Guy de Fraumeni's Hollywod In The Hamptons

Superbad

Shame! Shame! Shame-a-dee-shame-shame on Hollywood as con artists. Did you know MGM's head, Louis B. Mayer, politically conservative, had secretly made false documentaries to defeat the liberal Governorship candidate? He packaged them with MGM's features. How did he get away with it? He put the lies in the mouths of those who rode the rails, hobos (actors), who'd then become somewhat heroic figures. The then censorship office was very strict with sex but never thought of ethics. Now, with the cute, tenderly sweet teen movie Superbad, the psychotically vulgar, overriding bad boy funniness has the M.P.A.A. (Motion Picture Association of America) rating system staggering, having given Superbad an "R" rating. Why? Because if its dialogue and actions came from Deep Throat's Georgina Spelvin it would slam up close to an "X" rating however, coming from the unbelievably clueless misfits, the deluge of foulness seems miraculously cleansed. As one of the raunchiest teen movies since American Pie, it manages to float like a bent halo over the desperation comedy of the Farrelly brothers and the distrustful shenanigans of Ben Stiller and his cohorts. Comparing Superbad in the slightest way to saintliness may seem insane for a movie fueled with not-too-well digested throw-ups, menstrual flows and, other less desirable excretions.

Being a Boy movie it centers on their groins and does not stray very far from there. With their sexual divining rods leading the way, close pals tubby Seth, played roundly by Jonah Hill and, tall and spare Evan, touchingly played by Michael Cera, press on. They are about to graduate high school. Sadly, both are bigger losers than they were coming in. After nights of over-loading with beer and Internet porn (and vomiting on each other) their big moment arises when they are chosen to get the alcohol for a big party. Hot dog! Their wildest dreams have the girls they've had the hots for, tipsy and unleashed and paying a whole lot of attention to their needy, lustful groins. But, first things first, they need an ID to get the drinks. For this they turn to Fogell, a four-eyed, four-F, Prince of all nerds who's dumb enough to actually get one and with the one name: McLovin, age 25, address Hawaii! This joker Fogell has been immortalized by Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the geek from hell. His name may not roll off your tongue but, with his driver's license ID (he's an organ donor, too) McLovin will be remembered.

It will be a long slippery journey into a questionable night on the town. Will they ultimately score? That is the prominent question through the stormy-with-incident night. Yes, just one night. Their priapic preoccupation (which includes many fancifully detailed drawings of same) will branch out into those touching areas of growing up pangs that will set Superbad apart from other unapologetic, foul-mouthed attacks on one's sensibility, It must be said that this one has "heart". The randy teenagers are going to have to be dragged into adulthood kicking, screaming, and hopefully ,fornicating. It will not be long before summer is upon them and then, fall and Evan will leave his fat, not too swift best friend Seth. With top nerd, Fogell, he will go off to Dartmouth and possibly cop out on the friendship leaving Seth to grind into the life of a grownup. It will be difficult as they have no adult men to emulate. Take the two cops they are accosted by in their nighttime quest. They are like two spoiled kids only with real badges and worse, real guns. They are stupidly impressed with McLovin from Hawaii. They think he's really cool. Fogell gets to ride with the nut-case police for adventures of his own. The cops are played by Seth Rogan (Knocked Up) and SNL's Bill Hader. Rogan's discourse on guns and the male appendage will have you screaming with fun or outrage - like the bulk of the movie.

Superbad is a product of the Judd Apatow production-buddy system. His successful, anti feminist Knocked Up starred Seth Rogan. Apatow's previous The 40 Year Old Virgin, was made along the same lines and they keep getting more and more successful. Seth Rogan wrote Superbad with his friend Evan Goldberg when they were teenagers. Directed by Greg Mottola, a long time TV associate of Apatow's, this movie is almost a family affair.

We could think the moviemakers use the shock value to put across a nice message. Devout Cecil B. De Mille brought his bible epics to a large audience by over spicing it with tawdry sex and violence. That cheesy stuff is what he is only remembered for. Maybe the Apatow mob doesn't need to stick the audience's senses into an electric outlet.

Guy-Jean de Fraumeni is the producer/writer/director of award-winning European and American feature films. He has been a judge at Major Film and TV award competitions, including the Oscars, the Emmy's and various film festivals. Sarah Halsey assists him.

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