August seems to be the battleground for low-brow comedies nowadays. As some of you know by now, Pineapple Express -- though it be from the Judd Apatow-Seth Rogen, et al juggernaut - is not exactly a bust-a-gut, "ooohhh my lord" laugh-fest a la The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad or Knocked Up. It has plenty of moments, and definitely a stoner flick. As we all know by now (i.e. Harold and Kumar, Half-Baked, Grandma's Boy), stoner flicks are cool, hilarious as hell and even pretty witty in a sickly subversive way.
But Pineapple Express pays tribute to the cheeseball buddy/crime movies of the '70s and '80s. And it works at that. Rogen again plays the stumbling straight man perfectly while James Franco is a revelation as his dope-dealing "pal" and slacker. And hey, Gary Cole just needs to stick with these irreverent comedies. Sure, he made a name for himself in Midnight Caller and American Gothic, but jeez, he just kills it in Office Space, Family Guy, Harvey Birdman, Dodgeball, Talladega Nights...need I say more?
With the steady, restrained laughs of Pineapple Express, it's a stark contrast to the near-brillant Tropic Thunder. Or as Robert Downey's aloof character would put it: It's a movie in a movie portraying a movie. As for the lead/writer, this isn't Night at the Museum/There's Something About Mary/Meet the Parents-Fockers Ben Stiller. It's Zoolander/Dodgeball Stiller in overdrive with no holds barred. And for folks whose sensibilities might be offended (and quite a few population segments just might be) should keep it mind: IT'S A FREAKING SPOOF.
You aren't supposed to take it seriously. It's about self-absorbed, narcisistic actors struggling to find (or perhaps stumbling upon) substance that connects them to something greater than themselves. In the meantime, enjoy the sharp, hilarious dialogue, action sequences, killer cameos (freakin' McConaughey and Cruise channeling Jerry Maguire) and even the fake trailers (one of which you'd actually want to see as a real movie -- think Brokeback Monastery.) And there are the common links between Tropic and Pineapple: Bill Hader. That Apatow humor. Danny McBride. Good stuff.
Oh and Joe Biden is Barack Obama's running mate. Meh, what a shock. It could be worse. Biden does add more intelligence, experience and maturity to the ticket, especially in the realm of foreign affairs/defense. And he's an attack dog. Sure he's had a few gaffes in the past, but he doesn't pull punches. Judging from Saturday's first official rally in Springfield, Illinois, Biden would be one to respect his relationship with John McCain in one moment, and then literally five second later, give McSame the verbal version of a one-two technical knockout. And it's true what he says. As McSame promises to change America, he can't well do that after having voted with Dubya almost 100 percent of the time.
And oh puh-leeze, McCain, stop lying. Really. It doesn't become you. You know, the ads about Obama wanting to raise taxes on everyone. And to think experts admit McSame's proposed tax cuts won't be enough to fund his desire for endless war. Want more of the same? Realize that in his two bogus terms in office, Emperor Bush has managed to turn a budget surplus of $236 billion in 2000 into a projected deficit of $482 billion in 2009. Oh yes. That's a way to change America progressively.
