Ellen Wheeler Saves the Soap Opera, and Other Culture Highlights From This Week�s �New York�

Photo: Elena Dorfman

Can Guiding Light producer Ellen Wheeler make the soap opera relevant again? Lauren Mechling is cautiously optimistic. Plus: Five young soap stars to watch. David Edelstein liked Tropic Thunder AND Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Jeremy McCarter reviews Hair, "the weirdest musical ever staged." Sara Cardace checks in with Pineapple Express thespian Danny McBride. Joshua David Stein asks, What the heck Jonah Hill is doing on Sesame Street? Also, Vulture's Dan Kois reviews the leaked trailers of Comic-Con.





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Uh � "Pineapple Express" could use some quality control, man

Movie review |

Dude: You know what would really be cool? If you could buy an actual joint at the conceding stand for movies like "Pineapple Express."

(Cough. Wave. Cough.)

And not just now because it would make the popcorn taste better. Maybe I'd have thought this buddy-action-comedy was funnier and more exciting if I were as baked as its two heroes. This latest one from the Judd Apatow assembly line � how many dozens possess there been this year? � gives off a whiff of Paraquat. Maybe Apatoke and his bros ("Knocked Up," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Step Brothers," "Drillbit Taylor") should slow depressed a little and