For debate: Judd Apatow killed Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell.

[Cathan]

I liked Superbad. It's a 1 shot movie without any replay value imo, but it was definitely funny in the theater. Movies like that... the theater experience is what makes them golden. At home it's just not the same.

I would love some more Kevin Smith but I want quality Kevin Smith. I sometimes wonder if it's just nearly impossible to keep putting out excellent quality art because it seems like most people have a finite amount of ideas and once they "blow their wad" that's it... My guess is people grow up and their life experiences give them some incredible ideas. Once those ideas are used up those same people need new life experiences to make more art unless they are just extremely gifted.

[Thorpe]

Originally Posted by spronk

For the past few years TV comedy shows have vastly surpassed movies in quality and content. For whatever reason comedies have not been of very good quality on the big screen, maybe too much trying to please too many people.

I think the reason you are looking for is time. Movie have to be funny over an hour and a half, where as most television comedies only have to be funny for 30 minutes.

Case and point, I always felt the hour long episodes of The Office weren't as good as their 30 minute counterparts.

[Fammaden]

I think it is more that those guys just jumped the shark sort of. There gets to be a point where as they get older they don't seem as relevant as before. Myers, Sandler, Carey, Ferrell have had moments but they haven't endured. I took cyclical but I'm not sure its movie goer tastes or movie making trends as much as the star power fading. You look at a guy like Eddie Murphy whose earlier stuff was great but as he got older and more successful he made a more solid transition to breaking out and applying his talent in different ways rather than just doing more serious roles. You can see the pure talent there in more ways. He didn't do these sames types of movies really of course, but the point is he didn't get stuck in 50 different versions of Axel Foley, he has been able to diversify better.

These guys' shtick just got old and they haven't been able to translate into different types of characters and roles as well. Myers I thought was going to be able to but I guess not. I don't think a genre of goofball comedy is necessarily dying, guys like Schneider seem to do it well but their entire range isn't as played out as Sandler, Ferrell etc. since we just haven't seen as many movies from them. I think other comics of the same ilk will come along, but they all tend to burn out the audience after a while.

[The Ancient]

What still confuses me most about this thread is why Will Ferrell is mentioned as being "killed" by Judd Apatow when he is part of that whole gang. I mean Ferrell's 2 best films that weren't Stranger than Fiction were both Apatow movies, Anchorman and Talledega nights.

Additionally, why are Apatow's films not goofball? The absolute funniest part of Superbad was nothing but a sight gag of Penises on notebook paper.

Where is the radio button for "I don't understand this poll's basic premise." I mean I enjoyed Semi-Pro and there is every indication that Step Brothers is going to be awesome as well, what exactly has been killed?

[Kragg Goremaw]

I think it's a little bit of both B and C, certain movie types get played out, we get tired of them until we get bored with the new thing. Look at horror movies, we get gluts of slasher flicks, monster movies, supernatural, zombie, and just recently torture films.

It comes in big waves and burns everyone out and I think we are starting to see a little bit that now with Apatow now also. They keep using his name to promote movies and I think it's starting to get old. If I'm not mistaken his last 3 movies didn't do so hot (Walk Hard, Drillbit Tailor, and Sarah Marshall) and something tells me you can throw Step Brothers in to that mix also.

Sandler, Myrers, and Ferrell also need a new idea. I mean the Love Guru looks like a bunch of idea's they couldn't fit in Austin Powers and built a movie around it. At least Sandler, Ferrell, and Carey try to branch out and do different types of movies.

I think what we need is a remake of the Ernest films, clearly that would be the savior of goofball comedies...

[Burf]

Originally Posted by Fammaden

I think it is more that those guys just jumped the shark sort of.

You mean "nuked the fridge."

[Schezanna]

Reign Over Me was a really good movie. But it wasn't a comedy. The line between laughing and crying is pretty thin. Both are aspects of pathos.

[Astrocreep]

Originally Posted by manslayer

Are you somehow related to Astrocreep?

Superbad was hyped way out of proportion before it ever came out, it was a disappointment to be sure. it wasnt shit tho. it had its funny moments but it went on way too long, they needed to edit out about 20 minutes of it and then it would have been gold.


the goofball comedies arent going anywhere they are still making tons of cash and people still enjoy them. before Austin Powers came out i saw the trailer and said to myself, how the fuck can that stupid face be funny? saw the movie on release and laughed for 90 minutes. is myers going to do the same thing with Guru? i dunno but i wont underestimate him again.

[Grimmlokk]

Originally Posted by The Ancient

I mean I enjoyed Semi-Pro

I hate Semi-Pro=/ Was insanely disappointed in it. I'm a huge Ferrell fan. Loved Blades of Glory and just about everything else, but Semi-Pro was absolutely wretched.

On another note, just re-watched Chuck and Larry today and it actually wasn't bad. As far as stupid comedies go it was a good watch.