Coming into a re-watching of Superbad (for my American Manhood class), I was fully prepared not to enjoy it as much as I did the first time. In the ensuing two years since it came out, I've pretty much given up on Michael Cera. Arrested Development was cool and what not but it seems like the guy has approximately one trick in his bag: the "I'm going to say something no one hears and then mutter to myself as people walk away" move.
Other than that the guy pretty much occupies the "awkward in every way" character type who appeals to ladies because he's harmless (Juno, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) or who plays straight man to funnier people (Arrested Development, the Knocked Up dvd). His whole "I'm too big now to be in the AD movie" move didn't earn the guy any points either, so coming back to a movie where he's co-lead with Jonah Hill wasn't something I was itching to do.
The good news is that Superbad is a) still funny, and b) doesn't actually have that much Michael Cera in it. Sure, he's in practically every scene with Jonah Hill but the movie does have those tangents with McLovin and the cops (Bill Hader and Seth Rogen) so it's not like I have to put up with Cera in large doses.
In case you were wondering why we're watching Superbad in a women and gender studies class, our Professor is interested in studying the development and popularization of "geek chic" as an alternative to the hegemonic understanding of "manhood" in America. That neither Hill, Cera, or Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) actually end up with "the girl" of their respective dreams (okay, McLovin doesn't technically have one but I'll get to that in a second) is telling about the way that Superbad rewrites the "teenage sex comedy" typified by American Pie. McLovin spends most of the night with the cops and Hill and Cera end up together in sleeping bags by the end of the film, rather than bedding their "dream girl"s.
How reflective it is of a growing norm (one that would theoretically include "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog", and the Seth Rogen as "leading man" genre of films) remains to be seen, but one could argue that Superbad's success reflects a willingness to move into another discursive practice about what "masculinity" is legible as.
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Wow, so at least two of you were very upset by the prospect of Videodrome being redone by the writer of Reindeer Games and Blood and Chocolate.
I guess you'll be even angrier to hear that someone (anyone!) is remaking Drop Dead Fred with Russell Brand in the title role and "Not Phoebe Cates" in the Phoebe Cates role.
No? Maybe a little apathetic? Not even that much, huh? Well, the Cap'n can't really blame you. I still have a copy of Drop Dead Fred that came free with a Papa John's pizza. It remains unopened.
If it's any consolation to the dvd, I can't remember what kind of pizza it was.
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This is like pulling teeth for me to even say this, but I'm kinda amused to see Rob Zombie making at least a passing nod to Halloween II in his H2. The trailer gives away the fact that this version of "Michael stalks Laurie in the hospital" is probably a dream; that being said, kudos for finally acknowledging the "if you make a sequel to the remake you should remake the sequel" theory of filmmaking.
I only wish I had more enthusiasm for H2, but I'm sure many of you will explain to me why Halloween was actually good and I must be crazy etc. Fair enough, that is what the comment section is for.
1 comment:
I just read, then signed on to your blog to bitch about the Drop Dead Fred remake with douche bag of the day Russel Brand. I am giving up on Hollywood more and more every day
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