an exception). Carell in Evan Almighty? I'd rather stick a sharp, burning stick in my eye than watch that.
I usually like McGruber, but Saturday's were lame, and they weren't Rogen's fault.
As for Anchorman, my sister said the same thing as Will, and my response is this: if you don't like a movie the first time you see it, why watch it again and again and again? I think it's great that you like it after multiple viewings, but I ain't gonna sit around watching Must Love Dogs until John Cusack doesn't make me want to jab a hot poker in my eye.
Did hear that there's a Legend of Ron Burgundy DVD that is completely unused scenes from Anchorman.
Jason Segal was the roommate in KU that you liked, he was good - very mature while looking like a douchebag. The faux-hawk guy was Jay Baruchel from Undeclared.
Kicking and Screaming was good. If you didn't like it the first time watch it again and again until you do. ;)
Just read Schwib's comment and feel bad about stealing his self-torture line. That McLovin kid does look funny, and so does Michael Cera, the one from Arrested Development.
Anyone else think Ja-Bo look more like Olson's basketball-playing brother than his actual basketball-playing brother does?
McGruber! Yes, they were lame this week.
It's funny how SNL has come full circle to me. I remember drinking, playing cards, and watching SNL in the Litter Box from time to time. Then, of course, SNL took a backseat to approximately 5 years of binge drinking. I do enjoy the "Really!?!" skit on weekend update. And that Andy Samburg "Dick in the Box" video with Justin Timberlake was hilarious...
Looking forward to seeing Superbad soon...
Part of the problem for SNL has been the success of the Daily Show/Colbert. Kind of killed the Weekend Update skit to me, as well as many of the political segments as well (which has always been the backbone of SNL in my view).
Other than the Andy Samberg videos and the Peyton Manning United Way stuff, what have been the buzzworthy moments? I think Maya Rudolph is talented.
"Kicking and Screaming was good. If you didn't like it the first time watch it again and again until you do."
I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy Anchorman, just that there's a lot you won't catch on the first viewing that is very funny.
No matter how many times I watch Kicking and Screaming, it's still going to be a cash grab for Ferrell.
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