Perhaps you’ve had the conversation: “What’s the last really funny movie you saw?” My mind goes blank. I “hmm” and “umm” and struggle to grasp something from the gray — a funny movie that has knocked me on my ass laughing anytime in the past few years. The delay of my response goes from awkward to frustrating. “Man, maybe I don’t like comedy. Do I hate laughing? What kind of soulless monster am I?”
Today, I have an answer. If the measure of funny is in laughs per minute, I can’t remember the last thing I’ve seen as funny as This Is The End.
In This Is The End, buddies and frequent co-stars Seth Rogen (played by Seth Rogen) and Jay Baruchel (played by Jay Baruchel) find their friendship and laughable survival skills tested by the apocalypse. Jay arrives in L.A. with less than 24 hours left before things will go to hell. He’s planning on low-key high-times for the weekend with Seth, who has mapped out a marijuana-fueled weekend of junk food and Xbox binging.
But Jay and Seth’s bromance has hit a bumpy patch as of late. Jay’s tired of rubbing elbows and pretending to be chummy with Seth’s fake Hollywood friends — particularly the oh-so-punchable Jonah Hill (Moneyball). But Seth urges him to give the gang more of a chance and proposes a break from gaming and ganja to stop by James Franco’s swanky new pad for a housewarming party packed with beloved C-listers: Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine), Emma Watson (the Harry Potter films), Michael Cera (Arrested Development), Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and a few other familiar faces and surprise cameos I won't spoil here.
As the party is hitting its peak, things outside are hitting the fan. The world has become a fiery hellscape, and Seth, Jay, James, Danny, Craig and Jonah may be the sole survivors. Fortunately, Franco has plenty of provisions (bottled water, booze, cereal, a candy bar, weed, a porno mag and a pistol) to ride out this mess until someone can show up to rescue them. After all, since they’re important actors, they’re obviously going to be top of the military’s to-rescue list.
What follows is Superbad meets Shaun of the Dead with Extras’ celebs playing hyperbolic versions of themselves. This might not be much of a stretch; Rogen and McBride are no strangers to playing the same role time and time again. But, in the meta magic of This Is The End, Rogen as Rogen and McBride as McBride produce the biggest funny moments I’ve seen from either of them.
As you might expect from the cast, it’s mostly weed and weiner jokes, but these are the crème de la crème of weed and weiner jokes by a group who seems well read on both subjects. It’s a wonderful R-Rated romp. Yes, it’s a juvenile stoner comedy with gore and end of times–related gross-out gags, but it’s one that never gets into the too-stupid territory of “here’s a fart sound — now laugh” that so many adult comedies seem content with.
I’d hate to mention too much more for fear of robbing the experience of its shock value, but the dick joke centerpiece of the film —a gut-busting exchange between Franco and McBride on... etiquette matters related to self-pleasuring — alone warrants the price of admission.
This Is The End is in theaters today.
--Eric Pulsifer
Today, I have an answer. If the measure of funny is in laughs per minute, I can’t remember the last thing I’ve seen as funny as This Is The End.
In This Is The End, buddies and frequent co-stars Seth Rogen (played by Seth Rogen) and Jay Baruchel (played by Jay Baruchel) find their friendship and laughable survival skills tested by the apocalypse. Jay arrives in L.A. with less than 24 hours left before things will go to hell. He’s planning on low-key high-times for the weekend with Seth, who has mapped out a marijuana-fueled weekend of junk food and Xbox binging.
But Jay and Seth’s bromance has hit a bumpy patch as of late. Jay’s tired of rubbing elbows and pretending to be chummy with Seth’s fake Hollywood friends — particularly the oh-so-punchable Jonah Hill (Moneyball). But Seth urges him to give the gang more of a chance and proposes a break from gaming and ganja to stop by James Franco’s swanky new pad for a housewarming party packed with beloved C-listers: Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine), Emma Watson (the Harry Potter films), Michael Cera (Arrested Development), Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and a few other familiar faces and surprise cameos I won't spoil here.
As the party is hitting its peak, things outside are hitting the fan. The world has become a fiery hellscape, and Seth, Jay, James, Danny, Craig and Jonah may be the sole survivors. Fortunately, Franco has plenty of provisions (bottled water, booze, cereal, a candy bar, weed, a porno mag and a pistol) to ride out this mess until someone can show up to rescue them. After all, since they’re important actors, they’re obviously going to be top of the military’s to-rescue list.
What follows is Superbad meets Shaun of the Dead with Extras’ celebs playing hyperbolic versions of themselves. This might not be much of a stretch; Rogen and McBride are no strangers to playing the same role time and time again. But, in the meta magic of This Is The End, Rogen as Rogen and McBride as McBride produce the biggest funny moments I’ve seen from either of them.
As you might expect from the cast, it’s mostly weed and weiner jokes, but these are the crème de la crème of weed and weiner jokes by a group who seems well read on both subjects. It’s a wonderful R-Rated romp. Yes, it’s a juvenile stoner comedy with gore and end of times–related gross-out gags, but it’s one that never gets into the too-stupid territory of “here’s a fart sound — now laugh” that so many adult comedies seem content with.
I’d hate to mention too much more for fear of robbing the experience of its shock value, but the dick joke centerpiece of the film —a gut-busting exchange between Franco and McBride on... etiquette matters related to self-pleasuring — alone warrants the price of admission.
This Is The End is in theaters today.
--Eric Pulsifer
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