The crass expression as funny as cancer could almost have been invented for Seth Rogen. The ball of geeky, self-aware but ultimately facile college humour whose work has nudged the periphery of fair, only to descend into the pits of plain awful. As such, 2011 has already been fairly indicative; having dragged Michel Gondry down to his level with 3D abomination The Green Hornet- which must have had Bruce Lee performing spinning kicks in his grave- only to salvage a modicum of respect with his faux-American Dad performance as the alien in Paul. However, while Gondry- pained at his ignominies- is now pursuing high-brow adaptations and documentaries about political philosophers, Rogen has decided to assault the notion of taste entirely with so-called cancer comedy, 50/50 (formely titled "I'm With Cancer" and "Live With It"). Now officially to be released in cinemas by Summit on September 30th, 50/50 is about a twenty-something diagnosed with cancer who decides to fight the disease with humour. Logically, one would assume, this wouldnt have gone to well, but the screenwriter, Will Reiser, is said to have gone through a similar experience in his real life. I think it is reasonable to assume that he didnt employ Seth Rogan in this metaphysical tussle or this would be a biopic rather than a biography; but the story has certain resonances with The Bucket List, the concept of which was similairly unfunny, and met with critical nauseousness, in spite of a gifted and earnest cast. Rogan, who also produces, is set to play the friend of the lead character depicted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and features a large host of industry names including Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Angelica Houston. The Wackness director Jonathan Levine helms a large collaborative production team has been assembled including Mandate Pictures, composer Michael Giacchino,Evan Goldberg and- of course- Rogen himself. Filming is set to be wrapped up at the end of March so expect Rogen to feature in a tolerable film sometime before its release, once again drawing in his career from the ever looming precipice of his own folly.