Sunday, April 26, 2009

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri (played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) are two childhood friends living together in a less-than-pleasant apartment outside of Pittsburgh. They both have low level jobs and struggle to pay the bills, so when their power and water are turned off they don't know where to turn. Losing their utilities the day of their high school reunion proved fortuitous though after having a chance meeting with a gay porn star that just happens to be "dating" the old quarterback and childhood tormentor of Miri. This run-in helped them come to the realization that the best chance for them to get out of their financial turmoil was to cross a line most would never dare... make a porno and sell it to their old high school classmates. So, the recruit a friend with some extra cash to fund cameras and costumes and hold auditions for other "actors" to fill out the cast of Star Whores (it's what you think it is). Nobody said that this would be an easy endeavor though, and consumating a 20-year friendship is bound to have interesting results. So let's see how well they fared...

Original Release: 2008
Running Time: 101 minutes
Hardee-Har-Har - $1
It's a funny movie, as you would expect, but I have to admit that it wasn't as funny as I expected it to be. Don't take that as a sign that you shouldn't see it because if you like Seth Rogan or Kevin Smith then I definitely think you should... it just wasn't quite as funny as I was hoping based on the involvement of those two guys.

Acting - $1
Anybody that goes into this expecting Oscar-level acting should get up from the computer right now, get a tall glass of water and use it to take their crazy pills. But, considering the supporting cast's resumes I have to admit that it wasn't that crappy. So I will be generous here and give it a dollar.

Repeat Play - $0
This might be a little harsh, but I don't know how regularly I am going to watch this one. I've watched it twice since getting it but the main reason for the second viewing was that there was too much time between the original and this attempt at reviewing it. So, I had to put it on again to make sure I remembered everything. Unless someone I'm hanging out with wants to watch it, it will probably be a long time before it makes it into my player again. Sorry Kevin and Seth... better luck next time.

Hello Ladies - $1
Maybe its because I'm a "girl next door" kind of guy, but I can't give this one two bucks. Porn celebrities Traci Lords and Katie Morgan both have supporting roles, but at this point seeing Katie Morgan naked is on par with seeing Grimace on a Happy Meal box - sure it was cool at first, but by now nobody even notices. Elizabeth Banks is a lovely specimen, but its just not enough to get more than a dollar here.

Romantics - $1
Despite the strong sexual context of the title and plot, there is a love story underneath it all. Two life-long friends that have never been able to see each other as more suddenly realize how much they care about each other beyond the platonic sense. Being a card carrying member of the Friend Zone Hall of Fame myself, I couldn't help but relate... but I think we all know how unrealistic this is - beyond the whole "making a porn" thing too.
Total Rating: $4 (ouch)

Despite the low rating, Zack and Miri Make a Porno isn't really all that bad. Let me make a few suggestions though... don't watch this on a date, unless that date is with someone you've been seeing for a long time and you know for a fact that they won't find it weird or gross. I'm not telling you this from experience (thankfully) but more in a "man am I glad I didn't see this on a date" kind of way that I feel compelled to share. Don't say I didn't warn you. Oh, and there's also at least one penis shot here, just as a heads up. I forgot to warn people about that in the Forgetting Sarah Marshall review so I thought I would mention it here.

(Be warned that some parts of the trailer aren't really safe for work... depending on where you work, of course.)

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