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X-Ray Cat Loves Judd Apatow's KNOCKED UP!! Reviewed 10 Months Early!!

Merrick here…
Here’s X-Ray with a look at KNOCKED UP. He sent in this review after a screening late last week, but I was slow getting it posted because I was super lame (more so than usual). My apologies to X-Ray for the delay; we really appreciate your efforts. This review…is effusive in its praise. Which will, undoubtedly, make vigilant Talkbackers scream…PLANT! He’s not a plant…at least there’s nothing at all about his previous AICN reviews which would lead us to believe so. He loved this movie…pure and simple.
Here he is to tell you more about it…
Hey, it's X-Ray Cat. I was in the first audience to see KNOCKED UP, which isn't due out for nearly a year. In a way, I'm a terrible choice to tell you about this film, because I'm a straight-up Apatow fanboy. I think FREAKS AND GEEKS and 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN are on par with classic Bill Murray, Woody Allen, etc., and I couldn't have been more excited about this new one. So get ready, because I'm about to gush like an open wound. You know how 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN was completely filthy and hilarious, but Then also surprised the hell out of you by being much sweeter than a Nora Ephron script could ever dream of being? KNOCKED UP takes it to the next level like a motherfucker. I don't want to undersell the humor, because the movie is consistently hilarious throughout, whether you're following the troubled marriage of Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, or watching Seth Rogen and his dream-team cast of roommates Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchal, and Charlyne Yi. But honestly, if you're looking for a movie with wall-to-wall tear-faced laughter, you can't do any better than BORAT and IDIOCRACY this year. But KNOCKED UP is the better film. It's the sort of film that comes along and makes you realize that the Oscars is such a broken system, because they would never pull a stick out of their ass to nominate a movie like KNOCKED UP, a movie that has a two-minute conversation about Julianne Moore's pubic hair no sooner than the opening credits finish up. But it deserves it. The two main performances by Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl are two of the best performances I've ever seen in a "comedy." They are spookily natural, and watching their relationship fumble together in the midst of an unexpected surprise is never less than 100% believable, sad, frustrating, and of course funny. While it is similar to Steve Carell's fantastic 2005 performance, it works in a different way. This isn't the sort of movie, for example, that could end with the cast doing an all-out musical tribute to Earth, Wind, and Fire. The humor is something that just happens, like in a John Landis movie where the jokes never feel carefully constructed and handed to you in pre-chewed form, but instead just roll by like constant tumbleweeds in their natural habitat. And it has the classic feel of a Landis or Hughes film, the sort of film kids will track down as soon as they can to laugh their minor asses off at the parade of F-bombs, bong hits, and friends going to Vegas and eating shrooms to watch Cirque de Soileil, and then when they hit their 20's they'll appreciate it even more as it becomes the perfect movie to watch after a pregnancy scare. Hell, it's a damn near perfect movie either way. I told you I was going to gush. The screening seemed to go really well, it got huge laughs and lots of positive afterward chatter. If the scores are high enough, they should really push it up for you guys, because it was in a much more final-looking stage than most of the test screenings I've seen this year which were only screened half as much time in advance. The constant improv that can lead to jarring and awkward cuts in VIRGIN and TALLADEGA NIGHTS is actually cut together exceptionally well here. The timing never felt off, there were obviously no effects to work on, and besides slapping on credits and maybe some less temp-sounding music, it was pretty much releasable. Certainly not enough problems to merit an August 2007 release. It could even jump up to this December, and kick the ass of FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS in the awards race in your head.

Readers Talkback
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  • October 16, 2006 9:41 AM CST

    I'll pop the cherry... FIRST!

    by BeeDub

    Heh.

  • October 16, 2006 9:41 AM CST

    Yeah, that didn't sound like a plant at all

    by Garbageman33

    I mean, I'm sure it's worthy of Oscar consideration. No doubt. And I've been saying for years that Seth Rogen is the next Sean Penn. But with a sense of humor.

  • October 16, 2006 9:40 AM CST

    Um...

    by Sean38

    ...that's the Fifth Dimension, not Earth, Wind and Fire. And glad to hear this movie rocks. I, too, am an unapologetic Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen fanboy.

  • October 16, 2006 9:49 AM CST

    august 2007? damnnnn

    by Buzzsawlenny

    thats a long time to wait for a comedy..i too did rogen and apatow thought undeclared was cancelled way too early and virgin was great thought the unedited version was not as good as the theatrical release

  • October 16, 2006 9:54 AM CST

    Not a smart Farmer.

    by jaxnnux

    Plants don't grow very well in winter. This should have been potted next spring.

  • October 16, 2006 10:09 AM CST

    Heigle

    by Poacher

    I think it's supposed to be a one night stand...a bit more believable. The important question is, does she show her booblies?

  • October 16, 2006 10:11 AM CST

    ?????????????????????

    by starfury100

    OK, so this guy likes it. Now, can you tell me what the fuck its about???

  • October 16, 2006 10:18 AM CST

    one of my most anticipated 2007 movies

    by waggy

    judd apatow is this generation's woody allen. and i totally agree with his comments about the oscars. a film like annie hall wouldn't see so much as a nomination today.

  • October 16, 2006 10:18 AM CST

    It's about...

    by Sean38

    ...a guy (Seth Rogen) who goes out on a date with a girl (Katherine Heigle) and gets her "knocked up" on the first date.

  • October 16, 2006 10:21 AM CST

    I must say...

    by VanLingoMungo

    I've never accused anybody of being a plant, but that review sounds a bit plantastic to me. Just a little too clever by half. Doesn't matter, movie sounds good anyway.

  • October 16, 2006 10:21 AM CST

    I saw BORAT... It was hilarious...

    by stlfilmwire

    There u go.

  • October 16, 2006 10:24 AM CST

    Damn you Michael Bay

    by dioxholster

    Damn you Michael Bay

  • October 16, 2006 10:37 AM CST

    Yeah, not a lot of 'review' in there...

    by brycemonkey

    A few more spoilers would have been good to get more of an idea of what its about. Thanks for the 'review' anyway.

  • October 16, 2006 10:40 AM CST

    Plant or not...

    by Roguewriter

    ... there is no film on the books in the next year that I anticipate more. Judd Apatow can do no wrong. And watching Katy Heigl's raw, outstanding work on GREY'S ANATOMY right now -- truly, the only redeeming element of that rapidly soapifyin pile o' melodramatic dookie -- makes me want to see more, more, more of this terrific actress. And opposite Seth? Sublime. Bring it on!!

  • October 16, 2006 11:17 AM CST

    dioxholster

    by Spaz_Monkey

    CAn we just ban this guy or something? Maybe hunt him down and chop his fingers off? Hypnotize him to forget who Michael Bay is? Anything? Please?

  • October 16, 2006 11:43 AM CST

    IDIOCRACY SUCKED

    by jackinitraw

    I was so excited to see it and then thhhhhhhhhhhhpt. Crap. One note humour and a wasted cast and budget.

    Paul Rudd however can do no wrong. I'll see this.

    I'll second Borat being one of the funniest movies ever made.

  • October 16, 2006 11:53 AM CST

    Plot, plants, boobs, etc.

    by X-Ray Cat

    Sorry for not going much into the plot, I guess I assumed others were as excited as me and already knew. Someone already explained it just as well as I could. Seth Rogen plays a stoner living off some settlement money which is starting to run out, so he and his roommates are working on a website tracking nude celebrities. Heigl works at E! and lives with her sister (Leslie Mann) and her sister's husband (Rudd). They meet at a club, have a disastrous one-night stand, she gets pregnant, and they get together and try to make it work, despite the fact that they have very little in common, and they're constantly reminded of how easily marriage can fail because of Rudd and Mann's relationship. I'm not a plant, search for my name and you'll see lots of other reviews with varying degrees of love and hate responses. This was, however, one of my most anticipated films, and that's why I had such a strong reaction to it. Katherine Heigl does not show her luggage. Idiocracy is amazing. That's all.

  • October 16, 2006 12:27 PM CST

    No Heigl Luggage?

    by Leto III

    Damn. She's got a great ass (per MY FATHER THE HERO, though that's a rather jailbait example, there). I still maintain that GREY'S ANATOMY should be changed to (Izzie) STEVENS' ANATOMY...she's one of the major reasons to tune in each week. Screw Pompeo.

  • October 16, 2006 12:34 PM CST

    Well I hope it is good

    by godzillasushi

    because 40YOV was a fine movie and this dude says its better kind of.

  • October 16, 2006 12:45 PM CST

    crayotic....

    by delatao

    she's playing a christian doctor on ER.

  • October 16, 2006 12:56 PM CST

    TOO SOON!

    by Cletus Van Damme

    ...I just bought the 40-Year-Old Virgin on DVD like a month ago.

  • October 16, 2006 1:10 PM CST

    Leto III

    by beefywhore

    Dude, you couldn't be righter(its a word in my dictionary...written in crayon... but still there) She is the best part of that show and the TITLE character is the worst part of that show...that said I can't wait for this flick.

  • October 16, 2006 1:25 PM CST

    I don't watch the show, but I'm pretty sure it's called

    by CreasyBear

    Grey's Anatomy because there's a required-reading text called Grey's Anatomy that med students have used for many years. Maybe a doctor will clarify, if he or she can quit saving lives long enough to waste time on a website specializing in giant robots and advertising toys (um, . . . "maquettes"?) for adults.

  • October 16, 2006 1:28 PM CST

    If you didn't think Borat was funny...

    by lilgoodmn

    ...if I ever met you, there is a good chance I would hate you. A REALLY good chance. If your sense of humor is that fucked up, I honestly don't want to know you.

  • October 16, 2006 2:04 PM CST

    Nobody asked ME, but these are officially funny:

    by CreasyBear

    This Is Spinal Tap, The Jerk, Airplane!, Caddyshack, Ferrell on SNL, Reno 911, Strangers with Candy, and The Colbert Report. Oh, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose.

  • October 16, 2006 2:34 PM CST

    Rant Breath...if you must know...

    by lilgoodmn

    I actually agree with most of what the above guy has listed. Plus any other Christopher Guest movies, as well as stuff like Old School, Wedding Crashers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, most Wes Anderson movies, and the list goes on. If you are still curious, I can add more. I would actually be curious to know what a person who DIDN'T find the Borat movie to be funny (not even a little bit) actually DOES find funny. If they were to list a good portion of these same things, I would be shocked.

  • October 16, 2006 2:56 PM CST

    Yeah, I'm really looking forward to this...

    by DanielKurland

    Also a big Apatow fan, and I love what he comes up with. I agreee with the Oscars comment, but the fact that 40 Year-Old Virgin was voted as one of WGA or AFI's top written scripts of the year is SOMETHING. And yeah, I'd like to discuss Moore's pubic hair as well.

  • October 16, 2006 4:48 PM CST

    My funny faves

    by DirkD13"

    Spaced, Life Of Brian, Holy Grail, Black Books, Animal House, Family Guy, Office Space, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

  • October 16, 2006 4:59 PM CST

    Hooray for throwing more

    by Mechasheeva

    Freaks & Geeks cast members into this. Martin Starr and Seth Rogen were my two faves on the show. And why has nobody mentioned Ghostbusters as among the funniest movies ever?

  • October 16, 2006 5:50 PM CST

    "The flowers are STILL standing!"

    by CreasyBear

    We are in agreement, Mechasheeva.

  • October 16, 2006 5:50 PM CST

    Apatow can do no wrong? Are you serious?

    by JackLint

    Have you seen Fun with Dick and Jane? Awful. Did you see Cable Guy? Not that great. Just keep Apatow away from Jim Carrey and they'll both do fine. Incidentally, they're very good friends, they've known each other since their stand-up days. It's odd that they're not nearly as funny when they collaberate.

  • October 16, 2006 8:32 PM CST

    Can't wait

    by dejectedgeek

    I loved Seth Rogan in 40 Year Old Virgin and have been a fan of his after watching Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared...can't wait to see it.

  • October 16, 2006 9:43 PM CST

    perfect...except it is 45 minutes too long.

    by s0nicdeathmonkey

    i saw the movie too, and it is no where near done. it is WAY too long and the pacing was all over the place. the movie was about 2 hours and 20 minutes long! full of fat.

  • October 16, 2006 9:50 PM CST

    the cut i saw of Dick and Jane was pretty damn good

    by s0nicdeathmonkey

    but it was fucked up and watered down by reshoots. also, i love cable guy. but then, i love pretty much any dark comedy.

  • October 16, 2006 11:21 PM CST

    This film holds promise, but...

    by DirtySouthMouth

    ...until it comes out, you may as well watch something else: http://tinyurl.com/wraah

  • October 17, 2006 1:35 AM CST

    Do a search on youtube for charlyne yi

    by Trader Groucho 2

    girl's a trip

  • October 17, 2006 7:14 PM CST

    creasybear

    by shutterghost

    The title "Grey's Anatomy" is a dangling modifier. The main characters last name is Grey and it's the 'required' text. My girlfriend watches the dvds all the time

  • October 18, 2006 10:19 PM CST

    idiocracy

    by Lil LoLo

    was fucking awful. painful to sit through. hopefully this will be good. apatow seems to know what he's doing.