NPR: Why Superbad is Supergood Even If You Are Over 18

Why Superbad is Supergood Even If You Are Over 18

Research firm Media By Numbers estimated Summer movie grosses in the United States and Canada hit $4 billion for the first time in history. This is all thanks in part to the teen comedy "Superbad" ($68 Million in 10 days!) which was only the third movie this summer to repeat being number 1. The other two are the three-quel blockbusters "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

Why the big cash flow for a teen comedy about three geeks who are trying to buy booze to get the girls they like drunk so the girls will like them ... and then LIKE them -- so they won't go to college, well, UNLIKED? Because adult gents and ladies like me, born before Nixon resigned, are going to see it.

Why would adults like this movie?

You are old enough to find the raw sexual humor hilarious not humiliating.

You can actually remember when the super funk baseline score and rainbow-rific
graphics were popular in an unironic way.

You tried to get a fake I.D. and it looked just as bad as McLovin's.

The writing doesn't confuse snarky for smart.

You are old enough to recognize the latent gay love the main characters have for one another.

Any other reviews out there?

Alison Stewart

10:41 AM ET | 08-28-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I've given up on Hollywood years ago. Very few movies actually sound like they have a good concept any more.

Hollywood needs a renaissance -- perhaps just a renewal of the art of commercial and trailer making (ie snookering). Either that making mainstream films actually relevant to the human existence would help.

Sent by Steve Petersen | 1:21 PM ET | 08-28-2007

The unironic use of phrases like "relevant to the human existence" makes me suspect that the answer is no, but I have to ask: did you see SUPERBAD's sister movie, KNOCKED UP, earlier this summer? This is a romantic comedy about parenting, responsibility, and what it means to be an adult. That sums up pretty huge chunks of the human existence right there, and it had the added benefit of being incredibly funny. The movies you claim to want are in fact out there, but since you've long since given up on Hollywood, how would you know?

Sent by Stewart | 4:07 PM ET | 08-28-2007

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