School For Scoundrels
So I'm a pretty big Todd Phillips fan. I love "Road Trip", "Old School" is truly a classic, and even "Starsky and Hutch" is pretty funny.
The guy kind of reminds me of Ivan Reitman in his hey day. I'm hard pressed to think of another director that has really made a name of himself by doing just comedies (I don't really count Kevin Smith, because he really hasn't had a major financial success. He spends 5-10 million, and makes 20).
So, whenever I hear that he's got another film in the pipeline I get psyched. Which brings us to:
School For Scoundrels
Jon Heder seems to be playing yet another Napolean variation, which is fine. He handles those roles well. I love when Billy bob Thornton is allowed to bust loose in comedic roles. Bad Santa is still one of my all time favorite comedies.
You can view the trailer here
The guy kind of reminds me of Ivan Reitman in his hey day. I'm hard pressed to think of another director that has really made a name of himself by doing just comedies (I don't really count Kevin Smith, because he really hasn't had a major financial success. He spends 5-10 million, and makes 20).
So, whenever I hear that he's got another film in the pipeline I get psyched. Which brings us to:
School For Scoundrels
Jon Heder seems to be playing yet another Napolean variation, which is fine. He handles those roles well. I love when Billy bob Thornton is allowed to bust loose in comedic roles. Bad Santa is still one of my all time favorite comedies.
You can view the trailer here
posted by Casey at 12:09 PM
8 Comments:
Road Trip? Starsky and Hutch? Old School was his first funny film... and without Will Ferrell it would have been tired. The trailer looks like a renter, if only because Phillips is rehashing Thorton's character from Bad Santa/Ice Harvest & the aformentioned rehash-job by Heder... I'm just not interested.
And for writer/directors who do just comedies... I'd have to say the Coen Brothers are the funniest around. Yes, very dark. But consistantly funny and creative.
but Coen's don't do just comedy...I mean parts of Miller's Crossing were midly amusing, but I'm sure not intended to be that way...
I'm with MCP on BB cuttin' loose and doing his thing...I just hope he's allowed to go all the way like Bad Santa and not Bad News "Potentially worst remake of all time" Bears
I have to echo the BNBears as the worst remake of all time....(Hmmmm...dare we spawn a TopTen list?)
The Coen's do only do comedy... the fact is they know how to make a better and well-rounded film.
That's right, Road Trip. I think it's a really funny movie. So just like the fact that I think your an ass, we'll have to chalk it up to a difference of opinion. True, it's no old school, but what is?
As for Starsky...yeah, it's weak sauce, but it has some truly funny bits (Although I will concede, Will Ferrel & Vince Vaughan were the real saving graces).
And maybe I'm a comedy moron, but the bit in the elevator in the preview is funny as hell.
As for the Coen's...yeah, they've done some comedies, but do you consider stuff like Millers Crossing, Fargo and Blood Simple comedies? There are lots of great comedies done by very well known directors, but very few directors are ever very well known because of their Comedy work. The Coen's were already very well established before they hit their comedy stride w/Lebowski & O Brother. Keep in mind, before that (and still to a degree today) they were considered very inconsistent with their comedies. As much as I love the Hudsucker Proxy (Paul Newman & Bruce Campbell in 1 movie! It doesn't get better than that!) it tanked pretty hard, and has often been considered one of their weakest pieces of work this side of the ladykillers.
The fact that the Coen's are better film makers is completely a different issue. Of course they're better. But they're not known as comedy directors. They didn't really earn their noteriety as comedy directors (yeah, yeah, I know, Raising Arizona, blah blah blah, but really that's a cult flick more than anything else).
I'm talking about film makers that are straight up comedy directors. Hence the Ivan Reitman comparison.
Todd Phillips, Judd Apatow and maybe even Adam McKay (Anchorman) are the type of filmmakers who are staying exclusive to straight up comedy. Most of the directors that do those type of films don't really get any attention because they're often seen as interchangable to studios. It's funny, most actors and filmmakers will tell you that Comedy is the hardest thing to do, yet studios, and even the academy awards don't look at it that way.
I hear you... good points. I guess I'm just not a fan of Todd Phillips. Really at all. And it seems you need to revisit Raising Arizona.
I love Raising Arizona, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't a hit film or anything. It was one of those flicks that really found its audience on video & TV. That's all I was trying to say.
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