It is so awesome that someone is actually putting math to work for comedy.

who do they put in these test audiences? i hope they're not the same people responding to those polls i keep hearing so much about...

Is that why they coded 'abortion' as 'shma-shmortion' in Knocked Up? I thought it was just a silly gag, but now I'm curious to hear the scientists' findings on withheld laughs after saying the 'A-word.'

@braak: And this is precisely why the modern movie sucks... instead of finding scripts with quality stories and making them, they have run them through dozens of test screenings, to weed out all the interesting and exciting parts, and water them down for mass consumption.

@NefariousNewt: And yet, somehow--despite the fact that every intelligent human being, everywhere in America, can point to this very thing as being the exact problem with most modern movies--the people responsible for making movies still do it.

What the hell is that about?

So they were going to inflict Jar-Jar Binks on a friend dying of cancer? Sounds like a humanitarian move on the part of Apatow. Of course, the protagonists wouldn't have known about the lethal Jar-Jar payload, which could have been used to great ironic effect. Not quite Burgess Meredith in Time Enough At Last ([www.imdb.com]), but still - the irony!

The Phantom Menace really DOES ruin everything it touches...

@nmcvaugh: Yeah, that kid is going to be really disappointed.

@braak: most people going to see movies, hell even most people in america do not fall into the category of 'intelligent human being.' unfortunatly they're still allowed to spend money on crap films/books/games and vote...

Not that I don't doubt that Apatow and Robertson know their way around an editing booth (I hear both 40YOV and Knocked-Up went through many, many rounds of edits), but this sounds more like P.R. spin to downplay the presence of Harvey "Scissorhands" Weinstein, notorious for hacking apart the indy and foreign movies he acquires. Better to make the news sound like an Apatow colleague's measured touch than Weinstein's compulsive finickiness.

@NefariousNewt: Funny enough though, test audiences have been changing movies for years. If it wasnt for test audiences, The Fly would have had a happier ending (that would have left no doubt that the bundiefly kid was aborted)

@tetracycloide: RAAAARRRGH stupid fucking country!

Apparently the first version of the script was a great read. The version I got was highly enjoyable with quite a few useless "funny" scenes added that just made feel like Road Trip 2. The plebs will love it, they've already perverted it too much to be fun for the geeks.

Though I do have to say, if they don't keep this line in the cut, it deserves to be burned.
"Don't cross the streams!"

@aspiringexpatriate: Right, because if you did, then all life as you know it would stop, and every particle in your body would explode at the speed of light. It's some kind of total protonic reversal.

It would be bad.

If I was dying and all I wanted was to see "Phantom Menace" before I died and got to see it while gasping out my last, agonized breaths...I would be really, really pissed. "Man, I could have used this time to get laid."

"most people won't laugh for 5 or 10 minutes after cancer is mentioned"

Um...so my entire family is misguided? Because we laugh AT cancer, not just after it's been mentioned. I'm thinking cancer survivors were not in their study when they came up with this number.

@Ju-osh: Maybe they will just refer to it as shmancer.

I for one look forward to future Apatow comedies about Shmazis, Shmedophiles, Shmuclear Shmaste, and of course, Shmar-Shmar Shminks.

There's also the flaw of screening an Apatow movie for 200 random yahoos, 1/3 of which are probably out of touch with his sensibility in the first place. His opening weekend for this thing is probably 70% people who laugh at cancer and 95% people who laugh after it's mentioned anyways.

My understanding is Apatow has nothing to do with this movie. The producer he works with has been brought in to help "shepard" this movie, but it has nothing to do with Apatow.

(As as aside, I think this is a good thing, while I loved 40yoV and Knocked Up. I think SuperBad was really just a modern Canadian Teen Sex Comedy, like Meatballs or One Crazy Summer, or one of the dozens of 80's movies from out friends up north.)

Cancer is not funny, remission isn't so great either. But to change the whole point of this movie is not cool. I laughed during chemo, and made those around me laugh during chemo (not crazy, it's the drugs laughter).

If we could have found some humor then, I think people can deal with a mention of the "C-word" during a good comedy. A change like this makes those friends, who in trying to deal with the impending death of someone close to them do something stupid and illegal, but ultimately selfless into something selfish. We need a few more selfless movies.

@gentlyclubbillpart2: There is also a lot of "movie" in a Judd Appatow flicj. But I think that even goes back to when he did Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. The DVD would feature many alternate takes on a line. Because I think he wants to have the best scene possible. He has often said in interviews he goes for as many laughs as possible. And I know the first time I saw Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin, the theater was in hysterics and you often couldn't hear the next bits of dialog.

I hate to break it to people, but cancer can happen to anymore. And giving the subject matter that Apatow has addressed, I would expect that it would would be thoughtful, touching and well done.

SIMPLE SOLUTION (if youve even read the comments THIS far down) and it would fit in to the original formula and STILL satisfy the test groups...

The kid who has cancer ( who they are stealing the film for) turns out to NOT have cancer at all, but is faking the whole thing...which would be the big slap-in-the-face-twist at the end of the film.

The fake cancer kid gets what's coming to him, not only by getting caught and sent to jail-- but he also suffers because Jar Jar totally ruins the victory of getting the film after so much trouble after all--

The other characters are drawn together because their noble act draws them closer together and closer to whats important in life-- and seeing the fake cancer kid "get his" at the end will create a sense of closure and justice...

PERHAPS we can even toss in a feel-good plot device at the end to reward the good efforts after all by having a "real" cancer or otherwise sick-person actaully get to MEET Geoge Lucas, who shows up to get his stolen reel--

BONUS-- after the credits roll-- we see the sick-kid actually STARRING alongside other Star Wars characters in the future release of the Star Wars TV show and getting his dream to come true after all:)

Beautiful man...just beautiful-- I wish the studios would just consult me more often--

anyways, just a thought:)

BM

I would just like for them to release the damn thing. Been waiting on it for way too long now, and if they keep dragging ass I think they are going to find a lack of interest when it comes out. On the other hand, if Apatow has his way with it, it stands a good chance of being pretty damn funny. I know I laughed my ass off at his other flicks. I guess time will tell.

@ Ju-osh: See Jezebel for THAT discussion.

Apatow is such an amateur. Yes, it's true that people won't laugh for five minutes after the word "cancer" is mentioned ... unless it's followed by "of the butt."

It's true.

"We have to steal this movie because our friend is dying of cancer" is a comedy killer. But, "We have to steal this movie because our friend is dying of cancer ... of the butt," is a plateful of fried gold.

Someone asked what the target audience for these screenings is. 12 to 16 year olds, as far as the screenings in Burbank in January are concerned. If they do release the cancer-less version of the movie, it'll be a hollow shell of a nerdy comedy. All the emotional core of the story will be gone. The ending of the cancer-less version (which someone posted on IMDb) is nothing short of ridiculous and offensive to Star Wars fans. It makes my heart bleed to hear that they're still seriously considering to bring that version of the movie into theaters. If so, I wonder if I even wanna go see it before it comes to DVD.

-TeeJay
www.chris-marquette.com

Since media these days don't go directly to the source anymore, I thought I should post this:

The 501st Legion is not involved as an organization in any protests, boycotts, or movements related to the film Fanboys, nor do we have an opinion or position on the film (which has not yet been released). A few of our more than 4,000 members in 47 countries participated in the project, and accordingly may have their personal opinions about the current issues surrounding the project. But their participation in this film was not coordinated through or sanctioned by the Legion. Our organization is an all-volunteer costuming club that focuses on official Star Wars promotions and charity work. Mounting protests is counter to the Legion's mission and would detract from the time and energy that we currently devote to more meaningful causes. If you would like to learn more about the 501st and what we do, please feel free to contact us through 501st.com. Thank you.