Judd Apatow: Comedic Maestro of the 21st Century

Look at Judd Apatow's resume. Just look at it. No! Don't look at Fun With Dick and Jane! Look here - The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad! Apatow was a driving creative force behind them all. He is a comedic genius. He has the uncanny ability to make you care about his characters and, at the same time, laugh hysterically at them. I can not comprehend how one man can be this talented at making with the funny.

I have a pretty particular sense of humor and Judd Apatow is one of the only people in the entertainment world who fits this sensibility. I was listening to the commentary track on The 40 Year Old Virgin the other day and all I could keep thinking was "Jeez-o-man! This is exactly how me and my friends talk! Everything's okay, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen are nerds, too!"

He's had a few misses, sure. But compare his career to that of his peers and he's flippin' flawless. You name it, he's got it: Innate precision in comic timing, remarkable perceptiveness of the cultural zeitgeist, funny facial hair and (maybe his most impressive trait) some really inspired taste in casting his stuff. Think about the careers he's helped launch - Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, etc. I just wish he would step in front of the camera more. I mean, you can never get enough Foxy the Fox, can you?

No, you can't.

I love Judd Apatow. But what do you all think of him? Is he the definitive comedic voice of this generation? Or am I giving him a little too much credit?

Don't forget about Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

2 words: Big Flop

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I used to be addicted to crystal meth, now I'm just addicted to Breaking Bad.

I think that his ability to mesh with a certain kind of audience (me) is amazing. He has the ability to cross the bell-curve from low to high back to low without even caring when the bell rang. To me that is wonderfully fresh. In other words, I understand those who dislike some of his movies, but I also know that those same people eat fruitcake during the holidays....just sayin'.

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

And yell at the kids who skateboard on their sidewalks

For what it is, Walk Hard is funny enough. But I don't think it even comes close to some of the other stuff I listed.

And like to listen to Michael Bolton . . . . . . . .

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And lo the whispering wanderer weeps
what whit to whom did my life keep?

And, as if my Apatow-love wasn't rabid enough, I've just found out about a pilot he made back in 2001 called North Hollywood. The show would have followed a struggling actor played by Seth Rogen trying to break into the business. Plus, Judge Reinhold, Colin Hanks, Jason Segel and Amy flippin' Poehler! That sounds amazing. But, unfortunately, I'll never know how amazing it could have been since it didn't get picked up. Bummer.

Oh well... Pineapple Express opens August 8th!