Two decades of writing, producing, and finally directing some of the most commercially and critically successful films in the world have given Judd Apatow enough cachet to make nearly anything. After his directorial debut, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), took in more than $175 million in domestic gross revenue, his Apatow Productions produced an ongoing string of gargantuan hits, including Knocked Up (2007), Superbad (2007), Bridesmaids (2011) and Trainwreck (2015). But it is only within the last three years that Apatow has moved into a seemingly unlikely genre: documentary film. Last year saw his first nonfiction work as co-director with Michael […]
by Sean Malin on Mar 15, 2017The Judd Apatow-directed Trainwreck is being hailed as a breakthrough for much of its cast. It’s turned Amy Schumer – who stars as a monogamy-challenged New York magazine writer — into a movie star, Bill Hader into a leading man and LeBron James into his generation’s Bruno Kirby. But the film is an equally big break for the man behind the camera – Trainwreck cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes. In the past, Apatow has opted for veteran d.p.’s with intimidating credits. Unforgiven’s Jack Green shot The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Schindler’s List’s Janusz Kaminski lensed Funny People. On Trainwreck, Apatow turned the camera over to […]
by Matt Mulcahey on Jul 27, 2015The first trailer for Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck is just fine, setting up its premise clearly — Amy Schumer is a professional success despite her monogamy-repelling sleeping-around, which is refreshing — and its romantic throughline with sports doctor Bill Hader. It looks more disciplined than usual visually, with Ballet 422 co-director/Afterschool cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes behind the camera, and LeBron James seems like he’s about to outdo Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the basketball player-turned-onscreen-comic sweepstakes.
by Filmmaker Staff on Feb 11, 2015Filmmaker Jamie Stuart went backstage on Mark Romanek’s Picasso Baby shoot and created this short video capturing the lines, gear and space leading up to the rap artist’s performance art event. Glimpses include Marina Abramovic, Judd Apatow, Jim Jarmusch, Alan Cumming and others. Check it out above.
by Scott Macaulay on Aug 5, 2013There’s a trend in actor-turned-director helmed films at Cannes this year, an impeccable direction of the people on screen. You can tell there’s a sense of trust and cohesive goal to create something great. One of the clearest examples of this is James Franco’s new feature film, As I Lay Dying, based on the great American classic by William Faulkner, the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family’s quest to honor her wish to be buried in the town of Jefferson. The vivid characters have come to life on the big screen through Franco’s split-screen filmmaking, led by […]
by Ariston Anderson on May 21, 2013One of the funniest films of last year was Judd Apatow’s quasi-sequel to Knocked Up, the pre-midlife crisis comedy This is 40. (I like to think of the film as a comic precursor/companion piece to Michael Haneke’s Oscar-winning Amour, which could easily have been titled This is 80.) Apatow’s movie is out on DVD in a couple of weeks, but you can bag yourself a copy early thanks to the generosity of our friends at Universal, who are offering three DVD/Blu-ray combo packs of the release to Filmmaker readers. All you need to do to win is to be one of the first three people to […]
by Nick Dawson on Mar 8, 2013Is Lena Dunham about to change television? Recent years have seen big-screen critical darlings like Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, and Diablo Cody make the pilgrimage over to the small screen. But last year’s announcement that the 25-year old Tiny Furniture director would be masterminding a new series for HBO seemed a more direct link between the indie film and TV industries than had been attempted previously. And as if cementing this link, Girls premieres today with a special sneak preview screening at SXSW – the festival that initially launched Dunham’s career. Audiences are in for a treat, as Dunham’s wit […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Mar 12, 2012The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival revealed today that its closing night film this year will be the world premiere of Bill Bob Thornton‘s documentary on Willie Nelson, The King of Luck. They also announced additional titles to the fest, including a work-in-progress screening of Bridesmaids, starring Kristen Wiig and produced by Judd Apatow, and a short from Harmony Korine. More info on the closing night film and additional titles can be found below. SXSW will take place March 11-19 in Austin, Texas. Read full list of features here; Midnight, SXFantastic and shorts here. CLOSING NIGHT FILM The […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Mar 2, 2011Tiny Furniture director Lena Dunham, one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of 2009,” will write, direct the pilot for, and co-executive produce a new HBO series exec produced by Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline Hollywood. The piece says the series “is expected to feature autobiographical elements” From Deadline: “Lena has a unique, truthful comic voice,” Apatow said. “I am excited to work with her and learn from her.” Konner said she was “obsessed with working with Lena” since HBO’s entertainment president Sue Naegle gave her a copy of Tiny Furniture. “She has a staggeringly […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 8, 2010JENNA FISCHER AND JOHN C. REILLY IN DIRECTOR JAKE KASDAN’S WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY. COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES. Our perception of a director hinges heavily on the most recent film they’ve made. Jake Kasdan’s last movie, The TV Set, was a smart, sardonic satire of the process of creating a hit series that drew on Kasdan’s own bitter experiences in network television. Though Kasdan had enjoyed working for Judd Apatow on Freaks and Geeks (1999) and Undeclared (2001) — directing episodes for these in between making his first and second features, Zero Effect (1997) and Orange County (2002) — […]
by Nick Dawson on Dec 21, 2007