Well lookie here. Mere moments after Kurt brings up the potentially good Adventureland, we get a trailer for the movie. Kurt – can you be sure to comment on something about how good The Road will be? I’d love to see that trailer…
Back to the film in question, Adventureland is Superbad director Greg Mottola’s follow up and stars Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Martin Starr and Jesse Eisenberg as a recent college grad who takes a crummy job at the local amusement park only to find that it provides the perfect prep for his future. The film, also directed by Mottola, sounds like it could be fun though I’m not sure why the need for an 80’s setting when the story could well take place today. I can only imagine that it may be an excuse to include 80’s jokes; we’ll have to wait and see.
I’m not sold on this trailer, I simply didn’t laugh, but I do like Stewart while Reynolds and Hader can be very funny even when the material doesn’t call for it so yes, I’m optimistic.
Adventureland opens March 27th, 2009.
Trailer is tucked under the seat!
A few of us around here like Jesse Eisenberg in the criminally underseen ROGER DODGER (see here). While he looks like he holds his own here quite easily, the film looks pretty thin, even by Club-Apatow standards.
or Squid in the Whale. Yes, I’m sold on this kid. He feels… real.
Saw Rodger Dodger about 2 weeks ago. Good. But mostly for Campbell Scott though.
Absolutely Campbell Scott (never really got the popularity of his dad, despite being as good and he is fabulous as Roger Here, most of the movie. But Isabella Rossellini, Jesse Eisenberg and even Jennifer Beals manage to keep up with him.
Martin Starr = I will see this movie.
Thin?
That is one word I remember hearing in every single Dazed and Confused review, that its just a bunch of stuff that happens.
So. What. If its funny and I like the characters, as this seems to promise, then its not going to scare me away.
Ummm, I can’t believe you just compared this to Linklater. Linklater is about conversation and communication, this more along the line of goofy slapstick and cheap gags. I mean I liked Superbad well enough, but once was enough thanks.
If you like Campbell Scott you should see The Dying Gaul.
Campbell Scot was also in The Daytrippers. Just saying.
Superbad is good enough for repeat viewings, and this is also the guy who directed Daytrippers and several Undeclared eps. I’m not saying he’s Linklater but he’s not some cheap sex comedy goofball deserving to be written off either.
I was just saying that ‘thin’ is no reason for me to avoid something.
for the record though, when Dazed and Confused came out, i was just entering high school, and we just looked upon it then as a cool retro stonerish high school comedy. Years later as a big Linklater fan I can look at it as more than that, and at the same time I also look at Superbad as more than some slapstick fare – in fact behind the jokes its a friendship story, i dont find the ‘friends going seperate ways’ stuff tacked on at all. I actually related to that bit quite a lot and found it quite bittersweet, and it did indeed make me strangely nostalgic for high school days the same way ‘dazed’ does for me now.
and there are a shitload of respected critics who’d probably agree with me. While I doubt he’s ever going to make a ‘waking life’ king of movie, Mottolla has shown me enough that he’s capable of making quality films long after this “Team Apatow” style will fall out of favor. He’s been in the thick of it before this style took off, so I don’t see why he can’t. And again, I don’t think this trailer is indicative of only being a slapstick movie at all, its a trailer meant to sell a movie and make money.
Again, not to compare to Dazed and Confused, but maybe you need to revisit that trailer to see what I mean. If this trailer came out today its entirely possible you’d be giving it the same pish-posh attitude you give something like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eTV4lRJYU
Weed, people falling over themselves, sex jokes. Tagline was “See it with a bud”. I mean come on.
And directly to Marina:
“I’m not sure why the need for an 80’s setting when the story could well take place today. I can only imagine that it may be an excuse to include 80’s jokes”
continuing with the D&C stuff, was there any reason that movie HAD to be in the 70s? Linklater was specifically recalling his experiences and the characters were even named after people he knew. There’s some reflection of the 70s but there was no Wedding Singer type ironic jokes there, and since there aren’t really any in here save Hader’s moustache, this sort of cynicism is well, uncalled for. Mottola wrote this, who is to say he isn’t doing the same? Paul Feig, another extended Apatow family member, wrote a book on his own experiences about failing to lose his virginity that could be made into a movie, and if it was he’d probably direct it, would we talk about how that movie was only set in the 70s to do 70s jokes?
Do you think Freaks and Geeks is set in 1980 to only do 80s jokes? They reference their obsessions from the time frequently, from Steve Martin to Star Wars, but these things were hardly the point of that show either.
Wow. Good point Goon. The two trailers are damn near identical. The year, the one-liners, the narration, the music. Good call.
“Martha Washington, man. She was a hip. Hip. Hip lady man.”
I can’t really argue with your points except to say that Superbad was no Slacker.
“Superbad was no Slacker”
subUrbia was no Slacker either. Just sayin.
(I actually like that movie though, but I can’t find it on DVD to save my life)
This looks pretty good, honest and funny without trying too hard.
Watching that Dazed and Confused trailer reminds me that I really should get that Criterion disc, especially since I bought it fullscreen by mistake.
Yeah swarez, the regular version of D&C is highly disproportional to its WIDE screen counterpart for some reason. The WIDE screen is hard to find.
I bought the Criterion version some time back and have since watched it, but I haven’t taken advantage of any of the extras as of yet, so I can’t tell you how good or mediocre they are.
I just wanted to come back to this trailer to say
I WAS RIGHT.
I am in LOVE with Adventureland
Freaks and Geeks plus Dazed and Confused equals Adventureland. A very funny, warmly nostalgic, downright touching coming of age story with a little bit of silliness here and there for good measure, well filmed (and so much different in tone and look than Superbad, to a humongous extent), great performances from Eisenberg and Stewart, great use of soundtrack, both in Yo La Tengo’s score and the retro 80s choices. Great screenplay, a lot of character depth…
It’s an astounding film, and if I see something I’m more enthusiastic and excited to recommend this year, its going to be a great fucking year. Not liking this film is a severe character flaw.
Full 5/5
I will see it multiple times. Guaranteed.
from a thread on SomethingAwful that sums it up nicely:
“The marketing for this movie is really really off. It’s not a hilarious new comedy from the director of Superbad, it’s a bittersweet little dramedy by the guy who gave Superbad a heart.”
‘sup, fellow SA Goon? Why am I not surprised you’re a goon, Goon? Goon day to you, goon sir.
I’m a second hand goon, Dave. The lady of the house is a true Goon with the true Goon account, and I just sort of leech off it to read and lurk. if anything I’m a YTMND dork, semi-retired.
A goonette, you say? By jove this calls for a spot of ale; rare spawn found!
^^^ this is the lamest thing ever.
Do you even know what we’re referring to Rusty? Do you know what SA is?
Something Aweful aka The Forums.
Okay. I just realized by writing that the lady of the house is the ‘true Goon with the true Goon account’ i was making it look like the person everyone had been talking to all along was something else or something bizarre
Okay, so I know now to keep everything Goon and I talk about private. Thanks for that.
Rusty, if I or Henrik had posted like that on FJ I would have a dozen complaints by now about how I was scaring away new people from joining
FJ wants people to join?!
FilmJunk can have whoever the hell they want to have, same as R3. I’ve been driven away from sites for far less offensive behavior than I see here.
Anyway, did anyone here see Adventureland? I heard it was pretty good. Seeing it tomorrow night.
Oh, and if I ever see an ad magically embed itself in a word I write for a comment on this site, I’m gonna be hella pissed.
Yes they do Rusty. Just check the Religulous review for a first class scolding of me and Goon for being too abrasive towards a (retarded) poster.
I agree that the last comment especially talking about a ‘rare spawn’ was the lamest thing ever. Me and Rusty apparently share alot of the same sense of humour, too bad he’s so shortsighted in terms of humanism (or lack thereof) and politics.
” Me and Rusty apparently share alot of the same sense of humour”
And the same lack of tact apparently.
I won’t say this about Rusty, but I have a reputation for being pretty tactless around here. I think your wording is the nicest description of my behavior yet.
So yes, I just saw Adventureland. Probably the best thing showing in wide release right now. The comparisons to D&C are warranted. I felt like this is sort of the movie I expected Pineapple Express to be. Ya know, David Gordon Greene meets Apatow. Funny enough, neither of them had anything to do with this movie and it is a FAR better film. Future viewings will be forthcoming; as well a shottily written review by yours truly. 4.5/5 stars.
“Yes they do Rusty. Just check the Religulous review for a first class scolding of me and Goon for being too abrasive towards a (retarded) poster.”
I guess you guys can dish it out but you can’t take it huh?
At least Sean didn’t ban you like some other sites.
Hey, I didn’t mean to hang you guys out to dry. You’re free to do whatever you want, I can definitely take it.
I am glad I am not banned from Filmjunk.
Even though I quit that other thread I can take a punch too, but everyone has their limit, where they have to cut themselves off. I probably quit long after I first wanted to, out of some selfish need to want to correct mistakes or redirect things into something better.
So point taken – but come on Jay, I think if anyone yelled at you the way you did at me when we reviewed Clerks 2 and Nacho Libre on the podcast, you’d murder them
– to be honest, since that Pixar argument years ago, whenever I vehemently disagree with you, I keep quiet because fighting with you has never been worth the consequences. For some reason I really don’t like having you specifically, mad at me. It’s much more frustrating than other people for me.
But as for the policing thing on Filmjunk – yes, you’re free to do what you want, but I still retain some bitterness over that whole situation. I dont mind one bit being called out for going too far with some people, but I’m not sure you ever properly understood my point of view on the situation. A site like this or FJ with no TMB-esque rules is going to have to police itself. If I took on that job, I did so about as reluctantly as whatshisface did in season 1 of Deadwood – theres a natural tendency to want to argue or keep trolls away, but it comes with other baggage that isn’t worth it.
You and Sean barely ever, still today, barely ever comment on your own site. Since Henrik and I were the most frequent commenters, I think it it was inevitable things were going to turn out the way they did. We’re not commenting much there anymore and I still see other commenters trolling and yelling at each other to be heard. I don’t think it was fair for us to be some boogeyman.
So now look – R3 I think has a much more developed community aspect, much longer, deeper conversations, but with a limited amount of people. is that community scaring new people away? Maybe. Maybe this site just hasnt attracted new people in general, I dont know. But the flipside on FJ currently is that there are a lot of commenters, but I’m not seeing much community develop out of it, and the conversations arent particularly developed, and people are still yelling at each other.
If you guys were more involved with your commenters, because really – they’re there on that site because of you guys, maybe that’d change, but as it is I dont know what to say man, for better or worse if you guys arent going to be involved with your readers, I dont see the problem with some people trying to build a community out of the comments with longer comments, arguments, discussion, and yes, even some degree of policing to keep away people who are ONLY there to cause trouble.
That’s just how I see it. My first comment on FJ on here was merely a joke, not some commentary about unfairness or anything more than pointing out Rusty’s faux pas
Everyone on the Internet rages or makes an ass out of them sometimes…
except for Sean Dwyer. that dude is so zen. Has he ever been truly pissed off?
and Andrew, completely agree – waiting patiently for FJ and R3 Adventureland discussion – and it a full 5/5 from me, and I’ll probably see it in theaters as many times as you saw Rachel Getting Married. Adventureland hits all my sweet spots.
one more thing for Jay
Just wanted to point out for example, the success of some of FJ’s Open Forum Friday posts – I think they actually prove my point, when Sean puts those up he’s basically making a promise to your readers that he’s going to be part of the conversation – its reaching out to the people who are visiting your site for you guys, and it works.
I know you said that when you took time off you’d be writing more posts. I hope you not only do that, but take the time to respond to more FJ threads.
Just to be clear, Film Junk is first and foremost Sean’s baby. I am second in command, but he does the majority of the hard work over there. I’m speaking on my behalf, not his or the sites.
Goon…I seriously have no idea what relevance your examples have because I don’t remember a thing about those discussions. I really have no idea what was said during the Nacho Libre/Clerks 2 discussion (That was what, three years ago now?) and I have no specific memory of this infamous ‘Pixar arguement’ of years ago. You’re really holding on to grudges over arguments in comments sections? Jeez, I thought only John Campea did that. I guess comments on internet message boards just don’t stick with me. At all.
I agree that Sean and myself (and Greg) should be participating more and attempting to build a community over at Film Junk. This is something I would like to remedy. The problem is I seriously find it hard to spend the time writing out massive comments when I could be using that time working on other things. But hopefully having more free time on my hands now will open up the possibility of more interaction.
Regarding FJ’s ‘policing’…ummmm, what policing? Have you ever had a comment of yours removed from the site? You guys went on for thousands of words in that Religulous review without a word until Sean finally, partly joking, said ‘Good work guys, bullying another commenter into submission. High five!’. And the only reason that comment was made was because the commenter you guys were arguing with specifically said that because you (Goon) were staff at the site, he wouldn’t come back. You and Henrik then proceeded to give a ‘good riddance’ style high five to eachother:
Commenter: “I have wasted my time here, and with you. Being that you are “staff” on this site, I shall trouble you no more with further visits here. Fare thee well my angry Canadian friend and enjoy your life. I’m due to be activated again and I’ll be deploying soon but I’ll keep you in my heart while I’m in the cradle of civilization. The men I command shall know the name, Corey Pierce, as the cunning enemy who eluded my grasp”
Henrik: “As if ‘being deployed’ is somehow something we should respect. You’re an idiot Dungbeetle, and now, you’re an idiot with a weapon. God bless.”
Goon: “You’re a shitty soldier if you hold your service over the heads of other people, especially when it has nothing to do with the debate over whether religion is true. With so much time to spend on various message boards, I’d bet the only men you command are in MMORPGS anyways.
Henrik: YOWCH. Good one, dude. Your best zinger ever.”
Whatever. If you guys get off on teaming up and arguing someone into submission on a website, that’s cool. Just don’t get your panties in a bunch when the moderator of that site speaks up about it. (ESPECIALLY when that moderator isn’t just some faceless dude, but it’s SEAN.) The only reason I got involved is because I was annoyed that you would even think to start arguing him (and myself) into this corner where we start looking like Big Brother. I don’t really care if Lord Dungbeetle posts on Film Junk, but I do feel I have the right to express how I feel in our own comments section without you guys moderating US and our own website. Seriously, I mean, I guess we stepped out of line when we expressed an opinion on your comments right?
Henrik: “If you want to diminish free speech in comments sections, I think it would be proper to let people know.”
This is what pissed me off. Sean speaks up on his own site that he puts an unholy amount of hours into for YOUR entertainment, DOESN’T BAN YOU, DOESN’T DELETE YOUR COMMENTS, DOESN’T TELL YOU TO LEAVE…simply states how he feels about the comments) and Henrik starts talking about free speech. WTF? Are you 16? These are the battles you fight? Free speech on Film Junk?
All I’m getting at is you guys sit there and type out these 4000 word aggressive comments, and then when someone is equally aggressive back, you get offended and upset, and end up holding some grudge about a Pixar debate. If you’re so open to the idea of being able to say whatever you want in comments (which I agree with), then why can’t I say ‘you guys are being assholes’ in whatever fashion I feel necessary? The real beauty part of it is…you can respond and your comments won’t be deleted!
” I don’t think it was fair for us to be some boogeyman.”
Yes, you guys are victims. Legends have been passed down through the ages of your unbelievably insensitive comments, and one only hopes that the evil shall never return!!! Give me a break. Boogeymen. These are internet comments!! Is this really how you look at this shit? You think that you’ve been singled out and unfairly persecuted? Man, I’ve never even thought of that Religulous post until now. I really don’t care. You can say whatever you want in a post…I’ll respond to it that day and will have forgotten about it in a week. Boogeymen.
I think you guys have great conversations for the most part and I’m glad you’ve commented on Film Junk in the past. However, if you want to have the freedom to express whatever you want however you want, expect it in return. Even if it’s from the moderator of the very website you’re commenting on. Even if it’s an acquaintance or a friend. Otherwise, you become the obnoxious best friend that shows up to a party, puts his pal in an awkward situation by calling people idiots, and then guilt trips the friend for asking him to calm down. This is something only a drunkard would do.
STOP BEING DRUNKARDS.
And obviously, this isn’t meant to be taken as any sort of personal attack. I don’t think it really has to be said, but just in case.
First of all…
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8238/86623041.jpg
No, it doesnt necessarily need to be said, and you’ve kind of said it before.
As for ‘policing’, you may be taking it more literally than I mean. If you guys don’t take ownership of the comments section, someone else is going to, and you may not like how they do it.
As for our high five… I cant put myself in the head of whenever that happened, I don’t even know if i regret, but i regret that I got standoffish with you and Sean afterwards. I really was legitimately surprised it was a problem, completely taken aback, because well, I have known you long enough to know that if someone bites you, you bite back as well, and you know that a lot of people who dont know you and write into the show consider cranky your default mode to begin with.
I dont recall making a free speech issue out of things or if that was just Henrik.
As for remembering those other Pixar/Clerks 2/Nacho Libre things, I’m not holding a grudge, but I remember. Distinctly. Its not because those arguments are particularly mean spirited, but because when someone I know/have known in real life is yelling at me, I remember it a lot more vividly than just some regular schmo on the internet. It’s not a Campea thing, its my thing, and its not meant as an attack or a “take that”.
But I couldnt tell you what its like to get yelled at by you unless you got yelled like by that by someone you respect. You’d have to go back and listen to it. I don’t feel singled out or persecuted.
“Legends have been passed down through the ages of your unbelievably insensitive comments”
No, but sometimes we were made to feel as if the reason there weren’t more comments on film junk rested entirely on our shoulders.
I don’t have anything directly to say about this other than I think what Sean accomplishes with Film Junk is inconceivable to me… the output alone justifies the lack of comments, how could he have time with all those posts?
I think R3 needs more of a community, more discussion, and I open up the floor as to how to get that to happen? We have some things in the works possibly, something I am looking forward to, but what are we missing?
I think R3 is Darwin laws, for better or worse, and that probably dissuades some people from commenting, which is unfortunate.
I guess what I am saying is I want new blood, its cool we have a community of people and that we do know each other’s m.o.’s for the most part, but we need new people to step up as well.
I think we have to live with the fact that for the most part, what we have here is uncommon in most blogs where comments are often one liners that add little to any conversation. It may have something to do with the stories/reviews/discussions we start and also the level of involvement people want to have with their entertainment.
Yes, it would be nice to have some new commenters join in on the conversation but we also can’t expect that everyone is going to have the vested interest in the discussion that seems present in nearly all the discussions that go-on around these parts.
I have no idea how Sean gets so much done, I sometimes think he has replicants.
this is a strikingly interesting discussion. i don’t really know the background, but coming from a long time lurker of both these sites… it is very intersting and brings up a lot of good points.
i do think things are taken a little too seriously though. relax, guys.
Andrew’s comment is particularly profound.
These two sites aren’t exactly family per se, but they’re both close knit enough to develop some stupid family drama over the years
If i were an outsider looking it, I could see it looking as lame and laughable as it probably should be.
should we have a group family hug now?
I mean it is funny in a way, and cranky being Jay’s default mode (well observed Goon), I can see him shitting all over any kind of longstanding value to a commenting community, but I do get what you are saying Goon.
its kind of nice to have some familiarity laid out, some history, and then its easier to word your responses in consideration. Not that that ever works either!
“As for ‘policing’, you may be taking it more literally than I mean. If you guys don’t take ownership of the comments section, someone else is going to, and you may not like how they do it.”
Isn’t that sort of what was happening in the Religulous post? It’s like a TV talk show host. They are there to ask the questions, but mainly, their job is to keep things moving and flowing and be sure that the discussions don’t become long-winded or irrelevant. This is all that was happening. There’s two elements to commenting: 1. getting your opinion across, and 2. providing interesting discussion for those people who don’t comment to read, thus possibly encouraging them to comment. It’s nice to achieve that combination. Your Religulous arguement was 100% for you guys. Just the satisfaction of ganging up one someone and telling them they’re wrong. Boring. That’s all…just boring. Move it along and get on to something more interesting. I have every right to think that and express that. Just as much right as you have to tell someone they’re a shitty soldier.
“I really was legitimately surprised it was a problem, completely taken aback, because well, I have known you long enough to know that if someone bites you, you bite back as well, and you know that a lot of people who dont know you and write into the show consider cranky your default mode to begin with.”
Yes, and if Sean were to ever tell me to lighten up or felt it necessary to edit out an off coloured comment or remark in the podcast, I wouldn’t publically protest it and fight him on it. I would tell him to do whatever he felt was necessary because it’s first and formemost his website. I respect the amount of work he puts into it and it’s just not worth turning into some arugement about free speech.
“I dont recall making a free speech issue out of things or if that was just Henrik.”
It was Henrik.
“As for remembering those other Pixar/Clerks 2/Nacho Libre things, I’m not holding a grudge, but I remember. Distinctly. Its not because those arguments are particularly mean spirited, but because when someone I know/have known in real life is yelling at me, I remember it a lot more vividly than just some regular schmo on the internet. It’s not a Campea thing, its my thing, and its not meant as an attack or a “take that”.”
First off, the podcast is a show. It is EXTREMELY rare that I get into heated debates with people about movies outside of that environment and I don’t recall ever getting to the point of yelling. (Except maybe with Reed) Unfortunately the mp3 of that episode isn’t online, but I can guarantee that if I did yell, it was for any of the following reasons: 1. The podcast is a show and it’s meant to be entertaining. People enjoy a heated debate. 2. You were on Skype. 3. You were more than likely talking over me, because as I also have known you long enough to know that when you get into debates with people, you talk a mile a minute without any conscious consideration for letting the other person get a word in.
I really don’t care about any of this. I’m content with everything and I welcome you and Henrik to comment whenever and however you want. I just would hope you would be as open to myself or Sean commenting however we want as well.
“You were more than likely talking over me”
This was a constant problem on Skype for me, and a lot of interruptions were accidental, because there was a massive lag, and sometimes even an echo.
I blame this argument on Dave’s lame comment.
j/k
So do I.
“The podcast is a show and it’s meant to be entertaining.”
Even if you don’t like them or find them boring, this is often how I craft my comments. Some comments are pure earnest discussion, some comments are dramatic monologuing. “That was 100% for you guys only” isn’t true for me at all.
Alright, well my response to it was 100% for me then. It was a long and boring conversation. Much like this one for anyone who doesn’t know us. I would have absolutely no problem having any of these comments removed from what is supposed to be a review of Adventureland.
Heh. A trailer for Adventureland.
Welcome boys, these film websites are your ‘endless summer.’ Don’t eat the corn-dogs.
well done Kurt! [slow clap]
“I mean it is funny in a way, and cranky being Jay’s default mode (well observed Goon), I can see him shitting all over any kind of longstanding value to a commenting community, but I do get what you are saying Goon.”
Not sure how my response to Goon and Henrik’s Religulous comments was shitting on the value of a commenting community. Especially considering their comments specifically targeted and drove a way a member of that community. But whatever.
What I meant to say Jay is you see comments as disposable and others see some longstanding value. For the most part they are disposable but on occasion there are some conversations worth remembering, they become a part of the common reference points in the community.
The Signs water McGuffin was great for those here who had a stake in it, and lord knows we held hands against the common enemy in the Milk thread.
you would do the same thing in the ‘real world’, where conversations linger as points of reference among familiars.
hell in the Milk thread we nearly broke into “We Shall Overcome”
“What I meant to say Jay is you see comments as disposable and others see some longstanding value.”
That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying that 1. I don’t like to spend a lot of my time writing them, and 2. I don’t take them seriously enough to be personally offended by them or hold grudges against people due to them. This ‘community’ is simply one of sharing information and opinions on movies and whatever other topics might stem from that. Anything beyond that (i.e. personal drama, name calling, and so on) is filtered out into the ‘not real life’ bin.
Allowing a real life anger or grudge to form out of anything in these comments is the equivalent of a World of Warcraft player shunning a friend for killing his level 50 character in battle.
sorry I thought when you were criticizing the notion of people remembering comment threads from a while back you were making a point that the past is the past, its disposed of and people who do refer to them have problems, but you were saying that only in the context of personal drama.
gotcha.
“Allowing a real life anger or grudge to form out of anything in these comments is the equivalent of a World of Warcraft player shunning a friend for killing his level 50 character in battle.”
ha ha ha eloquently put.
“Allowing a real life anger or grudge to form out of anything in these comments is the equivalent of a World of Warcraft player shunning a friend for killing his level 50 character in battle.”
Noob shouldn’t have been doing PvP at 50 to begin with.
Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to lame up this thread again. But hey, web sites have been shitting on me since 2006. Nothing new under the sun!