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Judd Apatow is one funny dude. |
| By Andy Tarnoff Publisher E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Andy Tarnoff |
For better or for worse, I pour most of my creativity into writing for OnMadison.com. And, while I love to write feature articles and blogs, I've got no time and interest for a Myspace page, Facebook profile or personal blog projects. I think people who crave to read about me (and why they would, I have no idea), have more than enough material to pore over.
But I do wish I had the time, energy and creativity to write a book or a movie.
The book plot is already planned: someday, I'll pen the "Behind the Music" account of starting a local Internet company, along with its crazy trials and tribulations. But since the story isn't over yet, that book will have to wait.
As for the movie, I doubt I'll ever find the time. And if I get around to writing one, I might be the only person who'd want to get it filmed, much less watched.
Fortunately, Judd Apatow is out there, making the movies that I wish I could make myself.
Apatow isn't my favorite writer, director or producer. I'll take P.T. Anderson any day of the week. But Apatow has a unique knack for banging out poignant, if not fluffy, films that seem squarely targeted to that elusive "Andy Tarnoff" demographic.
This was reinforced last night, as I hit the budget theater for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." Not the world's greatest movie, though pretty good. Terribly predictable with far too much full-frontal male nudity for my liking (my liking, by the way, is none). But the movies was full of jokes, emo-guy sensibility and comedic deliveries that seem like they we're written just for me.
I left with that "I should've written that" feeling. Again.
A quick scan on IMDB.com shows that Apatow has 34 producer credits and 23 writer credits. I haven't seen all of his works, but here are a few movies that left me thinking this guy is really, really good:
Apatow has done much more, and I plan on checking out the "Freaks and Geeks" DVD soon. And sure, it helps that he regularly works with such a stellar ensemble cast of guys like Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Seth Rogan, John C. Reilly and Paul Rudd. (And mark my words: Michael Cera may become the best young comedic actor of the next decade).
It's also notable that Apatow is a former roommate of Adam Sandler, the comedian who spoke to the "Andy Tarnoff" demographic, circa 1994-2000.
These films will never win Best Picture, and they shouldn't. But every time I finish an Apatow movie, it blows my mind: He nailed it again. And I could've made that. But I didn't.
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