There are certain comedy sub-genres that have either become parodies of themselves or just lost in Instant Netflix obscurity. Genres like the college comedy, the buddy cop comedy, and most importantly, the road comedy are among these. Something about protagonists finding themselves through an adventurous road trip has a certain amount of majesty to it.

Thankfully, comedy gurus David Wain and Ken Marino, best known as prime members of The State, have not forgotten the wonder of the road comedy, as the first trailer for Wanderlust has hit the web. The film stars Paul Rudd and (unfortunately) Jennifer Aniston as two workaholics living in New York City that decide to embark on a journey across the country to find themselves, and some pretty zany characters along the way.

If the writing style of Wain and Marino (the same minds that brought you Role Models) isn’t enough to get you into this flick, the massive cast of cameos should help. You can look forward to seeing actors like Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Alan Alda, Kathryn Hahn, Melissa Joan Hart, Ray Liotta, Reba McEntire, and Kerri Kenney-Silver in the film, just to name a few.

So before you pass judgment, check out the new trailer after the jump! Wanderlust is set to hit theaters on March 24th, 2012.

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So it turns out America is a huge fan of heartwarming tales about maids, as indie comedy The Help managed to steal the show once again, claiming the #1 spot for the second time in 3 weeks.

The film has grossed nearly $100 million domestically, and is still growing in popularity, as it beat out Colombiana, Guillermo del Toro’s Don’t Be Afraid Of the Dark and Paul Rudd’s attempt at a quirky indie comedy with Our Idiot Brother, bringing in a total of $14.3 million this weekend.

Coming in second is Luc Besson’s Colombiana, which only managed to bring in $10 million (a quarter of the film’s budget) in the domestic box office this weekend.

Just after that film, the first big horror film of the late summer/early fall season, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, was unable to open big enough to scare the masses, as the film barely managed to break $10 million this weekend, coming in just shy of $9 million.

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Far too long has Paul Rudd been cast as the “good lucking cutesy guy with a sense of humor.” It’s about time he dirties up and tries out the look that put Zach Galifiniakis on the map, and that’s just what he’s doing in his newest film, Our Idiot Brother.

The role actually plays very different to what Rudd is normally cast as, and not just in appearance. He’s finally taking on the idiotic comic relief, instead of the constant straight man that we love him for. Here’s the official synopsis.

Every family has one: the sibling who is always just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to getting his life together. For sisters Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), that person is their perennially upbeat brother Ned (Paul Rudd), an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence.

Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother and so, after his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters once again come to his rescue. As Liz, Emily and Natalie each take a turn at housing Ned, their brother’s unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines.

Check out the first trailer for the comedy after the jump, and catch Rudd, Deschanel,Banks, Coogan, Mortimer, and plenty more in Our Idiot Brother on August 23rd.

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There may have been plenty of mixed emotions about Funny People, but before that film, writer/director Judd Apatow struck comedy gold with Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up.

The film also starred plenty of Apatow regulars, such as Paul Rudd and Apatow’s wife Leslie Mann. Now, word is coming in that Apatow is planning on returning to the world of Knocked Up through the film’s B-story characters played by both Rudd and Mann. From Variety.

Apatow will write and direct the film, the first he’s helmed since 2009′s “Funny People.” Apatow, Barry Mandel and Clayton Townsend will produce.

In “Knocked Up,” Mann played Katherine Heigl’s older sister, who is married to Rudd’s character. Plot details are vague, and it’s not clear whether Heigl or Seth Rogen would reprise their roles from 2007′s “Knocked Up,” one of Apatow’s biggest successes with $200 million in worldwide box office.

The film is set to hit theaters in 2012, with Universal backing it. Expect to see some interesting viral stylings from both Apatow and Rudd, as they both frequent Funny Or Die.com, a site that Apatow is partnered with.

It is hard to believe James Brooks, the man who brought us the modern day classics Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News, thought this meandering mess of a movie would appeal to the masses. Even more puzzling is the staggering price tag of $120 Million, which Sony managed to whittle down to a mere $100 Million.  That’s not big money for an action drama, but it is big money indeed for a romantic comedy.

Reese Witherspoon plays professional softball player Lisa, who is perky and popular, but has just lost her job due to her advanced age of thirty. She is dating Matty (Owen Wilson), a dimwitted professional baseball player who never shies away from the perks of the profession.

Paul Rudd plays George, the guy next door whose world is imploding around him due to a federal investigation into his dealings at his father’s (Jack Nicholson) business. Lisa finds herself caught between the rich, successful Matty, and George, who has downsized to a crappy apartment and seems destined for the big house.

The performances are certainly pleasant.  Witherspoon has grown into a beautiful young woman, and she is just adorable throughout the whole movie. Rudd plays within his comfort zone, being the guy who is slightly out of his element, but is so charming and sincere that the ladies eventually come around to him.

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What ultimately surprised me about this comedy is how sweet it is underneath the prickly premise. Based on a more scathing French film called The Dinner Game (1998), this Dinner has been toned down a bit for American audiences but it still has a bit of bite.

Paul Rudd plays Tim, a mild mannered businessman trying to get a promotion at work. He has earned the promotion but is forced to deal with typical office politics in order to seal the deal. He is horrified to find out that the good old boys at the office partake in a monthly dinner party in which each man brings the biggest idiot they can find to amuse the masses. They ask Tim to join them in a few days, promising that if he can find such a person, the job is all his.

Tim wrestles with the moral dilemma he faces. He’s visibly disgusted with the whole idea, but he really, really wants the job. He has been trying to get his beautiful girlfriend Julie (Stephanie Szostak) to succumb to his marriage proposal, and he believes that if he is financially secure she’ll be more likely to take the plunge.

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This summer hasn’t exactly been the best when it comes to comedies, but that may come to an end next Friday as the new comedy Dinner for Schmucks starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell hits theaters nationally.

The film stars Rudd as an up-and-coming executive who wants to succeed so badly that he falls in line with the rest of his superiors in finding a socially awkward moron to invite to an annual dinner. Enter Steve Carell, who is a walking social catastrophe.

The film reunites Rudd and Carell for the first time since 2005′s 40 Year Old Virgin and looks to have quite a bit of hilarious moments in it. Joining in the ride are other genre funnymen Ron Livingston, Zach Galifiniakis, and Flight of the Conchord’s Jemaine Clement.

We’ve got four new clips from the film for you to check out, each of which show off the dynamic of Rudd and Carell. Paul Rudd even gets to do some physical comedy, which we haven’t seen him do in quite some time.

Check out the clips after the jump, and be sure to catch Dinner For Schmucks in theaters next Friday, July 30th.

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Back in April, we brought you the first trailer for the upcoming comedy Dinner for Schmucks starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. We didn’t know much about it, but what we saw, we loved. Now we’re getting more footage in a full trailer, and it looks like it has potential to be one of the top comedies of the year.

The film comes from director Jay Roach, who brought us the first Meet the Parents films and the first two Austin Powers films. Basically, the premise is about up-and-coming executive Tim (Rudd) who needs to impress his co-workers and bosses by bringing the weirdest guest, played by Carell, to their annual dinner.

Not only will the film bring together Carell and Rudd for the first time, but will also throw in a few other comedic favorites such as Zach Galifiniakis, Ron Livingston, Jeff Dunham, and Flight of the Conchord’s Jemaine Clement. The newest trailer gives us a bit more of the epic “mind battle” between Galifiniakis and Carell, and some more awkward momest of Carell as the unfomfortable “Barry”.

Check out the new trailer after the jump, and be sure to catch Dinner for Schmucks when it hits theaters on July 23rd.

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While Steve Carell is doing his tour of major talk shows and appearances in preparation for this weekend’s release of Date Night, the first trailer for his next big comedy has just hit the web: Dinner For Schmucks.

The film also stars Paul Rudd, who’s been on a hot streak with comedies as well such as I Love You, Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Role Models. The screenplay comes from about a dozen different writers, including the creator of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Andy Borowitz. Here’s the official synopsis.

Tim (Rudd) is a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss’ annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art.

Jay Roach is stepping in as director, who we know as the director for all of the Austin Powers and Meet The Parents films. Check out the trailer after the jump, and be sure to catch Dinner For Schmucks in theaters July 23rd.

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Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis may be the new comedy duo, since they’re following up the upcoming Dinner for Schmucks, with the newly announced film Will, written by Demetri Martin (the lead in Taking Woodstock and Comedy Central show Important Things With Demetri Martin). The Hollywood Reporter reports that the actors have signed on with Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton directing, the people behind Little Miss Sunshine.

The movie is set in a world where people’s lives are written out by heavenly scribes. Rudd’s character one day wakes up to find that his scribe (played by Galifianakis) has stopped writing his life. So Rudd’s character has to work his way through the story without any guidance and “ending up on a journey to fulfill his hidden potential.”

Paul Rudd, of course has been around and starred in great comedies from Clueless to The 40 Year Old Virgin and last year’s I Love You, Man. Galifianakis really popped onto the mainstream radar last year with The Hangover, and has landed a number of roles including Youth in Revolt; Up in the Air; the Robert Downey, Jr. comedy, Due Date; and the planned The Hangover 2.

Here’s a list of some of the new DVD and Blu-ray releases this week we’re particularly interested in. Plus, some old favorites (and not so favorites) coming out this week for the first time on Blu-ray.

Movies

About Last Night… ~ Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi (Blu-ray)

Alien Trespass ~ Eric McCormack, Dan Lauria, Robert Patrick, and Jenni Baird (DVD and Blu-ray)

Blue Thunder ~ Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark, and Daniel Stern (Blu-ray)

Chaos ~ Jason Statham (Blu-ray)

The Class (Entre Les Murs) ~ François Bégaudeau, Agame Malembo-Emene, and Angélica Sancio (DVD)

Cutthroat Island ~ Geena Davis, Frank Langella, Matthew Modine (Blu-ray)

Eagles Over London ~ Van Johnson, Frederick Stafford, Francisco Rabal, and Luigi Pistilli (Blu-ray)

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