The delivery of a joke is just as important as the joke if not more so.  We categorize comedy as “dry”, “blue”, “dark” etc. because the effectiveness of the joke differs depending on the delivery.  It’s a simple concept and shouldn’t need stating, but someone should have told director Jay Roach when he signed on to do Dinner for Schmucks.  The film is ostensibly a dark comedy about a man so desperate for a promotion that he’s willing to amuse his evil corporate superiors by humiliating a gullible stranger.  Roach is an unremarkable director who has managed to be at the helm of major hits like the Austin Powers franchise and the first two Meet the Parents movies.  In his hands, a dark, offbeat comedy becomes a scattershot approach that sometimes gets a big laugh and other times leaves the audience wondering how someone could make a film so tone deaf that it makes a kooky character come off like a serial killer.

Paramount and DreamWorks have released 3 movie clips, 4 TV spots and some B-Roll (Behind the Scenes Footage) from director Jay Roach’s Dinner for Schmucks.  The film is based on the French film film Le Diner de Cons and it tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), 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 (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art. The film also stars Jemaine Clement, Zach Galifianakis, Jeff Dunham, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston, Stephanie Szostak, and Lucy Davenport.  Hit the jump to watch all the videos.  Dinner For Schmucks gets release July 30. 

Opening this weekend is the 3D CGI feature Despicable Me and it features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, and Jemaine Clement.  The film is about a villain named Gru (Carell) who has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.  Miranda Cosgrove voices the eldest sister named Margo.

Anyway, I recently got to interview Cosgrove as a reporter for our partners at Omelete.  During the interview we talked about how she got involved in the film, her very popular Nickelodeon show iCarly, Twitter, School of Rock (she was one of the kids), and a lot more.  Hit the jump to check it out:

Upon Columbia’s announcement that Men in Black III would hit 3D theaters in less than two years on May 25, 2012, we’ve learned a few things here and there.  Josh Brolin will play a younger version of Agent K.  Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) signed on as villain Yaz.  Will Smith will make 3D look good.  But the specifics were a bit murky… until now.

We’ve got what appears to be an early look at some of the plot details for the sequel; check them out after the jump if you don’t mind potential spoilers.

Another of the many movies junketing this weekend here in Los Angeles is Universal Pictures animated 3D CGI feature Despicable Me – featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, and Jemaine Clement.  The movie is produced by Chris Meledandri (Ice Age, Horton Hears a Who!, Robots), so even though Universal might be new to the animation game, Meledandri is a seasoned pro.  Anyway, with the film getting ready to be released July 9, we’ve been provided with 10 clips.  Hit the jump to take a look:

With the announced May 25, 2012 release date still two summers away, Sony has not yet commenced the 3D production for Men in Black III., but the studio already have some footage of star Will Smith in the can.  The teaser clip was put together for Sony’s 3D TV Launch Event, and features Smith reprising his catchphrase from the first MIB — not even the blurriness of the footage can hinder that patented charm.

Tommy Lee Jones is likely to return to the franchise as Smith’s partner Agent K, while Josh Brolin is in talks to co-star as a young Agent K; Jemaine Clement has signed on to play the villain Yaz.  Hit the jump for the clip.

Paramount has released a new trailer for Dinner For Schmucks, the comedy in which co-workers compete to bring the “most eccentric” guest to an annual dinner.  The comedy stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, with a supporting cast that features Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, and Ron Livingston.  Jay Roach (Meet the Fockers) directs from a screenplay by David Guion and Michael Handelman (Fast Track).

The trailer wastes a good thirty seconds pretending it’s teasing a suspenseful drama, but once they get into comedy there are some laughs to be had (“It’s already cramped”).  Schmucks looks profoundly stupid, but that of course does not prevent it from being profoundly funny.  Check out the trailer after the jump.

Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) has been cast as the villain in Men in Black III.  And just like that, I’m interested in a new Men in Black movie.  Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and director Barry Sonnenfeld are all returning, and as we previously reported, Josh Brolin is on board to play the younger version of Jones’ character, Agent K.  Nothing is known about Clement’s character (or even the film’s overall story) other than the character’s name is “Yaz”.  I will pray every night that there’s a promotional campaign involving the birth control pill of the same name.

Men in Black III will be in 3D and is slated to hit theaters on May 25, 2012.  Clement can next be seen this summer in the comedy Dinner for Schmucks.

Columbia Pictures is continuing to cast for Men in Black 3 and has their eye on Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) even though the film has no director or start date.  Obviously, everything is still churning in the rumor mill on this one, but Bloody Disgusting says the studio is looking at Clement or Cohen (presumably, among others) to play the character of “Yaz” in the latest installment in the sci-fi action series.

Neither actor is locked for the role.  The reason this is news isn’t because Columbia is considering actors for a part (because that’s standard for just about any project from any studio and/or producer(s)).  It’s news because it gives a hint about what kind of actor Columbia wants for this part (tall and lanky white comedian with off-beat comic timing).

Etan Cohen, who co-wrote Tropic Thunder, has turned in a script.  Additionally, Josh Brolin has also been rumored to have a part in the film.  However, it looks like Tommy Lee Jones will not be returning.

Fans of music comedy Flight of the Conchords rejoice, because while you won’t be seeing the duo from New Zealand in their retired hit show, you will find Jemaine Clement on the silver screen. In fact, you might have already caught Clement in the recently released Gentlemen Broncos. Now, according to Quiet Earth, Clement will star in the upcoming Jason Stutter crime comedy Predicament, based on the late Ronald Hugh Morrieson novel.  Here’s the logline for the film: A crime comedy set in 1930s New Zealand in which a naive teenager conspires with two misfits to photograph and blackmail wealthy, adulterous couples.

Anyone that has seen Clement star in Flight of the Conchords knows that his serious-faced hilarity should make this a film to watch for. The storyline itself sounds interesting enough and one can only hope that Stutter will let Clement improvise his scenes. Perhaps Clement will even have a chance to break out a guitar and make you shake your booties, ya!  In addition to Clement, Predicament will star Rose McIvre, Peter Mochrie, Brook Williams, Edward Newborn, Chad Mills, Hadleigh Walker, Tina Grenville-Cagwin, and Carmel McGlone.

The film just wrapped in Morrieson’s home region of Taranaki, New Zealand and marks his fourth and final novel to be made into a film.

It’s a sad day for fans of peace, love, folk, and for the citizens of New Zealand as Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement along with co-creator James Bobin announced that there will not be a third season of Flight of the Conchords.  While the group had remained silent if not unenthusiastic about the possibility of a third season, it looks like they’ve decided to move on.  Here’s the official depressing news from their official website:

Bret, Jemaine and James (co-creator/director) said “we’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a 3rd season. We’re very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist.

I imagine this will seriously hurt New Zealand tourism despite their great advertisements as seen on the wall of Murray Hewitt (Rhys Darby).  It also hurts the many fans of the show.  However, I suppose since the real Bret and Jemaine still exist we can at least hope for more albums from the duo.

Along with being the producer of Jared and Jerusha Hess’ latest film, “Gentlemen Broncos”, Mike White also plays the role of Dusty. In the film’s unusual world, in which 17-year-old Benjamin Purvis (Michael Angarano) has his prized science-fiction story stolen by his idol, Dr. Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement), at a writers camp, Dusty is an odd, scraggly-haired member of the Purvis’ church who takes his giant albino snake with him everywhere.

At the press day for the film, Mike White talked about working with his friends, the Hesses, and bonding with the snake, known as Peaches.

Opening on October 30th is director Jared Hess’ (“Napoleon Dynamite”) new movie “Gentlemen Broncos”. While the reviews out of Fantastic Fest were not pretty, this is one of those movies I still want to see due to the cast. After all, who isn’t a fan of Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement. Anyway, Fox Searchlight has released two clips from the movie and you can watch them after the jump. I’ve also posted the synopsis if you’re not familiar with the film.

Today the trailer for Jared Hess’ “Gentleman Broncos” came out and it looks pretty damn funny. Hess kind of dropped out of favor after “Napoleon Dynamite” became mainstream and there was the inevitable backlash even though I should have been cheered for being a truly independent film and not just a low-budget Hollywood flick from a studio’s indie wing.  “Nacho Libre” was certainly a misfire but it looks like Hess has struck the right balance with his new film.  Hit the jump to find out why.

A slew of posters hit the web today (I’m not sure the quantity of a “slew” but we have four posters below) and I have witty comments on all of them that I’m sure you will enjoy.  Or you can just skip my words (and make me sad) and just look at the posters.  You’ll find both after the jump.