Rogen tells all about mall cops

Director Jody Hill and Seth Rogen were business friends before they really got to know each… Director Jody Hill and Seth Rogen were business friends before they really got to know each other. But once Rogen agreed to join Hill’s new movie, ‘Observe and Report,’ they instantly became the best of friends.

‘Observe and Report’ is about Seth Rogen’s character, Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar mall cop with a vendetta against a parking-lot streaker. The film would leave a mark on both Rogen and Hill.

‘It really felt like a little independent film being shot by a bunch of friends,’ said star Rogen in a conference call interview. ‘It felt like we had stolen a bunch of movie cameras and film and somehow they let us film this movie in this mall. It was really self-contained. Nobody came by, no one asked us questions. If felt like a student film.’

Most of the cast and crew had actually gone to film school together and felt that, according to Rogen, they were finally going to ‘make a movie that we would want to see as movie fans.’

Hill, though, had only directed one movie before ‘Observe and Report.’ After signing Rogen and actress Anna Faris to the picture, Hill believed that by having ‘two talented people like that, it’s like an insurance policy.’

Hill is still pinching himself because he had an actual budget for this film instead of paying out of his own pocket like his previous picture, but still is anxious to see the audience’s response.

‘It’s certainly going to be bigger than anything I’ve done before,’ said Hill.

Like Hill, Faris still isn’t a household name, but is known far and wide in the comedy world.

According to Faris, ‘There are more doors open now to me than there were before, but now I’m actively choosing comedy over doing dramatic stuff. I love it so much and find it really rewarding.’

Faris truly enjoyed her time on the ‘Observe and Report’ set and especially loved her character, a department store girl named Brandi who works at the cosmetic desk.

‘She’s definitely the worst character I’ve ever played, and I loved every second of it.’

Faris’ character gets drunk, vomits all over herself and lands in a few not-too-lady-like situations, but she enjoyed portraying the character all the same.

Faris said she would think to herself, ‘I can’t believe we get to do this. I get to say this line or we get to do shots. It’s so fun to be bad.’