By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.3
Director: Evan Goldberg | Seth Rogen
Starring: Christopher Mintz-Plasse | Craig Robinson | Danny McBride | Emma Watson | James Franco | Jay Baruchel | Jonah Hill | Michael Cera | Rihanna | Seth Rogen
Country: united_states
Year: 2013
Running time: 107
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1245492/combined
Kyle says: “Just about everything you need to know if you wish to see THIS IS THE END can be found in the above cast list: All these well-known actors play themselves. The title’s provenance is contained in lyrics for the legendary 1967 Doors song ‘The End,’ which played during end title credits for Francis Ford Coppola’s classic APOCALYPSE NOW (1979), and in a two-minute movie trailer by Baruchel and Rogen called ‘Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse,’ which achieved great YouTube popularity in 2007. Formative influences include conventions developed in THE PLAYER (1992), CLERKS (1994), JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (2001), and the HAROLD AND KUMAR Trilogy (2004, 2008, 2011) and countless other self-referential Hollywood tales, science fiction and horror movies. Seth Rogen meets Jay Baruchel at LAX, they go to his home to get wasted, eat junk food and watch 3D TV, attend a party at the James Franco home, and go to the convenience store to buy cigarettes. Whereupon the apocalypse commences without warning; flames immediately consume the Hollywood Sign; people are being taken into Heaven by UFOs (Blue Rays), falling to their deaths in hellish sinkholes or attacked by demons straight out of the Book of Revelation. Just before TV transmission ceases, there is an announcement that ‘Air Force One has gone down.’
“Every single scene, line of dialogue, character interaction, sexual and scatological moment that follows must be considered some kind of spoiler. So SPOILER ALERT! James Franco answers the door, and the guests include Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Emma Watson. The similarity to Hollywood-based reality shows such as ENTOURAGE is suggested and then tossed out the nearest window. Franco lectures Baruchel and Rogen about art by saying, ‘You two just stepped inside of me. Your mom’s pussy was the canvas, and your dad’s penis was the paintbrush.’ Hill intones, ‘Weed is tight! Weed is tight!’ while Watson and Robinson converse fatuously about FORREST GUMP. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is engulfed by a cloud of cocaine blown into his face by Michael Cera, who is shortly thereafter seen in the bathroom being serviced by two girls on their knees front and back, setting up an exchange between Rogen and Baruchel about Cera’s pretty pink hole on the way to buy cigarettes.
“As the cataclysm commences, Rogen and Baruchel rush back to Franco’s home, party guests flee in panic, and Cera is impaled on a lamp post, frantically searching for his cellphone as he disappears into the sinkhole. One movie star gone, but the references continue flying — Franco has to correct a mention of his film 27 HOURS to 127 HOURS (The basement is filled with props and costumes from his films). The guys inventory the food supply and argue over who takes a bite of the one Milky Way. Rogen and Baruchel discuss Judgment Day, but can only relate it to movies they have seen, such as TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991). With the addition of Hill, they discuss how to sleep together: back to front, front to front, straight up, etc. Franco retires to his luxurious bedroom wearing a gaudy Sleeping Mask.
“The following morning, much of the food supply has been used up, with the first appearance of Danny McBride, who has prepared and is eating breakfast. Observing the mixture of toothpaste and saliva on Franco’s incredulous face, he sardonically concludes: ‘James Franco didn’t suck any dick last night? Now I know you guys are all tripping!’ Franco tapes himself discussing how much he hates McBride, who hears him. Emma Watson hatchets her way through the front door, announcing a zombie invasion. The guys plot to ‘give her all the shitty food, because she’s British’ as Baruchel worries that the presence of six guys will give off ‘a rapey vibe.’ Watson hears this and attacks the guys with her hatchet, accidentally chopping off the head of Franco’s penis sculpture. There is an outrageous set piece centering on a sex magazine centerfold being ruined by McBride’s ejaculating all over it, prompting a screaming argument between Franco and McBride about masturbating all over the house.
“Those seeking references to Sartre’s NO EXIT and Bunuel’s THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL will find them, and apocalypse mavens will know this territory well. Hill prays to God to kill Baruchel and is promptly raped and possessed by a very well-hung demon, referencing both ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968) — he quotes Mia Farrow — and THE EXORCIST (1973) — he speaks first in tongues, then in a low demonic voice, then spews dark vomit all over the guys who have tied him to the bed — while the soundtrack blares references to THE OMEN (1976). In a discussion about the Rapture, Franco compares the Holy Trinity to Neapolitan ice cream, but conversation among Franco, Rogen, Baruchel and Robinson again reverts to the awesomeness of being actors in Hollywood. After an attempted exorcism of Jonah Hill with a crucifix made of kitchen utensils (Baruchel: The power of Christ compels you’; Hill: ‘Does it, Jay?’ Baruchel:’ The power of Christ compels ‘ Hill: ‘Does it, Jay? Do I look compelled, Jay? Let me tell you, it’s not very compelling!’), Franco suggests they decamp to his Malibu home.
“On the way, the guys encounter McBride in a lunatic knock-off of MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981), with a masked and chained Channing Tatum on all fours introduced as his sex slave: ‘I call him Channing Tate-Yum!’ Franco is on the verge of being taken into heaven by the Blue Ray when he gives McBride the finger, shouts, ‘Suck my dick!’ and is promptly devoured by McBride’s zombies, in reference to similar meals in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) and DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978). Baruchel and Rogen frantically confess their sins to each other, as the Devil is blown away, Whitney Houston is heard singing ‘I Will Always Love You,’ and Jay and Seth appear dressed in white at the pearly gates, greeted by Robinson with, ‘Welcome to Heaven, Motherfuckers!’ Baruchel and Rogen immediately spark up doobies. In response to information about being granted his fondest wish, Jay Baruchel sets up the wow finish — The Backstreet Boys leading the occupants of heaven in a vigorous dance finale to ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).’
“Seth Rogen is quoted saying that fifty percent of the dialogue was improvised. James Francophiles will have a high old time counting the number of times his name appears in the end titles. I missed his credit as a writer of the song ‘Love in the Old Days’ but loved the one for ‘Artwork supplied by James Franco.’ Production values are outstanding, and the audience members with whom I saw the movie were clearly enjoying themselves. Over to you, folks! 3 cats”
Marilyn says: “Not only did you waste 2 hours of your life watching this piece of self-indulgent crap, but you also wasted time writing this review. All you had to say was terrible, awful, juvenile, waste as in time and body excrement.”
TC responds: “Dang. Marilyn, that was overly harsh… it wasn’t THAT bad…
“I cant’ stand Seth Rogan, not that big of a fan of Jay Baruchel, positively LOATHE Jonah Hill and Danny McBride, and I was pleasantly surprised…I thought it was a riot…it was certainly better than some of the other stuff Franco did with David Gordon Green (i.e. the abomination known as YOUR HIGHNESS). And it featured one of the best performances of Channing Tatum’s career…such as it is…
“3 cats sounds about right to me…:-)”
Marilyn responds:
“Yes. I was harsh. But it was because the reviews were so good that I went. What immediately struck me was the fact that guys between 16-25 or wannabes were its only audience and most reviewers are in that category and that should have been in those reviews like a SPOILER alert. That movie is just not good. Yes you thought it was funny and so did the audience I was in that was all boys. I call it a dick flick for guys similar to a chick flick for girls and that would have been in every review. I call it 1 cats for boys only”
TC responds: “So sorry you didn’t like it. But I have to admit that I went to a screening, so I didn’t have to pay. But in the screening I went to, it was at least half women, and they were laughing just as hard as the men. But then again, they were mostly under 30 types.
“Ah well, to each his own…:-)”