You’re not married, I presume? 
Are you serious? There is something worth seeing nearly every week - though it does get a bit difficult during the movie dumping months of Crapuary and Shitober.
I saw 160 films in the theater last year.
You have met my wife, remember? 
Besides, the more of her movie choices I go see, the more of my choices she’ll see. And she actually picks some good movies most of the time. I wouldn’t have seen The Hangover if it wasn’t for her. I figure this clunker gets me both **Iron Man II ** next summer and the next immature, R-rated excuse to show titties movie at the very least.
I strongly disagree. It depends on the clout of the producers. Bruckheimer has never directed a movie, yet all of the movies he produces are known as “Bruckheimer movies”.
That’s hilarious, since the only other 2 movies he actually directed besides this one were Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin.
That is by far the exception, not the rule. I’m not going to argue with you that “making a movie” is directing it. It’s so obvious and well-known that you’ll figure it out for yourself en route to trying to “prove” me wrong.
I’m missing what’s hilarious about that.
I agree that many directors are narcissists who will fight for the highest possible billing, going as far as calling a film a “Tarantino film” for example. But Apatow is a big name who is associated with a lot of the movies he has produced but not directed, and it’s ridiculous to say he did not make those movies because he was “only” a producer. In fact the only reasons some of those films got green-lighted was because of his name.
I don’t know if he was good at it but I just learned last week that Bana got his start in stand-up. Maybe he shoudl pursue more comedic roles since I haven’t yet particularly enjoyed him as a dramatic (or action) actor. Assuming his professional goal is to win my adulation, of course. It’s possible that isn’t a concern for him.
I enjoyed it well enough but wasn’t blown away. Rather than cutting the ex-girlfriend stuff (which ultimately is where I think the good in the writing is) I’d have preferred they cut some of the roommate stuff. I like Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman generally but there wasn’t much that amused me when it was the three of them bickering.
Ultimately I really like that trauma causing a wholesale personality change is treated as mostly a cliche of movies and that really the best you can expect is incremental improvement.
Maybe some of the ones after the 40 Year Old Virgin, but he was not a well known, clout-filled producer before that (besides he cult status for Freaks and Geeks, maybe.)
But look, I can settle this real quick. You’re arguing over something I said, and I’m telling you I meant as a director. There. See how easily I resolved that?
Yes, but Funny People was advertised as Apatow’s “third movie.” Just like Kill Bill was advertised as Tarantino’s fourth movie. They’ve both had their hands in a lot of movies, but they’ve “made” relatively few.
This whole conversation is reminding me of when I worked at a movie theater a couple decades ago (jeez) and the movie “Punchline” starring Tom Hanks and Sally Field came out. Tom Hanks unfortunately had just made “Big” or something and was known for “Bosom Buddies” and being on SNL and doing all these funny things and because the movie was called “Punchline” everyone assumed it was going to be this hilarious lighthearted romp - except it was this hardscrabble drama about what a cut-throat, stressful world stand-up comedy was in the 80s. I was constantly bombarded with “This is funny, right?” “How funny is this?” “I had a shitty week - really looking forward to laughing my ass off at this!” “Man you can always count on Tom Hanks when you need some cheering up!” Me: “Um, heh heh…you know this isn’t a comedy, right? It’s a drama with comic relief?”
Regarding the best scene stealers: I was pleasantly surprised by Eminem, and how everyone played off him so well.
Punchline was the first movie I thought of when I saw the trailer for Funny People. I thought it was obvious that it wasn’t a full-blown comedy, but like Punchline, a lot of people aren’t getting it.
I didn’t recognize who that was when I was watching the movie, so I’ll have to pay attention when I watch it again (probably on DVD this time). I also didn’t recognize some of the other celebrities, such as Charles Fleischer (who was one of the people who visited George at home). And I was constantly trying to determine who everyone was modeled on. For example, the woman whom Ira and Mark were interested in seemed to be obviously modeled on Sarah Silverman.
It took me a moment to recognize him too. He looked very different with glasses, and it seems like maybe he has even gained some weight.
I also forgot to mention that while we were watching the film, about a third of the theater walked out on it. The first big group to leave had kids with them though, and I’m thinking they were just retarded for bringing kids into an R-rated movie and then getting all upset that it isn’t really age-appropriate. The next group were young adults / teenagers who were sitting near us and actually texting on their phones during the film - seemed bored out of their minds. My girlfriend wanted to leave in the middle of it too but I insisted on staying just because I paid for the tickets.
I didn’t recognize him until George said something like “Chill, Marshall.” Then it clicked.
I liked the movie OK, I would have liked it more if he would have managed not to do his super irritating voices. In all of the previews and clips I saw he was capable of doing the standup without them.The second he whipped them out I was turned off.
You misspelled “hours.” Ye gads, that was an interminable movie.
I really liked Funny People. I respect Apatow for doing (to me) something so completely different than the other two films that he has directed. I thought both Sandler’s and Rogen’s characters were much more three-dimensional and relatable than you would ever normally see in a film like this. The movie actually choked me up a couple times, too, which usually doesn’t happen to me outside the films that are laying on the sad with both guns blazing, like Up.
Definitely not a typical Apatow production in terms of the funny, and the theatre I was in was pretty quiet for the first 20 minutes or so. It doesn’t have any memorable bust-up moments (i.e. Steve Carrell getting his chest waxed), but I did laugh out loud a lot and found the film charming overall.
By the way, in response to earlier comments that the Adam Sandler character wasn’t supposed to be Sandler, I disagree. Biographical differences notwithstanding, it seems obvious that they adapted the character to Sandler if he wasn’t written that way originally. It was less than flattering (and often very funny), and I respect Sandler for having the sense of humor to mock his own career the way he did.
Slight hijack to fellow Angelenos; I’m fairly new to LA, so forgive me. There’s a scene where the three roomies are hiking, and they stop at a bench that has an awesome view. Where is that? Just saw that same location on Entourage as well, would like to bring some out-of-town visiters there.