Aug 19 2008 'Tropic Thunder' Proves Itself the More Popular Movie Featuring a Guy in Heavy Makeup
Weekend box office results!
1. Tropic Thunder - $25.8 million, finally answering the question of if [the actor who played] Iron Man could beat [the movie] Batman in a fight [between their movies, one of which came out a month prior].
2. The Dark Knight - Oh, how the mighty have fallen... one spot... after five weeks... and after earning over $470 million. ($16.4 million)
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - $14.6 million, because it's terrible.
4. Mirrors - $11.1 million, a number that, when held to a mirror, remains the same. Spooky, huh? Except how the decimal point is in the wrong spot, and the dollar sign is reversed and at the end, and I rounded down the last 1 even though it was technically $11.16 million, so that's also not entirely accurate. Still, spooky.
5. Pineapple Express - Dropping three spots with only $9.8 million after many people planning to see it decided instead to finish this South Park then laugh at that channel where they sell all those knives.
Weekend Box Office Results [Box Office Mojo]
Aug 11 2008 'Dark Knight' Continues Argument That No Other Movies Should Exist
Guess what movies made more or less money than other movies this weekend! I'll just tell you:
1. The Dark Knight - You have to feel bad for every other movie that isn't The Dark Knight right now. You can almost see the guys down at Swing Vote HQ: "God, Batman again!? We could've been eighth!" ($26 million.)
2. Pineapple Express - It's only fair that a stoner comedy, like an actual stoner, would fail to live up to expectations. $22.4 million.
3. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - $16.1 million.
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - $10.8 million, setting a new benchmark for future pant-based movie sequels.
5. Step Brothers - $8.9 million, with attendance still strong among people who don't get sick of anything.
Aug 8 2008 'Superbad'/'Pineapple Express' Crossover Movie? Really?
Freddy and Jason, Alien and Predator, that time Urkel was on Step by Step: if there's one thing audiences will tolerate, it's pointless crossovers. So how about a Pineapple Express/Superbad crossover, even though Seth Rogen is in both films playing different roles, which would probably lead to some kind of confusing, Tommy Westphall-style paradox? Well, regardless, James Franco says it might be happening. From MTV:
Even before ‘Superbad’ came out, I think the studio was trying to get [Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg] to write a sequel, but they really didn’t want to write a sequel. I guess the kids would go to college or something like that [that was the studio's idea],” Franco said. “And so, an answer to that was to do a ‘Superbad’/'Pineapple Express’ crossover, an unprecedented crossover movie with two directors, Greg Motolla and David Gordon Green, each directing half of the movie and somehow these characters get together, which doesn’t make sense at all, but could work.”
I have to agree that this doesn't make sense at all, but, yeah, it could work--especially if they follow the example of crossovers that worked in the past. Because Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen definitely read this blog, I've helpfully made a list of the top five crossovers of all time. Study these, guys, and you can do no wrong. Thank me later.
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Jul 23 2008 'Pineapple Express' Still Looks Good (with Clips as Proof)
IESB has posted six (6!) new clips from Pineapple Express that have assured me more than ever that this movie will be really good, and that I won't have built it up to myself and everyone else only to be horribly disappointed. Right? Watch them and tell me I'm right.
Jul 16 2008 'Pineapple Express' TV Spots Are Effective
There are few movies in which the knowledge that I'll probably have to endure hearing stoned dudes imitate a high-pitched "who is it?" for a few months can't detract from my enthusiasm. These new TV spots for Pineapple Express have cemented it firmly among those narrow ranks. Somehow James Franco's simulated stoned mumbling paired with an overplayed M.I.A. song proves much more effective in practice than in theory. See for yourself, under the cut.
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Jul 2 2008 Huey Lewis's 'Pineapple Express' Theme Sounds Like Every Huey Lewis Song (i.e. AMAZING)
Lakeshore Records' MySpace is now hosting the rhyme-heavy, saxophone-laden title track to Pineapple Express, written and performed by Huey Lewis and a little backing band by the name of THE NEWS. Heard of 'em? It's worth a listen if only to hear Huey Lewis say "the chronic" (which he rhymes with "on it").
Jul 1 2008 'Pineapple Express' Character Posters Clear Up Confusion That It's a Hawaiian Wrestling Movie
Looks like producer Judd Apatow (who I'm only familiar with as a nameless "guy" who brought me something else) is sticking with the tried and true "here's someone's head" model of poster design for Pineapple Express. Placing this side-by-side with the Knocked Up poster gives you a retrospective glance at high school, remembering the chubby, awkward kid who transformed into a complete stoner by senior year. Following this progression, I can only assume the next poster will somehow imply Seth Rogen is nearing 30 but still attending high school parties to deal drugs and attempt statutory rape.
Under the cut: stoned James Franco!
Apr 3 2008 'Pineapple Express' Poster References Criminal Act
How many ways can the Pineapple Express poster find to work in not-so-subtle references to marijuana? I count five.
1. The title, which the trailer explains is a type of the marijuana drug.
2. The "Put this in your pipe and smoke it" tagline. Because the marijuana drug is smoked, sometimes in a pipe.
3. Actual, physical smoke surrounding the characters, as is produced by the marijuana drug.
4. James Franco's look of jovial euphoria, as may be caused by the marijuana drug.
5. The second tagline, "From the guys who brought you Superbad." Because any time the term "from the guys who brought you..." is used, the only logical response to the instant rage it creates is to either escape through drug use or destroy something beautiful.
Pineapple Poster! [JoBlo]
Mar 13 2008 New 'Pineapple Express' Trailer
I've already professed my unbridled enthusiasm for the Seth Rogen/James Franco action-buddy-stoner-comedy Pineapple Express, so I won't continue assaulting you with reasons this is one of the few summer films I have genuine expectations for. Suffice to say, there's a new trailer under the cut, and an official, finished version of the leaked R-rated one from last month.
Mar 3 2008 'Pineapple Express' Theme Proves Heart of Rock n Roll Still Beating
One more reason Pineapple Express is probably going to be amazing: the Huey Lewis-manufactured theme song, which director David Gordon Green describes as "like that 'other' Back to the Future Huey Lewis song. Not 'Power of Love' but 'Back in Time'." By request, it describes the plot, says the title as many times as possible, and is loaded with alto sax.
Green recited the chorus:
We got trouble, we got to get out of here. I've got you, you've got me. We are as high as we can be. That's all right. How did we get into this mess? Pineapple Express!
It's so perfectly, spectacularly stupid that it hurts my head.
Feb 13 2008 'Pineapple Express' R-Rated Trailer Good Even Non-Stoned
The stoner-buddy-action-comedy genre is not, inherently, a good one. When someone likes weed enough to write an entire movie about being stoned, there's an implication that they were most likely stoned while writing it, meaning there's a good chance the jokes are only funny when stoned. (e.g., in stoned reality, it's f***ed up how birds can fly! In reality reality, birds: not f***ed up.)
I have no evidence whether or not Superbad writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were stoned while writing Pineapple Express, but after seeing this trailer, I can safely say it doesn't matter. It pretty much looks really, really good--funny, action-filled, and includes that laugh where you just make a noise. Along with producer Judd Apatow, these guys had already proven their talent, but bringing along indie-favorite David Gordon Green for directorial duties has added a level of naturalism reminiscent of vintage Ivan Reitman.
Highly recommended for viewing, and it's below the cut. (Thanks to everyone who sent this.)
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Dec 3 2007 'Pineapple Express' Preview Feels Like It's Totally Long, Man
Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen continue their tradition of making funny things to watch with Pineapple Express, a jaunt into the world of stoner buddy action comedy. This clip looks funny enough, but it seems pretty slow-paced for something being called an action comedy. Unless it's some kind of post-modern stoner thing, where the pacing is meant to replicate the sense of prolonged time when stoned, in which case it's amazing.
And can you believe this is directed by David Gordon Green? If you know who that is, you wouldn't believe it.
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