Seth Rogen, King of the August Comedy

Over the last 20 years, Seth Rogen has had a pretty consistent track record putting out hit films in August, which is usually a dumping ground for new movies. What's his secret? I attempt an answer over at Cracked.

What's the Greatest Sex Comedy Ever?

I tried to answer that question for Cracked.

Judd Apatow's Most Famous Email Exchange

In late 2001, two TV producers, Judd Apatow and Mark Brazill, got into an email feud. It quickly became the stuff of legend. For Cracked, I wrote about a weird moment in TV history.

Judd Apatow's Very Bad 2022

Was there a worse movie last year than The Bubble? It sure didn't feel like it. Over at Cracked, I wrote about a rare stinker from Judd Apatow.

What Paul Feig Pulled Off With 'Bridesmaids'

In light of the release of The School for Good and Evil, I wanted to look back at a much better Paul Feig film, one that helped changed Hollywood. For Cracked, I wrote about the groundbreaking Bridesmaids.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Blonde' and 'Bros'

We took a week off, so we're back with reviews of four new movies: Amsterdam, Blonde, Bros and The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Two we liked, two we didn't. Which were which? Find out below.

Toronto 2022: 'Bros' Review

Judd Apatow often makes (or produces) comedies about smart, somewhat cynical people who need to get over themselves in order to find love. That trend continues with Bros, which follows a sarcastic New Yorker (co-writer Billy Eichner) who lets down his guard when he meets a cute lawyer (Luke Macfarlane). Apatow only produced the film, Nicholas Stoller directed, but you can see the template at work. It doesn't matter when it's this charming, funny and touching. My review is now live.

Steve Carell Is the King of Nice

With Minions: The Rise of Gru about to come out, it seemed like a good time to assess Steve Carell's career up to this point. I wrote about his artistic modesty for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Morbius,' 'Apollo 10 1/2' and 'The Bubble'

A supervillain origin story. A nostalgic animated reverie. And the absolute worst movie Judd Apatow has ever made. Step right up for this week's podcast! The whole episode is down below.

Why Is Verizon Aligning Itself With 'The Cable Guy'?

For the Super Bowl, Verizon is doing a commercial featuring Jim Carrey in his Cable Guy role. I don't think they understand what that movie's about. Here's my latest for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Spike Lee, Judd Apatow and 'You Don't Nomi'

It was very nice to have three new and very interesting movies to talk about on this week's episode. You can hear our reviews of Da 5 Bloods, The King of Staten Island and You Don't Nomi down below.

'The King of Staten Island' Review

Judd Apatow's first feature in five years finds him teaming up with Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson. They have distinctly different energies and they clash intriguingly in The King of Staten Island, which I reviewed for MEL.

Happy 10th Anniversary, 'Funny People'

When I saw Funny People 10 years ago, I wondered if it might be Judd Apatow's best movie. I no longer think that, but it's still plenty fascinating. I wrote about the film, and how comedy has changed in the last decade, for MEL.

'The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling' and Male Friendship

Judd Apatow is a filmmaker who has obsessively chronicled male bonding rituals in his comedies. His mentor was Garry Shandling, the genius behind The Larry Sanders Show. Shandling died two years ago, and this week Apatow is putting out a love letter to his friend in the form of the HBO documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. For MEL, I wrote about the film -- specifically, how it picks up a familiar thematic thread from Apatow's previous work. You can read my essay here.

The Careers That Big Directors Almost Had

Next week, Judd Apatow releases The Return, his first stand-up special. Of course, we know him as the filmmaker behind Knocked Up and This Is 40. But when he was starting out, he thought he was going to be a comic. In honor of The Return, I looked at some other directors and the professional paths they initially pursued. You can read it over at MEL.

'The Big Sick' Review

I feel the same way about The Big Sick now as I did when I first saw it at Sundance: It's immensely charming and very good, but it's not quite amazing. Still, the movie offers many, many pleasures, and I talk about them in my review at Paste.

'Love' Review

No, not the Gaspar Noe film. This is the new Netflix series co-created by Judd Apatow that stars Gillian Jacobs and co-creator Paul Rust as L.A. thirtysomethings looking for, you guessed it, love. But they're looking for other things, too, which helps this series stand out a bit. I reviewed the first season for The Wrap.

Defending the Conventionality of 'Trainwreck'

Of all the criticisms levied against Amy Schumer's very funny Trainwreck, the one that most surprised me was the accusation that it's somehow dishonest about being a progressive romantic comedy. Frankly, I don't think the movie is trying to be all that transgressive or daring: At its heart, it's an old-fashioned girl-meets-boy story. And what's wrong with that? Here's my piece for Deadspin.

Judd Apatow's Movies, Ranked

Writer/director/producer Judd Apatow has only helmed five films, but his influence stretches far beyond those movies: He's produced (and written) several others that further encapsulate his particular comedic brand. For Vulture, Will Leitch and I dove into his oeuvre to rank all his movies. Will our No. 1 be controversial? I'm not sure. Take a look at the list.

'Trainwreck' Review

Inside Amy Schumer is funny and smart, but I'm not sure I was quite prepared for what she'd bring to Trainwreck, which she wrote and also stars in. This romantic comedy finds her revealing new layers to her delightfully tart persona -- plus, it gives Bill Hader one of his best film roles. (LeBron James is a hoot, too.) This is the first film directed by Judd Apatow that he didn't write as well. I don't think it's a coincidence it's also one of his strongest. My review of Trainwreck is up at Screen International.