USA: Los Angeles premiere of the newest film from Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow, the stoner comedy "Pineapple Express"

Record ID: 219720

  • Title: USA: Los Angeles premiere of the newest film from Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow, the stoner comedy "Pineapple Express"
  • Date: 7th August 2008
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2008) (REUTERS) "PINEAPPLE EXPRESS" SIGN OVER MOVIE THEATER PANS TO RED CARPET JAMES FRANCO SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS WIDE OF CARPET PANS TO SETH ROGEN TALKING TO PRESS JUDD APATOW TALKING TO REPORTERS ROSIE PEREZ TALKING TO REPORTERS AMBER HEARD POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS EMILE HIRSCH ON RED CARPET HEWIE LEWIS WALKING ON CARPET KANYE WEST WALKING ON RED CARPET JIM CAREY AND JENNY MCCARTHY WALKING ON RED CARPET CUTAWAY OF PHOTOGRAPHERS DANIEL CRAIG WALKING ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES FRANCO, SAYING: "It's kind of like a buddy movie, you know. These character start out like they're really dumb, and by the end they're a little smarter. There's always the question of, is this promoting weed smoking or not? I personally don't think it's any worse than drinking a beer. But, if you look at my character, he's not exactly a role model, so I think that's, you know, anti-weed smoking enough, to see my character." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SETH ROGEN, SAYING: "Yeah, you know, we tried to make a movie that you didn't necessarily have to smoke a lot of weed in order to like. It's about friendship, and there's a lot of action and exciting stuff in it, and you know, the weed is just kind of one of many elements to it. You don't have to be in the mafia to like "The Sopranos," so that's kind of how we thought about it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMBER HEARD, SAYING: "Trust me, if you see a message in this movie you've done enough drugs." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANNY MCBRIDE, SAYING: "Well, I think its a morality tale, and I think the moral is that people should just smoke weed all the time. That's what I take from it. And when you do that, you make good friends with people, you escape death, these are all things that are positive." SOUNDBITE (English) PRODUCER JUDD APATOW, SAYING: "This is just, you know, pot is a good excuse to make people act like idiots. So, it goes back to "Dumbo." People are high in every Disney movie if you pay careful attention. They're getting drunk, they're on mushrooms, you know, it's just an excuse for people to make enormous mistakes." WIDE OF RED CARPET
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5GN58AYQGHW7FG5JSSVK4O9SI
  • Story Text: Throughout this long hot summer, people have been waiting for the next big film from filmmakers Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow, the one that's sure to make a ton of money at the box office, and leave people quoting it for weeks. Now, with a big red carpet premiere in Los Angeles, "Pineapple Express" is finally here.
    The night proved to be a star studded affair as several major A-listers turned out to see what Team Apatow - Judd Apatow and his stable of rising comedic stars - have done with the stoner genre. Among those in attendance we're James Bond star Daniel Craig, rapper Kanye West, and comedian Jim Carrey and girlfriend Jenny McCarthy.
    Also on hard at the premiere were Judd Apatow and the stars of the film, leading men Seth Rogen (who also wrote the film) and James Franco, as well as their co-stars Danny McBride, Rosie Perez, and Amber Heard.
    There seemed to be some controversy on the red carpet, as to whether or not the film sends any real message about the issue of marijuana or anything else, and just what that message is.

    "It's kind of like a buddy movie," James Franco says.
    "These character start out like they're really dumb, and by the end they're a little smarter. There's always the question of, is this promoting weed smoking or not? I personally don't think it's any worse than drinking a beer. But, if you look at my character, he's not exactly a role model, so I think that's, you know, anti-weed smoking enough, to see my character."

    "We tried to make a movie that you didn't necessarily have to smoke a lot of weed in order to like," Seth Rogen tells Reuters. "It's about friendship, and there's a lot of action and exciting stuff in it, and you know, the weed is just kind of one of many elements to it. You don't have to be in the mafia to like "The Sopranos," so that's kind of how we thought about it."

    "Trust me," says Amber Heard, who plays Rogen's high school girlfriend in the film, "if you see a message in this movie you've done enough drugs."

    "I think its a morality tale, and I think the moral is that people should just smoke weed all the time," explains Danny McBride, who plays Saul's marijuana supplier in the film. "That's what I take from it. And when you do that, you make good friends with people, you escape death, these are all things that are positive."
    Producer and story writer Judd Apatow says that when it comes to using marijuana, the film simply follows in a classic Hollywood tradition.

    "Pot is a good excuse to make people act like idiots," says Apatow, "It goes back to "Dumbo." People are high in every Disney movie if you pay careful attention. They're getting drunk, they're on mushrooms, you know, it's just an excuse for people to make enormous mistakes."

    "Pineapple Express" is the story of two stoners, Dale Denton (Rogen) and his drug dealer Saul Silver (Franco), who are forced to go on the run after Denton witnesses a murder by a drug lord (Cole) and a crooked cop (Perez). The film, which blends action and comedy, leaves no clear moral on the issue of marijuana, but rather sends a message on friendship and the importance of male bonding.
    The film is written by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg (who also helped Rogen write "Superbad") and directed by David Gordon Green, with producing credits going to Judd Apatow.

    "Pineapple Express" opens in the United States on August 6th.
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