The better comedy director- Todd Philips or Judd Apatow?

One of those I would watch whenever I see it on. The rest were okay at best, merge together/don't really stand out to me.

but I know Apatow's name. Other guy I've never heard of. Prefer the movies listed by Philips over Apatow's though.

That's a tough call. Superbad and Oldschool are two of the funniest movies of the past 10 years, IMO.

Old School was funny but i don't think i can watch it now. The others I didn't care for.

Some of Apatow is hit and miss but he puts out good content. He works music into his movies really well, IMO.

Mike Nichols
Sydney Pollack
Rob Reiner
Woody Allen (until he lost his mind)
Joel Coen
Christopher Guest
John Landis
Mel Brooks
Harold Ramis
Abrahams & Zucker
Gilliam & Jones

although I'm not sure how much of it is actually his work versus the writer

as a pure Director or if you include all the projects he's been a part of in some way as a Producer. If you include all the projects that he has been apart of, Apatow DESTROYS Phillips. It's not even close.

But Apatow has only actually directed these films.

Trainwreck
This is 40
Funny People
Knocked Up
40 Year Old Virgin

That's 2 classics, 2 mediocres, and 1 movie that seems very funny but I haven't seen yet (Trainwreck).


Phillips' top 5 would be the following....

Hangover
Old School
Road Trip
Starsky and Hutch
Due Date

That's comparable to Apatow's work. The sequels ruined it to a degree, but the original Hangover was an absolute classic and Old School was too. Road Trip isn't quite a classic but it was a funny 90s era teen movie.

In terms of Phillips' best 5 movies as a director vs. Apatow's 5 movies as a director, it's close. I guess I'd need to see Trainwreck to decide. But I'd say that Apatow had more meat to his movies while Phillips is the ultimate "bro-comedy" director. Best 5 vs. Best/Only 5... I might go Phillips.

That's the only way Phillips wins this discussion though. The only other movies on his overall resume are the shitty Hangover sequels. Whereas Apatow's resume goes so far beyond just the 5 movies he directed. I mean "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" alone might give him the edge of Phillips without even getting into the other movies.

I'm not sure which two films you mean, but "classics" seems a bit lofty for any of those films.

GET OFF MY LAWN! DOWN IN FRONT!

is the best of all movies that Osi listed, IMO. Obviously that's subjective but i'd consider it a classic. There's a ton of bad comedies out there so when there's a good one it tends to matter more, IMO.

.

IMO, Todd Philips movies are getting worse, and Apatow consistently puts out quality. Both had some all time greats, but Philips quality of work went downhill fast after Old School(though Starsky and Hutch is somewhat underrated). Even the original Hangover, which had it's moments, I thought was an average to below average comedy.

Sarah Marshall was not directed by Apatow, though some of the aformentioned movies he was a producer for.

I'll ask a question that's really debatable, what was the better comedy? The 40 year Old Virgin, or Old School?

In comment 12396457 Big Blue Blogger said:

Quote:

I'm not sure which two films you mean, but "classics" seems a bit lofty for any of those films.

Relatively speaking.

John Landis:

Animal House
Blues Brothers
Trading Places
Spies Like Us
Coming to America

...oh, and he wrote Clue.

Neither Philips or Apatow can hold a candle to that list.

In comment 12396510 barens said:

Quote:

IMO, Todd Philips movies are getting worse, and Apatow consistently puts out quality. Both had some all time greats, but Philips quality of work went downhill fast after Old School(though Starsky and Hutch is somewhat underrated). Even the original Hangover, which had it's moments, I thought was an average to below average comedy. Sarah Marshall was not directed by Apatow, though some of the aformentioned movies he was a producer for. I'll ask a question that's really debatable, what was the better comedy? The 40 year Old Virgin, or Old School?

I see Apatow movies as more realistic which makes them funnier, whereas the Phillips comedies seem to be character actors being silly and insisting that their actions are funny, and most of the time, it's not

...but if were talking about Appatow, you have to mention Freaks and Geeks as well as Undeclared. He gave a lot of comedic actors their starts with those shows, short-lived as they were.

For my money, it's Appatow, as much as I love Old School and the original hangover, and even though I feel like Appatow is getting kinda soft these days. Still haven't seen Trainwreck, but I heard it's very funny.

and then when you factor in his other projects, it isn't close

Executive Producer
Freaks and Geeks
Heavyweights
Undeclared
Kicking & Screaming
Girls (successful for a different demographic)

Producer
Step Brothers
Bridesmaids
The Cable Guy
The Larry Sanders Show
Anchorman
Superbad
Talladega Nights
Pineapple Express
Funny People

This Is 40 and Funny People make it hard to remember that Apatow has made some very good movies, too. I hated both of those with a passion.

I enjoyed the first Hangover, but the second sucked and the third was just okay IMO.

Didn't bother to see the third.

Due Date was a Phillips movie that should have been better than it was.

In comment 12396351 Big Blue Blogger said:

Quote:

Mike Nichols Sydney Pollack Rob Reiner Woody Allen (until he lost his mind) Joel Coen Christopher Guest John Landis Mel Brooks Harold Ramis Abrahams & Zucker Gilliam & Jones

Thanks for that great list. I'd put Apatow in there but not the other guy.

Quote:

I see Apatow movies as more realistic which makes them funnier, whereas the Phillips comedies seem to be character actors being silly and insisting that their actions are funny, and most of the time, it's not

An excellent observation. Phillips movies are on the road to cartoons, character speaking. Apatow's are more grounded. Reality makes funny.

And on a side note, has anybody else been fed up with Ed Helms one-note persona?

"It's a vagina"

He's practically a brand now in Hollywood

Kent Graham or Danny Kanell?

Neither of them are anywhere near the best of all-time.