SUFFICIENT Comedy Trio (I guess)

To close out this overall so-so summer, Hollywood served up three hard-R comedies all full of tasteless filth and naughty words, as spouted out by a slew of our favorite funny people. All opening within almost one month of each other, STEP BROTHERS, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and TROPIC THUNDER each had the creative firepower that promised to knock last summer's strong comedy quartet (KNOCKED UP, HOT ROD, SUPERBAD, THE BROTHERS SOLOMON) off of the top of its recently-claimed mountain.

Did it?

Almost.

Based on my rating system, EACH of these movies lands a *** (out of four), solidifying an nearly disappointing label of funny enough. Given the fact that the following names couldn't guarantee memorable comedic experiences in the theaters has to be letdown however you look at it: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Danny McBride.

What happened? Honestly, I'm reluctant to hand out overall positive reviews for each of these titles; frankly, I feel like they're more deserving of the dreaded **1/2 (not good when applicable to comedies). But each film delivered enough laugh-out-loud moments to justify a satisfied reaction.

Which is the best movie out of the three? Honestly, they are EQUAL. They're all good enough and flawed enough in similar ways, most notably in the storytelling department (which doesn't require a whole lot from crude R-rated comedies; but each story had enough potential to tell a good one).



I'll put it to you like this: STEP BROTHERS is better than TALLADEGA NIGHTS but nowhere even remotely near ANCHORMAN.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is about as good as SUPERBAD but not on THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN or KNOCKED UP's level (even FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, perhaps this year's best comedy thus far, is better). Saddest part about PINEAPPLE though is that it probably never could have lived up to what remains one of the best trailers I've ever seen (didn't do itself any favors leaving M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" off of its soundtrack).

TROPIC THUNDER doesn't hold up to ZOOLANDER, which might be Ben Stiller's strongest work to date (though I'm a CABLE GUY guy).



None of them transcend their respective predecessors in any way.

What's going to salvage these titles that had high quality written all over them PRIOR to their releases? REPEAT VIEWINGS. With comedies, the more and more we watch them, it seems the funnier they become. I'll give each of these the benefit of the doubt in that regard, but I'm still convinced that, after one viewing apiece, they didn't deliver.

BUT, they've all got plenty of laughs to keep your attention.

Only slightly recommended - and it hurts me to say that.

Can stoners make bank?

Can stoners make bank?
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
August 8, 2008

If a pack of lazy, blazing stoners can generate millions of dollars at the box office, what has four years of college actually done for me?

My third pick for a surefire summer bet, 'Pineapple Express,' opened nationwide Wednesday, and while it boasts recently established comedy megastar Seth Rogen and mogul-of-funny Judd Apatow's names on its poster, its chance at bringing in serious seasonal dough hinges on whether a mainstream audiences can accept pervasive drug use throughout a near two-hour running time.

Rogen and former Apatow crony James Franco (television's 'Freaks & Geeks') star as a pair of tokers on the run from a slew of ruthless killers.

While the Rogen/Apatow alliance has yet to falter, based on the success of last summer's pair of R-rated raunchy comedies 'Knocked Up' and 'Superbad,' the existence and evolution of the stoner comedy as a box-office champion has seen a flatline, neither going up or down and remaining almost painful ignored by audiences.

As a bit of a subgenre, stoner films tend to center around the fairly explicit use of marijuana, predominantly in comedies. In most cases, to fall into this subgenre, marijuana should act as the catalyst that sends the plot into motion, though sometimes it acts as a prevalent background artist.

Looking back at this classification's catalogue, several titles suggest that we as a collective audience tend to adore and even worship these films to the extent of leaving the DVDs in our players for weeks to months. But perhaps it's a generational thing.

Even within the realm of stoner comedies, an upper echelon for the headiest efforts exists while most sophomoric, self-evident releases teeter on the bar just above awful.

To suggest the stoner comedy can manifest itself as an art form isn't a joke. Even the most eclectic contemporary filmmakers dabble into the disoriented, hazy atmosphere in which dimwitted inhabitants wander aimlessly into misadventure. Joel and Ethan Coen's stoner odyssey 'The Big Lebowski' may arguably stand as the all-encompassing stoner masterpiece, chronicling the baked escapades of an unlikely hero, The Dude.

Fried fans of Richard Linklater's Austin-set thing of beauty 'Dazed and Confused' (1993) might beg to differ, pitching this '70s high school yarn as '‘American Graffiti' high on weed.' 'Dazed' and 'Lebowski' would sit atop my own list, were I to make one.

Locals shouldn't forget University of Alabama filmmakers' Chris Merritt and Matthew Stewart's 'Killer Weed,' a series about marijuana that turns smokers into zombies.

But real purists will reach back into the late '70s and early '80s, when Cheech and Chong reigned supreme among slackers who rolled massive joints their dogs digested (see 1978's 'Up in Smoke' if you feel the need to partake).

'Pineapple Express' marks what could be a first within the genre: a stoner action comedy. Car chases, shootouts, explosions, a Huey Lewis title song and inhalation will serve as the vehicles that send this movie from point A to point B.

But will the sum of its parts send 'Pineapple Express' to the top of the box office this weekend, possibly surmounting Warner Bros.' juggernaut 'The Dark Knight' as No. 1? Certainly, opening numbers will depend on its marketing campaign. So far, so good. A clever red-band trailer released last spring featured Rogen and Franco up to no good in a slow-mo mishmash of mayhem set to M.I.A.'s popping reggae/hip-hop track 'Paper Planes.'

With Rogen starring and co-writing with fellow 'Superbad' scribe Evan Goldberg, Apatow's Midas touch and strong early critical buzz, Columbia Pictures looks to have a hit on its hands. But why haven't stoner comedies fared all that well financially prior to this release?

Recent marijuana-driven yarns such as 'Super Troopers,' 'Grandma's Boy,' 'Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny' and the 'Harold and Kumar' pair haven't shot up into the $100M stratosphere, but sometimes these theatrical numbers can deceive us. Usually, these releases don't get monster, blockbuster budgets to begin with, therefore a profit never falls too far out of the line of sight. 'Super Troopers' and the 'Harold and Kumar' movies both fared well monetarily, doubling and sometimes tripling their budgets (not to mention their substantial performances when released on DVD).

Sometimes, the trick for studios is to find that built-in cult audience prior to theatrical release, well before it reaches video stores. What 'Pineapple Express' has going for it is that it looks like a solid movie that should draw heady word-of-mouth. Along with Rogen, Apatow and Franco (trust me, give him a chance) plenty of talent, including indie director David Gordon Green and funnyman Danny McBride (in a supporting role), has jumped on board to give this thing an extra hit of street cred.

But this movie either hopes parents won't catch on or will show a sense of humor this time around. After all, one message the movie has dished out in its marketing campaign is that where there's weed, there are bad guys with guns.

Myself, I'm banking on the promise I made earlier this summer. In between two other hard-R comedies ('Step Brothers' and 'Tropic Thunder'), 'Pineapple Express' should bring the funny stuff that'll keep people laughing and laughing — the kind of people who tend to laugh for no reason at all.

The Binary Blitzkrieg tonight at Mellow Mushroom: Rockers Model Citizen return to our town for the first night since I don't know when (this will be my first time seeing the longtime favorites, but don't tell anyone). The show will also feature last week's pick Squirrelhouse, a sneak peek at an upcoming performance from the Pink Box Burlesque and a live taping of 'Well That's Cool,' a video podcast to be posted on the hosts' Web site, wellthatscool.com.

KrautFest at the Mellow Mushroom Wednesday: Former WVUA 90.7-FM station manager and everyone's favorite German techno- enthusiast Tim Neunzig will bid farewell to Tuscaloosa in style, hosting an event that'll feature several rocking acts upstairs at the Mellow Mushroom (doing a few things right this week, it seems). Druid City Rockers, Mansfield, Me, THREE and one of the town's more entertaining bands, Skullduggery. Neunzig, known as DJ KrautDawg by many, will spin plenty of popping beats and rockin' tunes between acts. Things will get going as early as 8 p.m., with a $2 cover, where one of those bucks heads straight to non-profit organization Empower Alabama.

Nobody likes a spoiler

Today's Tusk piece:

Nobody likes a spoiler
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
August 1, 2008

Has anyone ever spoiled the end of a movie for you? I'd guess that a sudden something comes over you – a certain wave of violent rage and cynicism, and a constant rush of regret for what you'll do to someone in a matter of seconds. Has anyone ever spoiled the end of a movie for you? I'd guess that a sudden something comes over you – a certain wave of violent rage and cynicism, and a constant rush of regret for what you'll do to someone in a matter of seconds.

Do you get that, too? Just me?

Maybe in the real world we can't wring the necks of thoughtless herds of blabbering faces chattering about the climax of a movie while you stand in line for the next show. At that moment, you unleash it: a dark, insidious glare – or look of death – in the doomed direction of a bozo who indirectly or subconsciously felt the need to ruin your evening. Next time, make sure they see your disgusted face, one that can't find the strength or mercy to forgive and move on.

Reverse the scenario now and ask yourself, 'Have I ever spoiled it for anybody? Couldn't I follow that unwritten rule of the multiplex that says I keep my yapper shut until I get in the car unless I'm convinced everyone surrounding me has seen what I have?'

Surely you and I have committed the same cinematic sin of spoiling, whether we knew it or not. Either way, do those of us who didn't make the midnight showing a favor, and come to grips with the sickness that could spread an epidemic on any night at the Cobb Hollywood 16, and hold off on spilling the beans. We want that sweet shock value, too – we just might have needed a few days to actually make it into the theater.

For the masochists, let them peruse the nerdy Web sites and message boards that, without remorse, let them in on anything and everything. A select cluster of sad individuals who summon everything in their power to wreck a moviegoing experience does exist, and their collectively disturbing hobby tells you more than you should know about these people – the kind who will read the script before they've seen a movie, without getting paid for it.

Some either completely ignore, or simply don't look for the caution sign all articles must include in their headlines if they plan on delving deeper than some of us had hoped: 'SPOILER ALERT!'

Don't hesitate to inform your friends you've wandered out of the loop, but will find your way back soon enough, and make it clear with your serious face. Don't let them pull out some lame, slap-in-the-back-of-the-he

ad-worthy justification: 'Well if you really wanted to see it, you'd have done it by now.'

Are you a victim of spoilers? Who blew the defining moment of 'The Empire Strikes Back' in 1980? Was there any reason to venture out to 'The Planet of the Apes?' Who blew every single one of M. Night Shyamalan's plot twists for you? Did you know who Keyser Soze was before you'd seen 'The Usual Suspects?' Can anyone really watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie without having read (sometimes forcibly in academic settings) essays analyzing the specifics of the Master's dazzling denouements?

Certainly it applies to television as well. That joker in the office who hasn't yet discovered TiVO or DVR and deafeningly relives the final moments on the '24' or 'Lost' finales.

Those of you lucky enough not to have endured such spoilage, journey forth and see what you've always wanted to see. Directly address the hype and feel that stream of surprise trickle down the slope of your spine before some nimrod blurts out, 'He was dead all along!' Smack him if it makes you feel better...unless he's much bigger than you.

What about the sadists, you ask? The sickest lot of ‘em all who deliberately rob us of genuine shock and awe, or how the director intended us to see it; they slither and ooze among us, perhaps even closer than you might think. Take a look in the mirror.

For how many years now have you berated and condemned the deadly spoilers who walk the lobbies of innocent, unsuspecting moviehouses? You're a full-blooded spoiler-phobe who can't shake the idea that this whole time you hail from a long line of ashamed closet spoilers. Once you accept it, you can overcome it – forever.

If you must spoil, though, I'd advise you to think twice and become familiar with your surroundings. One slip of the tongue, and the next thing you know, you'll wake up and wonder what happened to you. For your own safety, spare us the trouble.

Artrageous Riverfront Arts Tour Thursday: Held on the first Thursday of each month, this event lets you tour local art galleries, stores and restaurants as well as catch the latest exhibits and demonstrations. Withhold digging deeply into your pockets and save a little petrol by taking the bus to boost your arty street cred. At these galleries, art buffs or first-timers can find an eclectic blend of diverse artists while enjoying live jazz and classical music, hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting at select galleries. Do your local artists a favor and get artrageous, you worldly people you.

'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' at Tuscaloosa's Bama Theatre: Released a bit early in 2008, this critical darling and throwback to screwball comedies made it to Tuscaloosa's Cobb Hollywood 16 for too short a period for anyone to know it ever existed. Now the choosy bunch at the Bama Theatre have reserved a week for this romance, starring 'Enchanted' star Amy Adams and Oscar-winner Frances McDormand ('Fargo'), who plays a middle-aged London governess who works for a highly social American actress. Sparse numbers of little gems like these run into rotten luck sometimes in terms of pesky January-March release dates; but thanks to our friendly Arts Council, we can take it all in now, and in such an ideal setting.

Squirrelhouse tonight at Egan's: Amidst the current clash between new and old management and listeners at the University of Alabama's college radio station regarding its changing format, local musicians who might feel a bit slighted still find the zeal to keep on truckin'. One band in particular I've heard recently on 90.7-FM will keep the dream alive tonight in one of the local artists' favorite abodes, Egan's. Squirrelhouse's catchy song 'Fours' (its newly aired studio version) still has a home on Tuscaloosa's radiowaves, which can't upset a talented bunch of native musicians looking for any and every push they can get.