Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

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Antoine Doinel
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Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

#1 Post by Antoine Doinel »

Noir of the Night
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#2 Post by Noir of the Night »

Looks pretty funny.
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domino harvey
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#3 Post by domino harvey »

Paul Rudd is in every movie now-- and that's a good thing. Kristen Bell and a handful of laughs in the trailer keep me optimistic.
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#4 Post by hot_locket »

Jason Segel has always been the genuinely funniest of the Apatow gang (Paul Rudd doesn't count), so this has potential.
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Antoine Doinel
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#5 Post by Antoine Doinel »

terabin
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#6 Post by terabin »

Roeper & Phillips review.

Roeper says, "If I'm listing my 50 favorite comedies of all time, I would find room for this film!"

High praise, folks.
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a.khan
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#7 Post by a.khan »

Roeper is hardly a yardstick for quality, but I will see it nonetheless. (Don't want to be left behind!). I'm actually more excited for "Pineapple Express" after seeing that genuinely funny trailer; plus, having David Gordon Green helm an all-out comedy is alone worth the price of admission.
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domino harvey
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#8 Post by domino harvey »

If you want to see the concept of comedy fly right past Roeper and Ebert, look up their video review for Wet Hot American Summer-- they take the film at face value :shock: #-o
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nyasa
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#9 Post by nyasa »

For much more of Russell Brand, check out his BBC Radio show. The latest edition (12 April) features Morrissey as special guest.
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bkimball
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#10 Post by bkimball »

I haven't been this excited to see a comedy since Wedding Crashers. I'm going first thing after work today.
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Svevan
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#11 Post by Svevan »

Feels like there's a rough balance between how much comedy and how much characterization these guys can fit into a movie. This one errs on the side of comedy, which means it's hilarious, but the funniest moments are when the comedy is generated BY the characterization, which occurred more in Knocked Up, I think. Even though this wasn't directed by Apatow, it is very much part of this new genre of Romantic Comedies for Men (bro-mance, what a terrible term) that he seems mostly responsible for; the scene where the two couples have dinner together is a straight lift from the identical scene in Knocked up. Both of these scenes play each film's strength: gender politics! We see the dudes team up against the women, but then it degenerates when we see that each of these characters is really competing with their same-sex pair.

As far as raunch, I thought that the more sex we saw the less funny the movie got, and the less was actually being accomplished in the plot. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel were both great, and the cinematography (simplistic modern continuity editing, with few tricks other than a comforting color palette) was justifiably beautiful.

I agree with A. O. Scott that the premise of the film is a bit harder to buy than Knocked Up's.
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Antoine Doinel
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#12 Post by Antoine Doinel »

Svevan wrote:I agree with A. O. Scott that the premise of the film is a bit harder to buy than Knocked Up's.
The premise of the film is no more harder to buy than that of a 40 year old virgin or someone like Katherine Heigl sleeping with Seth Rogen (no matter drunk she is).

Saw this tonight and thought it was very good, though it was easily twenty minutes too long. It was refreshing to see an Apatow film with a really strong female lead (Mila Kunis), who was very defined and independent. It's just too bad Segel's script wimps out at the end with the most irritating and cliched "misunderstanding-obstacle-that-the-new-couple-must-overcome" plot turn. More Paul Rudd would've been welcome as he is a riot as the completely clueless surf instructor. Disappointing were the number of scenes cut from the trailer but certainly they'll show up on the inevitable unrated DVD. Oh yeah, and Billy Baldwin is absolutely hilarious.
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margot
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#13 Post by margot »

Antoine Doinel wrote:Saw this tonight and thought it was very good, though it was easily twenty minutes too long. It was refreshing to see an Apatow film with a really strong female lead (Mila Kunis), who was very defined and independent. It's just too bad Segel's script wimps out at the end with the most irritating and cliched "misunderstanding-obstacle-that-the-new-couple-must-overcome" plot turn. More Paul Rudd would've been welcome as he is a riot as the completely clueless surf instructor. Disappointing were the number of scenes cut from the trailer but certainly they'll show up on the inevitable unrated DVD. Oh yeah, and Billy Baldwin is absolutely hilarious.
Did you stay for the smash cut to Sarah Marshalls new crime thriller?
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Antoine Doinel
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#14 Post by Antoine Doinel »

margot wrote:Did you stay for the smash cut to Sarah Marshalls new crime thriller?
Yeah! Very fun cameo.
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domino harvey
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#15 Post by domino harvey »

Title: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Starring: Kristen Bell
Released: 30th September 2008
SRP: $34.98 (3-Disc)

Further Details:
Universal has announced 1-disc ($29.98) and 3-disc ($34.98) editions of Forgetting Sarah Marshall which stars Kristen Bell. Each will include the original theatrical version of the film (1 Hour 51 Minutes) as well an an extended version (1 Hour 58 Minutes). A Blu-ray edition will also be available for $39.98. We've attached the full disc specs for each release below, and we'll bring you the package artwork shortly:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 1-Disc Specs

Quote:
Disc 1: Original Theatrical Version

• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes
• Line-O-Rama
• Gag Reel
• "We've Got to Do Something" Music Video
• "Dracula's Lament"
• "A Taste for Love"
• Raw Footage - Video Chat
• Red Band Trailer
• Rated Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer

Disc 1: Extended Version

• Extended Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 3-Disc Specs

Quote:
Disc 1: Original Theatrical Version

• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes
• Line-O-Rama
• Gag Reel
• "We've Got to Do Something" Music Video
• "Dracula's Lament"
• "A Taste for Love"
• Raw Footage - Video Chat
• Red Band Trailer
• Rated Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer

Disc 1: Extended Version

• Extended Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer

Disc 2:

• Deleted/Extened/Alternate Scenes
• "Dracula's Lament" Mixed Version
• Puppet Break-Up
• Sex-O-Rama
• Drunk-O-Rama
• Russell Brand: Aldous Snow
• The Letter "U"
• Crime Scene
• Sarah's New Show - Alts
• Raw Footage
• Video Diaries
• Auditions
• Cinemax Final Cut: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Disc 3:
• Theatrical Version

Forgetting Sarah Marshall Blu-ray

• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Puppet Break-Up
• Line-O-Rama
• Sex-O-Rama
• Drunk-O-Rama
• Gag Reel
• "A Taste for Love"
• "Dracula's Lament"
• Russell Brand: Aldous Snow
• The Letter "U"
• "We've Got to Do Something" Music Video
• Crime Scene
• Sarah's New Show - Alts
• Raw Footage - Video Chat
• Video Diaries
• Red Band Trailer
• Karaoke
• Rated Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer
• BD Live

Extended Version

• Visual Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer
• Picture in Picture
• Karaoke
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Puppet Break-Up
• Line-O-Rama
• Sex-O-Rama
• Drunk-O-Rama
• Gag Reel
• "A Taste for Love"
• "Dracula's Lament"
• Russell Brand: Aldous Snow
• The Letter "U"
• "We've Got to Do Something" Music Video
• Crime Scene
• Sarah's New Show - Alts
• Raw Footage - Video Chat
• Video Diaries
• Red Band Trailer
• Karaoke
• Extended Feature Commentary with Director Nick Stroller, Executive Producer Rodney Rothman, Producer Shauna Robertson, Writer/Star Jason Segel and Cast Members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer
• BD Live
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Antoine Doinel
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#16 Post by Antoine Doinel »

A 3-disc is a little excessive (Theatrical, Original Theatrical and Extended Versions???) but I'll certainly be picking this up. I'm a little bummed they couldn't get Bill Hader for the commentary.

Also, I'm betting the nude sequence is the one that gets the most added time.
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margot
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#17 Post by margot »

Does anyone really pay $35 dollars for a dvd? Also what does theatrical and original theatrical mean...
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Antoine Doinel
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#18 Post by Antoine Doinel »

margot wrote:Also what does theatrical and original theatrical mean...
Penis and slightly less penis.
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mfunk9786
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#19 Post by mfunk9786 »

I have a feeling that the third disc will be a fucking digital copy. But just a feeling. Because why include a third disc with just a barebones theatrical cut? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me... I'm chalking this all up to a confusing press release that'll be clarified soon.
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#20 Post by New Groundhog »

margot wrote:Does anyone really pay $35 dollars for a dvd?
Um, you know where you are, right?
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Antoine Doinel
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#21 Post by Antoine Doinel »

mfunk9786 wrote:I have a feeling that the third disc will be a fucking digital copy.
Well, with airlines cutting inflight movies, it looks like those digital copies will have a purpose.
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mfunk9786
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#22 Post by mfunk9786 »

Antoine Doinel wrote:Well, with airlines cutting inflight movies, it looks like those digital copies will have a purpose.
Bah, humbug. I still think there are enough ways to transfer dvd to ipod, etc formats that people don't really demand that their dvds come with digital copies.
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domino harvey
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Re: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

#23 Post by domino harvey »

I caught this over the weekend and though it's by far the best Apatow-affiliated film I've seen, it still wasn't very good... I'm pretty sure I didn't laugh once, though I know I smiled a few times. The film's biggest problem, beyond its obnoxious and poor repertoire of sex jokes, was the weird anti-responsibility theme of the film. In a refreshing change of pace for a film like this, the strongest character in the film is a woman, but apologies to Antoine, I'm talking about the titular Kristen Bell role. She's the only person in the film who behaves like an adult, who cares about a career and her own happiness as opposed to the oblivious bliss of every other character in the film. I thought the film to its credit did a good job of making Bell's character just shrill enough to not be "the choice" of the main character without turning her into a one-dimensional bitchy woman, and really, I agreed with a lot of her criticisms within the film-- the Dracula musical is a horrible idea (as confirmed by the terrible finale) and my own reaction would have been not unlike hers.

I know this is supposed to be a film about following your dreams, but the picture never convinced me that was a very good idea for the protagonist. The main character continues to skirt responsibility by floating towards a romance with another Lost Boy member in Kunis (who is not much more than a one-dimensional wisp of a character)-- and really, both of these eternally juvenile characters deserve each other. If the film had any balls (pun intended), it would have had the main schulb grow up and stick with Marshall, rather than following vague abstract dreams he's barely qualified to enact.
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Dr. Snaut
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Re: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

#24 Post by Dr. Snaut »

This is my first post on this forum, and I would have to disagree with you, Domino. I do not think the main theme of this film is "following your dreams", as much as trying to move on with your life when you lose the things most important to you. The protagonist lost his love, his job, and his sense of self. The film shows the gradual repair of these features in his life. I don't think the protagonist, the male one, was particularly unrealistic, and was like any other creative mind I have encountered. A part of me felt like his troubled Dracula musical can be compared to a film by John Cassavetes, particularly The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.
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domino harvey
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Re: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008)

#25 Post by domino harvey »

Well, maybe "realizing your full potential" would be more accurate than "following your dreams". I agree that it's a film about moving on, but he moves on with a character as ill-equipped for maturity as he is, and that's where I think the film reveals a very unsettling ideology that rewards small steps over large ones.

And welcome to the board!
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