InfoAnda - A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People'

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Tsunami early warning must start at community level | | 25 December 2009
Obama Writes Congress To Seek Delay In Digital TV Broadcast Switch | 9 January 2009
Knives and petrol bombs return to Cairo streets | 7 March 2011

Relentless rains lead Va. gov to declare emergency | 12 November 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People'

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People' By JAKE COYLE,AP Entertainment Writer AP - Thursday, July 30 NEW YORK - Judd Apatow's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" spawned one of the most vibrant and successful runs in American comedy _ a frantic, four-year era capped by and summed up in the writer/director/producer's latest film, "Funny People." ADVERTISEMENT After the success of "Virgin," Apatow and his comedy cohorts were essentially given the keys to studio lots. Finding themselves green-lit at every turn, the veteran comic and his close-knit group of friends dusted off their previously snubbed screenplays and took advantage of their opportunity with a nonstop flow of films. In just four years, Apatow has either produced or helped write ten movies, among them "Superbad," "Pineapple Express," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "You Don't Mess With the Zohan." He wrote and directed his "Virgin" follow-up, "Knocked Up." He helped make stars out of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd. Now, like a politician spending accrued political capital, Apatow has used his leverage to make "Funny People," a plainly ambitious 2-1/2 hour film that has Hollywood wondering if he's overestimated his Midas touch. "People always say that when they become successful that they'll make their passion project," Apatow said in a recent interview. "But they never do." For "Funny People," Apatow says he fused two ideas: a story about how surviving a near-death experience changes someone, and an abstract analysis of the nature of a comedian. Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, a famous standup comedian who finds out he has a form of cancer. Seth Rogen plays Ira Wright, a young standup taken in by Simmons. More than anything, "Funny People" is overflowing with a love for comedy and all the wealth of experiences of a comedian, from nervously starting out to playing to a roaring packed house. It revels in the backstage banter between standups, the subtlety of good joke-telling, the competitive scrap for fame. The entire film is imbued with Apatow's life _ he has called it "a culmination of my journey in comedy." Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann, co-stars as the-girl-that-got-away (from Simmons). Their two young girls, 11-year-old Maude and 6-year-old Iris, play Mann's character's children. "It's fun to see him grow as a creative person and put those life experiences into his movies," says Mann. "He's not sticking to the formula of `40-Year-Old Virgin.' He's trying new things and experimenting." The film opens with a home video of a prank call Apatow, 41, shot in the early `90s when he was roommates in Los Angeles with Sandler and both were aspiring comics. ("I was directing Adam badly even then," jokes Apatow.) Many of the comedians who inspired or worked with Apatow through his career make cameos. One is Paul Reiser ("Mad About You") whom Apatow interviewed when he was 15 for his Long Island high school radio show, which he used to gain access to comedians like Gary Shandling and Jerry Seinfeld to learn about the art of comedy. "In everything _ in the songs that I chose, in the comedians that populate it _ I just wanted everything to be personal and intimate," says Apatow. Some have questioned the appeal of a longer and more serious film from Apatow. Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein published an open letter to Apatow pleading with him to shorten it. Apatow says he pitched Universal Studios (which has released all three of Apatow's directed films) exactly the movie he made, length included. Criticism has recently been nipping at the interconnected Hollywood comedy juggernaut, which Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have also spearheaded. Ferrell's last film, "Land of the Lost," did poorly at the box office, fueling conjecture that an era was dimming. Apatow estimates that it would take three failures in a row to lose industry support. It's a subject he knows something about from his experiences with the acclaimed but canceled series "Freaks and Geeks," as well as the series "Undeclared" and the 1996 film "The Cable Guy." The blizzard of success came only in the last few years for Apatow. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind," says Apatow. "There were definitely moments where it seemed super crazy where we'd be shooting three movies at the same time and I'd just drive between sets all day long." That pace, though, is slowing. Apatow is producing the "Sarah Marshall" spinoff "Get Him the Greek," which is currently filming and stars Hill and Russell Brand. There are other projects in the pipeline, too, including a comedy written by and starring Kristin Wiig of "Saturday Night Live." "It's dropped from like six to eight movies in a year to one _ so I feel very good that I've gotten everything under control," says Apatow. "For people who worry about being sick of me: don't worry, I'm about to drift away." He adds: "It's been many years of output. At some point, you have to sit and actually read all the books that you buy." Mann has seen some change in her husband. Of his circle of friends and performers, she says the conversation has turned from bongs to duvet covers: "Everybody's kind of growing up together." Apatow has also been a mentor to a crop of young actors and comedians. As Simmons hires Wright in the film, Apatow was hired as a young comic by Roseanne Barr to write jokes for her act _ a phone call that Apatow says will remain the happiest of his career. "The main thing I think about is: Why did Judd choose me?" says Hill, who plays Rogen's roommate in "Funny People." "I always wonder after every movie wraps, do I say something overly sensitive to him about it?" Ultimately, "Funny People" asks if it's possible to be both a comedian and a healthy person _ whether the old stereotype of the angry, insecure comic is true. As much as anyone, Apatow has sought to disabuse people of that notion by making comedies about earnest, loving (if immature) guys. Increasingly, a sense of family is at the heart of his movies. In analyzing his life in comedy, Apatow came away with one realization. "My biggest problem is that as I get older I realize I'm more neurotic than I hoped to be at this age," says Apatow. "For whatever reason, I'm wired to be thinking about the past and worrying about what's going to happen. When you have a family and kids, you worry all the time." Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Swedish worshippers fume at church newspaper's Bruno promoAFP - Thursday, July 30 Bryce Dallas Howard joins third `Twilight' filmAP - Thursday, July 30 Johannesburg gets work by major SAfrican artistsAP - Thursday, July 30 Bob Barker asks Cherokee chief to end NC bear pitsAP - Thursday, July 30 Bauhaus anniversary show draws many visitorsAP - Thursday, July 30 Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN Police raid Vegas home of Jackson doctor Sunbeds elevated to top cancer risk level: WHO Lost love letter reunites couple after 16 years Ex-boxing champ Forrest shot in back and killed View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Thursday, 30 July 2009
Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
Spain blames separatists in car bombing, 64 injured
British watchdog clears iPhone advert
Two more Iraq hostages 'likely' dead
Spain's Santander bank profit slips
Germany consumer prices fall
ArcelorMittal loss depress shares
U.N.'s Ban says willing to visit North Korea | International |
World falling short on emergency food aid: U.N. body | International |
Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace | International |
Moldovan Communists top parliament vote: exit poll | International |
Indian students losing college places in Australia
Taiwan leader calls for China trade pact but no rush to meet Hu
Lawmaker urges regulations for file-sharing | Technology |
Prisons ban inmates from having pen pal ads
Dalai Lama receives honorary citizenship of Polish capital
Waking up is getting serious on smartphones | Technology |
'Al-Qaeda' blog claims bombing as Indonesia hotels re-open
Gates: Some US troops may be leaving Iraq early
Intel sees no first-time PC buyers for netbooks | Technology |
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Sony plugs Google's library into e-readers | Technology |
Myanmar warns against predicting Suu Kyi verdict
Pakistan, Tajikstan to cooperate on terror fight
Deal far from done in UBS tax evasion case
Obama renews sanctions against Myanmar
Responsibility claim for Indonesian terror attacks
Closing arguments set for ex-congressman's trial
Scientists seek new tools to fight malnutrition
Uighur activist demands investigation of missing
Record heat wave continues in Seattle, Portland
Health care onus on Westerners Baucus, Reid
Philippine gov't, Muslim rebels meet in Malaysia
US terror arrests spur warning to police
Pieces of Hollywood history on auction block
Honda, Nissan see flickers of hope
Japan's Toshiba still in red
Japan's Nomura posts first profit in six quarters
Ballroom show to hit Broadway amid dance popularity | Entertainment |
Now Germans can pre-book holiday sunloungers
Honda says profits dive on weak sales
Swedish worshippers fume at church newspaper's Bruno promo
Jakarta hotels reopen after suicide bombings
SAfrica's poor say enough to empty gov't promises
UBS sued in HK over investor's $26 million loss
Art-deco's unlikely claim to fame, in western France
In Virginia, health fair tends to America's poor
South Korean film snags coveted release in China
A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People'
Jackson chef recalls doctor's role, final days
Philippine ex-president, 72, shoots comeback movie
Britain to call for revamped Afghan aid effort
Britain and U.S. defend war effort in Afghanistan | International |
Cyber-criminals targeting social networks: experts
Twitter and Facebook make Afghan election debut
Jackson autopsy released next week: coroner
Kenya arrests Dutch citizens heading to 'jihadist' camp
Stray South Korea fishing boat held in North | International |
Sudanese woman in court in trouser 'test case'
Twitter unveils new frontpage
IMF gears up for 'unprecedented' support of poor nations
U.S. unsure on success of Pakistan's Swat offensive | International |
Susan Boyle Joins Megan Fox, Cheryl Cole As Women Men Would Most Want To Date
Rocket-battered Israeli border town enjoying calm
Microsoft going after Google's home turf
As indicators point up, Obama sees end of slump
Kurd polls keep status quo in Iraq
Johnny Knoxville Agrees To Pay Ex-Wife $6K In Child Support
Fauna play key role in circulating seas, says study
Tennis Star Martina Navratilova Asks For Long Delay In Divorce Case
Clinton "deplores" any abuse of prisoners in Iran
Honduran leader softens tone in fight over Zelaya | International |
Iraq police clash anew with Iran rebel camp residents
Hulk Hogan And Estranged Wife Linda Finalize Divorce
Black Eyed Peas And Kings Of Leon Battle For Top Spot On iTunes
India's outsourcing sector sees export growth slide
Ruling parties win majority in Kurdish elections
Judge Appoints Independent Guardian To Protect Finances Of Octomom Nadya Suleman's Children
China publicizes list of Uighur fugitives | International |
Chip maker Infineon trims loss, sees larger writedowns
Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
STMicoelectronics sees chip market firming
British opposition chief apologises over Twitter gaffe
Moldova liberals seek coalition, Communists falter | International |
Working women in front line of slowdown | International |
Google Maps accused of unfair competition in France
Heavy rains, landslides kill 66 in southern China | International |
UN chief backs NKorea's call for direct talks with US
US judge orders release of Guantanamo detainee
Mac flaw could let hackers get scrambled data | Technology |
Japan's DPJ revises its foreign policy stance
Gates hints at faster Iraqi pullout if leaders curb feuds
Foxconn suicide turns spotlight on China counterfeiting | Technology |
Whose 5 stars? Online `user' reviews get scrutiny
Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership | Technology |
San Diego Zoo says giant panda Bai Yun is pregnant
Yahoo investors disappointed, but hold out hope | Technology |
Wis. dad of dead girl says he trusted God to heal
Current wars barely register on fashion's radar
A look at the deal worked out on health care
Death penalty possible in museum shooting
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
Share prices mask uncertain India economy outlook
Top S.Korean officials agree exit talk premature
S.Korea government bonds rise early, stocks eyed
Korea Hot Stocks
Japanese industrial output up 2.4 percent in June
Seoul shares flat after N.Korea reports, U.S. loss
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Hong Kong's yoga boom sparks injury surge
NZ cenbank threatens rate cut on currency fears
NY sparks fears for Coney Island's freaky soul
RPT-PREVIEW-S.Korea banks set to recover after weak Q2
Uighur leader's book sales rise: publisher
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
NZ dollar falls after cenbank warns on recovery
TEXT-NZ central bank holds cash rate at 2.5 pct
Gretchen Wilson to start her own record label
Jackson's mother seeking info from estate lawyers
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works | Entertainment |
Kristinia DeBarge not saying goodbye anytime soon
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens | Entertainment |
Property of Jackson doc searched in investigation
Actor Jude Law to be father to fourth child | Entertainment |
Galactica producer Harvey Frand dies at 68 | Entertainment |
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5 | Entertainment |
Howard to replace Lefevre in 3rd Twilight film | Entertainment |
Russell Crowe eyes remake of French thriller | Entertainment |
It'll be a mob scene, really, on NJ waterfront | Entertainment |
Rachel Weisz sizzles in Streetcar | Entertainment |
Taliban call for boycott of Afghan polls, 'jihad'
Zimbabwe lifts reporting ban on BBC: broadcaster
Iran police arrest mourners in cemetery memorial | International |
Renault slumps into loss
Israel orders Gaza war probe: report
Rolls-Royce profits soar six-fold
Two Spain police killed by new bomb blamed on ETA | International |
Study finds pesticide link to childhood leukemia
Iran to begin first trials of protesters
Nigeria says routed Islamic rebels; clashes go on | International |
U.N. council extends mandate of Darfur peacekeepers | International |
South Africa's Zuma accepts libel damages from UK paper | International |
CORRECTED: Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace | International |
Airbus to fund extra search for Air France black box | International |
China seeks to reduce its abortion toll
"Radicalization" of Americans worrying
Malaysia to deploy dubious task force in crime fight
Congress urges pardon for first black boxing champ
Australia finds last two Vietnam War missing: gov't
Mass. woman killed, fetus removed from womb
NKorea's Kim undergoing kidney dialysis: report
US officials warned Pakistan on Taliban spillover
Weeping Suu Kyi supporters brace for the worst
Microsoft and Yahoo challenge Google: Bing it on
China publicises list of Uighur fugitives
Torrential rain in China kills 66 since June
Mosquitoes deliver malaria 'vaccine' through bites
China rejects Uighur claim over 10,000 disappeared
Babies die slowly after Bangladesh drug scam
Japan's Sharp in red, eyes full-year profit
Sumitomo Trust to buy Citigroup's Nikko Asset
Sony posts smaller than expected Q1 loss
ADB warns Asian growth at risk from inequality
China to reimpose air fuel surcharge: state media
Mitsubishi Motors bleeds red ink
Work halted after deaths at Vietnam's tower site
Seoul shares end firm; banks, Samsung Elec rise
San Miguel offers to run Philippines toll road project
'New wave' directors make a splash in Bollywood
Pakistan c.bank buys back 11 bln rupees of T-bills
Jackson mother gets custody, Rowe gets visits: report | Entertainment |
Polish comic books cover Nazi camps
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works | Entertainment |
Sour notes Down Under for Aussie rock icons
Diane Keaton to star in HBO comedy series | Entertainment |
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens | Entertainment |
Comics find something to laugh about with Gates
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5 | Entertainment |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01