I hate that Funny People is 25 minutes too long, because it does a couple of amazing things. From his album They’re All Gonna Laugh at You through a few years after Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler was a comedy God. I laughed so hard the first time I heard “The Buffoon and the Dean of Admissions” that I farted placenta. But at some point around ‘97, he seems to have decided he didn’t give a sh*t anymore and started doing a string of increasingly sappy, unfunny paycheck abortions like Click and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The only glimmers of talent came in dramatic roles like Spanglish and Punch Drunk Love, in which he proved he could act, but didn’t really seem like himself, like he was just trying to prove a point.
Funny People not only reminds us what Sandler looks like when he’s doing honest comedy — and by that I mean comedy that he himself finds funny rather than “You want me to do a silly voice again? Fine, I’ll do the a voice again. Lap it up, you pigs.” — but combines it with the Sandler who can act. Not only that, the story is the kind of pointed, meta-fictional take on his life that JCVD could’ve been for Van Damme if it hadn’t devolved into such a pretentious euro wankfest. I hate to be a reactionary, but while I was writing this I noticed other people calling Funny People Entourage with Cancer, and I felt compelled to point out all the differences between this and Entourage.
1. Decent writing
2. Decent acting
3. Conflict
4. Likable characters
5. The celebrity character in Funny People is famous for having an actual skill
6. The minor characters are trying perfect an actual skill, and aren’t driven by the sole desire to be famous, or to hang out with famous people, or to help the main character get more famous
7. No one talks about shoes or cars, not even once
Yahoo just released this clip (after the jump) of Funny People director Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler talking about Funny People, and how Seth Rogen’s character’s relationship with Adam Sandler in the movie is kind of like Apatow’s relationship with Sandler back in the 80s/early 90s (PS, that picture couldn’t get any gayer if they were standing 69-ing and listening to Lady Gaga). Anyway, I didn’t watch the whole thing because I’m really excited for this movie and I don’t want to spoil my appetite and I have a really really good feeling about this one, and I don’t care so judge me all you want you big meanie.
I know Adam Sandler is known mostly for making awful movies nowadays, but I still remember where I was when I first heard “The Buffoon Meets with the Dean of Admissions” like it was the goddamn Kennedy assassination. It was kind of like the day I went through comedic puberty. I guess what I’m saying is that no matter how many times he lets us down, there’ll always be some tiny part of me that’s waiting for Adam Sandler to stop sucking and be my hero again. For youngish comedy writers, Adam Sandler is our OJ.
Take this with a grain of salt or whatever food will keep you from being humiliated for believing untruths, but BloodyDisgusting claims a reliable source tells them that Robert Rodriguez’ Machete (which began as a fake trailer in Grindhouse - video after the jump) will star: Michelle Rodriguez (of course), Robert De Niro (wha?), and Jonah Hill (*spit take*). ThePlaylist also reports that Steven Seagal will make an appearance. They say none are signed, but all are “in talks.”
Machete (Trejo) is a Mexican ex-Federale with a gift for wielding a blade, who hides out as a day laborer, who is double-crossed by a corrupt state senator (De Niro).
-DANNY TREJO is returning as “Machete”
-MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ (”Lost”, Fast & Furious, Avatar) is said to be playing “Luz”.
-JONAH HILL will play “Julio”.
-Lastly, a legend of our time, ROBERT DE NIRO, will take on the role of “Senator McLaughlin”. [possible dialog: "That's right, senator. Who's Mclaughing now?"] [via Bloody-Disgusting]
I had to check if Jonah Hill’s character would be Julio as in “Hoo-lio,” or Julio as in “Jew-lio” — to which he seems better suited. ThePlaylist confirms that he would indeed be playing a Cholo. (Do jour taxes? Chale, homes, I’m too sleepy.) Either way, if any of this actually goes down, Machete will be the most crazily cast movie since The Expendables. In fact, he should call it “The Mexpendables.” Wow, let’s see how much more racism I can cram into this post. Hey, did you guys know all Indians are drunks? Hurr, look at me, I own a casino. *glug glug glug*
The red-band trailer for Judd Apatow’s Funny People just hit the web and judge me all you want, but this looks awesome. Knocked Up was awesome too and so are dick jokes and drinking beer and quoting Anchorman so screw you, hippies. The trailer premiered over on MySpace, and just in case you forgot MySpace was a sponsor, there’s also scene in which Adam Sandler’s character does stand up in front of a giant stage backdrop that says MySpace. I heard there’s even a special edition 3-D version of the trailer that you have to watch with glasses that say “MySpace” on the inside. Too bad it takes forever to load because they let random chicks change the background song to suit their mood. That might have been a bad idea.
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It’s been three months since the trailer for Funny People came out, but these three new TV spots should refresh your memory. It’s Judd Apatow’s third movie as a director, and Adam Sandler’s first movie since Punch Drunk Love that doesn’t look like the brainchild of an Eastern bloc immigrant who just learned English last week (“He ees hair dresser, but also Jew, spy, and sex macheen. Ees funny, no?”). Anyway, I actually like the commercials more than the trailer, probably because they focus more on the Adam-Sandler-making-fun-of-himself angle than the guy-getting-cancer angle. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have high hopes for this, but in the end I’ll be happy if Sandler doesn’t talk in a funny voice the whole movie.
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