Directors Try To Leave The Judd Apatow Shadow

AS production began early this year on his new comedy, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," Kevin Smith was still seeking an actor for a supporting part. So he asked for suggestions from his leading man, Seth Rogen, who was in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," two comedies written and directed by Judd Apatow, and one of the writers of "Superbad," which Mr. Apatow produced. Mr. Rogen recommended Danny McBride, who appeared with him in "Pineapple Express," another Apatow production.

Then Mr. Smith surveyed his "Zack and Miri" cast. Mr. Rogen's co-star is Elizabeth Banks, who was featured in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Craig Robinson, who appeared in "Knocked Up" and "Pineapple Express," also has a role. So does Jerry Bednob, another alumnus of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Ultimately, Mr. Smith declined Mr. Rogen's suggestion.

As Mr. Smith recalled in an interview: "I had to actually stop him and go, 'Shouldn't you ask your boss or something? There's a lot of people from his movies.' "

Mr. Smith's predicament is just one part of a larger problem facing many filmmakers in the field of R-rated comedy: It is nearly impossible for them to make their pot-smoking, breast-baring (but heartfelt!) movies without in some way encroaching on the raunchy (yet tender!) turf that Mr. Apatow already owns.

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Comments

[Randomizer]

This looks like Smith trying hard to recapture some kind of relevance after so many bombs. I'm sure he doesn't have the Miramax-type support he enjoyed in the late 90's so he has so cast wisely. Silent Bob is not going to pack in the audience.

[bas1311]

I'm not sure what you're talking about and I don't think you are either. His last movie, Clerks 2, was made for $5 million and made $24 million in the US. It certainly made money.

[Randomizer]

Yeah I don't know about Jersey Girl = $25,266,129 gross, $35 mil cost either. The fact that he had to dig up old characters in order to try and catch an audience is pretty sad.

Now he's gotta use Apatow's crew to try and crawl out of his fanboy ghetto and get some relevance instead of hawking his crap around to his lame fanbase.

Te fact that he's making low budget films is indicative of the point. He's not a major filmmaker. You could try and argue that he "created" this type of humor, but Kevin Smith is a "b" level talent at best.

[Pupster]

When did Kevin gain so much weight? He looks dangerously obese.

[Thad]

"Mr. Smith's predicament is just one part of a larger problem facing many filmmakers in the field of R-rated comedy: It is nearly impossible for them to make their pot-smoking, breast-baring (but heartfelt!) movies without in some way encroaching on the raunchy (yet tender!) turf that Mr. Apatow already owns."

Wait, WHAT?

Last I checked, Clerks came out before 40-Year-Old Virgin.

There's no question that Apatow's way more bankable, but to say Kevin Smith is encroaching on HIS turf is sort of ass-backwards.

[Swerinjer2]

They should have casted mclovin.

[ocalasatpro]

No doubt. He, IMHO, was the best character in Superbad.

P.S. I watched Pineapple EX last night. It was super bad...

[MountPanic]

Kevin Smith is hardly in Apatow's shadow. He's more than amply earned his own chunk of real estate in this territory. There's certainly some overlap, but that simply speaks to the fertility of their themes and perspectives.