Jason Segel follows Seth Rogen as the next Judd Apatow-produced regular to be an unlikely leading man and show off solid writing chops—this time, in the same movie. Following the forgettable “Drillbit Taylor,” this raunchy and sweet romantic comedy shows that as long as Apatow keeps mining the cast and crews of his old TV shows “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” that he’ll more often than not be able to deliver the startlingly frank brand of humor he has become known for lately.

Directed by Nicholas Stoller (a writer for “Undeclared”), “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” follows a heartbroken puppy-dog named Peter after being dumped by his famous TV-actress girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kirsten Bell). It turns out Peter is a non-motivated musician who is coasting because he can, since he landed the plum job of creating cheesy, brooding “mood music” for Sarah’s “C.S.I”-style prime time detective show.

Like “Knocked Up,” it does stretch believability to have a dumpy guy going out with a gorgeous TV star, but average-looking guys like me should thank Apatow and his stable of wish-fulfillment writers and actors for making it seem a little more likely that this kind of thing happens.

It is too convenient to have sad-sack Peter go on a vacation by himself in Hawaii at the urging of his happily-married cousin (Bill Hader) and then unknowingly end up at the same hotel as his ex and her new British rock star boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). But this is easy to forgive, because in the confines of this typical set-up, Segel and company score over and over again with terrifically witty interplay and very funny situations.

Like Apatow and Seth Rogen before him, Segel nails the comedy so perfectly because he sticks to what he knows. Not only is the raunchiness a full-force part of the script, integrated seamlessly with that inherent sweetness that makes it all go down a little easier, but Segel also lampoons the hell out of Hollywood types—people with that unique mix of egotism and lack of self-confidence that comes with having jobs in the entertainment industry. (Segel’s most recent gig is on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” while Bell is a veteran of “Veronica Mars.”)

In an earlier SXSW blog, I raved about how in “The Promotion,” starring John C. Reilly and Seann Wiliam Scott as two grocery store managers vying for the same job, neither character was a villian. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” plays a delicate balancing act the entire time as well. As in most break-ups (depending on who’s side you take), one person looks evil and the other completely sympathetic. That is, until the details about the relationship known only to the two start to come out. During the course of this film, there’s a subtle switch happening that allows both characters to showcase their weak sides.

It all culminates with an indefensible act that is uncomfortably (and ingeniously) played for laughs. Like the infamous pregnant bedroom scene in “Knocked Up,” Segel breaks down another sacred behind-closed-doors sex situation that no one likes to talk about, and ends up with a classic memorable moment.

A super-solid supporting cast including Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Mila Kunis (“That 70’s Show”)—who is a real eye-opener in a tricky role—navigate the audience through some unlikely twists and turns, making sure that the characters never delve into parody. British comedian Brand, who’s Richard Ashcroft-poutiness could have turned one-note faster than you can say “Bittersweet Symphony,” almost steals the entire show as laid-back rock star Aldous. Besides being the only truly confident character in the movie, he is so casual about his celebrity status that it makes his unexpectedly blunt remarks even more hilarious.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” may not contain all of the hardcore truths about modern male/female relationships that made “Knocked Up” so brilliant, but it has more than its fair share of uncomfortable and familiar situations. Segel’s characters talk like real people and Stoller’s direction keeps a close watch on their emotional trials, and a knowing eye on the punchline at all times.

Producer Apatow is creating a solid body of work (with the occasional misstep) that is approaching household-name familiarity. Like Christopher Guest’s stable of cult-favorite improv actors, the Apatow players make us smile by just entering the frame. The crowd in Austin at the enormous, sold-out Paramount Theater laughed heartily each time Rudd, Hill, or any other recognizable face showed up on the screen. The time of Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock has passed and the nerds and their too-hot dates have taken over. When people look back at this time in movie history, Apatow’s potent, frank, and sweet comedies will absolutley define this era of mainstream filmmaking.

Tags: austin, Bill Hader, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Freaks and Geeks, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Kirsten Bell, Knocked Up, Mila Kunis, Nicholas Stoller, Paramount Theater, Paul Rudd, Russell Brand, SXSW, Undeclared

I’ve only been away from Austin, TX now for 24 hours, and I’ve got a huge hangover—not from drinking (although I did my fare share), but because the work at my job that didn’t get done while I was gone is piling up around me and threatening to bury me. There’s something liberating about listening to engaging panel discussions about the state of the interactive world and seeing as many free movies as you like as you rub shoulders with cool celebs like Jeffrey Tambor (”Arrested Development”), Doug Benson (”Super High Me”), and Morgan Spurlock (”30 Days,” “Super Size Me”). The extent of my interaction with each? I’ll let you guess who was who.

1. “Hey, I really enjoyed your acting workshop. That was great.”
2. (pointing) “Heyyyyyy, Doug Benson!”
3. “Hey.”

My South by Southwest escapade may be over, but if the film portion of the festival is any indication, 2008 might shape up to be a pretty great year in film. Of course, for anyone who lives in Austin, every year is a good year because these lucky cinemaniacs live in the home of the world-renowned Alamo Drafthouse chain of theaters. People outside of Austin are finally starting to see what a cool deal they have as the forward-thinking Drafthouses have been popping up in San Antonio, Houston, and Katy, TX.

The geniuses at the Alamo have concocted the perfect mix of arthouse fare, mainstream flicks, and cult movies to spotlight while their variously pierced, T-shirt clad waiters and waitresses bring you a full menu of drinks and dinner. The kicker? You can eat on the bar ledge right in front of you and you never have to get up for another beer (provided you order a bucket of Lone Star, which I recommend highly).

After getting the pleasantries of hotel/badge check-in and bar-hopping out of the way, my friend Craig and I headed straight to the South Lamar Drafthouse showing “Back to the Future” at midnight. I ran into my old pal George, who filled me in that the Master Pancake Theatre (formerly Mr. Sinus Theater) boys would be poking fun Mystery Science Theater-style of one of the 1980s defining works of art. Years ago, when touring with Ultimate Fakebook, I had seen Mr. Sinus tear down the holy scrolls of “Footloose” and “The Lost Boys” and I will never be able to look at those movies the same again.

Friday night was no different. The timing these guys have is impeccable—they just sit there in the front row, drinking beer and heckling. It’s a beautiful thing; especially the late show when the kid gloves are off, content-wise. I’ve often wondered if it would be possible for them to take their act on the road. Maybe if the Alamo chain ever spreads up to Kansas, we might get lucky some day.

For the next four days, I crammed as many movies I had and hadn’t heard of into as much time as I could, and I didn’t see a single bad film. Ironically, my first official film of the festival was my favorite—a tiny-budgeted indie documentary called “Second Skin.”

I knew very little about the world of MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Gaming), except that I was scared. Would it be a movie about nerdy little freaks that hole up in their rooms for days on end with nothing but pizza, Doritos, and the blue light of a computer screen to keep them alive? The surprising answer is no. Brothers Juan Carlos Piñeiro Escoriaza (director) and Victor Piñeiro Escoriaza (writer/co-producer) covered the wide spectrum of this addictive and increasingly common form of entertainment by expertly juggling multiple storylines (each with a surprisingly involving story arc). One couple falls in love after their attractively endowed avatars do a bizarre flirty dance together, one gamer loses everything and heads to role-playing rehab (who knew there was such a place?), and a group of gaming buddies who call their living room the Fortress of Dorkitude begin to disintegrate as some members gradually grow up and have children.

As if it weren’t enough to follow the film’s three fascinating main timelines, the Escoriaza brothers briefly explore other fringes of the online gaming world such as “gold farmers” who sell virtual swords and virtual armor to online players for real cash. Their attention to storytelling really shows through in their organization, because when one person’s big reveal comes late into the film, it completely changes the story’s context. “Second Skin” was made with a lot of care towards building character and has the same affection for those characters as “The King of Kong” last year. This movie deserves to be picked up, and fast. Marketed with the right savvy, it could have a huge potential audience. After all, the videogame industry makes way more then the movie industry.

Coming Next: Draco & the Malfoys and the good Dr. Gonzo.

Tags: 2008, alamo drafthouse, austin, film festival, interactive, jeffrey tambor, master pancake, movie, music, second skin, south by southwest, SXSW