Who Is David Gordon Green?

NYT has a good work-up on the director of 'Pineapple Express', David Gordon Green, an indy guy whose work I've never seen, but who seems like a good match for an off kilter stoner romp.

Mr. Apatow said: "The basic idea of hiring inspired, independent-minded filmmakers is a much better way to go than to just hire shooters who will do anything you tell them to. What I like about what David did is that the movie retains our style and tone while merging with his. He really makes the characters and their relationships come to life and not feel like an afterthought."

I hadn't thought of it before reading this article but it's true, the footage from 'Pineapple Express' I've seen has a loose natural feel that matches the subject matter. Another director could have shot this movie in a by-the-numbers, conventional, flat, and totally inappropriate way. Green's work has that indy flow, especially the action sequences in the trailers. The last thing I'd call Green's vibe is 'mechanical'.

There's an organic quality here. Like the fight scene in the apartment -- I don't think a more mainstream director would have/could have directed that sequence. The behavior is just too odd. It's too off putting, too strange for most directors. That's true for most of the plot of 'Pineapple Express'. Not to mention some of the dialogue (which you won't see in most trailers). I think most directors would have gotten squirmy about it and tweaked it toward Hollywood conventionality, which would have spoiled it.