Jason Segel

Published on December 24, 2012 - 10:00am by Aaron Weiss

This is 40

This is 40

Judd Apatow’s influence on Millennial culture is much more broad than most would care to recognize. Generations tend to admire the previous generation; i.e. the Silents defined the counter-culture of the Boomer generation. This is 40 may be a tough sell for those who have not yet had children or experienced the stress of entrepreneurship. Like any Apatow film, the film is raunchy, but in an introspective fashion that is endearing, and packaged in an accessible form.

Published on April 30, 2012 - 10:00am by Aaron Weiss

The Five Year Engagement

The Five Year Engagement Movie Review

Romantic comedies are a dime-a-dozen and Judd Apatow films are starting to follow suit. Yet, Apatow does employ filmmakers who can merge his gross-out comedies with their own specific style, and none have done better job than the team of Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Fresh off their fantastic reboot of The Muppets, and returning to their adult-oriented Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the two have returned with The Five Year Engagement, a romantic comedy that explores role reversals while capitalizing on the predictable rom-com format with the Stoller-Segel wit and charm.

Published on November 15, 2011 - 2:00pm by Aaron Weiss

Jeff Who Lives at Home

Jeff Who Lives at Home

The Duplass brothers have slowly but surely moved their way into the American independent sphere, first with films that made use of the DIY sentiments, and now with higher budgeted Indiewood releases. Jeff Who Lives at Home has many similarities to the Duplass' previous effort Cyrus, but shows growth not only in the directors choice of material, but also how they execute the film.

Published on November 9, 2011 - 1:07pm by Aaron Weiss

The Muppets

The Muppets

Franchise reboots today most often have egregious profit motives that reduce the films to a mere product. Then then are reboots that augment yesterday's traditions and focus on what the product is about. The Muppets falls into the second category and returns for a self-aware reboot that looks to the past and points to the future of the beloved franchise. Written by Jason Segel (who also stars) and Nicholas Stoller, The Muppets offers both long-time and new fans a chance to reconnect with an American classic that typically makes its way back to the silver screen every-so-often. It also does not hurt that the film is well produced and is a fantastic musical to boot.