Selling out?


OK, so he's directing the latest movie out of the Apatow tent, and is now slated to direct the next movie by "Foot Fist Way" scribe (and "Pineapple Express" co-star) Danny McBride. I'm unsure about this enterprise. I'm not really a fan of these 21st century 'lower-middlebrow' comedies (I thought "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was average at best). I know Richard Linklater did "The School of Rock" and "Bad News Bears," but he still mostly does primarily personal, thought-provoking, and uncommerical films. I hope DGG won't destroy his reputation in the this process.

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Honestly, I have the same worry. I don't think he's selling out -- I think he's exploring some new stuff, which is awesome. But I do want to see more traditional DGG stuff. I thought "Snow Angels" was so exceedingly beautiful that I think it will be hard to watch "Pineapple Express" as a follow up. Fingers crossed.

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I think someone hasn't seen the trailer.

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Keep in mind, Linklater most likely made those commercial films in order the get the cash to make stuff like A Scanner Darkly and Fast Food Nation. Green may be doing the same.

But at the end of the day, you've gotta pay the bills. Maybe it's just that.

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interesting analogy. Hopefully he's doing the "one for me, one for them" plan that a lot of directors do. Even Spielberg does it (war of the worlds for them, munich for me) I hope DGG will get back to doing his own work that we al recognize and love soon, but I'm definitely interested in Pineapple. It should be worth a few laughs. From the short synopsis of "Your Highness," I think I may sit that one out.

-I'm the mother flippin'

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The problem with the "one for me, one for them" approach is that it rarely works. Most great directors (esp. the intimate, low-budget kind) are great because they refused to bow to studio pressure, lure of financial solvency, mainstream popularity. Once you start down that path, you get very comfy and creatively complacent. I mean, where's Truffaut's "Die Hard"? Where's Ozu's "Billy Madison"? Where's Terry Malick's "Devil Wears Prada"? Where's Paul Thomas Anderson's "Hancock"?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling him a sell-out, nor do I think a "silly" comedy is beneath him (I love silly comedies). But DGG is treading into some dangerous waters, here...

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i heard him talk after a screening of Undertow where he mentioned that he wanted to do a comedy next. Needless to say, we were all a little surprised.

-I'm the motha flippin'

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