Have you ever wanted to make a smash comedy hit, just like Director/Producer/”Writer” Judd Apatow? Now you can! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to crafting a wry, witty, irreverent romantic comedy chock full of heart, without ever having to generate a single fresh concept!
Difficulty: Can be tricky the first time, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you can pump them out yearly.
Time: 6 months (4 hours for scripting and casting, a weekend for shooting, and 5 months and 28 days for editing, advertising and “make ‘em wait” time).
Things You Will Need:
1. The Script: Your script is the blueprint for your film, and will define it down to the last detail. A carefully constructed script will show everyone involved that you have taken great care to craft your film deliberately and with a clear vision. Just kidding! Usually throwing together a few ideas on a cocktail napkin with your buddies the night before a pitch meeting will do the trick. And don’t worry, you can still give yourself a screenwriting credit.
When jotting, you’ll basically want to get a protagonist, a problem, and half of a character arc. To create your protagonist, simply take yourself (unless you are a woman, in which case take yourself with a penis), then graft on a glaring flaw that would have made you the subject of fun in High School (a virgin, fat and lazy, a complete pussy).
Make sure it’s a flaw that doesn’t prevent them from being charming (such as “face burnt off” or “is Hitler”) and can be easily solved in fifteen minutes (has sex, decides not to be lazy, has sex with Mila Kunis). Do not expect your protagonist to be more charming than Paul Rudd. This is not necessary, nor is it possible.
Now that you’ve got your protagonist, pick a girl from your High School yearbook that you always had a crush on. Put her in the script. Congratulations, you are done!
You have a main character (you), a minor problem (you’re mildly undesireable), and a conflict to drive the story (you’d like to sleep with a woman, and yet you’ve got that mild undesirability to deal with). The rest will work itself out in editing.
2. Casting: First, get drunk and watch some episodes of that old beloved failed TV series. Become nostalgic, call up one of the lead actors you haven’t seen in a while, and offer him the lead role in your new movie. This has several benefits: you’ve already got their phone number right on you, the shooting process is that much more like your old Frat days, and you know they’ll be grateful for the part. Sometimes they’ll even write the script for you, in which case you can just give them the cocktail napkin and let them go nuts.
But try not to give the same actor the lead role in more than one movie; they tend to get uppity. Remember, you’re the star here; they’re just the medium for your genius. If all of your friends are busy, give Steve Carrel a shot. He’s a decent guy, and Rudd vouches for him.
Now populate the rest of the film with as many male bit players from your previous films as possible. A good method is to put the names of all the people you regularly go drinking with on a wheel, then spin it and match them to characters. And don’t worry, you don’t need to generate character traits for all these people; they can still play themselves, just in new costumes and with new jobs. Pepper in the occasional popular TV comedian, and your male cast is complete.
As for the female cast, DO NOT use the wheel method. If you can help it, you should never reuse an actress; people want new eye candy, and all actresses are equally funny (which is to say, as funny as the guy they are in a scene with). Since the protagonist is based on you and will want to sleep with these women, try and cast women you’d want to sleep with. This has the added benefit that sometimes you get to sleep with them.
3. Shooting: The key here is quantity. You haven’t written any funny lines yet, but if you get enough footage of the actors saying things, chances are some of the things they say will be funny. You’ve got your premise (you with a minor flaw would like to sleep with a pretty lady), and that’s enough to start.
Let the actors work; all you need to do is roll camera and change angle occasionally so you can edit it all together later. And don’t worry about continuity errors or making motivated cinematography choices; remember, this is a comedy, and most of the audience will be high. You’re not Joel Coen, for God’s sake.
A few tips:
Start rolling Saturday morning, and you should be done in time for Sunday brunch. Just remember to get a LOT of footage. You’ll need it for…
4. Editing: This is where the funny comes together. Pack some snacks and a hefty bowl, because you’re about to watch dozens of hours of boring footage. The trick is to sift out the few funny line deliveries in each location and string them together haphazardly. This creates a “scene.” Edit a number of scenes, put them in rough order (from the beginning to the point where the protagonist solves his minor problem and convinces a woman to have sex with him or, for a twist, have sex with him again), and you’ve got yourself a movie.
But how to tell which lines are funny? You may be tempted to judge a line based on the words being said, what they mean, etc. This is the “content” of the line, and is unimportant. Funny doesn’t come from people spouting clever jokes, it comes from people saying things in a funny way. And because the actors were improvising their lines, a lot of deliveries may be awkward, stilted, or contain false starts or stuttering. This is comedy.
5. Advertising: When promoting your film, remember that your target audience doesn’t have a lot of time to waste staring at non-blacklit posters. Accommodate them by either blacklighting all of your posters (can be cost-prohibitive) or, more likely, keeping things simple. Follow this basic photoshop tutorial to generate a killer one-sheet:
1. Take a photograph of your main character.
2. Using the pen tool, cut the actor out of the photo.
3. Using the gradient tool, create a circular gradient behind the actor’s head.
4. Add appropriate text.
If your lead actor is too ugly to appear on the poster, consider non-image-based alternatives:
When not blogging for Cracked, Michael drily analyzes things he wishes he had made as head writer and co-founder of Those Aren’t Muskets!
This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 8:00 am and is filed under Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judd Apatow. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 8:17 pm
When a comedian makes fun of other comedians who are neither untalented or formerly talented hacks it just makes them look petty and jealous, regardless of the potential levity of their comments.
I know this is an old article, but I lost a lot of respect for you Swain, for this.
August 23rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Fioricet…
An interesting post by a bloger made me ……
August 12th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Microzide…
An interesting post by a bloger made me ……
July 31st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I completely understand how one can love something and make fun of it at the same time. I didn’t get the impression Swaim is an Apatow hater….a mangy, meth soaked bum maybe, but not a Apatow hater. Have you never seen a Roast before?
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
okay, i’ve read this article a few times, and the one thing that bugs me is the thing about picking a cast from some old, failed tv show. judd apatow was executive producer for the show, so he obviously would want to work with people he knows. ok, sorry, i just had to let that off my chest.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
So… Being a big Apatow fan for a while now… I read this article and lol’d…. I find most of his movies very funny, and actually think he does a good job of balancing between exaggerated, yet realistic comedies (40 YOV, FSM, Superbad, Knocked Up) with movies that conceptually are absolutely ridiculous (Anchorman, Drillbit, Dewey Cox, Talladega Nights) yet still entertain. I think he has his niche, and definitely follows a bit of a formula (cast especially) but I think many people overlook the differences in some of the humor, and situational comedy… I think the jokes, albeit sometimes crude, and predictable, provide a good look into the everyday life of the protagonist, and by contrast make the eventual transformation more noticeable, i.e Rogen in Knocked Up finally owning up to his responsibilities as a potential father/husband, and finally acting as an adult, regardless of the path his friends continue to lead.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I can’t say I’m shocked by the disproportionate responses to any criticism of this Judd fella. This is the internet after all. Even so, are people really that devoted to him? Really? He’s a director. Of comedy films. It’s really not that big a deal. Really, it isn’t.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
First off…Phoneix, good lord, that echo makes it hard to understand you. If you could crawl even a little bit out of Swaim’s ass you would be way more audible. Anyways, I completely understand how one can love something and make fun of it at the same time. I didn’t get the impression Swaim is an Apatow hater….a mangy, meth soaked bum maybe, but not a Apatow hater. Have you never seen a Roast before? I never got the impression that Jeffrey Ross secretly hated Bob Saget and was actually envious of his career…but I guess that creates more questions than answers…Does anyone envy Bob Saget’s”career”? But I digress. Flattery through insult would be my thesis of this paragraph.
And also, Apatow knows he dosen’t really do more than write outlines of what is suppose to happen while the actors make up the lines. He says so himself in the 40 Year Old Virgin commentary….holy fuck I watched the 40 Year Old Virgin commentary…that just sunk in like a bad bad hangover.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Please tell me the Three Amigos comment was meant to be ironic! If you’re like 10 (as I was then) maybe I could forgive your terrible taste in comedies. I, for one, loved 40 Year Old and Knocked Up. Superbad was just Bad - nothin’ super about it. The Rocker looks lame, too. So, Apatow had his moment, not unlike Reiner’s The Jerk/Spinal Tap Era. The moment has passed and we’re stuck with Jonah Hill. Although he has a small part in my favorite recent movie; Grandma’s Boy.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Aaaaaaaaaand, we have another.
http://www.cinematical.com/media/2008/05/rockerposter.jpg
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Discount Wedding Dress…
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….
May 14th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Bumbo Seats…
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….
May 9th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Obagi Blue Peel…
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….
May 6th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
[...] movie works this way. All of them. Which made me laugh out loud when I read the Cracked article How to Make Your Own Judd Apatow Movie. It’s so true! I’m sure Sandler’s upcoming You Don’t Mess with the Zohan [...]
May 6th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
[...] of me finally seeing Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you should all go and check out the step-by-step instructions. A pull quote of my favourite of the steps. How To Make Your Own Judd Apatow [...]
May 4th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Even though this is far fetched and out of control I laughed the whole thread
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
This is halirious. However, so far I’ve found that my jury is out on Judd Apatow as of yet. I guess I’ve just developed a degenerating taste for movies after repeatedly looking for what’s playing and saying ‘Nothing I’m extremely interested in… I guess I’ll just see this one then’. What makes his movies ‘funny’ is that they’re familiar, at least to me. No, they’re not very creative, and sadly, quite formulaic, but I can honestly say that whatever laughs I can glean from these movies are ‘I remember saying/doing (stuff like) that in high school’ quasi-nostalgic grins.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Nice blog bro. Keep makin me with the belly laughs. Keep it up and people will be knocking, just don’t turn into a jackass.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I’m a little taken aback by all these hate replies towards the writer. I too am very impressed with the work that Apatow and his crew put out, but I will admit I got a slight chuckle out of this blog post.
Although extremely sarcastic and satirical, Swaim is only throwing out his comedic perspective on the (and we all know it is true) predictable nature of an Apatow movie. What surprises me is the fact that he has stated multiple times that he is an Apatow fan and was only looking for material to write about…
Anyways, just gonna throw out FSM/Knocked Up > 40 YOV > Superbad. Thanks for your time.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
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April 27th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
movies are usually entertaining.
people put a lot of work into them.
download them for free and watch them.
if they’re good, support the creators by purchasing them.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I’m confused. If you are such a genius, and you’ve got the formula figured out, why don’t you just go make your own successful comedy film?
Oh wait. You sit around all day blogging and criticizing the movies of others.
Next time try “How To Make Your Own Blog.” Step One: Not have a life. Step Two: Look at people who are successful and mock their work.
I could go on, but criticizing you is as pathetic as you criticizing the Apatow movies. So I’ll stop and go back to my real job.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Dear Michael Swaim,
Im a journalism student and I’d like to say I love the way you write! If I can ever get a job writing articles like this one, I’ll die a happy man. Im a huge fan of sarcasm and satire and you nailed it.
Although your theories are probably more or less correct, I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of Apatow films. They are the elite comedies of this generation.
Cheers.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:34 am
wow jealous much… How many people read your blog? You must be an awesome writer. I’m so glad there are people like you out there to get mad that someone else makes movies that millions of people go to see. Please I can’t wait to see your sequel to this article “Why I Hate People That Wear Shirts With Slogans”. You’re just so cool. Damn, please be my friend.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:10 am
put it this way without judd apatow movies
all we would have is terrible remakes and adaptions
and those dreadful spoof movies
but with apatow we have something decent
April 26th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
“I am going to defend michael swaim and his comedy genious that has yet to be rewarded in retarded mainstream hollywood, except that he is my friend and I know for a fact that he is very smart, hardworking and funny and that he will be successful.”
hahahaha
I’m so glad this idiots mum is getting to put in her two cents- you know, defend her boy and all. But if what she says was true, then he’d be busy creating something through the medium of film rather than expressing his trite opinions through an internet blog.
Seriously, that was an exhausting and very unfunny read. You should really look into other career prospects. Maybe try writing for the news?
Lame blog, but hilarious responses. So not a completely bad start to the day.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
You are a failure.
April 26th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
So let me get this straight - you like Apatow’s films, but you write an article that pisses all over them, apparently in the name of satire. Isn’t it time to say “gotcha” to all the Apatow-haters who have been fooled into thinking you’re a kindred spirit?
I tell ya, I wish comedy were as easy as Apatow and company make it seem. Ironically, your article actually proves the old adage, “Comedy is hard.” I will grudgingly admit that I might have found it funny if I hated Apatow’s films. Haters are much easier to amuse.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:25 am
jeezus christ- all you commenters bringing down swaim is pretty brutal. Congratulations on the whole swaim could “only dream of being 1/1000″ as funny as apatow jerks. Like you arrogant assumptive assholes know anything about what he does or is capable of doing besides writing his hilarious blog posts. Personally I have seen two full length plays this guy wrote, produced, directed AND starred in (the latter of which apatow can’t do), and they were both fucking hilarious, witty and original. So just like how all you loyal apatow fanatics are banding together to defend him, I am going to defend michael swaim and his comedy genious that has yet to be rewarded in retarded mainstream hollywood, except that he is my friend and I know for a fact that he is very smart, hardworking and funny and that he will be successful.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:38 am
It is sad. I did really like the 40 year old Virgin and still do, but everything since has gone SO FAR DOWNHILL. It is just the same thing, over and over, and the same stupid jokes about dirty sanchezes (?!?) and ball sweat OVER AND OVER AND OVER. It feels totally soul-less and just like every other Hollywood comedy out there. I expected more from the guy who made Freaks and Geeks.
Buh. Oof.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Hmm, we’re calling Apatow a one-trick pony now? All he’s done is claim a tired genre and revitalized it. Besides, he’s only directed two of those movies. Doesn’t Woody Allen also make a lot of similar films (a bunch of people talking for 90 minutes), too? Nobody complains there.
April 26th, 2008 at 4:59 am
Bitter much?
April 26th, 2008 at 3:45 am
i totally understand if you have something against people making somewhat predictable comedy movies, but i’m not sure they’re the genre touting the “SURPRISE ENDING THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!!!”
and also, judd apatow is making money. LOTS. “Hey! I’m a writer for a funny website! the ideas for judd apatow movies are soooo simple…he just thought of them before me. Let’s bring him down a peg…” i think there’s a hint of jealousy tucked away in here somewhere…
April 25th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Fuck you. Judd is the shit, and if you had 1/100 of the talent he and his crew has you would blow you head off for writing such a stupid fucking article.
By the way fuck you!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Except Apatow didn’t direct Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Nice try though.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
anyone else just happy the the rated-R-movie is finally back?
April 25th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Yeah, I liked Judd Apatow when he first started…but as time has gone on, all he’s done is make and produce the same film over and over again!
April 25th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Amen. Ah-fricking-men. Apatow’s films are about the least original out there these days…….but he’s laughing all the way to the bank, and the studio is 1000% behind him because they all generate zillions at the box office. Apatow is the cockroach that can never be squashed or killed with spray. His films don’t have ‘leading men.’ They have ‘pothead boys.’
April 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I like all of those movies, but I’ve been noticing the formula for awhile. You put into words what I’ve been thinking. Bravo!
April 25th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Ouch..this thing is harsh
scott - http://wearemoviegeeks.com
April 25th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Thank you for writing this! It’s like I found the one person who sees the mediocrity and shit that is Judd Apatow. I mean, if you’ve seen the movie poster for “The 40-Year Old Virgin”, is there any reason to see the movie, since it’s just an extension of the image?
April 25th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
[...] to make your own Judd Apatow [...]
April 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Bitter, Bitter, kind of witty but mostly Bitter. Maybe you should try getting a job on the next movie, or did you try that already and hence the bitterness?
April 25th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Man, you guys are too cool for school.
Maybe one day I’ll be smart enough to figure out that if something becomes popular or mainstream it must mean that it’s crap.
Unfortunately, your attempt at satire just comes off as petty jealousy.
If it’s so easy make your own damn movie.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Hack writing. Find someone that is doing something you wish you could be and then try to cut them down, even though they are extremely popular and successful.
This site even cut down Robin Williams for Christ sake. It now has no legitimacy at all. And yes, I understand the tongue and cheek, its just so played out.
Try writing a screenplay and making a move instead of this tired bullshit writing.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] How To Make Your Own Judd Apatow Movie [...]
April 25th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Most of what you said is true, but on the other hand, Superbad, 40 Year Old Virgin, and Knocked Up were all very funny. Even Dewey Cox was pretty good. Sure, they’re so formulaic that his films will get old and stale before long, but that even happened to Mel Brooks after a decade or two.
What Apatow has to offer might largely appeal to frat boy stoners (a larger demographic than you may think) and might be politically questionable (your point about the women in his movies rang especially true), but they’re funny as all hell.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:33 am
That was a pretty smarmy article. It reads like something straight from the mouth of Greg Marmalard from Animal House. As bitter as turnip juice.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:58 am
This article doesn’t reek of jealous contempt at all.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:27 am
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April 25th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Normally this is the kind of thing failed screen writers tell their friends at Starbucks, except that this guy doesn’t have any, so he wrote it in this blog. Funny how, simple as the formula seems to be, you can’t get any laughs and no one is going to pay 10 bucks (plus popcorn) to read your next post.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Oh, how droll. Let’s target a Hollywood type who’s developed a successful franchise, and brainlessly take pot shots. Sorry, didn’t even smile at your article. It comes across as bitter, not funny.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
[...] that the comedies are getting repetitive through a very creative process of coming up with a “How To Make Your Own Judd Apatow Movie” guide. It’s an amusing article, if a little bit unnecessarily mean-spirited, and thinks it’s [...]
April 24th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
[...] For those of you in “the biz,” here’s a cheat sheet on how to create a Judd Apatow [...]
April 24th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
[...] how to make your own Judd Apatow movie in 5 Easy [...]
April 24th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Michael:
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April 24th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Like just about all of Cracked’s lists or whatever these are, not funny, too obvious, and full of hater juice. Stop forcing your failed screenplay-writing selves on the world.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Don’t forget to make the female characters boring, shrill, bitchy, unlikeable…or some combination thereof.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:29 am
this article isnt even that funny or insightful. my only problem with apatow’s films is his lack of women comedians.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:34 am
I’m surprised that Apatow even bothers to cast women. What? Don’t any of his friends look good in a dress? Seth Rogan could’ve played the pregnant woman in Knocked Up. He already has the belly for it.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Substitute Me?
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
How about a down on his luck, nice guy, twenty-something high school teacher (Seth Rogen) thinks he’ll never find true love. His roommate, a fellow high school teacher (Paul Rudd), who tries to sleep with his female students once they turn 18, tells him to sleep around. Just when the original character loses hope, a hot substitute teacher (insert young, up-and-coming actress) is brought in to teach the class of an odrulder teacher who has left for medical reasons. The substitute teacher loves Dave Matthews Band and drives a VW. She also lives in a trendy, well decorated apartment despite her substitute teacher salary. Seth Rogen’s character is afraid to ask her out so Rudd does it for him. He also mentiones that Rogen has a huge package, which may or may not be shown. Add in a few dates at upscale restaurants, an ex-fiancee played by Jason Segel, Rogen’s brother played by Jonah Hill, Rogen being caught with another girl in an “it’s not what it looks like” moment and you have what leads up the ending. After Rogen is told it’s over, Segel takes the girl to a DMB concert and Rogen gets on stage to profess his love. And she accepts. Now all it needs is a title.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
[...] to make your own Judd Apatow [...]
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
[...] How to Make Your Own Judd Apatow Movie [...]
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
also he doesn’t own a mac- he feebly borrows one. He is a PC owner!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
If you knew michael at all you would know he likes wraps not sandwiches.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Totally approve of the article. I’ve loved Judd Apatow’s stuff since “Undeclared” (only recently got into F&G), and I’ve loved Mikey Swaim since that day that we made sweet, oh we made such sweet sweet sandwiches. I also approve of the fact that Mr. Swaim CLEARLY owns a Mac, hence the mirror-image. Oh PhotoBooth, I know you well. Total Mac Domination!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
A I the only one that sees references to my own life in these movies? Subtle things that a lot of guys do and girls hate… like eat cereal out of monster truck-sized bowls or break things (like fluorescent lights) with friends just because its mildly amusing? The one-liners are great but seeing myself in these ridiculous characters is the best part, I feel like I could be their friend (though once the movie’s over I realize that I couldn’t… because I’m no where near as funny).
Either way this article is quite good but there’s a lot to love in these movies as well. Nothing wrong with picking apart your favorite things.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 am
[...] “How To Make Your Own Judd Apatow Movie” breaks down the film making process that Apatow could be using to pump out these hits at a rate faster than The Beatles produced albums. [...]
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:34 am
He is quite a guy!!! He was said to have a personal account on a Luxury online service Wealthy Kiss.c o m for successful and celebs singles with his hot pictures and blog there. Quite a few hot girls and ladies wrote to him.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:48 am
I’m the best, fuck my vest. Eat a pest. Do the Mest. Drink off my chest. Die the best!
I’m a witch, you’re a bitch, he’s a ditch, we’re in stitch. Do the switch. Bite my witch!
Fuck my ass! In the Class! With the Bass! Make some Gas! Take out the trash!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:42 am
I’m pretty sure everyone that posts comments on this website are required, without exception, to be very, very drunk.
I am proud to say I passed the screening process without any difficult whatsoever.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pm
[...] How to make your own Judd Apatow movie. [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
to the narrow minded feminist-
aptaw clearly isnt writing for you.
way to not be a target audience.
and anyway, its not like they dont make boys into sexual objects. dumbass.
hot people bring in the dolla.
so yeah 40 yov was pretty funny. knocked up. meh.
i even had high (get it?) hopes for super bad, because i <3 micheal cera (because of AD) but it was well.. yeah.
i think aptaws jokes get pretty old. it feels like im watching the same movie over and over.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:06 pm
[...] to make a smash comedy hit, just like Director/Producer/”Writer” Judd Apatow? Now you can! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to crafting a wry, witty, irreverent romantic comedy chock full of [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:36 pm
[...] Leticia and Amanda once they’re finished with the show (oh yes, I watch too). Luckily for us, Cracked came up with a list of easy-to-follow instructions that way you (and we won’t tell everyone [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
his movies are funny, although while trying to place emphasis on the scenes being ‘realistic conversation between buddies’ , i feel he achieves this, as chatting with my friends is similar in hilarity…………….however, he does go majorly overboard on the swearing. a little is good and funny, but i mean every third word out of jonah hills mouth just seems forced
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
LMAO, this article is too true
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
also, sarah marshall was fucking hillarious. the ads make it look shitty but dont let them stop you from seeing it.
also swaim, are you dumb enough to think that the people that write and act in the movie are the people making the posters and trailers? The people who market the movies have probably never been in the same room as Apatow.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
p.s.
i need to go get some fucking pancakes
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
i never said you hated him Swaim, i said you were jealous of him. your envy of Apatow is thick enough to drizzle over my morning pancakes.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
We agree, Michael Swaim IS in fact a fantastic lover. He was so gentle, always asking us if we were comfortable or needed another drink. We love you Michael. Thank you for making gay sex feel so right !!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Michael Swaim is a fantastic lover.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Yeah! Me too!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I humbly and willingly recant the comments I’ve just made. I was a fool to question you.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Yeah!
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Swaim and Frost sitting in a tree.. K-I-S-S-I-N-G…
Is frost Swaim’s stalker from the Chops blog?
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Hey, fuck you Swaim. You’re just jealous.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
ZIIIINNNGGGGGGGGG!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I like Judd Apatow. You can make fun of someone you like. The inverse of this principle, for example, bars me from making fun of you.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Just because a director has a good perspective of how to do comedy does not mean it is any less genius. Every decade or so there is a type of comedy that reigns supreme. In the mid 90s it was cameos and austin powers type movies. In the early 90’s, 80’s it was smart asses, jackasses, and slapstick. Comedy changes depending on the lifestyles changing all over the world. For example, the reason Apatow’s comedy is actually hilarious is because people are sick of “real world” bullshit on tv. It is sort of an escape from the fake shit on tv to put on actors who really aren’t actors, but just people. You put a well known actor in any of his movies, instant stupidity… cameos however are fine.
Also, I will not agree with you on the whole poster thing, thats jsut stupid. superbad had a few guys’s shadow in a 70’s scene. Knocked up was the only movie that had that whole 1 guy on the cover thing. Sarah Marshall’s was done like that months and months ago before any other advertisement as clues to what is to come. When I first saw that I was quite confused, and honestly, those letters on the poster made me curious to go to the website, even before I knew it was apatow. All in all, all of his movies are an 80% or better on RT, and does that prove something… YES!. That most competent movie reviewers like his work, and have not gotten sick of it, because there haven’t been any movies like that before this. It is not cliche if it is a new style… you idiot.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
i like that this entire article is an indictment on judd’s particular style of humor and yet it’s coming from the crew at cracked…at least judd has an identity. cracked got started as a mad magazine imitator and after about 40 years of steadily declining readership, they switched to a Maxim style magazine. Once that failed, they stuck with this website which is basically composed of 90% lame lists that no one really cares about and about 10% links to someone else’s content. every once in a while, some jackass posts something of their own because they want to bitch about someone or something.
honestly, i’m not all that excited about “forgetting sarah marshall” but i also realize that there are a lot worse people that are successful in hollywood, there are a lot more formulaic filmmakers, and god knows there are plenty of no talent hacks…i don’t really consider judd to be anywhere near the bottom of the barrel. unlike the guy who wrote this article, who is actually responsible for some of the most mind numbingly non-funny crap i’ve ever seen….the 11 most unintentionally poignant drunk celebrity videos? the 8 most common sci-fi visions of the future (and why they’ll never happen)
i’m just sayin…judd’s been around a long time, he’s been through some ups and downs along the way…why don’t you get off his back and go back to watching beverly hills ninja, while you long for the days when “movies were actually funny”
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
He is the John Hughs of our generation.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
hey, you go find some funny ladies and someone will put them in a movie…. and no, jeneane garafaflfofloflo doesn’t count.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:58 am
i get it… these movies are written by and for dudes. i get it, they call eachother gay a lot (see, its funny bc they’re NOT gay but they’re calling eachother gay! GET IT?!), talk about trying to fuck hot, but slightly quirky girls, and generally have good ‘dude, bro’ quality time together. it’s fucking old. as a woman, i’m SO SICK of seeing all the ladies in these films be used as masturbation material. i get it, dudes like hot girls - but what about seeing some funny ladies that carry a movie? or written by funny ladies - that understand there’s more to talk about than periods, shoes, or hot dudes. but somehow Apatow gets away with talking only about “DUDES AND THEIR DUDENESS.” come on. it’s a fucking COP OUT instead of writing something truly smart and clever.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 am
Too many untalented Jews making TV and Movies because of they run Hollywood like a mob.
Time for an entertainment intifada.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
[...] Friends, alcohol, weed and some women you want to have sex with. Yes, it’s that easy.http://www.cracked.com/blog/2008/04/21/how-to-make-your-own-judd-apatow-movie/” rel=”dc:… [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:09 am
Freaks and Geeks sucked.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
I won’t knock directors for using improv in their movies. Often, sponteneity is funnier than scripted dialogue. Just look at movies like This Is Spinal Tap. I guess it all depends on how good the actors are, versus what type of movie it is, and how often it replaces plot with tangential entertainment.
(Hey, I got to use tangential in a sentence today!)
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:45 am
[...] How to make a Judd Apatow Movie in 5 Easy Steps: Things You Will Need: [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 am
How can that be writing?
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 am
Yeah the movies turn out ok. But honestly, I’ve heard people say “Judd Apatow writes hilarious movies, it’s so funny how the actors improv their lines.”
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 am
If you really want to see people flip out, suggest that Freaks and Geeks sucked. You will have the weight of the entire internet crash down upon you.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:43 am
You forgot “Make sure the title can sum up the main plot/problem. Your audience will have to idea what the movie is about otherwise.”
I’ve only ever seen 40Y-O-V, so I may not know anough about his work to judge it, but this was funny still.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 am
How to be a Cracked Blogger who gets all the awesome flame filled comments:
Arrested Development Sucks, Kurt Cobain sucks, black people suck, Guitar hero sucks, Judd Apatow sucks
Hannah Montana, Expensive Hats, Weiner Poopie, Racist drawing of a mexican boy gluing himself to his bed
End Scene
Hooray! That post would have been the highest commented article on the cracke blog ever. Way more than 300 posts. That would make enough for anal PLUS reach around!
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 am
mike,
i don’t understand why comic-on-comic action unpermitted? is comedy not a part of culture? also, did you read the whole post? i came out thinking swaim had a high regard for apatow.
its obvious comedians find a formula and pull it off everytime. will farrell does a cocky robert goulet. zack gallafinakis does awkward angry. bobcat goldthwait yelled a lot.
it says a great deal about how deeply you’ve thought about comedy if A. you are taken aback by anyone’s (especially a comic’s) observation/scrutiny of another comic’s toolkit (especially ones in the public eye) and B. assume comedians hide their agendas in the subtext of their writings. every person i’ve dared to call a comedian isn’t as subtle if loathing and hatred is their main motivation.
if swaim hated apatow, it would sound like a Daniel O’Brien post, complete with defacing links and pictures of apatow with a MSPaint dick on his forehead. Obviously he’s jealous. Shit, i am. the man probably lives like a rapper.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 am
Yeah, I thought about that when writing the post. Although after seeing Sarah Marshall, Segel does kind of have a freckles thing going on. Seth’s a little chubby, but at least he’s got that nice soft baby look to him.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 am
“If your lead actor is too ugly to appear on the poster, consider non-image-based alternatives.”
But Seth Rogen had a face poster. So are you saying that Jason Segel is uglier than Seth Rogen? Because, objectively speaking, that simply isn’t true.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 am
I feel left out because I don’t watch shitty movies, so I don’t understand anything in this post.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:37 am
Saw the posters and banners on bridges for that Sarah Marshall movie and decided not to watch it.
Any wonder I stopped watching mainstream or even indie releases and buying random movies from the import store with no English text on them.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 am
Swaim, hers the problem. When internet bloggers like you talk about what a watse of carbon matter Tila Tequila is or how much -insert hated celebrity name here- deserves to get aids, its all good, but when you insult people in your field of work, COMEDY, you can come off sounding not like a witty critic rising above our dumb pop culture obsessed culture, but rather like someone petty and bitter, asking, “Why him and not me?”, pissed off because someone you personally dont find funny is making hollywood blockbusters and millions of dollars while your writing for cracked making as much as a Guatamalan factory worker. Thats not to say your forbidden from critisizing other comics; there are plenty of hacks out there who have no business trying to make people laugh. Your not one of them, i love your blogs and dididnt mean to suggest that i didnt, i think youve got a hell of a comedic mind, but Apatow and his crew are funnier than you. Deal with it.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I love Those Aren’t Muskets. I don’t know what mike has against it, but I watch Super Smash Bros Theatre at least twice a week. Also, have you guys seen the tall hotties on tallmingle.com?
April 21st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
“That was long winded, and nobody read it. Toodles.”
Dammit! I already did!! You should put that on top buddy. Also, Mr. Python always did have a fondness for the same guys! Thanks, I really didn’t take much notice until you brought that up! Travis you is the goodest!
April 21st, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I don’t think Commendatore Swaim was doing anything other than saying that Judd Apatow’s films are pretty formulaic. Which they are.
Also. Kudos, Commendatore Swaim. Well written and funny.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I can’t tell if this is simply poking fun at something the writer also enjoys, or if the writer is saying “Why the hell do people like these movies?” I want to preface with that, because as an internet fanboy, I get all butthurt over stupid bullshit that I will die never remembering. Ever.
But.
This guy never claimed to be a genius. He’s not pretentious or an asshole. He just makes movies with the type of humor that he and his friends find funny, and people tended to agree. The Juno article was funny because it was all true. It was pretentious and derivative and hipster enough to make you want to vomit. (I still liked it, because I eat that shit up like it’s covered in caramel.) But Judd Apatow made his own brand of humor, complete original, much like Monty Python (who by the way was made of the same people over and over as well), Mel Brooks (spoof movies! as far as the eye can see!), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (dick joke. political opinion. life lesson. rinse. repeat.) and I would consider them all geniuses of their craft. And similarly, you know what you’re getting into when sit down and watch any of their stuff.
And just because a movie has a simple plot line, doesn’t make it bad. The Big Lebowski: Stoned-out slacker gets his rug stolen, and goes on an adventure. Punch Drunk Love: Neurotic guy falls in love, buys pudding. Lord of the Rings: Short hairy dude has to throw a ring into something.
Don’t be mad at Judd just because a bunch of fratboy douchebags will not stop saying “Stay classy San Diego!” eight years after the fact. I’m not mad at Tim Burton because Hot Topic slaves wear wrist bands with Jack Skellington on them.
That was long winded, and nobody read it. Toodles.
P.S. - The simple poster thing is just marketing. And it’s fucking effective. Ask any graphic designer, simple packaging/cover design is working right now because everything is so gluttered with splashes and face and fonts and what not. Judd Apatow knows how to market himself, damn him!
April 21st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
“Despite the fact that you look high out of your mind, that is.”
See I said it looked like a fucking mug shot.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Yes, how dare all these really funny movies have similar types of humor!? It’s like Mel Brooks and Monty Python. Oh, wait, I think I hit a nerve.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Despite the fact that you look high out of your mind, that is.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Swaim! Longtime Cracked reader, first time commenter… this was hilarious. I love your blogs.
Plus, is that you in the photo booth picture? I never realized you were so cute!
April 21st, 2008 at 10:23 pm
haha
“this guy”
April 21st, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Mike, it’s rhetoric like yours that raises children like you. And I think you meant “dime a dozen,” not “one in a million.” And I think you meant “you’re” a lot in there. And other stuff, but I don’t want to rag on someone clearly a thousand times more talented than I can ever hope to be. That would be petty.
Also, fuck, I knew it was “Coen.” Changing now.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I think Michael Swaim is very talented. Love those non-Muskets, warts and all….
April 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I know it was facetious, still hurts … still hurts.
April 21st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
anchorman SUCKED
April 21st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I’ll tell you something else Swaim , you got Homer Simpson’s profile on top of your head in those pictures.
April 21st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
What’s weird about Judd Apatow is the movies his name is most connected to generally suck but the ones you realize he worked on on IMDB (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) are 93028405832095x better than any superbad or knocked up could even come close to.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Kingmonkey+1 - Fudgee-O Cookies? What is this Fudgee-O Cookies of yours? I do not know of such…
April 21st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
my 2 inch member couldnt reach the blades
April 21st, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Your dick?
April 21st, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Kelby - No. Even retards didn’t find that movie funny.
Judd Apatow and Quentin Tarantino should be locked up for giving total losers the hope they could become famous film makers. They won the Dork Lottery folks. Envy or despise, don’t try and emulate.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
i tried but i was too small
April 21st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Mike, please do so.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
also, your blogs are hillarious and expertly written, but Those Arent Muskets is the single worst thing i have ever seen in my life. Im talking, Holocasut bad. Please focus on writing because every video you have evr made or been associated with makes me want to stick my dick in a woodchipper.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Swaim, your pretty funny, but your one in a million. when you insult people who are a thousand times more talented than u can ever hope to be you just seem petty. i love your writings, you make me laugh my ass off, and your one of the funniest people ive found on the internet, but nothing you will ever create will even be worth comparing to the sittiest joke judd apatow has ever come up with.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
So…. If my favorite movie is Kung Pow, does that make me retarded?
April 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Love the post! I loved 40 YOVirgin, thought Knocked Up was so-so, and while I though Superbad had some very funny features, I also thought it was mindbendingly offensive.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was back to so-so territory.
But damn, Apatow is certainly formulaic…
April 21st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
That was a facetious use.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Wow, Gladstone actually used the term strong island. i think i just died a little inside.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Walk Hard gets funnier every time I watch it.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I have inside information that Michael Swaim loves Judd Apatow and has eight copies of Freaks and Geeks in his family. He made everyone he knows watch Knocked Up, and SuperBad made us all pee our pants.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Maybe movie format is just too long for him to handle? Undeclared is one of my all time favorite shows, and Freaks and Geeks was also really good.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I would see Sarah Marshall but I have a nausaeous aversion to Russell Brand that makes me vomit profusely.
That and desire to one day hunt him down, grab him by his pencil-breadth throat and slam him repeatedly into a tv whilest his own stand-up ‘comedy’ is on all the while yelling “You’re not fucking funny! Wash your fucking hair you greasy fucking layabout!”
Ahem, yeah, excuse me about that. My therapist swears my Russell Brand homocidal tendencies are lessening.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
clytamnestra is right! That’s why I didn’t see any of those movies. King of comedy my ass. His humor is more infantile than mine.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Skr, Sarah Marshall is great after maybe the first 15 minutes or so. It falls into the same trap that the other Apatow movies have fallen into in that there’s a whole lot of very fast, very in-your-face exposition crammed into the first 15 minutes. There are maybe three or four things that Apatow wants to get across. In this case, it was 1) Peter is a sensitive but lovable but depressed guy, 2) Sarah Marshall is this super famous girl 3)They just broke up 4)Now they’re stuck together! “Understand these four points because the rest of the movie hinges on the fact that this is all very clear.” Once those things are abruptly beaten over your head- once you understand those four points, everything sloooooows down and the actual movie happens and, generally, the actual movie is good.
But those first 15 minutes are so are always really awkward for me.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I mean, yes, but for the last fucking time, his name is COEN. Okay? Yes.
Also, this Saul Goode person kind of fucking rules.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I want to start by saying I love this website, I visit almost everyday and usally I will get a chuckle. But if it really came down to it and someone forced me to get my giggles from cracked.com or an Apatow movie I would choose the Apatow movie 100% of the time, and if you havent seen Sara Marshall yet its the best so far. But your right about formulas though, why cant people get more creative with their comedy (take something weird or nostalgic, take the top 5-7-20 oddest or awesomest ones, make list)
April 21st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
To create your protagonist, simply take yourself (unless you are a woman, in which case take yourself with a penis), then graft on a glaring flaw that would have made you the subject of fun in High School (a virgin, fat and lazy, a complete pussy).
i was a fat lazy virgin with a pussy, so i guess i have a big movie career in my future.
i like romantic comedies, but i regret that those days most seem to be aimed at pubescent boys.
hello hollywood, most of your target adience doesn’t even like going to the movies, so stop bitching about how unsuccesful most of your recent films are but start catering to other focus groups: like women, or adult males, or even ‘gasp’ old people.
April 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Damien, I demand that your 1000.00 tribute be sent to me in the form of a thousand dollars worth of Fudgee-O(tm) cookies! Mine shall be the widest ass on this site! Ah hahahahahahahahaha!
April 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
That may have been almost word-for-word stolen from a previous blog post, in which case I apologize.
April 21st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Well done, Swaim. I’ve been waiting for someone to knock Apatow down a peg ever since he was called “The King of Comedy” in some article I once read. We all know that that title belongs only to Dane Cook, what with his loud noises and slightly-mispronounced words and that little thing where he chuckles after he makes a joke, as if to say “See, even I can’t help myself when I hear these jokes, they’re that god damn funny. All that laughter you hear in the background is in no way a bunch of plants that are there to pressure you into laughing too because you’ll think you’re stupid for not finding me funny along with these anonymous yuppies that you will never meet and who do not care about your opinion in any way, shape, or form.”
April 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Let me look something up. Back-peddle….back-peddle…back-peddle? Ah, here it is. “What people do when their opinions aren’t well received.” I was right!
April 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I loved Superbad and 40 Year Old Virgin but really hated Knocked Up. I mean giving Katherine Heigl absolutely nothing interesting about her is pretty stupid when the entire plot revolves around the fact that she is pregnant! You see the title on the movie poster saying Knocked Up? THAT’S HER CHARACTER! She’s the one who get’s Knocked Up!
Also there is constant, constant product placement throughout the whole thing, disguised as trendy pop culture references.
Apart from that I like him.
P.S. his “hey have the wierd looking fellow take up entire poster” marketing technique is probably what caused Walk Hard to bomb.
April 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
PS. I just noticed today’s article is “10 Highly Anticipated Video Games You’ll Never Get To Play”. We’re not all huge nerds that are going to get every video game joke you tell.
April 21st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I read a couple of articles on this site a while back, and thought, “hey, this site is pretty funny”, and I started checking up on it everyday. And you know what I just realized. The only funny articles on this site are the ones where you link to funny youtube videos. Seriously, this site really sucks, and I feel like I’ve wasted so much time here. It’s like for every funny thing I find on this site, there’s fifty “Top Ten Video Game Bosses That Take Too Long to Beat”s, or “Boy Do I Hate Hannah Montana, Watch Me Make Generic Insults About Her And Then Spit Out A Few In Jokes About My Co-workers That I’m Sure Other People Will Care About”. Or why don’t you guys make another crappy “Week in Douchebaggery” (by the way, you totally stole that word from The Daily Show) and throw about a bunch of lame jokes no one cares about. Now you know how it feels cracked, now you know.
Sincerely, Judd Apatow
April 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
It’s “Coen”, not “Cohen.”
April 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I’m the gayest man, you will ever meet. I beat my meat to other guy’s feets. If I could, I’d eat a ham, out of the ass of an enlarged man. Don’t blame me, it’s not cool, I am gay, and I go to school. My dog says to lick his ass. Just don’t get caught and tell your class. Eat my nut, do my butt.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Oddly enough, you could say this is true for every writer on this site. Replace the term “Apatow Comedy” with “Cracked Article” and this blog holds up very, very well. As a matter of fact, I think I read 5 other “how to make X” articles on here that were infinitely funnier. Its a good observation about the Apatow brand but this article wasn’t funny or remotely original. Ironic, considering the topic it attempts to lampoon. Was this a write-by-numbers article done on a cocktail napkin?
April 21st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Yea i did not like 40 year old virgin either, was boring and quite un-interesting. The other lot i have not seen either, did not know they are all from the same bloke. They just seem unoriginal and boring.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Frankly I’m disappointed that as soon as Apatow & Co got to movie-land, they threw out really quality character development in favor of TITS! WEED! PENISES! Etc. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Knocked Up, but nowhere near the level of enjoying Freaks & Geeks. Some people need limits to work their best… tv’s limits seemed to have forced Apatow & co to be more creative. My two cents, that’s all.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I have also only seen 40 Year Old Virgin, and avoided Apatow movies after that. Maybe I’m missing out, but as everyone else loved the 40 YOV, while I just felt it was atleast 5 hours long, perhaps it’s just not my cup of tea. Or maybe I wasn’t high enough.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
p.s. my high school spawned Stone Philips. booya!
April 21st, 2008 at 12:29 pm
i actually really agree with this. although i thougth superbad was “funny”, there was a point in the film (when they are at the party where fat kid gets menstruated on) where i kind of thought to myself “where are they going with this movie?!” a movie like that does NOT need to be deuce-and-a-half.
actually now that i think about it, it really reminded me of a “family guy” episode. there was the basic semblance of a plot, but then they kind of go “ha ha, there’s no plot” and nothing is resolved at the end. fat kid and george-michael almost kill each other and then suddenly they are just friends again? george-michael’s quest is to bring that chick goldschlager, he fails, and suddenly the conflict is just resolved?
BUT, unfortunately, your post makes me want to go back and rewatch some of those movies to see if i can spot the continuity problems you were talking about!
April 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
PPbarker : You’re right I do mean well written, as for comparison with my own screenplays none was made and I am not judging by any “set of rules” there is no true set of rules (besides a specific writing format, with has nothing to do with content) but stylistic choices. Most of the jokes he used are telegraphed, the only joke in Knocked up that wasn’t telegraphed was the pink eye joke which was pretty good in my opinion. As for “snobby” criteria you’re talking to a white trash drunk who has more machine parts on his lawn than a Judd Apatow movie has hackneyed situations and I’m damn proud of it.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Swaim,
Believe me, as someone who likes Nirvana, but wrote a post about Cobain that still has some friends mad at me, I get it. It’s just like, y’know, I got to keep it real for me and the other strong island homeboys — know what I’m sayin’?
We’re a tight crew. (cru?)
April 21st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
onodera- previews don’t really show you anything about apatow’s movies- you should give them a chance instead of just trusting what a 2 minute trailer tells you.
THINK FOR YOURSELF PEOPLE
April 21st, 2008 at 12:12 pm
My high school was smacked down by the wrath of God, so take that.
@ Swaim are you sure that is not a mug shot that you just photo shopped in front of your couch( in the video Cut Myself that poster is not a mirror image) I’m something of an expert
on mugshots and that’s sure what that looks like.
Forty year old Virgin, funny, Knocked Up, ok, Superbad, one or two funny things mostly
uncomfortable.Good article, though.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:19 am
I’ve only seen one of these movies (40 Year Old Virgin) and that had been done before. I haven’t seen anything original from this guy. I liked 40 Year Old Virgin, but the previews alone were enough to make my eyes roll at the others. They look trashy and from what I’ve heard, they are trashy.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:58 am
wooo! well, I’m sure that you were the one high school where band was actually interesting, then.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am
@ Gladstone and Neil. Big deal. My former high school boasts more band-teachers-turned-convicted-pedophiles than any other school in the country. Take that, everywhere else.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:54 am
yea, in plainview we sponge of syosset’s Apatow and Portman. Other than that we got nothing - there was that shootout between the Pagans and the Hells Angels at the Vanderbilt. A dude died. But that’s all we’ve got.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:50 am
Swaim, hilarious post. I love the Apatow movies, but if anyone thinks they aren’t all the same thing they’re insane.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’m of the same mind as Swaim, on this one. I saw Sarah Marshall last night and loved it, as I’ve done with all of Apatow’s movies. At the same time, however, one of the first things I thought about when I left the theater was how structurally similar it was to his other movies. Do I think he’s the King of comedy right now? Absolutely. Apatow-attachment to a comedy is more of a guarantee for hilarity than Ferrell nowadays, so yes. Do I want Apatow to find me, (perhaps via Cracked or my free online book), contact me and ask me to be his friend and to join him in making movies? So, so much.
That doesn’t change the fact that there’s a definite paint-by-numbers quality to his comedies.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:49 am
Gladstone, you’re from Syosset? I went to POBJFK …. weeeeeeeeeird.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:42 am
I’m going to say this only once, so that it’s on record, and not bother responding to any idiots who comment on here with various wry death threats against me.
I really like Judd Apatow, and I really like judd Apatow movies. You can still bag on someone you like. It’s called familial interdynamics. But, yeah, for the record, all those movies are hilarious. I can damn sure still write a post mocking their minor perceivable flaws.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:35 am
Wow, an administrator took me up on my request! Awesome! I love you, whoever you are! You saved me from many sleepless nights!
April 21st, 2008 at 10:25 am
Kingmonkey+1 - PLEASE DON’T!! I was a damn fool to do something like that! I’ll give you 1000 dollars!
April 21st, 2008 at 10:14 am
Oh we’re bagging on Apatow now? How dare that asshole make a bunch of really funny movies that are similar?!?! What a fucking asshole right?
April 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
I love Apatow movies. I find them hilarious, a charming cast in each one. I hate it when people, for example JustIntoxicated, say for example that the script is not good. “good” is a matter of opinion. Whether a script is “well written”, as JustIntoxicated says Apatow ones aren’t, shouldn’t be based on some snobby criteria set by some douchebag that runs a school for people that want to be famous, but probably won’t be, and then end up in a comment’s section of a website, talking about the multitude of screenplay’s that they’ve written yet will never be filmed, and if they are, nobody will see them. I just sort of pissed me off that JustIntoxicated said that Apatow’s movies are “not well written”, seeing as he obviously meant when compared to his own screenplays, or some “Rules” about how to make a good script.
Apatow movies are a good time that don’t require much thinking, and I like that once in a while. Having to watch a movie 5 times to get a joke does not make it funny nor well written.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:46 am
don’t be mad “bob”. or should I say “Mr. Apatow”?
April 21st, 2008 at 9:46 am
Damn you Swaim, once again you have stolen my thoughts and put them into words like I never could (mostly because I’m too lazy). Why does it always seem like I’m the only one NOT spending money on Apatow’s crap? The only one I liked was Superbad and that was just because it had Michael Cera bringing George Michael Bluth to the big screen. Other than that, his films are comedic black holes. Thinly veiled excuses to get the nobodies he worked with on TV to do all the work for him. With “Freaks” and “Undeclared” he fooled me into thinking that he was capable of producing smart entertainment. Turns out that it only seemed smart because TV censors were keeping him and his pals from projecting their real lame-ass thoughts onto the unsuspecting public.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am
Yeah, Judd apatow, haha. Your movie is much better……oh…..wait…
April 21st, 2008 at 9:32 am
The Jerk was, in fact, very awesome! One of the good things about that movie is that there was no need to acknowledge all the funny stuff going on–leaving the audience to actually figure out the jokes themselves rather than have it pointed out to them. Examples: Moving into a “bigger” house, or the fact that Steve Martin’s character was much too old and white for his supposed family.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:26 am
Swaim, can I ask why you inverted your photo horizontally? The lettering in the poster behind you is backwards. Unless you really have a reversed-letter poster…
Also, that’s a good start on your pedophile beard, there. (Check out Jon Lajoie’s Pedophile Beards ad on Youtube.)
Furthermore, I’m going to have to re-post Damien’s phone number all over the internet now. I don’t mean to be a jerk, but it’s just out of principal. You just don’t post personal info on the internet. I learned that the last time I posted a journal of my life. It got turned into a movie and I didn’t see a nickel out of it. That’s why I refuse to watch Spaceballs!
Sorry to interrupt your descent into madness, Saul.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:24 am
I must agree with Gladstone. All of his previous movies have been freaking awesome. With the exception of the unexpected vagina with a baby coming out of it in knocked up.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:23 am
We can also thank Apatow for Jonah Hill. Where is the UN War Crime Commission when you need them?
April 21st, 2008 at 9:16 am
I laughed at 40 year old virgin mostly because Steve Carrel is great at what he does but every other Apatow movie I find pandering. All the jokes are either “look this subject/situation is slightly uncomfortable” or “hey we’re talking about sex or drugs aren’t we shocking?” I’ve written a handful of screenplays myself and when you break Apatow films down they really aren’t very well written. When I see a movie I shouldn’t have to force myself to laugh. An example of a movie that was exquisitely written was “the jerk” you have to watch it at least 5 times before you catch every little joke like “the cup o’pizza store went out of business”
April 21st, 2008 at 9:13 am
Swaim, I’m on to you; this whole blog was an excuse to subtly let us know that you’re trying to rock a Wollinsky style beard, wasn’t it?
I think you’ve got some way to go before you reach facial hair of Wollinsky-esque magnificence
April 21st, 2008 at 9:01 am
I’m the gayest man, you will ever meet. I beat my meat to other guy’s feets. If I could, I’d eat a ham, out of the ass of an enlarged man. Don’t blame me, it’s not cool, I am gay, and I go to school. My dog says to lick his ass. Just don’t get caught and tell your class. Eat my nut, do my butt.
April 21st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Excellent use of photo booth as well. Don’t even bother using an actual camera that takes time and energy away from getting high. Hilarious post!
April 21st, 2008 at 8:44 am
Michael, I know we are co-bloggers for this site, and, therefore, family, but I feel the need to take a contrary opinion to your high-spirited satire of Mr. Apatow.
I liked 40 yr Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and SuperBad. I haven’t seen Sarah Marshall yet.
But more than that, Judd went to Syosset High School prior to two other notable talents: Natalie Portman and …. me. (I attended after Apatow, before Portman. You couldn’t say that Portman and Apatow formed a Jewy Gladstone sandwich. In fact, please do. Somebody needs to start saying that.)
Therefore, I must defend Judd and Syosset’s honor. (Seriously, before Judd, the best we had was a rumor that Billy Joel attended for a week before going off to Hicksville High.)
April 21st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Swaim is bitter cause he lost out to Martin Starr for the role of Bill Havenchuck on the TV Show Freaks and Geeks. Said he was too much of a Geek for the part.
April 21st, 2008 at 8:42 am
I regret posting that. Can a administrator please delete my previous post? I don’t want to get flooded with calls telling me how stupid I was for posting it in the first place…
April 21st, 2008 at 8:28 am
hahaha! yeah I hate judd apatow movies. What’s with the one trick ponies, what happened to comedic genius, a la The Three Amigos?!! Minus Martin Short, he has lost a LOT of cool points thanks to Jiminy Glick.