I spent a large chunk of yesterday watching The Larry Sanders Show marathon on IFC. A lot of people love the show for the fantastic performances by Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, and Jeffrey Tambor. One of the men behind those performances was Judd Apatow, who directed, produced, and wrote several episodes of the show.
Apatow has been in the entertainment business for decades, but he only recently received mainstream acclaim for movies like The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. His television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared were loved by critics, hipsters, and nerds alike, but didn’t perform well in the ratings department. While Apatow is a household name these days, he flew under the radar during The Larry Sanders Show’s wonder years. Looking back at the the show’s deft writing and directing, it’s clear that Apatow was capable of great and hilarious things. It just took a long, long time before he struck gold (on his own) with a mainstream audience.
Out of curiosity, do you enjoy any of Judd Apatow’s movies or TV programs? Share some of your favorites (please)!
superbad
40 year old virgin
two of the best comedies ever made, imo
I echo what Thundercracker said. Great movies.
The dick drawing part of Superbad will always be funny.
I didn't think SuperBad was funny or good. I put it right there with Napoleon Dynamite, everyone hyped it up so much that when I saw it I felt very let down.
The 40-year-old Virgin had some funny moments but I wouldn't watch it again.
Never seen those TV shows.
Wow. Looking through IMDB I noticed I dislike a TON of his movies:
Anchorman
Kicking & Screaming
Talladega Nights
Knocked Up
Superbad
Walk Hard
Drillbit Taylor
Pineapple Express
Year One
Funny People
I did like:
The Cable Guy (one of my all time favorite movies)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Get Him To The Greek (okay but wouldn't watch again)
I have to agree. I think he is highly overrated and not that funny. Anchorman is the only movie out of that list that I somewhat liked. None of those movies are quality to me at all.
I don't think you can call someone with that kind of box office success overrated.
That's like saying because Avatar has had so much success that you can't call it an expensive and elaborate remake of Pocahontas. I call a spade a spade.
@BSU
It was an expensive and elaborate remake of Dances With Wolves.
Yes, it was. Now that it's on HBO sans 3D, I don't know why people are watching it.
It was an elaborate and expensive remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
I am thinking it was the Lion King (or any other Disney movie). I don't know why but that's what I thought of.
I saw more Pocahontas in that movie than anything else by far.
Poor example. A better one would be you calling James Cameron overrated because you don't like his movies. We were talking about one man's career. Comparing that to a single movie has nothing to do with anything.
I am not trying to compare two people or two movies, simply a way of looking at things. I am talking about something that is not that great of quality being over-hyped and over-liked by a mass amount of people. Whether that 'something' is a person's career or a particular single movie does not matter- the point of the 'something' in question still remains.
I feel that Avatar is an overrated movie in a similar way that I feel the movies spawned from one man's career in that list above are overrated. How does that have nothing to do with anything?
I would have said "Lady Gaga is over-rated."
I would agree that she is as well, but I stuck to another movie that I feel is overrated since we were already talking about movies.
It's a poor example because judging a movie is relatively simple. I don't know — and I don't think you know — how you're judging Apatow. You're making a blanket statement about "the movies spawned from one man’s career", which is simplistic. Are you judging his writing, directing, or producing? Do you even know which movies he "only" produced? Do you know which ones he's written and directed?
Judd Apatow has bee working with a particular style of movies that I do not find funny at all- from the writing, to the directing, to the acting, etc. Kicking and Screaming, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Superbad, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Year One, etc. I could go on with listing actors and movies here, but all of these movies have a particular type of humor (or IMO, lack thereof) which I find highly overrated and choose to stay away from. I have sat through plenty of hours of movies that Judd Apatow has worked with in some way, shape or form to know that I do not care for his writing or his directing. Also, I have similar feelings for most of the actors that star in films that he works with. More than just judging Apatow, I am judging the style of movies for which he seems to have become the public face.
I have no idea why you'd judge a producer or executive producer in such a way. It's really not his or her job to make you laugh.
Furthermore, I see major differences in the movies he writes, the ones he writes and directs, and the ones he produces. The "style" that you refer to is way too broad.
I think Avatar is his worst movie thus far.
Walk Hard was hilarious… but maybe you have to know the life stories of the people it's mocking first to really get it.
Every music person I showed it to end up on the floor laughing.
I'm starting to wonder about your sanity. I love the writing in most of those movies.
@slicky
Yeah Pineapple Express was pretty lame to me. I didn't care for Get Him to the Greek though. Aside from Puff Daddy I didn't laugh. Maybe I don't like that English guy.
I think what made that one funny for me is all the "Hollywood-isms".
First it pokes fun at the music industry (which had me intrigued), but the stuff they poke at that really are just a Hollywood thing is what made me say "Okay, this movie is alright". But, I can totally see why people don't like it.
Pineapple Express was pretty lame to me too. James Franco acted his ass off though (he doesn't smoke in real life).
Then again, maybe I have a low bar for movies.
Speaking of English people…
Go on Netflix and check out "Red Dwarf". Start with season 1 episode 1.
(this recommendation goes for everyone)
You should note the difference between the movies he wrote, directed, and produced.
Didn’t Like-
Executive Producer: Kicking & Screaming
Producer: SuperBad, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Drillbit Taylor, Year One
Producer, Written by: Walk Hard
Producer, Story: Pineapple Express
Producer, Written by, Director: Knocked Up, Funny People
Screenplay/story: Fun With Dick & Jane
Okay or Good-
Producer: The Cable Guy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek
Producer, Written by, Director:The 40-year-old Virgin
Written By: You Don't Mess with the Zohan
I might have to stop playing WordFeud with you. I loved Funny People, SuperBad, Anchorman, The 40-Year Old Virgin, and Knocked Up. The Larry Sanders Show was fantastic and paved the way for shows that mix comedy and reality (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, etc.).
im with ray
comedy is my favorite genre of movie, by far.
forgetting sarah marshall, superbad (anything with bill hader is great) ..and the FYOV were all masterpieces.
I will agree with slicky that there are some movies which i dont care for on that list…but anchorman was bad? Sex panther? nothing?