Filmmaker Jonathan Levine stood in front of a packed theater in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening to introduce a screening of his new film, “Long Shot,” a political comedy. He opined that it was somewhat of a challenge, in such surreal times as now, to make a comedy that satirizes politics. Nonetheless, he felt the time was right for such a rib-tickler like his new film. “We started making ... more >
ARCHIVES
TALK: Jonathan Levine opens up about “Long Shot”
"It was important to us to make something kind of joyous at the end of the day"
Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen and June Diane Raphael
Directed by Jonathan Levine
The guilt trip
Playing nice
Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand
Directed by Anne Fletcher
“The Guilt Trip” is the kind of film you'd want to take your aunt to in order to make up for not calling her often enough during the year. Or anyone who enjoys predictable and fluff entertainment, for that matter. "Breezy," "cute," and "nice" apply, with Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogen doing their damndest best to make these qualifiers stick. The "Funny Girl" performer plays Joyce, a lonely ... more >
50/50
It takes a pair to beat the odds
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick, and Seth Rogen
Directed by Jonathan Levine
If you hear the movie press machine tell it, I’m supposed to come away from 50/50 talking about how it’s a new type of cancer movie: frank, funny, and unconventionally moving and based on the real-life cancer experiences of its screenwriter, Will Reiser. Instead, I left with a cool feeling toward the film’s misogyny, something that Seth Rogen’s presence often serves as a dog whistle for. ... more >
Paul
E.T. phone Comedy Central
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Seth Rogen
Directed by Greg Mottola
“Paul” is another alien movie that feels like ET just phoned it in from home. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) play Graeme and Clive, two British comic book geeks who decide to go on a tour of America’s famous alien tourist spots (think area 51). They come face to face with the real thing when they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), a little green alien who escaped from a government lab and ... more >
Monsters Vs. Aliens
I'm with Ginormica
(voice) Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen and Hugh Laurie
Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Come now, is there a better title ever created to bull’s eye young boy’s hearts than Monsters Vs. Aliens? I mean, do eight-year old boys have two more favorite things, especially in movies? Find the kid who doesn’t want to see this movie, and you find the kid who is going to be overly obsessed with Camus in high school. This title screams “box of super-sugary cereal.” And lo and behold, one ... more >
The Pineapple Express
A deliriously-funny weed hit of a movie
Seth Rogen, James Franco and Danny McBride
Directed by David Gordon Green
Judd Apatow, the king of the American raunch-com, and David Gordon Green, the lyrical indie filmmaker, whose ethereal work has been among the best American filmmaking of the past decade. In truth, it’s not as odd as it seems. As far back as his earliest films, Green would express his interest in doing commercial projects in order to support his artistic ones. And his films have been known to ... more >