Judd Apatow is the biggest thing to come along for comedy in film this decade. The question is, will he fade off into the comedic sunset like the Farrely Brothers or the Zuckers? Those comedy giants started off with a bang, but later became old-hat for audiences and pooted out. So is Apatow more than just a toilet-bowl comedy genius? Can he consistently connect to human emotion while making us laugh until we choke on over-priced popcorn? It seems that Apatow's latest project may be the answer.
Little Judd first became seriously interested in comedy when his mother got a job at a comedy club when he was a kid. Eventually, his enthusiasm for stand-up led him to learn all that he could about the art-form. Who better to learn from than the stand-ups he admired. That's why, in high school, Apatow started his own talk radio show where he frequently interviewed now legendary comics and comedy writers like Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Harold Ramis and Paul Reiser. In fact, Apatow recently told CNN that the stand-up comic he most admires is Reiser (Adam Sandler said the same thing). Later in life, Apatow pursued a career in stand-up, but realized he'd never be quite what his idols were on stage with a mic. Thankfully for us, Apatow stayed in showbiz and became a successful Producer/Director in TV and film.
The new comedy/drama Funny People is partially Apatow's take on the lives of the people who grab a mic and try to make us laugh. It's only his third film as Director, but it seems like we've seen much more from Apatow. While 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked-Up were his first two babies, he also played a part, as writer producer or both, in movies like Super Bad, Pineapple Express, Walk Hard, Forgetting Sarah Marshall ETC.
Before that he wrote for TV with Gary Shandling and Ben Stiller, and also created two of his own series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. Those shows are now cult favorites, and his crew of young actors like Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and James Franco are now pretty big stars. But it was his life-experience before that which inspired Funny People.
In an interview on the website for the movie, Apatow explains that he worked for a number of the comics he respected so much, writing jokes and traveling from club to club. Apatow also says the real-life comics were much nicer-people than the George Simmons character played by Adam Sandler. You get a look at some of these comics in behind the scenes footage on a clip in the restricted area of the Funny People website. You'll also hear some clips from Apatow's high school radio show.
Apatow credits much of his success in comedy to hanging out with stand-up legends, asking them questions and learning about the craft. I completely respect the road Apatow took to get where he is today. I consider myself somewhat of a "student of comedy." I decided at a pretty young age that becoming a stand-up was not for me. There was this book at the library that persuaded me to stay away from the stage. It was an over-sized book filled with black and white photographs and short essays on comedians like Sam Kinnison, Robert Klein, and Robin Williams. I saw the painstaking process a comedian has to go through to polish an act. I also saw how many comedians had such low self esteem, and emotional issues. It seemed to be a lonely life that could even get monotonous at times.
While something about the lifestyle turned me off, it gave me a deep respect for people who commit themselves to making others laugh.
I was also turned off by the idea of going to school 4 extra years to become a Veterenarian. So I majored in Communications and today I'm sitting here unemployed and blogging.
But I digress...
It looks like Apatow's third film will be his best yet. He's hooked up with his old roommate Adam Sandler. Who in my opinion is probably the biggest comedic star for Generation Y-ers. Sandler has proven before he can be himself and still be an impressive dramatic actor. Apatow understands that your best writing comes from what you know. Apatow knows comedy, he knows comedians, and he knows how to make movies about experiences, of which just about everyone can relate. If he can keep digging and find those experiences, Judd Apatow could one-day be mentioned next to directors like Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks and Woody Allen. Wait, I just did mention him with those people. But who cares?
The Angry Prophet
One more thing -- If you haven't seen the clips of Raaaaaaandy yet, make sure you click on the link.
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