A Philippine release for…Forgetting Sarah Marshall(!?!?)

Yes, Judd Apatow strikes again!

This time, Jason Segel (who should be familiar to local viewers from his role in “How I Met Your Mother”) is primed at bat (literally and figuratively) for stardom in this latest vehicle from Apatow Entertainment.  He plays Peter Bretter, a struggling musician who tries to get over his break-up with his sitcom-star girlfriend (Kristen Bell aka Veronica Mars/Elle/Gossip Girl narrator plays the title character) by going on vacation in Hawaii. 

Guess whom does he bump into during that vay-kay….but Sarah herself, hot again in the arms of some flamboyant arsehole Brit rock star (played by gutter-mouthed UK stand-up comic Russell Brand getting set to make his big Stateside splash).  Seeking to get over the sight of his ex-squeeze and her new love, Peter gets to cry on the shoulder of hotel staffer Racheal (Mila Kunis) while getting blotted on complimentary cocktails.   

As per the Apatow overture, there are a good supply of crude jokes to keep the fratboys happy, not to mention appearances from other members of Judd’s repertory (Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, etc.)  Kristen Bell should see herself in prime Katherine Heigl mode as Ms. Marshall, while Russell Brand is equally buzzed about for his role as the obnoxious Aldous Snow.  

International R-rated trailer - crack alert!!!

What may worry me though is the possibility that this film may not see the light of local distribution… could it be because the much-buzzed about dumping full-monty may not pass through the scissors of our MTRCB?  Or could it be ‘coz of how Knocked Up fared badly in the local box-office against the atrocious One More Chance (sure, it is an admission that Apatow’s comic references often sail above the minds of Pinoy moviegoers more comfortable with romantic resolutions all tied up in a bow)?  In admission, I loved Knocked Up myself - maybe it was because I saw a lot of myself in Seth Rogen’s character (an Everyman falling in love with Heigl’s entertainment-reporter Allison), or the astute song choices in that film’s soundtrack (a good point I can hold likewise on behalf of SuperBad as well).    

Then again, I am pressing Solar Entertainment (which is representing Universal/UIP) to give this gem a soon enough playdate.  I know that the next few months would see a lot of tent-pole releases unspooling in Philippine theatres - Iron Man, Indiana Jones & the Legend of the Crystal Skull and The Mummy 3: The Curse of the Dragon Emperor, to name a few - so I am hoping against hope that this film gets a good enough break.  Let not the “Pirates of Carriedo”  (my reference to the illegal DVD distributors prevalent in many local open-air markets) triumph this time around, like how they have nearly ruined the local release of Atonement.

The ball’s in your court…  

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