Highbrow Magazine - Judd Apatow https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/judd-apatow en ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ Les Miserables’ Arrive on DVD, Blu-ray https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2267-zero-dark-thirty-les-miserables-arrive-dvd-blu-ray <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 13:56</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumZero%20Dark%20Thirty%20-%20Horizontal.JPG?itok=A6APR157"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumZero%20Dark%20Thirty%20-%20Horizontal.JPG?itok=A6APR157" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> This week’s home video releases include several key players from the most-recent Academy Awards race.</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Zero Dark Thirty</strong></p> <p> <strong>4 stars (out of four)<br /> Rated R<br /> Sony<br /> Available on: DVD, Blu-ray, digital download and on demand</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Director Kathryn Bigelow may have won both of her Oscars for the 2008 film “The Hurt Locker,” but “Zero Dark Thirty” is her best project to date. The high praise for Bigelow’s newest feature isn’t meant to disparage “Hurt Locker,” which is a great film in its own right, but to underscore how powerful and affecting “Zero Dark Thirty” is.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The movie is not only great, it’s a reminder that Oscar voters don’t always get it right.  Although nominated for five Academy Awards during the most recent race, it won only for sound editing. And, although the film earned a best picture nod, Bigelow was mysteriously snubbed in the director race. </p> <p>  </p> <p> The lukewarm reception from industry insiders may have more to do with politics than anything on screen. Controversy developed around the project, which details the U.S. hunt for terrorist Osama bin Laden, before most Americans had seen it. The problem? Several scenes depict U.S. intelligence officials torturing terror suspects in an effort to track the al Qaeda leader. Critics argue that these scenes are misleading and promote torture, but the filmmakers disagree. In truth, it doesn’t matter. </p> <p>  </p> <p> No work of historical fiction is 100 percent accurate because the fictionalization and condensation of at least some details is necessary. One can argue that “Zero Dark Thirty” promotes the use of torture in intelligence gathering, but one can just as easily argue that the Batman movies promote vigilante justice.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Look beyond the controversy, and what one finds is a compelling story that was ready for an audience. Bigelow uses an impressive ensemble cast to walk viewers through the years-long manhunt for bin Laden, and the material is both intellectually stimulating and exciting. Although many players do fine work, Jessica Chastain landed a best actress Oscar nomination because she is the picture’s driving force.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Bigelow does a fine job condensing the dense material into a palatable format and, although the film runs more than two-and-a-half hours, the pacing seems brisk. That she was left out of Oscar’s best director race is as inexplicable as the snubbing of Ben Affleck, the man who directed this year’s best picture winner, “Argo.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> DVD and Blu-ray extras include four behind-the-scenes features.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/lesmisfilm_0.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Les Miserables</strong></p> <p> <strong>4 stars<br /> Rated PG-13<br /> Universal<br /> Available March 22 on DVD, Blu-ray and on demand</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Few writers capture the imaginations and emotions of audiences the way Victor Hugo did with his 1862 masterpiece, “Les Miserables.” Hugo’s novel is not only considered a masterpiece, it has inspired numerous adaptations, including radio plays, a television miniseries, and a musical that won eight Tony Awards. The work has also resulted in several movie versions, the latest being a film adaptation of that musical.</p> <p>  </p> <p> This new cinematic reading is told entirely through the songs and orchestral music of composer Claude-Michel Schonberg. That means the cast – made up mostly of Hollywood heavyweights – must demonstrate vocal prowess. For the most part, the players are up to the task.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean, a 19<sup>th</sup> century French prisoner who breaks parole in hopes of a better life. With help from a kind priest, he escapes the lower classes and eventually becomes a wealthy business owner and the mayor of his town. The role of Valjean requires a singer and actor of some merit; and Jackman, who has considerable Broadway experience, handles it well.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The same is true of Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine, a troubled worker employed by Valjean. Hathaway won a best supporting actress Oscar for her work in the film, and the award is well deserved. She has a beautiful singing voice but, more importantly, she imbues her character with believable emotion. This is particularly evident when, dying of disease, Fantine begs Valjean to care for her young daughter.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Valjean, being a good man, agrees to Fantine’s request, but his life is complicated by the relentless efforts of a police officer named Javert (Russell Crowe). A buy-the-book lawman, Javert cares only that Valjean broke parole.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Crowe looks the part of Javert, but he struggles as a singer, making him the weakest link in the movie. Sacha Baron Cohen also delivers shaky vocals while portraying an unscrupulous innkeeper, but his role is more forgiving than Crowe’s. Despite these problems – and they are noteworthy – “Les Miserables” works extraordinarily well as a whole.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) deserves much of the credit for the film’s success because his cinematic vision is extraordinary. On Broadway, the one thing “Les Miserables” lacks is scope, a problem caused by the limitations of a proscenium stage. Hooper makes this a non-issue by giving audiences a sweeping view of everything that happens, including the climactic French Revolution sequences.</p> <p>  </p> <p> DVD and Blu-ray extras include several making-of featurettes and an audio commentary by Hooper.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/thehobbitfilm.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</strong></p> <p> <strong>3½ stars</strong></p> <p> <strong>Rated PG-13 </strong></p> <p> <strong>Warner Brothers</strong></p> <p> <strong>Available on: DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, digital download and on demand</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> When director Peter Jackson announced that he would release his cinematic version of novelist J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” in three parts, there was reason for concern. Jackson is a great director, but he often favors length over subtlety. Even his exceptional 2005 “King Kong” remake was at least 20 minutes too long, making a three-movie adaptation of a 320-page book frightening.</p> <p>  </p> <p> However, if “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is an indication of things to come, Jackson’s vision is solid. The movie is a nicely crafted and well-paced feature that returns viewers to Tolkien’s Middle-earth in satisfying fashion.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The events depicted in the film occur before those from Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, but the director has tied everything together as neatly as possible. Where appropriate, actors from the earlier movies reprise their roles, and the visuals match perfectly.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “The Hobbit” is a slighter work than “Lord of the Rings,” but it’s still a good adventure tale, and Jackson gives it weight by adding material from Tolkien’s “Rings” appendices. The focus is on Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a subdued hobbit who is disinclined toward adventure until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) convinces him to help 13 dwarves reclaim their homeland. “An Unexpected Journey” takes viewers only partially through the story, but Jackson ends the film on a reasonable note, just as he did his three “Rings” movies.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Freeman is outstanding as Bilbo, McKellen is typically great as Gandalf and the remaining members of the ensemble cast are also strong. Not surprisingly, the film also has wonderful visual effects, a point underscored by the fact that it received Oscar nominations in three technical categories.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Just like “The Lord of the Rings” movies, “An Unexpected Journey” boasts a pleasant mix of action and plot, and it has tons of added detail for hardcore Tolkien fans. If Jackson can maintain this level of quality throughout the trilogy, it will further cement his reputation as one of today’s best filmmakers.</p> <p>  </p> <p> DVD and Blu-ray extras include more than two hours of behind-the-scenes content taken from Jackson’s video journals.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/thisis40.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 338px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>This is 40</strong></p> <p> <strong>2½ stars<br /> Rated R<br /> Universal<br /> Available March 22 on DVD, Blu-ray and on demand</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Writer-director Judd Apatow’s “This is 40” is being promoted as “The sort-of sequel to ‘Knocked Up,’ ” but the two films have little in common aside from Apatow himself. Both movies feature the filmmaker’s acerbic wit and willingness to go in depth on even the crudest topics, but the moods of the movies are worlds apart.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> “Knocked Up” was a frequently hilarious but ultimately sweet look at youthful relationships. “This is 40” is an occasionally funny but often-depressing commentary on the middle-age years. The trouble lies in the couple at the center of the story. Pete (Paul Rudd) is a music producer running a floundering indie record label, and he’s married to Debbie (Leslie Mann), the high-strung owner of a high-end clothing shop. They have two young daughters, and they both celebrate their 40<sup>th</sup> birthdays during the course of the film.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Judging from the title of the movie, audiences are supposed to believe that the troubles that Pete and Debbie encounter are related to their age. In reality, they stem from bad financial and social choices spurned by their increasingly dysfunctional home life. Case in point: Pete’s record company is on the verge of failure, yet he continues to give money to his freeloading father (Albert Brooks). In the meantime, Debbie complains about the financial handouts and just about everything else Pete does. Because of this, he fails to divulge just how bad their financial situation is. Through it all, they drive high-end cars, throw lavish parties and do just about anything that’s sure to make their situation worse. Yet, viewers are somehow supposed to invest in their story.</p> <p>  </p> <p> As he did with “Knocked Up,” Apatow tries to bring “This is 40” to a sentimental and satisfying close, but he is much less successful this time. Primarily, that’s because viewers are asked to believe that Pete and Debbie actually have a deep love for one another, something that isn’t established in the movie’s first two-thirds. Because it's as hard to believe in their relationship as it is to root for them, “This is 40” feels longer than it should. </p> <p>  </p> <p> Thankfully, the character drama is broken up by a large number of Apatow gags, many of which are funny. These bits prevent the work from becoming a total drag, but they don’t stop it from dragging. </p> <p>  </p> <p> DVD and Blu-ray extras include a gag reel, deleted scenes, tunes from musicians featured in the film and an audio commentary by Apatow.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/rustandbonefilm.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 414px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>ALSO OUT THIS WEEK</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Rust and Bone”:</strong> French drama about a troubled single father (Matthias Schoenaerts) who forms a bond with a woman recuperating from the amputation of both legs (Marion Cotillard). Jacques Audiard directed the movie, and it received Golden Globe nominations for best foreign language film and Cotillard’s performance. Presented in French with English subtitles.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Badlands”:</strong> Criterion Collection restoration of director Terrence Malick’s 1973 drama about a young man (Martin Sheen) and teen girl (Sissy Spacek) who embark on a harrowing killing spree. The film was loosely based on the real-life murder case involving Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Jersey Shore” – The Uncensored Final Season:</strong> Last 13 episodes of the MTV reality show about a group of young housemates living in desirable locations. Previous seasons have seen Snooki, Pauly D and company travel to Miami and Italy, but this final go-round brings them back to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. What’s more, this uncensored four-DVD set includes more than four-hours of bonus material.     </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp”:</strong> Criterion Collection release of the critically acclaimed 1943 dramedy by the filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The film tells the story of a British military officer at different stages of his career. Roger Livesey and Deborah Kerr star.    </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Timerider”:</strong> Blu-ray debut of writer-director William Dear’s 1982 movie about a motorcycle racer (Fred Ward) who is transported back in time to the Old West. Belinda Bauer, Peter Coyote, Richard Masur, Ed Lauter and L.Q. Jones also star.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Action-Packed Movie Marathon”:</strong> Shout Factory! collects four action movies from the 1980s and early ’90s on a two-disc set. Included are: “Cyclone” (1987), “Alienator” (1990), “Eye of the Tiger” (1986) and “Exterminator 2” (1984) </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Straight A’s”:</strong> Story of a troubled loner (Ryan Phillippe) who returns home to see family members that he abandoned years ago. The reunion is particularly interesting because his high school girlfriend (Anna Paquin) is now married to his brother (Luke Wilson). Directed by James Cox (“Wonderland”). </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Forrest Hartman, a</em> Highbrow Magazine <em>contributor, is an independent film critic whose byline has appeared in some of the nation's largest publications. For more of his work visit <a href="http://www.ForrestHartman.com">www.ForrestHartman.com</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/les-miserables" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">les miserables</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/zero-dark-thirty" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">zero dark thirty</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jessica-chastain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jessica chastain</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/40" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">this is 40</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/judd-apatow" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judd Apatow</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paul-rudd" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Paul Rudd</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jersey-shore" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jersey shore</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/rust-and-bone" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">rust and bone</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sony</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:56:04 +0000 tara 2543 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2267-zero-dark-thirty-les-miserables-arrive-dvd-blu-ray#comments Why HBO’s Controversial ‘Girls’ Strikes a Nerve https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1204-why-hbos-controversial-girls-strikes-nerve <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 06/03/2012 - 18:44</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumHBOGirls.jpg?itok=ylYNYHSE"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumHBOGirls.jpg?itok=ylYNYHSE" width="480" height="314" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> For something to be great-- truly great-- does it have to actually be good? Not always, it seems. Before it even premiered on April 15, HBO’s “Girls” was making headlines across the country. Created by 26-year-old Lena Dunham and produced by Judd Apatow, “Girls” is a comedy that was supposed to change the way that women in their early 20s are portrayed on television, from their love lives to their bank accounts. The only problem was, not everyone thought that the change was for the better.</p> <p>  </p> <p> To say that reviews for “Girls” were mixed is like saying that Meryl Streep is an “okay” actress. Tim Goodman of <em>The Hollywood Reporter </em>wrote that “HBO has a real and rare gem in ‘Girls<em>.’”</em><em> </em>Exactly one month later, <em>Mother Jones </em>published a review that called the show “as profoundly bland as it is unstoppably irritating.” Emily Nussbaum, writing for <em>New York Magazine, </em>said that “as a person who has followed, for more than twenty years, recurrent, maddening debates about the lives of young women, the series to me felt like a gift,” while Andrea Peyser of <em>The New York Post </em>declared that “‘Girls’ is not really about girls at all-- a species uniformly presented as neurotic sex toys or psycho man-eaters.” It all depends on how you look at it.</p> <p>  </p> <p> If you’re  a parent with a teenage daughter, you will watch “Girls” with one hand partially covering your eyes, thinking, “I hope my kid doesn’t turn out like this.” If you’re  20 years old and living in New York, struggling to both pay your rent and figure out how you’re going to make it in today’s world, you watch and undoubtedly say, “Thank you, Lena Dunham.” It may not be perfect, it may not even be good. But “Girls” is great for one reason: It depicts reality.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “Girls” may currently be the most controversial show about x chromosomes, but it’s not the first, and it won’t be the last. The 2011-2012 television schedule seemed to be chock-full of female power; there was “2 Broke Girls,” “New Girl,” and even the upcoming “Push Girls.” Of course, let’s not forget that other HBO show about womanhood, a little indie affair that ran for six seasons called “Sex and the City.” If you take the cheesy film adaptations out of the equation, “Sex and the City” is a show that will be remembered as witty, well-written, and sharply acted, all while having touched the lives of millions of women. On both “Sex and the City” and “Girls,” the highs and lows of the work, family, and love lives of four New York women are profiled. On the pilot episode of “Girls,” a velour jumpsuit-clad character named Shoshanna even proclaims that she is “definitely a ‘Carrie’ at heart, but sometimes Samantha kind of comes out.” The premises of the two shows may be nearly identical, but -- Shoshanna’s declarations aside -- the comparisons stop there.</p> <p>  </p> <p> For Carrie Bradshaw, and the countless 30-something women like her, the New York journey was about love, marriage, success, and attempting to redefine yourself if and when those things don’t happen. For Hannah, it’s about all of these things, too, but for the most part, it’s just about getting by. Women like Carrie knew what they wanted, even if they had to struggle to get it; girls like Hannah have no clue where to even begin.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumsexandthecityHBO.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 600px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> For a 20-something young woman, watching “Sex and the City” is a total fantasy. It’s like catching an episode of “Game of Thrones,” or reading about adventures at Hogwarts in a <em>Harry Potter </em>novel --  entertaining, yes, but wholly unrealistic. Watching “Girls,” on the other hand, is like viewing a documentary, one so real that it perfectly captures all the joy, pain, and confusion of our shared existence.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Just the show’s title itself acts as the first and most telling clue to its power. To the average person, a 24-year-old female would be called a woman-- a young woman, yes, but a woman all the same. However, Lena Dunham, who plays Hannah, made the bold choice to call her characters “girls” because, while they may not be children, they have not yet fully matured into adulthood either. Even  25 years ago, a woman in her mid-20s was probably married, settled into some semblance of a career, or was likely to have already become a mother. For the daughters of these women, this is  no longer the case. Many of the real-life versions of Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna do not have full-time jobs. Many of them live with their parents, and it’s not, for the most part, because of a poor economy or bad choices.  It’s because things like jobs, relationships, responsibility, and independence are for adults only.</p> <p>  </p> <p> And whose fault is that? You can choose to blame the parents, the kids, or the entire society at large. Many of the show’s criticism are aimed directly at Dunham, which is  perhaps fitting, as “Girls” is a monster entirely of her own creation.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2mediumHBOGirls.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 449px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> Lena, the daughter of artists Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham, was raised in New York City, undeniably privileged. She graduated from Oberlin College in 2008, and in 2010 wrote, directed, and starred in <em>Tiny Furniture, </em>a film which won the award for Best Narrative feature at the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. In the pilot episode of “Girls,” Hannah tells her parents -- albeit while tripping on a particularly pungent form of opium-- that she believes she can be “the voice of her generation.” This has prompted many to say, well, who is Lena Dunham to  speak for me?</p> <p>  </p> <p> Of course, she can’t speak for everyone, but Dunham can certainly speak for herself, loudly and clearly. She makes no bones about the fact that she and her co-stars happen to be the spawn of accomplished, well-off parents.  Allison Williams is the daughter of television’s Brian Williams, Jemima Kirke is the daughter of musician Simon Kirke, and Zosia Mamet is the daughter of legendary playwright David Mamet. Lena has portrayed herself  with brutal honesty  on the show, which features no-holds-barred nudity on her part and awkward sex scenes that would make any sane person cringe.  These are scenes that she herself has written and directed, proving that she has no qualms about showing herself in an unflattering light. Hannah isn’t glamorous, and  she doesn’t worry about how  she’ll pay for her next pair of Manolos.  She’s self-absorbed, insecure, and  worries about how she’s going to eat if she stays at her unpaid internship, the only place that will employ her.  She has 99 problems, and apparently, being a girl is the root cause of all of them.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Let’s get back to the main question-- how  can one show can be so polarizing? The answer is simple: when it strikes a nerve. Maybe  the viewers and critics who hate “Girls” simply hate the generation behind it. Maybe they see too much of themselves in the characters, all the complexity and uncertainty of being young.  It could be for all of these reasons, or none at all. What we do know, however, is that if something is simple, easy, and pleasing to everyone, it is rarely noteworthy or special. But “Girls” is a lot more than that. “Girls” is truly great.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Loren DiBlasi is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hbo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">HBO</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/girls" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Girls</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">television</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sex-and-city" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sex and the City</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lena-dunham" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Lena Dunham</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/judd-apatow" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judd Apatow</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Loren DiBlasi</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">HBO</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:44:00 +0000 tara 1071 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1204-why-hbos-controversial-girls-strikes-nerve#comments The Unfortunate Rise of Dumbed-Down Hollywood Comedies https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1126-unfortunate-rise-dumbed-down-hollywood-comedies <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 17:05</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumdumbmovies.jpg?itok=mKyTp9IU"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumdumbmovies.jpg?itok=mKyTp9IU" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> All right, Judd Apatow, Adam Sandler and Tyler Perry walk into a bar and the bartender says, why the lazy pop-culture references, the pedantic hijinks of men not wanting to grow-up and the simple caricatures of African-Americans and women?</p> <p>  </p> <p> Heard that joke before? Let’s try this one. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Lowbrow comedy. Lowbrow comedy who? It’s lowbrow comedy everywhere because it’s easy to write and cheap to produce. The entertainment industry is bigger than ever. Therein lies the problem:  Hollywood has produced lowbrow comedy for every generation,  and it now has the capability to produce dumbed-down movies in every genre tenfold. </p> <p>  </p> <p> Comedy is subjective. When done right, it gives a platform to leave a lasting impression on the viewer, whether it is the absurdity of war (take the Marx Brothers film, <em>Duck Soup</em>), the pangs of infertility (<em>Raising Arizona </em>with Nicolas Cage) or a commentary on the measure of success in a capitalist society (<em>The Jerk</em>). When comedy is performed in order to have the broadest juvenile appeal, it turns into a vacuous performance that dulls the senses.  </p> <p> Judd Apatow has been involved in many “successful” (i.e., profitable)  comedies, including his rightfully lauded <em>40 Year Old Virgin, </em>as writer and director. The movie explores the role of sex as an indicator for social stature and male identity. Steve Carell  gives a touching and humorous performance.  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/4mediumdumbmovies.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 398px; " /></p> <p> However, Apatow goes for broke in making hackneyed, self-referential movies. <em>Knocked-Up</em> is an endless barrage of pithy pop-culture one-liners, a terrible Mr. Skin motif and sappy “we-dare-you-not-to-like-our-movie” because the protagonist found the meaning of life by becoming a father. <em>Funny People</em>, in which Apatow tries to convince an audience how hard it is being funny and materially successful by writing and directing a plodding movie in which Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen deal with death and  love while struggling with the burden of being funny and well-off. Also, the lead character has terminal cancer, which he overcomes, and in the process does not get to win back his ex-wife. C’mon John and Jane Public, can’t you see Apatow literally kills himself to write such intellectual fare as  <em>Pineapple Express</em> and <em>Don’t Mess with the Zohan</em>? There is no laugh better than a guilty one.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Adam Sandler, star of <em>Funny People</em>, does not even try to be self-referential. It seems Sandler, who was childishly charming in <em>Billy Madison</em> and <em>Happy Gilmore</em>, just takes a theme from a Hallmark card, adds flatulence, marijuana and Rob Schneider to the mix, and <em>voila</em>, a movie is made… and another… and another.  Sandler who was quirky and edgy in <em>Punch-Drunk Love</em>, has gone backwards as an entertainer of merit. He is content to play the same one-dimensional characters from his time on <em>Saturday Night Live</em> (actually that is an insult to “Canteen Boy” and “Opera Man”). The actor  seems content to play zero-dimensional characters as seen in <em>Little Nicky</em>, <em>Grown-ups</em>, and <em>Jack &amp; Jill</em>. Sandler is in the process of making a <em>Grown-ups 2</em> and a possible movie version of the board game, <em>Candyland</em>. If anything, he is consistent when trying to find the lowest common denominator for comedic appeal.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> Then there is Tyler Perry, who makes the equivalent of the <em>Ernest</em> movies for the African-American community (fun fact: both Ernest and Madea spent time in the big house). Perry began writing plays specifically for African-American audiences. This success led to big-screen prominence with 2005’s <em>Diary of a Mad Black Woman</em>,  in which he stars as the cross-dressing, life-knowledge-spouting Madea.  He has taken the concept of the “magical Negro” (a term popularized by renowned filmmaker Spike Lee) to dizzying heights with a mixture of homespun platitudes, religious devotion and the reprimanding of all ancillary characters with problems (drug users and dealers, adulterers, the mentally handicapped,  etc.) without much respect for property rights.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3mediumdumbmovies.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; " /></p> <p> There is no one formula for a smart comedy. Todd Phillips who directed the insanely fun <em>Old School </em>managed to make Zach Galifianakis unfunny in <em>Due Date</em> and <em>The Hangover II</em>.  Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers and Will Ferrell do not make comedic gold at every turn. They do, however, attempt to engage the audience on multiple levels. It is not to say that Apatow has not been involved in other smart comedies. He was smart enough to produce <em>Bridesmaids.</em> While Tyler Perry’s movies do not activate most brain synapses, they do highlight relevant issues that are important to the African-American community, which is admirable .</p> <p>  </p> <p> The highbrow gripe with Apatow, Sandler, Perry and others of their ilk is that they have  been given the opportunity, after making millions upon millions of dollars, to venture beyond their weary formulaic approaches to  comedies   and   create something smart and intelligent. Instead, they always  opt for the banana peel, whoopee cushion and pie-in-the-face without fail.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Kurt Thurber grew up in Caroline County, the only landlocked county on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. After matriculating through the public school system with no distinctive accomplishments whatsoever, he attended Mary Washington College, graduate school at Villanova University and completed a successful apprenticeship as a masked vigilante crime-fighter. He is ready for a highbrow discourse on any number of subjects. Did Han Solo shoot first? Heck and yes. What was MacGyver's first name? Angus. Can anyone put baby in a corner? Yes, Patrick Swayze from heaven. Read more of Kurt Thurber's musings at his blog <a href="http://www.historyguffaw.com/" target="_blank">www.historyguffaw.com</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dumbing-down-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dumbing down of films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/comedies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">comedies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hollywood" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Hollywood</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/judd-apatow" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judd Apatow</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/adam-sandler" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Adam Sandler</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tyler-perry" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Tyler Perry</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/madea" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Madea</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hangover-ii" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">The Hangover II</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pineapple-express" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Pineapple Express</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Kurt Thurber</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:05:54 +0000 tara 855 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1126-unfortunate-rise-dumbed-down-hollywood-comedies#comments