Superbad @ MindSay

I fell in love with the movie "Superbad" when I first saw it:  I was in Vancouver, BC about two months after it came out, and I went in not knowing anything about the first aside from three items:  (a) it was written by Seth Rogen, whom I knew through some of Judd Apatow's previous films and TV series; (b) it was produced by Judd Apatow, whom I knew from some films and TV shows co-starring Seth Rogen (as well as from HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show;") and (c) it starred Michael Cera, George Michael Bluth of "Arrested Development."  Oh -- and from the commercials, some nerdy kid gets a fake ID with the name "McLovin" on it.

I adored the flick for many of the same reasons I enjoy Kevin Smith's work:  this is a film which focuses on dialogue that sounds like how people actually talk. The film isn't just a bunch of pratfalls or funny situations with one-liners (although there are a few moments in Superbad which are just that); the film is made by the interaction between the characters -- even if the conversations skew a bit off-topic.  The main differences I found between Superbad and, say, for example, Clerks was the fact that Superbad had much more ad-libbing and improvisation than Clerks. But both had their fair share of conversations and jokes which can make you shudder by how graphic they turn out to be. And the relationship between the two main characters, two male best friends who are different as night and day but who care for each other greatly, is seen clearly in both films.

I received the 2 disc, special edition DVD of Superbad for Hanukkah. (Thanks, socKs!) And today I watched it with the commentary -- which included the main characters from the cast plus writers Rogen and Evan Goldberg, director Greg Metolla and Producer Judd Apatow. This was possibly one of the most entertaining DVD commentaries I've heard on any movie.  They joke with each other the way that most DVD commentaries turn themselves out to become, but this goes far beyond.

You see -- Superbad is about a bunch of high school students who are brought upon an adventure involving drinking, drugs, obtaining alcohol with a fake ID, and, of course, teen sex.  There are two awkward sex scenes in the movie (no, there's no gratuitous nudity aside from a bare-chested Michael Cera and his on-screen girlfriend in a bra), and they're done with such precision to make everything seem as awkward as teen sexcan ever be.

But because the characters are high school students (presumably minors) -- and since one of the main characters actually was under 18 at the time of filming, there was a great deal of scrutiny regarding his sex scene -- one which actually didn't even show any indication of hanky panky going on while he was on-screen.

The weird thing is: while there was so much controversy surrounding something as taboo as high school students simulating sex, there was no issue whatsoever regarding the drinking in the movie. Or the violence in any of the fight scenes. Or when our not-yet-eighteen year old is handed a cigarette.

The comments on the DVD commentary were unanimous: why do the people who set the standards for film appropriateness care less about the notion of someone getting his head busted open by a beer bottle or by the torching of a police car or even the puffing of a cigarette than the idea that sex sometimes occurs between high school students at parties?

I don't have a very good ending for this blog entry.  Superbad, however -- great movie. Great commentary.  They mention comparisons between it and Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien.  Who could ask for anything more?

Has anyone read Paul Feigs book Superstud?

I found the first book to be great.

However the rest was kind of a let down. I mean this guy isn't really geeky at all.

Compared to me anyways.