There are capital-G Guys, and then there is Greg Mottola, whose semi-autobiographical “how I spent my summer vacation” comedy Adventureland insists that back in his college days, the young director was more sensitive than all those other dudes who just wanted to get laid. That would be fine and all if the big payoff the movie works toward was something other than a scene in which Mottola’s fictional stand-in (played by The Squid and the Whale’s Jesse Eisenberg) gets to ball the girl of his dreams (Kristen Stewart, operating on the other end of the chastity spectrum from her Twilight character). I mean, he’s not that special: The world is full of late-blooming virgins with the romantic notion that two people should really love each other before they have sex (Mottola already dealt with that idea quite nicely when Michael Cera’s character passes up his first time in Superbad).

More interesting than the movie’s paint-by-numbers relationship plot is the environment in which it all goes down. Coming home from his senior year in college, James Brennan learns that his dad has been demoted at work, meaning his family can’t afford to send him to Europe for the summer as planned. Instead, he’s stuck in Pittsburgh with a plastic bag full of joints and the terrifying realization that his college degree is good for nothing more than a shit job at the local amusement park.

A place like Adventureland would make the perfect stage for a Larry Clark-style look at adolescence: In theory, such venues offer a delicious contrast between the fun, clean-scrubbed surface they represent to kids and all the transgressive behavior that goes on between the hormone-addled employees, as they get high on their cigarette breaks, land their first VD from the girl who runs the Ferris wheel or what have you. But Mottola has a far tamer view of the park. Considering that he really held such a job, you’d hope for more insider insights than the fact that the concessions have sometimes passed their expiration date and the games are rigged so no one can win a “giant-ass panda bear” (among comedies, only Waiting has really nailed the borderline-depraved atmosphere of minimum-wage ennui).

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Director Greg Mottola has had a Sundance-in-reverse journey since his 1996 film The Daytrippers premiered at Slamdance that year, and he then moved into the world of television directing, worked on Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks followup series Undeclared, directed Superbad, one of the biggest comedies in recent years, and now is finally at Sundance with his movie Adventureland.

Adventureland was inspired by Mottola’s own experience working at a theme park in the 1980s after college, and it’s a bittersweet look at young romance. Check out our interview with Mottola after the break.

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Mean Magazine Presents Emma Stone from Mean Magazine on Vimeo.

Yesterday, MEAN Magazine released (or, sent out a press release about) their latest viral video, a “remake” of Bad Lieutenant starring SNL’s Bill Hader (”Eat your heart out, Werner Herzog,” reads the explanatory title card.) It’s okay. The best part is Hader’s final, weepy line, “I’m such a bad lieutenant!”

But more interesting is a MEAN video that I missed, the above “Emma Stone in Busby Berkeley 2.0.” With Stone (Jonah Hill’s love interest from Superbad) wearing a vintage bathing suit and staring coquettishly at the camera amidst digital kaleodoscopic chaos, it’s less Busby Berkely than a retro-porn spin on Esther Williams. But it’s pretty!

The first thing you notice about Michael Cera in person is that he seems a lot smaller and skinnier than he does in the movies. Maybe it’s actually true that the camera adds ten pounds. He’s also even nicer and seemingly more vulnerable than the characters he plays, if that were actually possible. His role as Nick in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is nothing new for him, but because he’s so honest and innocent, it hasn’t gotten old. Yet. He’s like the Lloyd Dobbler for an entirely new generation.

Read on for our interview with Michael in Toronto to find out all about the Arrested Development movie, how he likes his coffee (and what that says about how he likes his men), and what Lindsay Anderson film’s soundtrack he should hav on his iPod, but doesn’t.

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We got a quick, edgier look at Quarantine before an uneventful visit from the cast of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. And then the real entertainment began, as Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Amber Heard and Evan Goldberg took the stage for inane questions yet plenty of laughs.

Highlights:

- Though Kate Beckinsale is not in the new Underworld prequel, star Rhona Mitra says her skimpy outfit in the movie should keep fans satisfied.

- David Gordon Green apparently directs his actors with commands like, “do it like you’re taking a shit.”

- Coming soon: an episode of The Simpsons written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

- Rogen continues his career playing druggies and drunks with The Green Hornet.

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Last October, we learned that David Wain (beloved director of Wet Hot American Summer) would be taking over the helm of Universal’s Little Big Men, a pre-packaged comedy starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Jane Lynch and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad’s “McLovin”). For all of us who love WHAS, The Ten, The State, Stella, Wainy Days and anything else having to do with Wain, it was great news. The script was re-written by Wain and Rudd and Ken Marino, who also co-wrote The Ten, and was adapted (I’m guessing) from the earlier screenplay by Timothy Dowling (George Lucas in Love). And it features some of Wain’s regulars, including Kerri Kenney, Joe Lo Truglio, and A.D. Miles. According to a recent interview with Wain on IESB.net, the film is currently in post-production with hopes of an August release.

But according to MTV Movies Blog today, Wain claims his latest film, which is supposed to be getting a new title, won’t be as absurdist as his fanbase is used to. Wain hints that we should actually be prepared for some tears, in fact. The blog notes that he was being sarcastic, but considering the disappointingly un-Stella-ness of Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black’s solo writing and directorial works, it wouldn’t be that surprising if Little Big Men is actually more tame and straight-forward that we want from a Wain picture. Oh well, I’m sure he was just joking with MTV, and I have nothing to worry about. I mostly just wanted an excuse to write about Wain and the film. Also, I wanted to note that in that IESB interview, which is about a month old, Wain admitted that he and the gang are currently working on a State movie. Fortunately, there’s no possible way that one could be sappy. I’ll still bring the Kleenex, though, because I’m sure to tear up from laughing so hard. Check out the video above for some classic State-era Wain.

Fox Searchlight sent out a press release this morning “announcing” that Juno has crossed the $100 million mark domestically, and with it, they laid bare their entire strategy for giving this film a platform release and selling is as a “crossover success story” before the film was ever released. Juno was opened like an indie in order to make this press release possible. If it they had just opened it like other films that appeal to the same demographic and fit into the same vague genre––Superbad, for example––and it still took twice as long to hit $100 million, even though its star quotient is much higher and its marketing campaign was arguably more aggressive, then that wouldn’t have been news. But make it look like it’s beating the odds, like it’s making history by playing on more screens than The Banger Sisters and making more money than Sideways (as if ANYONE remembers the last time a movie about/for 45 year-olds made more money than a movie about/for 16 year-olds)––now that’s a story!

In short: I think a draft of this press release was written in September, and details and dates were changed after the Oscar nominations. That is all.

Jeff Wells notes that Juno, which came in at the third spot at the box office over the weekend, is now besting both I Am Legend and the National Treasure sequel to sell more tickets than any other film during the week. At the rate it’s going, it looks certain to cross the $100 million mark by the end of awards season. To put it mildly, this strikes Wells as something of a surprise:

That’s a mindblower. I never would have called that in a million years. This is just a sweet and sharp little film. I wasn’t levitating after I first saw it in Toronto. I knew that I liked it because it was well-written and well-acted. I still know that. But for me, this makes two head-scratchers in a single night.

Really, Jeff? A teen sex comedy hipped up enough to attract 20-somethings, feminized just enough to attract tween girls, but not so girly that it turns off the Apatow crowd. Advertised EVERYWHERE. Plus, it’s probably the most crowd-pleasing movie to have played a festival in 2007. And you’re surprised that it’s making a lot of money? Seriously?

You would have had to have been stupid to have seen Juno with an audience at Telluride or Toronto and NOT imagined it performing at least as well as Superbad. Jeff Wells is not stupid. Is actively selling the fiction that this is a “surprise”/”crossover” hit a condition of accepting Juno skyscrapers on your site?

I swear to god, I want to stop talking about this, but they keep pulling me back in …

One of the most frustrating things in the world is the length it sometimes takes for a movie to go from its Sundance premiere to its theatrical release. For example, Snow Angels, the latest from acclaimed filmmaker David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls), screened at the 2007 festival and will not come out in theaters until 15 months later, on March 7, 2008. At least we now have this trailer to feast our eyes on, and while it isn’t the adaptation of Confederacy of Dunces starring Will Ferrell we all had hoped for next from Green, it is nonetheless a great leap in the direction of mainstream appeal. Never mind the film’s stars — Green has worked with popular actors before. Notice instead how much this trailer is cut to make the film resemble every other tragedy-laced, character-driven drama.

Not that this is a bad thing. I’m all for Green becoming popular, and successful (even if it means making a so-far awful-looking stoner comedy from producer Judd Apatow, which, written by Superbad’s Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, has to end up being hilarious). I just really hope he remains the David Gordon Green I’ve been excited about for the past five years (I got a late introduction), the guy who wows me with stunning cinematography and stunning dialogue, each respectively shot or written blatantly enough to be noticeably brilliant yet modestly enough to feel completely natural. Unfortunately, I can’t yet tell you if Snow Angels is the work of an auteur or if Green is slowly making his way to more mainstream waters. If I had gone to Sundance last year, or if the film had been available anytime in the twelve months since, I would have been first in line to see it. Oh well, I’ll probably still be first in line on March 7.

What is the difference between a great comedy and a really funny movie? Is one easily classifiable and the other too subjective? It’s quite possible. Billy Wilder’s Some Like it Hot is considered by many academics and critics to be the best comedy film of all time. I won’t argue, as I’m not an expert on the craft of comedy, but despite the fact that I enjoy the film, it’s not one that makes me laugh much. Meanwhile I’ll fall on the floor laughing at parts of Cabin Boy, which I know is not a well-made movie, and which I don’t even especially like. So, the question is, how does one award comedy?

Every year during the awards season, people talk about how comedies and comedic performances are largely overlooked. I’ve already commented once on the subject, regarding this year’s Golden Globe nominations, but since then I’ve noticed more complaints about overlooked comedies, and in most instances there seems to be a confusion about what it really means to be a great comedy and what is just a funny movie.  Today, the IMDb linked to the Misfortune Cookie Blog and its honoring of “the year’s funniest in film.” The site references Knocked Up and Juno as “comedic achievements” that will go unrecognized (never mind that Juno is a Best Picture Oscar front-runner) yet also makes the point of naming Superbad the “Funniest Movie of the Year” with a disclaimer stating that it is not the “best movie, or best-written, or most likely to change your life.” So, what is the argument? Are you making a point of recognizing under-appreciated comedic genius, or are you just pointing out something that made YOU laugh.

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Here is my follow-up to last month’s question of what mainstream movie will feature on the most top ten movie lists. And the winner is … Ratatouille. Oh wait, didn’t I disqualify that one for being too obvious? No? Well, I should have. Yes, according to Movie City News’ Big Ass Chart (aka Scorecard) of critics’ top tens, the Pixar movie made it on to 51 best-of lists, making it the best-grossing best movie of the year. But maybe it wasn’t the most mainstream, if you define mainstream as studio-produced fare. Under that qualification Zodiac was the best mainstream movie of 2007, having been made jointly by Warner Bros. and Paramount and showing up on 70 best-of lists. Other Warner successes include Michael Clayton, which featured on 54 lists, Sweeney Todd, which received 44 mentions, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which showed up on one list, and Letters From Iwo Jima, which showed up a little late on one list.

As far as those mainstream movies I predicted would feature heavily, Knocked Up (34 lists) ended up defeating Superbad (25 lists) — meanwhile, the third Judd Apatow movie of the year, Walk Hard, managed to get on one critic’s list — though both were actually behind The Bourne Ultimatum (28 lists), when it came to “average vote” (average numerical placement on the list). If we’re going by mainstream appeal (and if Karina is correct in her view of the film), then Juno was the best mainstream comedy of the year with 63 lists. Hairspray (13 lists) beat out its crappy musical siblings Across the Universe (7 lists) and Enchanted (8 lists). In addition to showing up on Richard Corliss’ list, Beowulf managed 3 other mentions. And Transformers not only showed up on a top ten list, it featured on 3! Of course, it’s more surprising that Spider-Man 3 made it on 4 lists. The greatest thing to happen, of course, was Manohla Dargis listing The Kingdom as one of her favorites. Joining her is Don Payne. If I had made a top ten list (instead of this thing), the film could very well have beaten Transformers. Oh well, at least nobody put the shocking blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks on their list … yet.

It’s so easy to criticize the Academy Awards’ ignorance of the merits of comedy (even if such criticism is unfounded), but the Golden Globes have rarely been so deserving of scrutiny in their exclusion of the funny business. After all, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association actually has a category for best comedies of the year. Sure, the genre is still considered second fiddle to drama and has to share its category with musicals (which are sometimes musical dramas), but at least we know there’s a place that honors Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and Crocodile Dundee as one of its year’s best pictures (thank goodness for the musical-less ’80s!). The problem is, now that the musical genre is back in (near) full force, comedies are not getting as much recognition, even in their own (shared) category.

Following the Globe nominees yesterday, there was a good deal of complaining going on that Knocked Up wasn’t one of the Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nominees. At New York magazine’s Vulture blog, they said, “what’s a Comedy award for, if not to reward the best-reviewed and most successful comedy of the year? Apparently, it’s to reward quasi-musicals like Across the Universe, quasi-comedies like Charlie Wilson’s War, or quasi-movies like Hairspray.” Dave Karger at Entertainment Weekly actually thought the “best-reviewed comedy of the year” got snubbed in the best actress and best supporting actor categories, too. And Carpetbagger David Carr points out that if the Best Motion Picture Drama category can have seven films listed, the Musical or Comedy box should get to have two more picks. But would Knocked Up have really gotten one of those two slots?

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While trying unsuccessfully to get over the whole Amy Adams kudos debacle (did you see she’s just been nominated for best actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association?), I began wondering about year end lists and how many of them feature at least one obligatory mainstream movie. Typically its a funny but highly overrated comedy, like Borat, The 40-Year-Old Virgin or Little Miss Sunshine, sometimes its an action movie, rarely it’s a thriller or well-made horror flick.

So, I’m wondering what will be the most mainstream best movie of 2007, the one that features on the most year-end top ten lists. I’m so far discounting Juno, because it’s still in its little indie darling stage, and not yet a wide-release hit. Instead, I’m counting on either Knocked Up or even Superbad to take the honor. Already I’ve seen, thanks to Movie City News, both movies featured on a list made by a publication called the Georgetown Voice. But while I figured the former had more cred with critics, it’s the latter that has shown up on more lists by itself, including those of Victoria Times‘ Michael D. Reid and Artforum’s T.J. Wilcox.

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According to a press release sent via email by a Fox Searchlight publicist, the Juno release plan has been tweaked. Instead of rolling out wide on December 14, the film will now open in New York and L.A. on Wednesday, December 5 and roll out slowly after that. Seems significant: after all, Searchlight could easily have sold this thing as Superbad 2: The Taming of the Porksword. It looks to me like a  “let’s take advantage of critical interest in our hot young stars and screenwriter right before Oscar time” move if I’ve ever seen one. But I don’t know if have, so take my take with a grain of salt.