Judd Apatow versus Wes Anderson

i've never seen an apatow film but he still wins.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~goofis1/Images/Forms/You_did_it.jpg

apatow = bear
anderson = octopus

Apatow ftw but only just. Rushmore is still one of my favourite films even after seeing it many times. But for sheer quantity of guffaws, Apatow wins.

40 Year Old Virgin was better than any Wes Anderson film I've seen, but I wasn't totally convinced by Knocked Up, though it had its moments. I think Apatow needs to direct more movies for a fair comparison.

I'm voting for Wes Anderson, which probably makes me rockist or something.

I've liked all Wes Anderson movies I've seen (not seen Darjeeling Limited), it's just that the overt quirkiness and the distancing effects are sometimes a bit too much. But as a director (as opposed to writer) I think he is more unique and talented than Apatow.

Yeah I could do without the quirkyness and slowmotion kinks montages but I like the stifling staginess of his sets and ridiculous colour. Also, the clothes are always great.

40 year old virgin was just kindof annoying.

Anderson's films have a more distinctive visual style, and his use of music (Creation, Kinks, Love, Rolling Stones) is consistently amazing.

That said, his shit started to seriously get on my nerves after Rushmore. Life Aquatic and Darjeeling were embarrassing self-parody and showed just how colossally limited he is as a filmmaker.

So I'm going with Apatow because his movies are way more fun (probably because he lets his actors improvise in a way Anderson seems to be afraid to), more chaotic, and usually have a fuck of a lot more to say without doing the Anderson trick of "I'M SPEAKING QUIETLY BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DEEP THING I'M SAYING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST EMPTY BULLSHIT."

If we're including Freaks & Geeks, that tips the scales towards Apatow even more.

Anderson no contest. I like Apatow's movies a lot but his movies are funny because he has a stable of actors and writers that work well together and know how to improvise within fairly standard comedy frameworks - but as a director, he has no particular visual style, etc. there's nothing unique about him at all.

also it might be good to list what Apatow's actually directed himself (as opposed to just produced or written or whatever):

Knocked Up
The 40 Year Old Virgin

and that's it.

also Darjeeling Ltd is Anderson's best movie ftw

right now apatow but im not an anderson hater or anything

lso it might be good to list what Apatow's actually directed himself (as opposed to just produced or written or whatever):

is this poll about who's the better director?

My favourite Anderson is Life Aquatic and I've been shouted down for it in the past.

couldnt stand life aquatic, and anderson biting is out of control, but still, i voted anderson for 'rushmore' alone

Need to see Rushmore again, I was drunk when I watched it.

O R you

I'll take Apatow's movies and Anderson's soundtracks.

i still have a bit of faith that anderson will loosen up as he ages and make another movie that i will like. rushmore and bottle rocket are v enjoyable.

is this poll about who's the better director?

This definitely needs clarification.

I'll take Apatow's movies and Anderson's soundtracks.

That would leave you without Asia's "Heat of the Moment"

I'd only want to hear it in the movie anyway.

Wes Anderson makes movies for my teenage self, Judd Apatow makes movies for my 20-something self.

yes, wes anderson came first

yeah, but Apatow had produced and written a mess of TV shows and movies by the time Anderson did his first short film version of Bottle Rocket.

on a related note, holy shit Judd Apatow was the voice of the goofy ball on Newsradio.

anyway one of these guys does comedy and one of them does dramedy, any comparison feels kinda forced.

I dunno, Freaks and Geeks was pretty dramedy, and it was fantastic... I think Apatow's only really gone downhill from there. I didn't mind Knocked Up or The 40-year-old Virgin, but I wouldn't watch them again nor recommend them to anyone else.

However, the point made above about Apatow allowing for more improvisation was good. I always wondered how many scenes in Freaks and Geeks, especially those featuring Sam etc, were just kind of ad-libbed — the way those kids interacted always seemed so genuine and worked wonderfully for that show. But I also don't think that would work in an Anderson film... Apatow deals with vaguely/potentially real-life situations where that sort of thing works. Anderson's ideas are a lot more, uh, fantastical or surreal and probably it wouldn't work if actors were throwing in their own bits and pieces.

Or I just don't know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, Freaks and Geeks ≥ Anderson > all other Apatow stuff

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Something interesting I noticed about the Apatow phenomenon - I was at the Just for Laughs q&a with Apatow, Rogen, Hader, McBride and co. following "Pineapple Express," but David Gordon Green was strangely absent. (I'm pretty sure the initial announcement said he'd be there.) He also went un-mentioned by Apatow - his name didn't come up until Craig Robinson brought him up about 10 minutes in.

Similarly - what's going on with Greg Mottola? Jake Kasdan? I sense a weird dynamic btwn Apatow and his directors ("Pineapple Express" itself kinda confirmed this as well.)

if it helps your theory, david gordon green did not mention apatow once when i saw him speak after a screening.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

wtf

oh please

apatow is the passive beneficiary of ile's contingent of self-loathing wes anderson characters.

blapatow

I like how this poll got the votes of a clusterfuck thread but not the posts of one.

http://www.lafferty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/fail-24.jpg

let's get back to what really matters.

wes anderson. his movies are actually funnier than apatow's. that's right motherfuckers.

the tiramis of umour

i'm not afraid to go against the consensus of twelve years ago. i must not be afraid of ANYTHING.

apatow is actively bad

my God, the very thought of watching that elf Davidson for 135 minutes

Who actually enjoys Pete Davidson? I have never encountered anyone who would consider themselves a fan or even like the guy casually. He is deeply unappealing and thoroughly unfunny even by the admittedly low standards of the current (or recent) SNL casts. What do Apatow, Lorne Michaels, etc. see in him?

comedy is hard. quirky is easy. piling up gags falls about halfway between them.

ariana's opinion is the only one i care about

davidson movie was good and i find him generally repellent

Pete Davidson is a popular comic who lots of people like. maybe it's a generational thing and zoomers are into him? I dunno.

Maybe you need to be Gen Alpha to really get his jokes.

I don't know about zoomers, his biggest talent seems to be convincing older men with clout in the industry (Lorne, Apatow) that he's somehow worthwhile

I mean he is a standup comedian who fills big enough places

whyyyy

What ever happened to Bob and Ray
That delicate chuckle bouquet

Rik Waller-Bridge (jim in vancouver) at 6:33 16 Jun 20

I mean he is a standup comedian who fills big enough places

plenty of better ones who fill the same or bigger places aren't getting Apatow movies

he also has a big dick

we talkin Jeremy or Diggler