Is ‘Neighbors’ the Funniest Movie of the Last 125 Days? (And 24 Other Urgent Questions)
This week, a new very serious drama about Seth Rogen (‘You, Me and Dupree’) living next to a fraternity house opens in theaters across the United States. The title of this movie is ‘Neighbors.’ Is this very serious drama about Seth Rogen living next to a fraternity so far the funniest movie of 2014? As a service for some people who read the Internet, we answer every question that you could possibly have about ‘Neighbors.’
Q: In ‘Neighbors,’ Does Seth Rogen play Earl or Vic?
A: This version of ‘Neighbors’ has nothing to do with the Dan Aykroyd-John Belushi movie of the same name.
Q: Is ‘Neighbors’ still the story of a straight-laced couple who live next to an eccentric couple?
A: No. This version of ‘Neighbors’ pits a normal (yet, not really straight-laced) couple against a fraternity house.
Q: Does Seth Rogen play the leader of the fraternity house?
A: Seth Rogen plays Mac Radner, a man in his 30s who is married to Kelly (Rose Byrne). They also have a newborn child.
Q: Why would the Radners move next door to a fraternity? That’s just asking for trouble.
A: They didn’t. To their dismay, the fraternity moves in next door to them.
Q: Is it a big fraternity?
A: To be fair, it seems like a really small fraternity. At their chapter meeting, there’s like 15 members at most.
Q: So, what’s the problem here?
A: The problem is the fraternity throws some loud parties. At first, the Radners try to pretend they are cool by attending a party and smoking pot, but, later, the endless noise becomes too much and they call the cops on the fraternity. This leads to a whole mess of problems.
Q: To this day, how does your father refer to the act of smoking pot?
A: “Doing dope.”
Q: Who is the leader of the fraternity?
A: The leader of the fraternity is Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), who is obsessed with his legacy as fraternity president.
Q: What would cement Teddy’s legacy? Community outreach?
A: No. It’s to throw a memorable party at the end of the current semester.
Q: Are the Radners invited to this party?
A: No. After the Radners call the police, its starts a game of one-upmanship between the Radners and the fraternity as to who can make the others' life more miserable.
Q: Does the fraternity featured in ‘Neighbors’ make their pledges participate in the infamous elephant walk?
A: Yes.
Q: When you were in college, did you ever hear of the elephant walk being a real thing?
A: There were always rumors, but it seems to fall in more of the urban legend category, at least where I went to school.
Q: What’s the best use of aggression in ‘Neighbors’?
A: A Robert De Niro-themed party that consists mostly of quotes from ‘Meet the Parents’ and mistaken Al Pacino impressions.
Q: Is ‘Neighbors’ the funniest movie so far of 2014?
A: It should be pointed out that 2014 is barely over four months old.
Q: Is ‘Neighbors’ the funniest movie that’s been released in theaters over the last 125 days?
A: Yes.
Q: If you’re going to be blurbed in this weekend’s commercials for ‘Neighbors,’ what do you hope is used?
A: “The funniest movie released in theaters over the last 125 days!” -- Mike Ryan, ScreenCrush
Q: What makes ‘Neighbors’ so funny?
A: More than anything, it's the chemistry between Rogen and Byrne. They work so well together and their reactions to the ongoing madness makes the audience care about what is happening, which, in turn, makes it funny.
Q: Is there another reason?
A: Zac Efron is very good at playing the likable asshole.
Q: Who is the unsung hero of ‘Neighbors’?
A: Ike Barinholtz as Mac’s friend, Jimmy. There’s a scene in ‘Neighbors’ that I could never possibly describe in context here in which Barinholtz delivers a line that gave me the giggles for five minutes.
Q: Is ‘Neighbors’ Seth Rogen’s funniest movie?
A: It’s interesting, because it’s tough to make that claim, but I do think that people who maybe didn’t particularly care for Rogen’s comedy in the past might enjoy ‘Neighbors.’
Q: Why would that be true?
A: Because this time around Rogen isn’t playing the slacker that he’s more known for in movies like ‘Knocked Up’ -- or even more serious movies like ‘50/50’ where he’s still playing a slacker. This Rogen is an actual adult, with a wife and a child, who just wants to live in a quiet house.
Q: Do we watch a baby eat a condom in ‘Neighbors’?
A: Yes.
Q: Does Dave Franco’s character have the ability to give himself a huge erection at any moment?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a character in this movie named “Assjuice"?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you want to recant your earlier statement about this being a more adult movie?
A: No. I wrote that Seth Rogen plays an adult. Yes, there is plenty of gross humor in ‘Neighbors’ for people who like to do dope.
Mike Ryan is the senior editor of ScreenCrush. You can contact him directly on Twitter.
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