Judd Apatow‘s IMDb profile is weighted surprisingly towards films he’s produced. As of today, he has 38 completed productions with another 10 in development, compared to 8 directorial features and TV shows (including one episode of The Larry Sanders Show). Even his writing credits number in the mid-20s. It’s this space between projects that forces the movies he has directed under a magnifying glass. If he felt like it was good enough to direct and not just throw some money behind then I’m especially curious to see what the fuss is about. On top of that (and this is a point I’ve made before), Apatow’s directed projects have an element of realism lacking in his productions. Whether it’s taste, or effort, or simply coincidence, the films he’s directed work on a loftier plane. In the case of The 40 Year Old Virgin this line, so evident when comparing, for example, Walk Hard to Funny People, seems to bleed a little bit, finding it’s reality through a thick pane of glass fogged by touches of absurdity and breeches of aggression.
Peter Wertz
Wertz of Wisdom 
