Ever since "Knocked Up" came out two years ago and combined with "The 40-year-Old Virgin" to make a one-two comedic punch unlike anything we'd seen since the heyday of Mel Brooks, Hollywood has been eager to see what Judd Apatow would do next.
Now, with his third directorial effort, "Funny People," arriving in theaters, we present our "cheat sheet," providing everything you need to know before partaking in this weekend's "Funny" business.
The Build-Up
In the time leading up to the "Funny People" release, we got the scoop on some big stories. First, we visited the set and watched Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and the gang do stand-up. Then, we broke the news that Owen Wilson has a small gag in the film. A few months later, Apatow told us about all the silly films that we'll see Sandler's George Simmons acting in, from Wilson's "My Best Friend Is a Robot" to "Merman" and more. Finally, our in-depth journalism got to the bottom of Rogen's "farting on an airplane" joke.
Knowing Is Half the Battle
Did you know that there's a "Green Hornet" cameo in the film? Or that one of the movie's funnymen also composed the soundtrack? For all those details and more, be sure to check out our list of Five Things You Need to Know Before You See "Funny People."
Judd's Blog
It's no secret that MTV News employs some of the best writers in the world — and me too. But we recently gave a blog to a young kid with a dream named Apatow, and he's been churning out some hilarious material. First, Judd answered questions you haven't asked yet and gave us an extended sneak peek at Adam Sandler's hilarious movies-within-the-movie "Merman," "Sayonara Davey" and "Dog's Best Friend." A week later, Judd confessed his nervousness on the eve of the film's release (and excitement over meeting one of the Jonas Brothers), and then he went out not with a bang or a whimper, but with stream-of-consciousness poetry. Hmmm ... we might have to offer this guy a job.
8 Miles of Laughter
Everyone's been waiting for Eminem to shoot a follow-up to his 2002 acting debut in "8 Mile," and now he finally has! Well, kind of. The hip-hop hitmaker has one pivotal scene in "Funny People" and actually carries some impressive dramatic heft playing himself. Check out a shot from the scene here — oh, and did we mention that he gets to scream at Ray Romano?
Feast Your Eyes
Want to see Seth in his "Superjew" T-shirt, RZA bringing the funny, or Aziz Ansari as breakout character Randy? Be sure to pore over our "Funny People" flipbook.
Check out everything we've got on "Funny People."
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