Observe and Report
Encyclopedia
Observe and Report is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Jody Hill
, starring Seth Rogen
, Anna Faris
and Ray Liotta
.
exposes himself to shoppers in the Forest Ridge Mall parking lot. The head of mall security, Ronald "Ronnie" Barnhardt (Seth Rogen
), makes it his mission to apprehend the offender. He is assisted by Charles (Jesse Plemons
) and Dennis (Michael Peña
), and the Yuen twins (John Yuan
and Matthew Yuan
), in his efforts.
Ronnie's dream girl, Brandi (Anna Faris
) who works a mall make-up counter, is flashed the next day, becoming distraught over the situation. Ronnie tries to comfort her until a police officer, Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta
), arrives and takes over Ronnie's palliative role. Ronnie feels threatened by this and is upset that his boss allowed an outsider to infringe on his search for the offender.
The criminal activity at the mall continues, as a masked person is seen robbing a shoe store, causing property damage. Detective Harrison is once again called in to investigate, his efforts hindered by Ronnie, who thinks that an Arab shopkeeper (Aziz Ansari
) in the mall is the thief, based on the fact that he is an Arab. In response, Harrison curses out Ronnie during a meeting with Ronnie's superior, and Ronnie decides to take steps to become a real police officer.
As part of his preparations, Ronnie decides to ride along with Detective Harrison. Harrison, fed up with Ronnie, tricks him into walking into the most dangerous part of town, and drives off. Ronnie then confronts and subsequently subdues several drug dealers, victoriously returning to the police station with a dealer's son and thanking the detective for the opportunity to prove himself. Emboldened, Ronnie arranges a date with Brandi. On their date, Brandi consumes a large quantity of alcohol as well as several tablets of clonazepam
which she took from Ronnie. Ronnie takes her home and has sex with her while she is semi-conscious.
Ronnie fails the psychological examination for the police officer job. Nell (Collette Wolfe
), a friendly food court worker, explains to him that her boss Roger (Patton Oswalt
) and another female employee make fun of Nell for having her leg in a cast, leading Ronnie to threaten the two after giving Roger a beating. Depressed, he is persuaded by Dennis to spend the day doing a wide variety of drugs and assaulting skateboard
ing teenagers. At the end of the day, Ronnie finds out that Dennis was the shoe thief, and that he has been stealing from the mall for some time. Ronnie is stunned and, after a brief argument, is knocked unconscious from behind by Dennis, who then flees to Mexico.
Ronnie decides to go "undercover
" in order to catch the flasher. At night he sees Harrison having sex with Brandi in his cruiser, and he confronts her in front of onlookers at the mall the next day, blowing his cover and damaging mall property in the process. Ronnie refuses to leave the mall and police are called in. Ronnie fights off many officers before losing a fist fight with Harrison.
After one night in jail, and once his wounds heal, Ronnie returns to the mall, although no longer a security guard. He is approached by Nell back on both legs, and she kisses him to console him. Interrupting their romantic moment, the flasher exposes himself to Nell and Ronnie and runs off, exposing himself to many other mall patrons. Ronnie, pursuing the flasher in a slow-motion sequence that includes him punching the Iraqi clerk in the face, retrieves a gun and shoots the flasher as he approaches Brandi. Though she thanks him, Ronnie rejects and humiliates her for betraying him.
Refusing the flasher an ambulance, Ronnie takes him to the police station, impressing and insulting the officers who had previously ridiculed him, including Harrison. A victorious Ronnie is then interviewed with the other security guards and he is accompanied by Nell, who is now his girlfriend, and he returns to his job as the head of mall security.
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Filming began around May 2008 and took place in Wilmington, NC.
At the request of the studio, during the test screening stage the filmmakers created a version of the film that was more toned down, but that was scrapped as the test screening scores for the new version were lower than the original.
. The megalomaniac, manic-depressive security guard Ronnie has been compared to Travis Bickle
in Martin Scorsese
's Taxi Driver
; Hill has mentioned it and also Scorsese's The King of Comedy
as significant influences.
, Observe and Report has an overall approval rating from critics of 51% with an average score of 5.4/10. By comparison, on Metacritic
, the film has received an average score of 54, based on 34 reviews. Based on 11 reviews, Yahoo! Movies
critics gave the film a B-.
Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone
gave the film a rating of three out of four stars, saying, "Hill is fearless at pushing hot buttons: date rape
, shooting up and worse," and "Rogen is nutso hilarious, nailing every note of mirth and malice." Conversely, Peter Bradshaw
of The Guardian
awarded the movie one star out of five and disparaged Rogen's performance, writing "for Seth Rogen fans like me, this charmless, heavy-handed and cynical comedy is an uncomfortable experience." Paul Byrnes wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald
, "Much of the movie is just plain vicious. At best, it's sad and grotesque, rather than hilarious," while Manohla Dargis
of The New York Times
took particular exception to the film, arguing "if you thought Abu Ghraib
was a laugh riot you might love Observe and Report." She continued, "It’s far better and certainly easier... to sit back and relax and enjoy the show. That, after all, is precisely what Hollywood banks on each time it manufactures a new entertainment for a public that — as the stupid, violent characters who hold up a mirror to that public indicate — it views with contempt."
The sex scene between Rogen and Faris attracted criticism from various groups. Referring to the moment where Ronnie Barnhardt is having sex with Faris' intoxicated character, Rogen said in an interview that "then she says, like, the one thing that makes it all okay," to which Antonia Zerbisias
responded, arguing that "retroactive consent is not consent" and "there's no okay in rape
". Peter Travers
argued in Rolling Stone
that while the scene does constitute date rape
, "the bipolar
Ronnie is acting totally in character," and that "the movie isn't condoning Ronnie's actions," just dishing out the kind of laughs "that stick in your throat."
During an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Rogen stated he was disappointed by the film's overall reception but proud that "the only two people who liked it" were Stern
and David Letterman
.
, Fast & Furious, and Monsters vs. Aliens
(also featuring Seth Rogen). It averaged $4,085, playing in 2,727 theaters. To date it is the lowest-grossing film in which Seth Rogen plays a leading role, grossing $26,973,554 as of May 31, 2009.
and Blu-ray
on September 22, 2009.
.
The Queen
songs "It's Late
" and "The Hero
" are featured in the film but not included on the soundtrack.
Jody Hill
Jody Hill is an American film director and screenwriter from Concord, North Carolina. In 2006 he directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in his first film The Foot Fist Way, which he based on his experience as a Taekwondo black belt and instructor. His follow-up film, Observe and Report,...
, starring Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
, Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
and Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
.
Plot
An anonymous flasherFlasher
Flasher has multiple meanings:*A person who displays his or her body in a form of indecent exposure *Another name for a vehicle's turn signal, see automotive lighting#Turn signals...
exposes himself to shoppers in the Forest Ridge Mall parking lot. The head of mall security, Ronald "Ronnie" Barnhardt (Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
), makes it his mission to apprehend the offender. He is assisted by Charles (Jesse Plemons
Jesse Plemons
Jesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Career:...
) and Dennis (Michael Peña
Michael Peña
Michael Anthony Peña is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his roles in the films Crash, World Trade Center, Observe and Report, 30 Minutes or Less and Tower Heist...
), and the Yuen twins (John Yuan
John Yuan
John Yuan is an American actor and writer. He and his twin brother Matthew Yuan wrote the micro-budget zombie film, Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill for The Asylum in 2004 for producer David Michael Latt....
and Matthew Yuan
Matthew Yuan
Matthew Yuan is an American actor and writer. He and his twin brother John Yuan wrote the micro-budget zombie film, Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill for The Asylum in 2004 for producer David Michael Latt....
), in his efforts.
Ronnie's dream girl, Brandi (Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
) who works a mall make-up counter, is flashed the next day, becoming distraught over the situation. Ronnie tries to comfort her until a police officer, Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
), arrives and takes over Ronnie's palliative role. Ronnie feels threatened by this and is upset that his boss allowed an outsider to infringe on his search for the offender.
The criminal activity at the mall continues, as a masked person is seen robbing a shoe store, causing property damage. Detective Harrison is once again called in to investigate, his efforts hindered by Ronnie, who thinks that an Arab shopkeeper (Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
) in the mall is the thief, based on the fact that he is an Arab. In response, Harrison curses out Ronnie during a meeting with Ronnie's superior, and Ronnie decides to take steps to become a real police officer.
As part of his preparations, Ronnie decides to ride along with Detective Harrison. Harrison, fed up with Ronnie, tricks him into walking into the most dangerous part of town, and drives off. Ronnie then confronts and subsequently subdues several drug dealers, victoriously returning to the police station with a dealer's son and thanking the detective for the opportunity to prove himself. Emboldened, Ronnie arranges a date with Brandi. On their date, Brandi consumes a large quantity of alcohol as well as several tablets of clonazepam
Clonazepam
Clonazepamis a benzodiazepine drug having anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and hypnotic properties. It is marketed by Roche under the trade name Klonopin in the United States and Rivotril in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Europe...
which she took from Ronnie. Ronnie takes her home and has sex with her while she is semi-conscious.
Ronnie fails the psychological examination for the police officer job. Nell (Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe is an American actress. She made her film debut with The Foot Fist Way in 2006, and later starred as Nell in Observe and Report . In September 2009, Wolfe was cast as series regular Jill in the NBC situation comedy 100 Questions. She currently has a recurring role as Kirsten in the...
), a friendly food court worker, explains to him that her boss Roger (Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
) and another female employee make fun of Nell for having her leg in a cast, leading Ronnie to threaten the two after giving Roger a beating. Depressed, he is persuaded by Dennis to spend the day doing a wide variety of drugs and assaulting skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
ing teenagers. At the end of the day, Ronnie finds out that Dennis was the shoe thief, and that he has been stealing from the mall for some time. Ronnie is stunned and, after a brief argument, is knocked unconscious from behind by Dennis, who then flees to Mexico.
Ronnie decides to go "undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
" in order to catch the flasher. At night he sees Harrison having sex with Brandi in his cruiser, and he confronts her in front of onlookers at the mall the next day, blowing his cover and damaging mall property in the process. Ronnie refuses to leave the mall and police are called in. Ronnie fights off many officers before losing a fist fight with Harrison.
After one night in jail, and once his wounds heal, Ronnie returns to the mall, although no longer a security guard. He is approached by Nell back on both legs, and she kisses him to console him. Interrupting their romantic moment, the flasher exposes himself to Nell and Ronnie and runs off, exposing himself to many other mall patrons. Ronnie, pursuing the flasher in a slow-motion sequence that includes him punching the Iraqi clerk in the face, retrieves a gun and shoots the flasher as he approaches Brandi. Though she thanks him, Ronnie rejects and humiliates her for betraying him.
Refusing the flasher an ambulance, Ronnie takes him to the police station, impressing and insulting the officers who had previously ridiculed him, including Harrison. A victorious Ronnie is then interviewed with the other security guards and he is accompanied by Nell, who is now his girlfriend, and he returns to his job as the head of mall security.
Cast
- Seth RogenSeth RogenSeth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
as Ronnie - Ray LiottaRay Liotta[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
as Detective Harrison - Michael PenaMichael PeñaMichael Anthony Peña is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his roles in the films Crash, World Trade Center, Observe and Report, 30 Minutes or Less and Tower Heist...
as Dennis - Collette WolfeCollette WolfeCollette Wolfe is an American actress. She made her film debut with The Foot Fist Way in 2006, and later starred as Nell in Observe and Report . In September 2009, Wolfe was cast as series regular Jill in the NBC situation comedy 100 Questions. She currently has a recurring role as Kirsten in the...
as Nell - Anna FarisAnna FarisAnna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
as Brandi - Dan BakkedahlDan BakkedahlDan Bakkedahl is an American improvisational actor, comedian and teacher from Chicago's Second City. Born in Rochester, Minnesota and raised in Stuart, Florida, he attended St...
as Mark - Jesse PlemonsJesse PlemonsJesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Career:...
as Charles - John YuanJohn YuanJohn Yuan is an American actor and writer. He and his twin brother Matthew Yuan wrote the micro-budget zombie film, Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill for The Asylum in 2004 for producer David Michael Latt....
as John Yuen - Matthew YuanMatthew YuanMatthew Yuan is an American actor and writer. He and his twin brother John Yuan wrote the micro-budget zombie film, Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill for The Asylum in 2004 for producer David Michael Latt....
as Matt Yuen - Celia WestonCelia WestonCelia Weston is an American actress of stage, film and television, and a character actress. Professionally, she may be best known for her role as Jolene Hunnicutt on Alice.-Life and career:...
as Mom - Aziz AnsariAziz AnsariAziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
as Saddamn - Randy GambillRandy Gambill-Career:Gambill made his acting début as The Gentle Warrior in the low-budget, comedy film Foot Fist Way directed by Jody Hill; he also served as the film's production designer...
as Pervert - Patton OswaltPatton OswaltPatton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
as Roger - Danny McBrideDanny R. McBrideDaniel Richard "Danny" McBride is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist.-Career:...
as Caucasian Crackhead - Alston Brown as Bruce
- Cody Midthunder as D-Rock
Production
The film was shot on location in the largely abandoned Winrock Shopping CenterWinrock Shopping Center
The Winrock Shopping Center is a shopping mall located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The mall is anchored by Dillard's and Bed Bath and Beyond. Currently the mall is vacant except for the anchor tenants who own their own spaces...
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. Filming began around May 2008 and took place in Wilmington, NC.
At the request of the studio, during the test screening stage the filmmakers created a version of the film that was more toned down, but that was scrapped as the test screening scores for the new version were lower than the original.
Writing
Written and directed by Jody HillJody Hill
Jody Hill is an American film director and screenwriter from Concord, North Carolina. In 2006 he directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in his first film The Foot Fist Way, which he based on his experience as a Taekwondo black belt and instructor. His follow-up film, Observe and Report,...
. The megalomaniac, manic-depressive security guard Ronnie has been compared to Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle is a fictional character from the 1976 film Taxi Driver, played by Robert De Niro. He is widely considered one of the most iconic characters in film history, and De Niro earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of him....
in Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
; Hill has mentioned it and also Scorsese's The King of Comedy
The King of Comedy
King of Comedy may refer to:* Mack Sennett was nicknamed the King of Comedy.* The King of Comedy is a 1983 film directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis....
as significant influences.
Similarity to Paul Blart: Mall Cop
The film has drawn some attention for having a similar premise and protagonist to the 2009 comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Seth Rogen, in an interview with GQ, noted his awareness of a similar movie being made: In comparing the two, Observe and Report was dubbed by some reviewers as "the dark mall cop movie".Reception
Critical reception
Critical reaction has been mixed. On Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, Observe and Report has an overall approval rating from critics of 51% with an average score of 5.4/10. By comparison, on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film has received an average score of 54, based on 34 reviews. Based on 11 reviews, Yahoo! Movies
Yahoo! Movies
Yahoo! Movies , provided by the Yahoo! network, is home to a large collection of information on movies, past and new releases, trailers and clips, box office information, and showtimes and movie theater information. Yahoo! Movies also includes red carpet photos, actor galleries, and production...
critics gave the film a B-.
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the film a rating of three out of four stars, saying, "Hill is fearless at pushing hot buttons: date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
, shooting up and worse," and "Rogen is nutso hilarious, nailing every note of mirth and malice." Conversely, Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
awarded the movie one star out of five and disparaged Rogen's performance, writing "for Seth Rogen fans like me, this charmless, heavy-handed and cynical comedy is an uncomfortable experience." Paul Byrnes wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, "Much of the movie is just plain vicious. At best, it's sad and grotesque, rather than hilarious," while Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
took particular exception to the film, arguing "if you thought Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
Beginning in 2004, human rights violations in the form of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to public attention...
was a laugh riot you might love Observe and Report." She continued, "It’s far better and certainly easier... to sit back and relax and enjoy the show. That, after all, is precisely what Hollywood banks on each time it manufactures a new entertainment for a public that — as the stupid, violent characters who hold up a mirror to that public indicate — it views with contempt."
The sex scene between Rogen and Faris attracted criticism from various groups. Referring to the moment where Ronnie Barnhardt is having sex with Faris' intoxicated character, Rogen said in an interview that "then she says, like, the one thing that makes it all okay," to which Antonia Zerbisias
Antonia Zerbisias
Antonia Zerbisias is a Canadian journalist associated with the Toronto Star since 1989. She has been a reporter and TV host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as the Montreal correspondent for Variety trade paper...
responded, arguing that "retroactive consent is not consent" and "there's no okay in rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
". Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
argued in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
that while the scene does constitute date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
, "the bipolar
Bipolar
-Medicine:* Bipolar cell* Bipolar cell of the retina* Bipolar disorder** Bipolar I disorder** Bipolar II disorder** Bipolar NOS* Bipolar spectrum-Astronomy:* Bipolar nebula, a two-lobed, axially symmetric nebula...
Ronnie is acting totally in character," and that "the movie isn't condoning Ronnie's actions," just dishing out the kind of laughs "that stick in your throat."
During an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Rogen stated he was disappointed by the film's overall reception but proud that "the only two people who liked it" were Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
and David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
.
Box office
The film grossed $11,140,000 to open in fourth place in its first weekend of release, behind Hannah Montana: The MovieHannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
, Fast & Furious, and Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American computer-animated 3-D science fiction film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
(also featuring Seth Rogen). It averaged $4,085, playing in 2,727 theaters. To date it is the lowest-grossing film in which Seth Rogen plays a leading role, grossing $26,973,554 as of May 31, 2009.
Home video release
The film was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on September 22, 2009.
Soundtrack
Observe and Report: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on April 7, 2009 by New Line RecordsNew Line Records
WaterTower Music is an American record label owned by Time Warner and operates as a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Founded to release movie soundtracks, the label has grown beyond this initial purpose and has built a roster of indie rock acts such as The Sounds, OFFICE, Robbers on High...
.
- "When I Paint My MasterpieceWhen I Paint My Masterpiece"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first featured on the Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II compilation in 1971. The song is segued back-to-back with "Tomorrow is a Long Time" . Even though there is applause at the beginning of the song, it is in fact a studio recording...
" by The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
– 4:18 - "The Man" by PattoPattoPatto was a progressive jazz-rock band formed in England in 1970 by vocalist Mike Patto with a lineup taken from Timebox consisting of vocalist Patto, drummer John Halsey, guitarist and vibraphone player Ollie Halsall and bassist Clive Griffiths....
– 6:07 - "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues" by McLuskyMcluskyMclusky , originally known as Best, were a three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff, Wales. The group consisted of Englishman Andy "Falco" Falkous from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonathan Chapple and Jack Egglestone , who replaced previous drummer Matthew Harding in late...
– 1:51 - "Sittin' Back Easy" by Patto – 3:35
- "Brain" by The ActionThe ActionThe Action were an English band of the 1960s. They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music.-Career:The band were formed as The Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. After Peter Watson joined them as an additional guitarist in 1965, they changed...
– 2:59 - "Over Under Sideways DownOver Under Sideways Down"Over Under Sideways Down" was a single by The Yardbirds released on Columbia in the UK and Epic in the U.S. Chart tops: UK: #10, US: #13.It was the title song to the album Over Under Sideways Down , or Yardbirds which is more commonly referred to as Roger the Engineer...
" by The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
– 2:22 - "Dwarves Must Die" by DwarvesDwarves (band)Dwarves is an American punk band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock...
– 1:23 - "Help Is on Its WayHelp Is on Its Way"Help Is on Its Way" was written by Glenn Shorrock and was a hit single by the Australian group Little River Band in 1977. It was featured on the album Diamantina Cocktail. The song went to number one in Australia on the Kent Music Report singles chart. The song was the fourth highest selling...
" by Little River BandLittle River BandLittle River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
– 4:00 - "Where Is My Mind?" by City Wolf – 4:27
- "Babyteeth" by Pyramid – 4:10
- "Observe and Report Score Suite" by Joseph StephensJoseph StephensJoseph Stephens is an American multi-instrumentalist, film score composer, and songwriter. He composed music for the film Observe and Report, directed by Jody Hill as well as the HBO series Eastbound & Down, produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions.Stephens is also a...
– 4:04 - "Super Freek (Remix)" by Amanda BlankAmanda BlankAmanda Blank is an American singer and member of the performance art band Sweatheart based in Philadelphia.-Early life:Amanda Blank was born in Germantown, a neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Nina Cream, and Aaron LaCrateAaron LaCrateAaron LaCrate is an American music producer, recording artist, DJ, fashion designer of Milkcrate Records and Milkcrate clothing, and a film director. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Highlandtown; East Baltimore....
– 2:26
The Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
songs "It's Late
It's Late
"It's Late" is a song written by Queen guitarist Brian May and performed by the band for their 1977 album News of the World. The song was May's idea of treating a song as a three-act theatrical play, and the verses are called "acts" in the lyrics sheet. It makes use of the tapping technique one...
" and "The Hero
Flash Gordon (album)
-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...
" are featured in the film but not included on the soundtrack.