This Is the End: In Happy Endings, the sprawling star-studded indie-style opus from Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex), the ideal family gets twisted and pulled in every direction: lesbian mothers, dads who boff their son's girlfriends, brothers knocking up sisters, lonely women emotionally adopting sleazy young filmmakers. Our other Friend, Lisa Kudrow, is right in the middle of it all, surrounded by Tom Arnold, Laura Dern and a karaoke-belting Maggie Gyllenhaal. Team Megaplex caught Kudrow in a cuddly mood and asked her to be our mommy.

You get a lot of action in this movie. Are you disappointed you didn't get a big romantic moment with Tom Arnold?
But I did. We were swimming and kissing in the pool. I think I made out with everyone in the movie, except Maggie. And Laura. All right, not everybody.

Love zombies? This is your summer! Lurch to the theater to watch George A. Romero's Land of the Dead or the Aussie import Undead. Or, if you prefer blood sport served at home, rent: • Shaun of the Dead: Of the recent zombie movies, this is the best: smart, funny and enjoyably bloody. Plus, it's totally heartwarming. • 28 Days Later: It's the zombie movie for people who don't like zombie movies, mainly because it has a recognizable cast and seems like it actually had a budget. • Dawn of the Dead: Purists say see the original, but we're renting the recent remake in which the zombies move fast. • Braindead: Have you seen this funny zombie film by Peter Jackson in which a "rat monkey" bites a guy's mom and then she goes on a rampage? You should, if only for the ass-kicking preacher. • Resident Evil: Well, it's got that hot chick in it.

When Don Roos tells you he's written something just for you, how nice is that?
See, Don and Dan [Bucatinsky, his partner] and I would hang out, and my husband every Friday night. They'd come to a Friends taping, and we'd hang out in my dressing room. So, I knew what Don was doing. Then, when he was done to his point of satisfaction, he let me read it. And then it fell apart four times before it got made. So, it wasn't like, "I have something for you..." because there was also, in my mind, I know the way studios are, even for independent films. They still need a certain caliber of cast in order to get the film made, and I can't guarantee money back for a studio. So, I knew that just because Don wanted me to play it didn't mean that I'd get to.

But you're in your own TV show. Somebody thinks so.
Well, because I partnered up with Michael Patrick King (for The Comeback). See, I partner with certain people that they do trust. I'm not dumb.

We know you're a smart chick. How did you get known for playing a ditz?
Oh, because I'd played dumbasses a lot. On Mad About You, I played a very dumb waitress and the [Friends producers] saw me.

You have to be, like, a gazillionaire. Why do you still work?
Because I love what I do. And I wanted to try writing, so that was also the opportunity with The Comeback.

Are all directors as slimy as Jesse Bradford's Nicky in Happy Endings?
No, but he went to film school, so...

What do you sing when you do karaoke?
I don't do karaoke. That's not fun to me.

Do you watch Joey?
I love Matt, and I love Joey.

Will Phoebe go to L.A.?
I don't know, I haven't been asked. So, we'll see.