Posts Tagged ‘Superbad’

While most people are gearing up for the holidays, Hollywood is gearing up for wedding season! After four years of dating, and a brief break up last summer, Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo are finally getting hitched!

The happy couple released a statement saying, “We’re excited and incredibly happy about our engagement and we look forward to a wonderful future together.” The ex Newlyweds star confirmed the announcement on his twitter, writing, “Hey all. If anyone’s heard the rumors of my engagement, they are absolutely true! Vanessa and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks for all the love.”

No word yet from team Jessica Simpson. While she’s had a bit of a rocky track record since her divorce from Nick in 2005, she seems to be in a stable relationship now with retired NFL player Eric Johnson.

Also headed to the chapel are Dancing with the Stars darling, Karina Smirnoff, and her baseball beau, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Brad Penny. Karina showed off her bling at the Tao Las Vegas’ five-year anniversary celebration, gushing about her plans of a destination wedding in Cabo. The couple, who started dating last October, told E! News, they plan to tie the knot on January 7, 2011.

In our positively unconventional engagement story of the day, Seth Rogen dished the deets on how he proposed to his actress girlfriend, Lauren Miller, while she was naked! As the first guest on Conan O’Brien’s brand new TBS show, Seth explained that despite his initial romantic plans for popping the question, his nerves got the best of him.

The funny guy told Conan, “I couldn’t have a conversation with my girlfriend. All I could think of was this ring. Like ‘Don’t say ‘Lord of the Rings!’ Don’t mention anything about a ring!” When he couldn’t stand it anymore, Seth marched upstairs and decided to propose right that second… “She was in our closet, changing, and she was literally only in her underpants. I had already kind of started …I didn’t picture it like this, and I know she didn’t picture it like this.”

A jokester at heart, Seth admitted the most surprising part of the engagement is that he is actually interested in the wedding planning process. “I find myself having opinions about what our centerpieces should look like, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I don’t care about any of this stuff at all.”

Seth and Lauren have been dating for six years, and have worked together in Observe and Report, Superbad, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Cheers to L-O-V-E and more celebrity weddings!

Be sure to check back for more of the latest entertainment news from Jessica King right here on Positively Celebrity.

Renting “Zack and Miri Makes a Porno” offered a first time experience for me: the first time I’ve ever received a dirty look for renting a legitimate movie. I guess the cashier (a middle aged woman) was aghast that such an aptly titled film could sweep its way onto the shelves of a family oriented video store. (Come to think of it, I don’t even recall receiving a dirty look for renting an actual porno movie.)

I rented this movie because I am a Kevin Smith fan and I think all Judd Apatow fare is merely wanna-be Kevin Smith fare. Smith was the first (and best) to master the raunchy sex-comedy genre and his best films: Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma etc. are all better than anything Apatow has ever tried. Seth Rogan, star of ‘Zack and Miri,’ has even admitted his reverence for Smith in interviews, stating that he hopes to make comedies as great as Smith’s mid/latter 90’s output (hey, Superbad! came close).

Indeed, there is only one Kevin Smith, but there is also only one Seth Rogan and it’s a treat to see these two comedic geniuses sharing the same bill. The film is a showcase for Smith’s trademark repartee, acted masterfully by Rogan and angelic Elizabeth Banks, two characters you want to root for (maybe a little extra for Banks because she is undeniably gorgeous).

The title encapsulates the film; these are two roommates down on their luck, who in turn discover love through the making of a porno film. It’s vile, it’s crass, it’s Kevin Smith at his best and it’s the perfect rental if you’re looking for a good laugh (and don‘t mind a little nudity with your humor).

Instead of talking about the Harry Potter’s, 2012’s or The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’s of 2009 that are so far away from hitting theaters it seems like they won’t premiere until … well 2012, we’re going to look at five upcoming flicks that will be at a theater near you before the Obama’s have time to fully move in.

Bride Wars – Opening January 9, 2009. There’s nothing like sharing wedding plans with a best girlfriend, but when plans start to overlap, it’s likely to evoke more nightmares than Freddy Krueger. “Wars” seems to have a bouquet of comedic potential as well as girls in white dresses – fighting. But before all the guys zone out this movie does offer something for them too. Two of the prettiest actresses in Hollywood – Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.

Taken – Opening January 30, 2009.  Staring Liam Neeson as an ex-Secret Agent who has to rescue his estranged daughter (former “Lost” star Maggie Grace) who was kiddnapped while in Paris.  As reviewer Mr. Green from CrimeCritics.com describes, “it’s a film in which you enjoy watching HOW he will succeed. And let me state, you will enjoy every punch Bryan (Neeson) delivers to every henchmen.”

Fanboys – Opening February 6, 2009. I think “Fanboys” will be the “Superbad” of 2009. Yes, it’s about a group of “Star Wars” fans set to break into George Lucas’ business headquarters, Skywalker Ranch, and steal a copy of “Star Wars Episode 1.” Before you groan at the sound of a Sci-Fi movie, know that it’s really a coming of age story about friends who take a huge risk for one of their own. To lend some credibility, Producers include Kevin Spacey and the Weinstein Company.

He’s Just Not That Into You – Opening February 9, 2009. This chick flick makes the list because: 1) it’s based on a NY Times Best Seller, Oprah endorsed book and 2) EVERYONE is in it. That’s no exaggeration. Here’s just some of the cast: Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly (The Day The Earth Stood Still), Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Justin Long (Mac commercials), Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), Sasha Alexander (Yes Man), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), and MANY others.

Push – Opening February 9, 2009. Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans and Djimon Hounsou star in this film about “psychic espionage.” A Government agency is genetically modifying people to have psychic abilities and “getting rid” of those who don’t want to participate. Fanning and Evans need to find an individual who could help end the dangerous agency. So, Government Misconduct + Exotic Location (Hong Kong) + Psychic, Telekinetic, Move Stuff With Your Mind Abilities + The Cinematographer Who Did “Donnie Brasco,” “Gangster No. 1,” “Wicker Park” & “Lucky Number Slevin” = A Must See Movie!

“Dream big,” Ellen Page’s “Juno” character tells her step mom. Indeed, the film’s director and stars did.

Not only was “Juno” nominated for four Oscar nominations, its stars and director won awards, or as they are called “Beavers” at their native Canada’s ninth annual Canadian Comedy Awards Friday night in Saskatchewan.

Montreal-born Jason Reitman won Pretty Funny Film Directing, Halifax-born Ellen Page won Pretty Funny Female Actress of the Year, and Ontario-born Michael Cera won Pretty Funny Male Actor of the Year for “Superbad” (even though he also was in “Juno”).

Cera’s “Superbad” costar, Vancouver-born Seth Rogen, won a Beaver for writing the raunchy but funny teen comedy. He also won Pretty Funny Comic Person of the Year for his recent performances in “Knocked Up” and “Pineapple Express.”

You can see the show and the rest of the winners when it airs next March on Canada’s The Comedy Network.

In the meantime, read on to see what other celebrities hail from the land up north.

Eric McCormack – Toronto, Ontario

Jim Carrey – Newmarket, Ontario

John Candy – Toronto, Ontario

Lorne Michaels – Toronto, Ontario

Avril Lavigne – Belleville, Ontario

Shania Twain – Windsor, Ontario

Mike Myers – Scarborough, Ontario

Pamela Anderson – Ladysmith, British Columbia

William Shatner – Montreal, Quebec

Paul Shaffer – Thunder Bay, Ontario

Burn After Reading: Fresh off their Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers bring us this comedy with an all-star cast. Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand play foolish gym employees who try to extort a CIA agent (John Malkovich) after finding his top secret CD-ROM. Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton and George Clooney also star. Sept. 12

Righteous Kill: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up for the first time since 1995’s Heat to play NYC detectives searching for a serial killer. De Niro and Pacino are reason alone enough to go. Sept. 12

Eagle Eye: Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are being tracked by a stranger on their cell phones in a story conceived by Steven Spielberg that is pertinent in today’s technological times when everyone’s always within reach of a Blackberry or iPhone. Sept. 26

Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway takes a departure from her chipper roles as a recovering drug addict and black sheep who’s attending her sister’s wedding. Oct. 3

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: Michael Cera of Superbad and Juno and Kat Dennings of The 40 Year-Old Virgin play high schoolers who fall in love en route to a secret late-night concert in a realistic teen comedy. Oct. 3

Changeling: Clint Eastwood’s 1920s story of a woman (Angelina Jolie) whose young son disappears is already creating Oscar buzz for Jolie. Oct. 24

Quantum of Solace: The highly-anticipated “Bond” film picks up an hour after Casino Royale left off. Nov. 7

The Soloist: In this potential Oscar fare, Jamie Foxx plays a musical prodigy who ends up homeless and mentally ill on the streets of L.A. and is paired with Robert Downey Jr. as a journalist. Nov. 21

Milk: Sean Penn stars in this biopic of Harvey Milk who was the first gay man elected to political office. Directed by Gus Van Sant and also starring Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Nov. 26

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt ages backwards from age 80 to eight in this fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. Also starring Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Dec. 25

Marley & Me: Dog lovers rejoice! Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in the film adaptation of the beloved book about the “world’s worst dog.” Dec. 25

Revolutionary Road: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite for the first time since Titanic – only this time they’re not a love-struck couple. This is a story about what happens to a suburban-living married couple after they fall out of love. Dec. 26

As I already have a Netflix membership that is seriously underused, I have a hard time justifying the cost of going to see movies when they’re new to theaters.  That said, there are some movies that are must-sees, and “Pineapple Express,” the latest from the Judd Apatow family of frat-pack, gross-out films, is one of them.

Let’s start with the actors–stars James Franco and Seth Rogen first crassed up the screen together in Apatow’s cult TV series “Freaks and Geeks,” and Rogen has been a prominent player in Apatow’s rotating company of stoner oafs from the get-go (think “40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”). 

Rogen also doubles as one of the movie’s screenwriters; here, as in “Superbad,” Rogen’s touch is unmistakable–a healthy mix of stoner humor, the outrageous, and heart.

While Rogen’s capable turn as out-of-it underdog Dale doesn’t disappoint, it’s Franco’s turn as Dale’s drug dealer, Saul, that’s the real gem.  If you’ve only seen Franco in the “Spiderman” films, you are in for a treat–this is a character we haven’t seen Franco do before, and he goes for it with gusto.  After years of playing brooders and antiheroes, Franco seems to revel in the sheer fun of the film’s absurdity and disappears into the role.

It’s that complete dedication to the ridiculous nature of the movie that really makes this movie a must-see.  The plot leaves something to be desired in terms of plausibility, but dedication Rogen, Franco, Rosie Perez, Gary Cole and the rest of the cast to the absurd world of the movie elevate it to pure enjoyment and let you suspend your disbelief.

And yes, it’s funny, too.

In short: any faults the movie may have are made up for by the quality of the jokes.  “Pineapple Express” is well worth seeing now, and again later, via Netflix.