We didn’t get the chance to see SHOOT
‘EM UP at this year’s Con (although everyone who did said it
was the funnest action movie since sliced bread was introduced into
action movies), but tonight, Jim Law, Johnny Moreno and myself were
able to slip into the San Diego Con screening of SUPERBAD,
the latest comedy from the team of Judd Apatow, and directed by Greg
Mottola. The whole gang from the film was in the audience with us,
including its two stars, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, as well as the
director, Apatow himself (who received a standing ‘O’ when
introducing the film, but who humorously added, “Maybe you should
wait until the end of the movie, in case it’s shit”), his lovely
wife Leslie Mann and the great Seth Rogen (making all Canadians very
proud). You can read our very own JimmyO’s review of the film HERE.
The film played like a
pro-bono prostitute would in a
jail, with the entire crowd filled with people ready to laugh and to
enjoy a comedy of outrageousness, including folks like Edgar Wright
and Nick Frost, director and co-star from SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ. All three of us enjoyed the
film a lot, but I gotta admit that I was a little intimidated, as
Mr. Apatow and his wife were literally sitting right behind us. The
audience f*ckin’ loved it, laughing at pretty much every single
line in the movie, which was a ton dirtier than any of its PG
trailers would lead you to believe (check out its Red Band Trailer HERE). Cock jokes are a dime a dozen in
this film which I would describe as a combination of WEIRD SCIENCE,
PORKY’S and REVENGE OF THE NERDS. One of the funnier films that I’ve
seen in a while, although the one obvious missing element: nudity.
Sorry, I had to say it.
At the end of the screening, the entire audience stood up for
yet another standing ovation for the cast and crew, as they all were
introduced and sat in front of the audience for a Q&A session,
which was also a lot of fun and informative at the same time. Some
of the things I retained can be read below, but needless to say,
they were all very funny and a lot like their characters in the film
(Michael Cera was timid yet quite humorous, Jonah Hill was funny and
boisterous and Seth Rogen was the funniest of the bunch, a natural
comedian, who came off a little like Kevin Smith).
After the Q&A, they all left the theatre and while
everyone walked out expecting them to have left to some “party in
the hills”, they actually just stood around in the lobby, talking
to fans, taking pictures and just being all-around down-to-earth
cool people (you can see some of those pics in this article). How fanboy did I
get? Well, while standing next to Rogen waiting for Jim Law to take
the picture, I turned to him and said something along the lines of
“Hey, I’m Canadian too, you know?”
He was gracious of course,
but I’m sure he was thinking, “Dude, so are 30 million other
people!” I told that story to Law later and sadly enough, he
related to me that he too had said the EXACT SAME THING to him.
Apatow and his wife were also very nice and even recognized the site
and had nice things to say about it. All in all, a fun evening,
which could only have been improved by alcohol (much of the film is
about how the teenagers want to drink and it just made us feel like
pulling a few back — which we did, later than evening, of course).
Okay, now to the Q&A!
(l to r) Greg Mottola, Michael Cera, Evan Goldberg, Christopher
Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow
– A sequence in the film featuring
penis drawings was said to be the work of co-screenwriter Evan Goldberg’s brother, a lawyer in real life
– Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the original draft of this screenplay when they were 13 or something (the two lead characters are named Seth and Evan) and while they were hoping to star in it one day, eventually they just became too old for the parts, so Rogen took the part of the cop in the film
instead
– The kid who plays the great “McLovin” in the movie,
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, had never acted in a movie before, but got the part after reading up against Jonah Hill and not backing down from his shit. Hill told the director that he didn’t want the kid to get the part because he was getting on his nerves, and since that’s what he does in the movie, they hired him right then and there. Hill obviously liked him after that.
– Michael Cera only found out that he got the part after Jonah Hill called him and left him a message that they should hang out, as per Judd Apatow’s instructions (since they play best friends in the film, he wanted them to get to know each other better). Cera said that he still had the message saved on his cellular, and after some “egging” from the crowd, tried to pull it up for us. Unfortunately, his cellular wasn’t getting a signal inside the theatre, but the audience shouted to them to include it in the DVD, which they said they would (not sure if they were kidding or not though)
–
Mottola said that almost everything they shot is in the film, and
that they surprisingly had very little resistance from the MPAA, but
agreed that it was probably because there was no nudity. Rogen added
that he wondered if “just
talking”
about doing all these sexual things was the same as showing it, and
obviously, it wasn`t although the film is R-rated for “Pervasive
crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use
and a fantasy/violent image — all involving teens.”
Classic stuff.
– Even though Apatow said that there wouldn’t be anything else coming down the pike for “Freaks and Geeks” (his under appreciated TV show), he did say that SUPERBAD was sort of like that show…but with a
lot more cursing!
– When asked whether or not the film was based on their own lives as teenagers, co-screenwriters Rogen and Goldberg said that some of it was, although obviously not the “gay undertones” and while the scene featuring a girl’s period DID happen to them in real life, it wasn’t exactly like in the movie – I won’t describe it here, as that’s one of the film’s biggest laughs, which they joked about wrapping the entire film around.
– The soundtrack to the movie was also very different from regular “teen movies”
and the director seemed very proud of that fact. It was a great funky soundtrack, as per the film’s title, which is based on a James Brown song. The only “modern rock song” in the film is
“Panama” by Van Halen (great song!), which they all said was a hassle and a half to get the rights to.
–
Michael Cera was asked whether or not there was an “Arrested
Development” movie in the works, but alas, t’was not to be.
Jim Law and Michael Cera