Knocked Up

Judd Apatow Again Fashions Gimmick Into Gold in Uproarious ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:00:19 -0700

CHICAGO – After being blitzed by an onslaught of attention-demanding advertising that begged the question “who is Sarah Marshall?” even before you realized it’s a film, anticipation was ravenous.

It became nothing short of voracious upon learning it’s backed by producer Judd Apatow of “Superbad,” “Knocked Up,” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” fame (also with high hopes for his “Pineapple Express,” which opens on Aug. 8, 2008).

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in our reviews section.

View our huge “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” image gallery.

Through his Apatow Productions company, Apatow has made beaucoup bucks and a mountainous name by banding together the same stooges time and time again. In “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” we’re treated to the return of Bill Hader and Jonah Hill (both in Apatow’s “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” together).

While it’s still early in the year and few films have stood out to date, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” indeed delivers on its hype as the funniest comedy so far in 2008.

Apatow has once again fashioned what could have been cheesy gimmick into delicious gold. In a telltale sign of its riotous good time, Chicago critics have even been promising to return on opening weekend for a second paid viewing with friends.

While first-time filmmaking talent is often a precarious, hit-or-miss gamble, it pays off in spades here.

Kristen Bell as Sarah Marshall in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Jason Segel (left) and Kristen Bell in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” review…

Three Upcoming Marriage Films: ‘Married Life,’ ‘27 Dresses,’ ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:08:53 -0700

If 2007 was the year of the war films, at least a portion of 2008 is focusing on the eternal vows of matrimony.

Without even researching others, three 2008 films on the topic of navigating the ups and downs and marriage have all proactively popped onto my film radar in the last 12 hours alone.

First up we have the romantic drama “The Time Traveler’s Wife” with the adorably talented Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”) and Eric Bana (“Munich,” “Troy”). Here’s the plot outline:

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” is a romantic drama about a Chicago librarian (Eric Bana) with a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel and the complications it creates for his marriage.

First-look production stills have just surfaced for “The Time Traveler’s Wife” on Filmz. I first learned about these from a Jan. 1 /Film post. “The Time Traveler’s Wife” has an unknown 2008 open date.

Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana in “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.
Photo credit: Filmz

Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana in “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.
Photo credit: Filmz

Rachel McAdams in “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.
Photo credit: Filmz

Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.
Photo credit: Filmz
“Married Life,” which is slated to open on March 7, 2008, is next up on the theme. It’s ironically another marriage film again with McAdams.

Rachel McAdams for “Married Life”.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
The film, which is co-written by Ira Sachs and Oren Moverman (a co-writer of “I’m Not There”), stars Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper and McAdams. “Married Life” director Ira Sachs (“Forty Shades of Blue”) will speak with Chicago critics in January. Here’s the plot outline:

It’s a 1940s-set drama where an adulterous man plots his wife’s death instead of putting her through the humiliation of a divorce.

Finally, we have Katherine Heigl who got “Knocked Up” in 2007. She’s always a bridesmaid but never a bride in “27 Dresses” from “The Devil Wears Prada” scribe Aline Brosh McKenna.

Katherine Heigl in “27 Dresses”.
Photo credit: IMDb
The romantic comedy “27 Dresses” is scheduled to hit theaters on Jan. 11. Here’s the plot outline:

After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman (Katherine Heigl) wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister’s side as her sibling marries the man she’s secretly in love with.

John C. Reilly to Perform in Chicago in Character For ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:54:58 -0700

John C. Reilly will perform in Chicago on Thursday at the Cubby Bear (1059 W. Addison) by Wrigley Field in character to pump “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”. The Chicago native stars as Dewey Cox in the film from “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” talent Judd Apatow.

John C. Reilly in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Photo credit: IMDb
The film is directed by Jake Kasdan – the brother of Jon Kasdan (who I interviewed for “In the Land of Women”) – and the son of the legendary “Star Wars” writer Lawrence Kasdan.

The poster for “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Image credit: IMDb
Stay tuned for our full review on “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” from critic Dustin Levell. As a sneak peek into his take, he says it’s one of the funniest films of the year. The film opens on Dec. 21.