Scene Magazine » Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow and Robert De Niro Have an Encounter At Tribeca Film Fest

Daniel D'Addario — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:15:40 -0400

Left to right: Messrs. Apatow, De Niro, and Fleming. (Getty Images)

Meryl Streep was a last-minute absentee from the Tribeca Film Festival celebrating 100 years of Universal Pictures—and perhaps she’d have bridged the gap between her frequent costar Robert De Niro and funnyman Judd Apatow. The two men sat next to one another onstage but were each asked questions individually by the moderator, Mike Fleming of Deadline. Mr. Apatow attempted to connect with Mr. De Niro early on by noting that the sketch that got his early Ben Stiller Show greenlit was a parody of Cape Fear.

“Do friends ever send you parodies, or are they nervous to do that?” asked Mr. Apatow.

“Sometimes,” replied Mr. De Niro.

Mr. Fleming asked how John Cazale came to be cast in The Deer Hunter. Mr. De Niro was not sure. Mr. Fleming asked if Mr. De Niro had paid Mr. Cazale’s insurance premiums. Mr. De Niro was not sure.

Mr. Apatow interjected: “I’m just waiting to see how you get from The Deer Hunter to Knocked Up! Boy, do I feel like a jackass today!”

Mr. Apatow was asked how The Deer Hunter had affected his life. “We had it on VHS when I was ten,” he replied. “I watched it, and thus… I became this.” He introduced his father sitting in the crowd. Mr. Fleming went on to ask how Mr. Apatow lost his virginity, a story Mr. Apatow shared happily (the girl remarked “I guess it’ll get better”). Mr. Apatow posed the question to Mr. De Niro, who sat stoically. Mr. De Niro was asked the hardest part of playing the lead in Casino. He wasn’t sure.

Mr. Fleming pulled up questions from remote viewers on an iPad. The first had to do with the manner in which changing methods of viewership are changing cinema. Mr. De Niro remarked: “I just don’t know. I watch movies on my computer now! It helps. I don’t know with this new front, with phones and stuff. Soon there’ll be a supermovie everybody will watch on their phones.” Mr. Apatow had watched Mad Men on an iPad on his flight to New York and was in favor.

Mr. Fleming asked Mr. Apatow whether films in the future would be “better or worse.”

“That’s like a nine-year-old in his room wrote that question!” Mr. Apatow replied. He refused to answer, so Mr. Fleming asked Mr. De Niro about the progress on a potential Raging Bull sequel. He wasn’t sure.

Scenes From Last Night’s Five-Year Engagement Premiere

Daniel D'Addario — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:27:39 -0400

Last night saw the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival with the premiere of The Five-Year Engagement at the Ziegfeld Theater. (So it's not in Tribeca. Who's keeping score, anyhow?) Here are a few of the luminaries who stopped by to support the festival and its splashy opening film!

The comedy consigliere and producer of this film told us it wasn’t taken from life. “My engagement was short–the longer you wait, the more they can reconsider. I don’t understand five-year engagements. A lot of people wait too long, but I was rushing to the altar so my wife wouldn’t figure out she was about to make a mistake!”

" data-medium-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041268475012502740712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0283.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041268475012502740712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0283.jpg?w=682" width="100" height="150" src="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041268475012502740712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0283.jpg?w=100" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Judd Apatow" /> The Tribeca juror boasted of his commitment to the jury, having apparently been reading the scripts of directors’ past works in order to bone up. (Fellow juror Kellan Lutz, take note!) When we asked him what he was most looking forward to seeing at the festival, he winked and said, “I’ve already seen it. That’s all I’ll say.” Cryptic!

" data-medium-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041282167200008140712_41_five1_20120418_aat_0822.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041282167200008140712_41_five1_20120418_aat_0822.jpg?w=682" width="100" height="150" src="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041282167200008140712_41_five1_20120418_aat_0822.jpg?w=100" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Cuba Gooding, Jr." /> The ‘Parks and Recreation’ co-stars walked the carpet together and breezed past reporters, with Ms. Poehler pausing to enthuse to a bigwig about how excited she was about a recent pitch. We’ll be reading the trades closely!

" data-medium-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041281454700007840712_34_five1_20120418_aat_0793.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041281454700007840712_34_five1_20120418_aat_0793.jpg?w=682" width="100" height="150" src="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/6347041281454700007840712_34_five1_20120418_aat_0793.jpg?w=100" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Amy Poehler and Aubrey Plaza" /> The last person to leave the red carpet, the documentarian told us that his favorite comedy film is “a tie between ‘This Is Spinal Tap,’ ‘Borat,’ and ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.’”

" data-medium-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/63470412876875125010340712_36_five1_20120418_aat_1042.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/63470412876875125010340712_36_five1_20120418_aat_1042.jpg?w=682" width="100" height="150" src="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/63470412876875125010340712_36_five1_20120418_aat_1042.jpg?w=100" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Michael Moore." /> Ms. Rosenthal, Tribeca Film Festival cofounder, is no stranger to synergy–she walked the carpet with the star of the new TV show she’s producing, “NYC 22.” She pointedly reminded us of the timeslot–not that we could ever forget! As for her favorite Jason Segel film, she told us: “I love ‘I Love You, Man.’ I love that whole, bromance, man-cave, sort of thing.”

" data-medium-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/634704126245938750340712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0042.jpg?w=200" data-large-file="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/634704126245938750340712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0042.jpg?w=682" width="100" height="150" src="http://nyovelvetroper.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/634704126245938750340712_24_five1_20120418_aat_0042.jpg?w=100" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Stark Sands and Jane Rosenthal." />

To Do Wednesday: The Judd Club

Daniel D'Addario — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:00:17 -0400

The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off tonight with a pretty un-indie (and un-Tribeca—it’s at the Ziegfeld!) selection: a red-carpet screening of The Five-Year Engagement, starring grown-man Muppet fan Jason Segel and British rose Emily Blunt as a couple who just can’t pull the trigger on a wedding. Yes, it’s another Judd Apatow film about a childlike dope who refuses to eschew his slackerdom for a cool, together lady, but this one is different, probably! The cast includes a number of talented actresses, including Mad Men’s Allison Brie and Australian Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver. Hey, maybe Mr. Apatow learned something about talented ladies while producing Girls! (You’ve heard of Girls, right?)

Ziegfeld Theatre, 141 West 54th Street, 7:30 p.m. Invitation only.

Girls, Girls, Girls!: HBO and Cinema Society After Party Brings Out Funny People

Drew Grant — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:46:22 -0400

(Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham)

Last night, The Standard Hotel opened up its top floor—both Le Bain and the Boom Boom Room—to toast to the success of Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow's new HBO series, Girls.

After a screening at the SVA Theater, comedians and stars alike came out to raise a glass to the show and its stars. And we're using the term comedian loosely...guests included Brian Williams, whose daughter Allison Williams, stars in the show.

(Photos via Patrick McMullan)