Screen Junkies » Ben Schwartz

Peep World

Reza F. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:24:55 +0000

Director: Barry W. Blaustein

Cast: Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, Ben Schwartz, Judy Greer, Kate Mara

Synopsis: On the day of their Father’s 70th birthday party, four siblings come to terms with the publication of a novel written by the youngest sibling.

Release Date: March 25, 2011

‘Soapdish’ Is The Remake That Hollywood Has Arbitrarily Chosen Today

Penn Collins — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:04:11 +0000

This hour in wildly unnecessary remake news: Soapdish is getting the treatment, courtesy of the folks at Paramount. For those of you who aren’t my aunt, Soapdish was a 1991 movie that pulled the current back to reveal the inner workings, problems, and rivalries at a fictitious soap opera set. Sort of like “The Larry Sanders Show,” but more awful and with a lot more Whoopi Goldberg. Which I guess is pretty redundant. The original also starred Robert Downey Jr., Sally Field, and Kevin Kline.

The lone bright spot in this dark, bleak piece of news is the screenwriter in charge of the reboot, Ben Schwartz. He’s an established comedy writer that tends to run to the absurd, as his work on”Robot Chicken” would demonstrate. He also pops up as the insufferable Jean-Ralphio on “Parks and Recreation.”

This remake seems like a cheap excuse to get a big ensemble together and have them lampoon themselves, but if the casting goes a little more offbeat and inspired, there’s a chance that this one won’t piss us off. A chance. (Coming Soon)

‘Peep World’ Has Some Really Funny People Ruining Dinner

Penn Collins — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:55:08 +0000

This movie is so serious about its comedy that the producers got Lewis Black to do the narration for the trailer. Hip to the fact that they should probably get some funny actors as well, they set forth and returned with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall (who actually is funny), Sarah Silverman, Judy Greer, Ben Schwartz, and a whole mess of others to portray a dysfunctional family together to celebrate their dad’s 70th birthday.

Up to this point, it sounds a bit like Arrested Development, which it totally fine, but the family starts to resent their younger brother who has aired the family’s dirty laundry, albeit in a fictional fashion. In short, it’s a movie about a family bickering. Which has been done to death, but not with this caliber of comedians. Would I want this cast in a movie about the atrocities of WWII? Probably not. Will I take them as bickering drunkards? Every day of the week. (Yahoo Movies!)