As we've already seen with my polls on comedic actors and comedic actresses, this year delivered lots of laughs, thanks to some funny bromances and a rom-com or two (or three). Which one was your favorite in '09?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!
There's nothing wrong with a little guy love between two guys, and 2009 brought on a new batch of bromances. Some of the pairings led to big laughs while other dudes teamed up to take on some of the year's biggest villains. Which dude buddies are your favorites?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!
Funny ladies of the big screen always make me happy; they can roll with the best of the boys and manage to be completely captivating doing it. This year's romantic comedies and girl-power anthems gave Hollywood's women plenty of chances to be silly, so let me know who you thought was the funniest this year. And don't stop voting there — check the rest of my Best of 2009 polls!
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means — new DVD releases just in time for the Thanksgiving break! I've already shared some fresh music picks, but here are three movies to add to your Netflix queue for the weekend.
Adam Sandler plays a comedian who tries to turn his life around and befriend a past love (Leslie Mann) after being diagnosed with a blood disorder; Seth Rogen steps in as his idealistic assistant. Both men turn in solid performances in Funny People, and there are laughs, even though this is way more serious than director Judd Apatow's previous work. One of my complaints in the theater was that it was much too long, but that's the good thing about DVDs — you can always hit pause and go back later.
The single disc version includes a gag reel and a feature commentary with Apatow, Rogen, and Sandler. (Normally I don't watch with the commentary on, but in this case, I might just tune in for their wise cracks.) The special two-disc collector's version is loaded with extras, including a 13-year old Seth Rogen doing stand-up!
Two more DVD releases to check out when you read more
Did you know that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra posted the highest opening for an August non-sequel on Friday? Well, now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Over the weekend, the movie grossed an estimated $56.2 million domestically, and, combined with overseas numbers, took in an estimated $100.3 million worldwide. As Variety points out, Paramount is having a stellar Summer this year: "Not only has the studio launched another franchise in G.I. Joe, it has reenergized the Star Trek franchise and continued successfully mining the Transformers property."
Julie and Julia also opened over the weekend and grossed just over $20 million, coming in second place. The animated guinea pigs in G-Force pulled in about half that but still came in at No. 3 at the box office. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince followed closely behind at No. 4 while Judd Apatow's Funny People "fell a steep 65 percent" in its second week, rounding out the top five with an estimated $7.9 million.
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
When I saw Funny People last week, I was quick to call it my least favorite of the three movies Judd Apatow has directed. I just didn't have quite the same feeling as I did after seeing 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up when I wanted to watch them again and again. Out of the three, I have a particularly special place in my heart for 40-Year-Old Virgin, but tell me — what's your favorite Judd Apatow movie?
Though the Judd Apatow movie Funny People opened in first place at the box office this weekend with a respectable $23.4 million, that number is "the lowest tally for a No. 1 film this Summer." It's an interesting season when Bruno's opening weekend surpasses that of a Judd Apatow-Adam Sandler-Seth Rogen film.
After the guinea pigs in G-Force took the box office crown from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last weekend, the two hit films nearly tied this time around with both hovering around the $17 million mark. Harry Potter beat G-Force by less than $1 million. The latest in family-friendly entertainment, Aliens in the Attic, took in a dismal $7.8 million over its opening weekend, though it did come in fifth at the box office, just after The Ugly Truth.
The best news comes from the indie film arena, as 500 Days of Summer and The Hurt Locker continue to have impressive per-screen averages.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Funny person Adam Sandler is trying on a more serious role in Funny People, which comes out this weekend. From his stint on Saturday Night Live to his string of hit movies after, Adam has always had a well-received and one-of-a-kind brand of comedy. But I want to know — do you find him sexy?
In my poll last week, many of you expressed interest in seeing the Judd Apatow-directed Funny People in theaters. Next weekend the Meryl Streep-Amy Adams movie, Julie and Julia, about one woman's quest to try every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking opens in theaters as well. One focuses largely on two men (played by Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen) along with issues of mortality, comedy and male friendship, while the other is based on the lives of two women who, at the very least, shared a love of good food.
These are some of our only options these days for mainstream (and widely released) adult comedies-with-heart, so I ask you: Which are you more interested in seeing?
Funny People one-sheet courtesy of Universal Pictures, Julie and Julia one-sheet courtesy of Sony Pictures
Before we get right into my thoughts on Funny People, let me preface by saying that I loved Judd Apatow’s first two films, The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. I would count both among the best comedies to hit Hollywood in the past few years, and I had full faith that he would hit another home run with his third directorial stint. I understand that he was ready to try something new and a get a little more serious, but looking back at his first two achievements I have to wonder: when the formula works so well, why mess with it?
Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a middle-aged comedian who's found fame and fortune thanks to a movie career filled with silly, Eddie Murphy-esque characters. His house is a palace, but George's selfish behavior has pushed away all of his friends and family. This leaves most of his social interactions with his personal staff, female conquests, and his fans. When George learns that he’s dying from a blood disorder, he decides to go back to his roots in standup comedy while taking on aspiring comedian Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) as his assistant. As George assesses what could be the end of a lonely life, Ira slowly becomes his closest friend and sidekick.
That's just the beginning, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more
