Simpsons Premiere Has Rogen in Double Duty

(NEWSER) - Judd Apatow doesn't dispense entirely with his raunchy humor in Funny People, but his venture into more serious themes meets mixed success with critics. Most, however, love Adam Sandler as a gravely ill comedian confronting the emptiness of his life.

• Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: "Apatow scores by crafting the film equivalent of a stand-up routine that encompasses the joy, pain, anger, loneliness and aching doubt that go into making an audience laugh."
• Manohla Dargis, New York Times: "There’s something irritatingly self-satisfied about (it), which explains why, though it glances on the perils of fame, it mostly affirms its pleasures."

Beck crowned king in new segment

(NEWSER) - “Apparently, any jackass in a suit willing to go on television and criticize the president can make a pretty hefty living,” Jon Stewart said last night on The Daily Show. To crown the biggest jackass of all, Stewart trotted out a new segment: "So You Think You Can Douche." More»

Fox orders seasons 21 and 22

(NEWSER) - Fox ordered another two seasons of The Simpsons today, ensuring the legendary animated series will run for 22 seasons, Broadcasting and Cable reports. The series is currently tied with Gunsmoke for longest-running prime-time TV program, at 20 seasons. Fox in January kicked off “Best. 20 Years. Ever.”, a year-long celebration of the show that will end Jan. 14, 2010, the anniversary of the cartoon’s debut. More»

Raunchy 'R' rated comedy is a PG romance at heart

(NEWSER) - Indie director and slacker king Kevin Smith has made a surprisingly tender film with Zack and Miri Make a Porno, critics say. Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan star as a pair of "genuinely likable social misfits" whose platonic friendship is put to the test when they decide to make an adult film to pay the bills, Sean Axmaker writes in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. More»

Pineapple Express may rocket scruffy actor to big bucks

(NEWSER) - Seth Rogen's comedy career stumbled for years, but Pineapple Express may catapult him into full-fledged movie stardom, Alex Pappademas writes in GQ. Films like Knocked Up established Rogen as a hilarious "bromantic" lead, and the action-comedy Pineapple, which he co-wrote, proves the scruffy stoner can hold his own with hunkier comedic actors. More»