Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 08-19-2005, 11:42 AM:

Found it to be quite boring. Funny observation was that the women of the theatre that had seen it thought it was funny.

Sidenote: The opening sequence of morning wood would have been funnier had he leaned more or propped himself against the wall with his one hand.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 08-20-2005, 02:30 AM:

I liked it. The movie was a little timid at times as is common with many recent comedies, but it has its share of raunch, and has a decent story arc. Carrel plays it straight without overacting. Catherine Keener was a welcome presence.

Everyone in the theater seemed to have a good time.

Edited to Add:

I got a friend who is a 35 year old plus virgin. My mission is to take him to Montreal before he hits 40 and pay some girl next door looking hooker to hit on him and get him laid. He kind of resembles the Phillip Seymour Hoffman character in 25th Hour in looks and demeanor, especially in the club scenes.

[ 08-28-2005, 04:18 AM: Message edited by: Pravin Ratnam ]

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 08-20-2005, 11:11 AM:

I don't feel anyone has been pressured to see "40 Year Old Virgin" out of the thought that it represents the continuation of the Anchorman franchise. I mean, the only romantic comedy that's been thrown at audiences in the past month was "Must Love Dogs!" Patrons seem to be looking for any concept with a hint of originality. Oh, they'll pay for attempted entertaiment out of most of this Summer fare, but they'll pile into the lobbies when something seems to be even slightly trying (and being funny helps too). There's also this new awareness among the hip-target audiences about how much of a film's comedy is revealed in the trailers. I've bantered about it with staff for years, but it seems that audiences are now finally turning slightly into this method of movie-picking.

So, they come to see Virgin with the expectation of big laughs; and it delivers. Punctuated, dated one-liners and boner jokers for one hour, 45 minutes. Excellent! Finally someone is trying to entertain audiences without sucking them into tripods or taking them on boring Chocolate Factory retours... wasn't there some sci-fi film released around labor day too?

Virgin is the film people have needed, especially after the horror of "Wedding Crashers." Apatow follows the comedic formula with heart, a purpose, not just to fulfill the price of admission. There is a shift between the ladies' and the mens' perspectives and themes that is dutifully accented by Steve Carell's tender weridness (I have that MST3K: The Movie poster from the bedroom scene!). And the closing sequence wraps it all up in a nice, neat styrofoam package for the audience to take home and enjoy via memory when there's nothing on television (I would have included 'environmentally friendly' in the prior, but now that I've seen Steve Carell with a boner, I think a slight bit more of my environment has been desensitized).

Audience aside, this film has only an adequate feel to it. There are some funny jokes, and the actors seem to know their characters quite intimately. But maybe this film is geared toward comedic virgins? I saw these characters in a glass world, merely a setting with no outside interaction. True to the form of retail employees, yes (sickeningly so), but not the whimsical madness that Carell and Rudd got to revel in in last year's "Anchorman." The ending sequence was the only part that felt as crazy as everyone's character believed they were; but in retrospect, I think it paralells Carell's journey to defloration: bumpy with an outcome that seems really cool until the next one comes along.

This film will do, but once Wedding Crashers is gone, and this sweet thing isn't around, give me two hours of some voluptous comedic world to fill my screen.

Viewed with DTS sound in #1 at St. Anthony Main, Asia sounds great!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-20-2005, 11:30 PM:

Pretty decent flick, much better than most comedies out there.

3 out of 5

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 08-23-2005, 12:35 PM:

I dug it the most.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 08-27-2005, 04:15 PM:

quote: Steve Scott
some sci-fi film released around labor day

uhhh... A Sound of Thunder? Perhaps you're talking about last year, hence the past tense...

(yeah-yeah, I know you meant Memorial Day) [Razz]

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 08-27-2005, 09:01 PM:

Well, I just hope this isn't me in 18 years....Still single BTW

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-27-2005, 10:52 PM:

Still a virgin?

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-28-2005, 04:11 AM:

I dug it moderately.
Not bad, but it ran out of steam and ideas somewhere in the middle.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 08-31-2005, 05:15 PM:

...so you felt it ended prematurely and just stuck around for another hour? That's to be expected the first time, no?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-31-2005, 05:43 PM:

I liked this comedy quite a bit. I really laughed hard at the scene where Andy lights up all those candles and tries to create a romantic mood before indulding in a co-worker's box full of porn. Not only was the show funny, but I felt it was pretty honest about how awkward it is to try to connect with members of the opposite sex.

The only gripe I have with the show is it dragged a bit with the predictable, invented crisis between Andy and Trish. The show would have been better without that attempt at conflict.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 09-02-2005, 09:22 PM:

CINEMA: Regal Cinemas Hamburg(lar) Pavillion 16, Lexington, KY
AUDITORIUM: 13
PRESENTATION: Mystery Meat Digital
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: HARSH sound
RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

As I walk up to the ticket window, I notice there’s no ticket seller. Odd. Maybe they’re selling tickets from the snack bar. No, wait...The ticket seller pops up from the floor completely startled. I’m not even going to ask.

The front sound stage is clearly mounted at or near ceiling level and angled down. The video pre-show is almost as loud as the feature, but has a more full-bodied sound. During the feature itself, the highs came through loud and clear, yet occasionally made my eardrums distort (like when you're at a loud concert). Lows? If you’re one of those who complains about Cinemark’s low-end, try THIS room sometime.

In the middle of the show, an employee...complete with orange cone flashlight...came in and spent a few minutes observing. WHAT he was observing, I don’t know. Maybe he just wanted to show off his cool flashlight. I would if I had one. I’d be all like "Hey! How ya doin’? Enjoying the show? Subwoofer? We don’t need no stinking subwoofers! Check out my FLASHLIGHT! Embrace the orangeness of my flashlight! Orange orange orange orange...."

The movie was entertaining for about an hour. Fortunately, the entertaining part was the second hour. Still, it wasn’t as clever as I thought it would be. There were some seriously funny moments. I just about fell out of my chair laughing at the “Hair” parody.

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 09-03-2005, 10:01 PM:

He was probably counting patrons. And if he didn't come in twice during the show, wear a bright yellow or green reflective vest and be as annoying as possible, he's in trouble! [Razz]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-03-2005, 10:28 PM:

quote: Sam Graham
In the middle of the show, an employee...complete with orange cone flashlight...came in and spent a few minutes observing. WHAT he was observing, I don’t know. Maybe he just wanted to show off his cool flashlight. I would if I had one. I’d be all like "Hey! How ya doin’? Enjoying the show? Subwoofer? We don’t need no stinking subwoofers! Check out my FLASHLIGHT! Embrace the orangeness of my flashlight! Orange orange orange orange...."

Regal's Eugene theater almost always has someone walk every auditorium during a show, sometimes more than once. Today at THE ARISTOCRATS they did it twice. They always walk all the way down to the front and off to the side, stand there for about 30 seconds, then walk back out. In the large houses, when they're crowded, sometimes they have 2 people do this, 1 down each aisle. Although it can be distracting, overall I actually think this is a good thing. Hopefully they're watching for presentation problems (hey, it could happen!), as well as just making it known to the customers that they're paying general attention. [Shrug]

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 09-03-2005, 10:48 PM:

...and, as Emma said, they are **supposed** to be seen, as ridiculous as that sounds. When secret shoppers see movies they are asked if an usher did a theatre check during the film.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 09-18-2005, 09:06 AM:

Finally got to see this one. Absolutely hilarious!! The age of Aquarius song at the end was kind of weird though.

3/5

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-26-2005, 11:23 PM:

Pretty good movie. Finally, a chick flick for guys. Personally I thought the ending song was pretty dumb, but I've never seen "Hair," so maybe I'm missing something.

3.5 out of 5.

Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 09-27-2005, 01:29 AM:

Finally watched it last night and I can actually say I'm glad to have seen it. From the trailers I was getting mixed feelings about it... but I enjoyed it. Thinking back on it I've kind of hoped for this type of movie to come out. There's always the whole teen sex comedy crap that releases every year.

**Side Note:
I kept thinking Paul Rudd would end up gay at the end.

I totally agree with you Richard on the whole dancing/singing crap at the end. To me if it was shorten to like 10 seconds I'd be ok with it.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 09-27-2005, 06:30 PM:

Well I grew up on "hair" (thanks mom), and having met treat williams who still looks on that film as "oh you saw that film?", I did laugh pretty good at the ending song.

However, no one else got the joke. Should have been left out. Nothing spoils a movie like a series of in jokes that no one gets.

Ciao

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 09-28-2005, 05:59 AM:

I was with Regal when they started the reflective vest thing. It was done so the checkers could easily see the staff when they walked the auditoriums. Even the managers have to wear them. Apparently their checkers have vision problems.

Posted by Max Einhorn (Member # 3364) on 10-02-2005, 09:37 AM:

This review is directly from my website, which is why the format looks out of place

Steve Carell is the hilarious virgin who somehow has missed an important rite
of passage. The film is a fun, laugh it up party, and you will walk out of the
theater trying to catch your breath.
Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell, The Office), works at a Circuit City-like store,
lives in an apartment filled with boxed collectors’ toys, and has a bike as his
only transportation. When his co-workers David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany
Malco) and Cal (Seth Rogen) are short a guy for their poker night, they ask
Andy to join in. After they take turns telling tales of their sexual escapades, it’
s Andy’s turn and as he tries desperately (and hilariously) to make something
up. The guys quickly figure out the truth and soon dedicate themselves to
helping Andy solve his problem. They try a lot of things, from Date-A-
Palooza (20 dates in an hour), to locking him in the store with pornography
blaring on the huge TVs. Nothing works and Andy has given up hope, when
a woman who works in the neighborhood, Trish (Catherine Keener), comes
into the store and Andy waits on her. Trish seems interested in Andy and
eventually he works up the nerve to ask her out. The two begin to date but
Andy is too embarrassed to admit his lack of experience and does his best to
avoid the whole issue. This puts Andy in many awkward but achingly funny
situations.
The humor in Virgin is crude but hilarious. Steve Carell is a very funny
actor, and I think it is great that he has finally been given the chance to play
the main character in a film. He’s been seen previously in supporting roles in
films such as Bruce Almighty, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and
Bewitched. These later two films starred Will Ferrell and I think it is safe to
say that Carrell could have played the lead roles in those films and they would
have been much better. Fortunately Carrell has more leading roles in the
works, having been signed to play Maxwell Smart in Get Smart and Sammy
the Squirrel in Over The Hedge.
What really does surprise me though is that a film with this many laughs can
still tell a coherent story. You may think this is a one joke film (yeah, hahaha
he’s a virgin and forty!), but its not and it really holds up for the two hour
length of the film. Behind all the raunchiness and crude comedy, there is the
serious message that there is more to relationships than sex. It also sends the
message that sex is everywhere in the media and that you can’t go anywhere
without being exposed to it.
Director Judd Apatow has made a complete recovery with this film. His past
films, Kicking and Screaming and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,
were both mediocre. He has, however, written some really good TV comedy
such as Freaks and Geeks and The Critic.
I will say that this film will appeal more to guys because it is a crude and
raunchy movie about crude and raunchy guys. If you like that sort of thing, it
really is a great film and if you don’t see it, like Andy, you really will be
missing something.
Rated R for pervasive sexual content, language and some drug use.
Running time: 116 minutes
MAXimum Warning! This film is definitely not for children.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-04-2005, 12:33 AM:

I thought it worthy to note that I attended my first 16mm screening this evening, The 40 Year-Old Virgin being the lucky feature. Three months after I last saw the movie and it seems longer with these wildly obscure niches coming out at me from a film I thought I'd seen all of. It's the same experience I have with The Critic, now that I realize Apatow was a part of.

Anyway...
Coffman Memorial Union Theater (U of MN)
Minneapolis, MN
16mm Booming mono, full House (some 200?)

Started out with a strange cruise ship introduction piece entitled "The Time of Your Life" 16 print was in good shape, with only R2 having a consistent vertical scratch. Sound mix didn't transpose well to 16, I guess that could be the fault of the facility though, we'll see. Focus instability on the right hand side of the image, as well. Hey, at least it was free. [thumbsup]

Posted by Jason Winn (Member # 3568) on 03-19-2006, 09:26 PM:

Finally! They made a movie about my life! Nah, just kidding, or am I . . . ? [Eek!]

I thought it was pretty funny. I'm a big fan of The Office. I've seen every episode. Steve Carell is hilarious, so I was excited to see this movie. It had a lot of big laughs! [thumbsup]