This is the End Review

The biggest, brightest and the most prolific stars of modern comedy films play half-real/half-fictional versions of themselves for the Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen directed This is the End. The major characters here are Rogen himself, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride who all attend a party at James Franco’s house. However, during the star studded party, the apocalypse hits and these actors must find a way to survive until they are granted their passage to Heaven.

“I don’t wanna die at James Franco’s house”

The film opens with the self-deprecating humour that will soon become familiar as Seth Rogen is asked about his performances in films and begged to do the ‘annoying’ Rogen laugh. This quickly becomes a theme after the apocalypse arrives as there are many jokes thrown around about some of the casts less successful outings such as Green Hornet, Spider-Man 3 and Your Highness, while also paying tribute to higher points in their careers with the mentions of Moneyball and 127 Hours. Right from the off it becomes clear that this cast has been put together to have fun, they’re not afraid to be themselves or heap criticism on themselves: a very self aware project that reaps the benefits.

 

For the opening act the show completely belongs to one person: Michael Cera. Although he usually plays himself in pretty much every film, Cera takes a step outside of his comfort zone to actually play ‘himself’ and shines as the source of laughter. His new bum slapping, coke fuelled personality is the major highlight of This is the End and Cera really digs in and let loose. This is just one of a number of cameos: Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Watson, David Krumholtz, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd and Channing Tatum (particularly surprising and hilarious) all included.

“We should make a sequel to Pineapple Express“

What becomes clear is that this is not a film that is made for everyone. If you have no knowledge of Rogen’s or Franco’s career and friendship in particular, then this is not the film for you. One of the more frequent points in the film is this friendship and Franco’s love for Seth Rogen. And if you don’t like Pineapple Express (which everyone really should) then you are not going to reap the benefits of the hilarious ‘Pineapple Express 2‘ homemade sequel.

 

Every major character has their time in the spotlight, each being allowed to let loose, have fun and provide laughs. Jonah Hill, however, perhaps has the most stand out points which you can look at even out of the context of the whole film and enjoy: the Milky Bar scene, the exorcism and the incredibly camp gun scene. Everything he does is fantastic.

“Dear God, it’s me, Jonah Hill… from Moneyball“

The end of the world may be a tired storyline but that only benefits This is the End. With no immediate or heavy concerns with storyline the (half-written) script is allowed to entertain on its own merits. The cast are allowed to live within themselves, push their exciting and over the top performance to the very limits all against the backdrop of destruction. There aren’t many scenes where the laughs die down and there certainly aren’t any jokes that misfire or fall flat.

 

You will either love it or hate it. This is one of those films. But if you know what’s good for you, you’ll love it.

 

My Rating: 8/10.

What to Watch – June 2013

Deciding what films to see this month is going to be one tough task. With big blockbusters being released as well as lower budget story heavy features. There’s something for everyone to go and see in June.
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The Stone Roses: Made of Stone – 5th June

Shane Meadows’ documentary about the Manchester rock band is a must see for any fan!
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After Earth – 7th June

I remain unconvinced by this but Will Smith guarantees box office success whether the film is good or not.
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The Iceman – 7th June

The first of two Michael Shannon films released this month; praise has already been high for his performance here as Richard Kuklinski.
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Man of Steel – 14th June

And Michael Shannon plays the villain in Warner Bros. latest attempt to reboot arguably the most boring superhero ever created. Guaranteed box office smash and looks to be the Superman film people have been crying out for.
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Much Ado About Nothing – 14th June

If like me, you are a fan of Marvel and Shakespeare (I appreciate that isn’t a cross section many people anticipate) then Joss Whedon’s take on the famous Shakespeare play is a must see. With Clark Gregg and Nathan Fillion this is the modern sci-fi fan’s biggest wet dream.
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World War Z – 21st June

All the hype so far has been about the poor CGI and uninteresting posters. It’ll be interesting to see if Brad Pitt still has box office appeal – I’m not so sure.
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Despicable Me 2 – 28th June

If you’ve been to the cinema a lot lately you’re probably sick of seeing the teasers for this film, but you have to admit, it does look pretty good. And everyone loves those little minions!
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This is the End – 28th June

James Franco. Seth Rogen. Emma Watson. Jonah Hill. That guy from Pineapple Express and Hot Tub Time Machine. The funny one from Parks and Recreation. Milky Way. I want to see this.

Stiller & Vaughn Star in Red Band Trailer for ‘The Watch’

UK Release Date: 29th August 2012.

The Watch (previously known as Neighbourhood Watch) is an upcoming sci-fi comedy film following the lives of Evan, Bob, Franklin and Jamarcus who make up their town’s neighbourhood watch. They use the neighbourhood watch front as a way to get away from their families but they are forced into real action when they accidentally uncover an alien plot that threatens the world.

The Watch features some of the biggest and best names from comedy in recent years. Akiva Schaffer is the director and he has earned his trade primarily on Saturday Night Live where he has written and directed many of their famous sketches. The script for The Watch is written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the duo behind hits Superbad, The Green Hornet and the fantastic Pineapple Express. The cast brings together Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, veterans of the comedy circuit; Jonah Hill who is currently churning out hit after hit and fast becoming hot property; and Richard Ayoade who is best known for his performance as Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd.

The trailer, I think, looks great! I haven’t been impressed with much of Stiller or Vaughn recently with films such as Little Fockers and The Dilemma coming out in recent years but they both look good in this trailer. Jonah Hill will no doubt be a highlight and his comedy turns in the trailer really highlight his talent and sense of humour.

The premise has the potential for great comedy already; bringing together four guys who just want to stay away from their families for a bit only to end up trying to save the world from an alien invasion is something that should write the comedy itself and with such an experienced cast it should be done easily. The comedy in this red band trailer is very much based on sexual humour and things usually seen as disgusting but these are the things that make majority audiences laugh and it is this that people want to see.

I’m not a huge fan of comedy films usually but this is one that I will be looking forward to!

Pineapple Express (2008) Review

***WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS***

Pineapple Express is one of my favourite films ever! I’m not a big fan of Seth Rogen, I’m not a big fan of Danny McBride but this film is hilarious. It’s not the best film ever made, but it is one that I could watch over and over again and never get bored of.

Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Pineapple Express is about a process server named Dale Denton (Rogen) and his marijuana dealer Saul (James Franco). The two of them end up on the run after Dale witnesses a murder by Saul’s dealer when trying to serve papers on him. Dale and Saul then get caught up in a turf war between two rival drug dealers all because of a rare form of marijuana called Pineapple Express.

Seth Rogen is, obviously, playing the same kind of character he always does but for some reason, in this film, he isn’t as annoying as usual which is a good thing. Danny McBride, for some reason, annoys me an awful lot and I can’t see past that for the sake of this film either. Amber Heard, as Dale’s high school girlfriend, isn’t featured too much but when called upon she does her job. But the main reason making Pineapple Express worth watching is James Franco; he is absolutely brilliant. Franco’s line delivery and all round performance as Saul is hilarious and well worthy of the Golden Globe he was nominated for.

The growing friendship and relationship between Dale and Saul throughout the film is great to watch as the two drug addicted characters become great friends. Their interactions, in particular in the forest whilst on the run, are fantastic. Rogen and Franco have been friends for years in their personal lives and it shows in their chemistry on screen.

The action scenes are hilarious, especially the one that takes place in Red’s house. The final shootout at the end isn’t the best action sequence in the world but the film was shot on a small budget and it just adds to the comedy aspect of Pineapple Express; some of the deaths are unforgettable, you look past how daft they may be and appreciate the quality of the comedy portrayed.

Pineapple Express manages to spoof the great action films of the eighties and nineties with their ending without making it look corny. When Dale carries an injured Saul out of a barn close to explosion it is clear, from the way the scene is shot, this is a reference to old school action movies. An analogy further emphasised when Red manages to crawl out of said barn after being shot ‘like seven times’ and remain alive and well, an obvious reference to action movie heroes being shot at constantly and going through hell to achieve their goals yet at the end of the film they are unscathed.

It’s not the best film in the world, far from it in fact. Pineapple Express, at times, is absolutely ridiculous but it is in the best possible way. It is one of the funniest films I have ever seen and something I could never tire of watching. The comedy quality here is top notch and I would recommend this film to anyone!

My Rating: 8/10