Summit Entertainment recently send us over some stills and the official for the upcoming Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen comedy-drama "50/50". The film is directed by Jonathan Levine, who previously directed "The Wackness" and "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane", which still hasn't received distribution here in the states. The film also co-stars Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston. "50/50" hits theaters in the US on September 30th.
For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at:http://50-50TheMovie.com
Plot Synopsis:
Inspired by personal experiences, 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humor in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis. Rogen also serves as producer, along with Evan Goldberg and Ben Karlin. Jonathan Levine directs from a script by Will Reiser. "We worked with Will on Da Ali G show, and it was shortly after that we learned he was sick." Rogen recalls. "As shocking, sad, confusing and generally screwed up as it was; we couldn't ignore that because we were so ill-equipped to deal with the situation, funny things kept happening. Will got better, and when he did, we thought the best way to pull something good out of the situation was to get him to write a screenplay. Ideally we wanted to make a film that would be as funny, sad, and hopefully as honest as the experience we went through. As soon as the script was completed, it quickly became a passion project for all of us. It helped us come to terms with Will's struggle as well as our own experiences." 50/50 is the story of a guy's transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health. 50/50 draws its emotional core from Will Reiser's own experience with cancer and reminds us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers.
Screening Information:
Monday September 12th
Ryerson
6:00pm
Toronto, Canada
Tuesday September 13th
AMC 7
2:00pm
Toronto, Canada
"50/50": Official Trailer
Universal Pictures recently announced that "Paul", which stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wigg and Seth Rogan, will be landing on DVD and Blu-Ray Shelfs on August 9th.
Press Release:
One tiny alien makes for big, big trouble in the comedy adventure Paul, coming to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD August 9, 2011, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Both versions will feature the theatrical movie, as well as an unrated version of the film, not shown in theaters. The film and its unrated version will also be available day and date for digital download and video on demand. Paul reunites Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) as two sci-fi geeks on a pilgrimage to America's UFO heartland, where they accidentally encounter an alien who sends them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.
Written by Pegg and Frost, Paul boasts a star-studded cast that features Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet, Knocked Up) as the voice of Paul, Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Jason Bateman (Hancock), Kristen Wiig (Date Night, Knocked Up), Jane Lynch ("Glee"), Bill Hader (Pineapple Express), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development") and Blythe Danner (Little Fockers). Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad), Paul comes loaded with in-depth, behind-the-scenes features, bloopers, filmmaker and cast commentary and more, to take viewers on a comical journey behind the making of this critically hailed film.
The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack will include a Blu-ray and DVD copy of the unrated and theatrical versions of the film. Additionally, for a limited time only, the Combo Pack also includes a digital copy of the unrated film that can be viewed anytime, anywhere on an array of digital devices. Blu-ray ™ consumers can also access MY MOVIES™, an exclusive feature that allows consumers to stream a bonus movie instantly to their television through any Internet-connected Blu-ray ™ player via BD-Live™ or to their Smartphone and iPad™ using the free pocket BLU™ app. The bonus movie offer will be available for a limited time only. Visit www.universalhidef.com for more details.
BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK:
Between the Lightning Strikes: The Making of Paul
Behind the Scenes Featurettes:
RV Doorway: The Cast of Paul On-Location —The cast is just as funny off-screen as they are in front of the camera.
Runway Santa Fe: An Interview with Nancy Steiner—Follow Nancy Steiner, the costume designer, as she chooses hilarious T-shirts and wardrobe for the cast.
Smithereens—Blowing up a house on location causes excitement among the cast.
5th Date Level Direction: The Cast on Greg Mottola—The cast talks about the fun of working with Mottola, who also directed Superbad.
Mexico Zero: The Locations of Paul—Mexico Zero is the nickname the cast gives to New Mexico, where the majority of filming was done for Paul.
The Many Pauls—To create Paul, the filmmakers used all the tricks of the trade, from capturing Seth Rogen's facial expressions and movements, to using a child dressed up as an alien while on-set.
Paul: The Musical—The cast joins together for an impromptu musical version of the film.
The Traveler Beagle— A look at all the different RVs used on the set of Paul, from fully functioning vehicles to a mock-up on a Hollywood soundstage.
BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more.
pocket BLU™: The groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPhone®, iPod® touch, Android™, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player. Also available on the iPad®, owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket BLU™ made especially to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket BLU™ offers advanced features such as:
Advanced Remote Control—A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
Video Timeline—Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
Mobile-To-Go—Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles—Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™ Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard—Entering data is fast and easy with your device's intuitive keyboard.
BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD:
Bloopers
The Evolution of Paul—An inside look at how Paul became a living, breathing alien.
Simon's Silly Faces—Simon Pegg makes an assortment of wildly funny faces for the camera.
Who the Hell is Adam Shadowchild? —Find out about the legendary sci-fi writer from the characters in Paul.
Feature Commentary with Greg Mottola, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Hader and Nira Park
Photo Galleries, Storyboards and Posters
SYNOPSIS
For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smartass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. As two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.
Universal Pictures recently released the official trailer and poster for upcoming Simon Pegg and Nick Frost comedy "Paul", which is directed by Greg Mottola.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes. Paul is directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola, from a story by Pegg & Frost. Joining the comedy’s cast are Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Joe Lo Truglio, John Carroll Lynch, David Koechner, Sigourney Weaver and Seth Rogan as Paul.
"Paul" hits theaters on March 18th.
For more Information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: www.whatispaul.com
"Paul": Official Trailer
George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a wildly successful stand-up comedian turned comedic actor. Since George is miserable, perhaps that is why he just keeps making people laugh. But now, George has just been diagnosed with a rare blood disease similar to leukemia. Now more than ever, George needs to make someone laugh.
A bit lost with how to react, George dutifully takes his experimental medications and tries to assess his life leading up to that moment. When George sees how alone he is, he heads back to his stand-up roots. George’s reemergence is a dark surprise to those who witness his first set in five years. For Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) who must perform after his set, it is an event that one must comment on. There is no one a comedian loves to joke about more than another comedian. When George bombs, Ira, like any comedian, is genetically predisposed to comment on the train wreck.
Comedians are a competitive group by nature and love to talk shit about one another. When Ira meets George just after ridiculing his performance, George compliments his set and drives off. While Ira returns to his life of watching his friends find success in comedy while he watches from the pull out couch, George returns to his lonely life. Hoping to take charge of his life, George calls Ira and hires him to write jokes and act as his personal assistant. While Ira helps George clean out all the material possessions of his life, he also helps him get back on his feet both physically and emotionally.
In reviewing his life, George learns just how miserable his is and dwells on the past. Hoping to regain some of what he lost, George reconnects with his old loves: comedy and ex-girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann).
“Funny People” is a perfect portrait of the world of comedians. In a profession that requires so much laughter to succeed, you seem to see a lot of anger and self loathing. Comedians are generally all at once the least confident and most ballsy of people. They thrive on being broken down and breaking down one another. It is a strange and fascinating world, but it is probably not as amusing to most people as it is for me.
Sandler is brilliant as George Simmons and underplays the character just enough so that although you like George, you still know he is deeply flawed underneath. Rogen holds his own as Ira, and he gives a reliable performance for Sandler to play off of. Although Ira is supposed to be the nice guy, you can not help but wonder if he too has the capacity to become George someday. Maybe life with George can change that future, but if he truly is like George, it will be a hell of a battle to avoid it. The rest of the cast is a great collection of cameos and supporting performances, but ultimately it is the humor that is the main character.
I personally love a good drama with a heavy sprinkling of comedy. Life is more like that than any other movie genre. What I love about this movie is the feeling that although this is fiction, there is still genuineness there. Clearly Judd Apatow was connected to this project on a personal level and that only elevates the direction and the performances.
There is plenty of humor in this movie, but not all of it is from the stand-up. In fact, some of the biggest and funniest moments are the ones in the lives of the characters. Though everything will eventually make its way to the jokes on the stage, it is always the actual moments that are the most special. What this movie manages to do is show those moments in an honest way. It isn’t always a pretty thing, but it is very real. Though a comedian’s joke might be a second generation telling of a story, this movie manages to make it feel like it is the first.
For all the criticism of the lack of realism in Apatow’s films (i.e. Heigl dating Rogen), I have always found that the emotions of Apatow’s films are truer than most writers working today. Maybe it is because I love people who use humor as readily as they breathe, or maybe it is just because Apatow knows how to bring out an emotional response with his work. Whatever the reason, I found this movie to be one of the better written and directed movies I have seen this year.
I was recently reading an article in the Los Angeles Times which had an interview with Jody Hill, the writer/director of the recently released “Observe and Report.” Reading it was the best preparation I got for watching the movie, as the trailers made it look like the typical Judd Apatow produced, Seth Rogen starring comedy. However, director Hill didn’t really see it as a comedy, and he said that the term “dark comedy” didn’t really apply to the film the way he envisioned it. Hell, even Seth Rogen went out of his way to call the film a “dangerous comedy.” I never would have guessed that from the trailers which made the film seem like you’re average formulaic comedy that I was more or less interested in seeing. I should have seen it coming that it was not going to be what I expected it to be when I realized that Judd Apatow had nothing to do with it.
If you’re thinking “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” redux, you’re dead wrong. At least, that’s what I have heard. I never bothered seeing the movie, and I don’t think I missed all that much as a result. With “Observe and Report,” you need to go in expecting “Taxi Driver” or “One Hour Photo” as if they were comedies. This is a very black comedy, we’re talking Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” black. It touches on several ever so touchy subjects such as drug abuse, date rape, alcoholism, delusional, and racial stereotypes among others. It is also proof that comedy can be mined out of places and subjects that you would never expect to find it. Jody Hill and Seth Rogen have proven here that have a large pair of cojones on them as they take big risks with their subject matter and come out of it with many moments that are frickin’ hilarious. It says a lot about this movie that it can break taboos, most likely offend you, and still have you laughing your ass off at the same time.
Seth Rogen stars in the movie as Ronnie Barnhardt, the head of Forest Ridge mall security. From the start, we can clearly see that this is a guy with a few screws loose. Along with his fellow mall cops, he laments the fact that none of them are allowed guns on the job (a montage shows how sharp they are at shooting targets in the most uncomfortable of nether regions). Ronnie is a hero in his own mind, and no one takes the job of what is essentially a “rent a cop” position as seriously as him. Ronnie also longs to join the police force, but he is kept from being accepted due to his bi-polar illness which he treats with the typical medication that Scientologists cannot stand. This is not your typical Seth Rogen character where you wonder if and when he will get the girl. Instead, you wonder if this guy is going to have a psychotic break and end up killing someone before it is too late.
Ronnie’s mission in life, however, becomes crystal clear to him when a flasher ends up exposing himself to the girl he has a total crush on, makeup counter employee Brandi (Anna Faris of “Scary Movie” fame). So distraught she is after this attack that Ronnie makes it his mission to catch the flasher before he can come at her again. But then the local police department gets involved in the form of Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta at his overplaying best), and Ronnie sees this as a threat to his mission. The way Ronnie sees it, this is his case and no one else’s. To let the local police take over like they should would be to give up control of his territory, that being the mall. Paul Blart may have taken his job as a mall cop seriously, but he has got nothing on Ronnie Barnhardt. Absolutely nothing!
For Seth Rogen, this movie represents a very sharp change of place for him. Through movies like “Knocked Up” and “Zack & Miri Make a Porno,” he has perfected the role of lovable loser to the point where it was like you could not see him in any other role. This usually results in a career that starts big and then ends up crashing far beneath the earth’s surface. I was hoping to see him play some other role because I found him to be one of the funniest actors to be a breakout star in the longest time, and I was in no mood to see him crash and burn. With his role in “Observe and Report,” Rogen finally breaks out of his comfort zone to play someone that is anything but lovable. Seth also never plays the role just for laughs which is a major plus. As Ronnie Barnhardt, he manages to find the heart of this delusional character, and he keeps the audience up with him even as his mental state continues to get worse. Seth even makes you come to care about Ronnie even when it looks like he is about to erupt Travis Bickle style.
Among the supporting cast in “Observe and Report” is, of all people, Michael Pena. As Dennis, Ronnie’s second in command and best friend, Pena also goes against type to play a role that we have never see him in before. For the last few years, he has proven to be the most dependable of supporting actors in dramatic movies like “Crash,” “Shooter,” and “World Trade Center” to name a few. As Dennis, he ends up stealing scenes from Seth Rogen as his character ends up taking directions that you never expect him to take in the film. The moment where you see him posing on the down escalator like he is some badass is one of the funniest moments in the movie. This is an inspired performance by Pena, and he serves (however briefly) as Ronnie’s conscience when he sees that Ronnie is taking himself WAY too seriously. Dennis’ methods of loosening up Ronnie, however, are anything but safe and legal.
Another inspired performance to be found in “Observe and Report” is from Celia Weston, and she plays Ronnie’s alcoholic mother who still lets her son live under her roof even when he is well into his 30’s. There is no doubt of how much Celia’s character loves her son even in the most inebriated state, and it leads to where she tells one of Ronnie’s fellow mall cops of how she slept with his friends while he was in high school. This could have been a cruel and clichéd character but Celia makes it a lot more than that.
You also have to give a lot of credit to Anna Faris who proves that she is not afraid of going to extreme lengths to get laughs. Throughout the movie, she never tries to sweeten her character up like many actresses would have. Her character of Brandi will easily remind you of all those spoiled rotten bitches you had the misfortune of going to high school with all those years ago. Right now, she is proving to be one of cinema’s most valuable comic actresses with this and “The House Bunny” among other flicks. Many may hate the way her character is treated in the movie, but to a large extent, Brandi brings a lot of it on herself. Like Seth and Jody, Anna does not shy away from the unpleasant extremes of her role.
Then there is Ray Liotta, who will always be best remembered for his performance as Henry Hill in “GoodFellas.” Ever since that movie, Liotta has turned in some great work, but more often than not, he plays parts that force him to overact to an embarrassing extent. But for once, that over the top Liotta we have come to know fits perfectly into this blackest of comedies. As Detective Harrison, Liotta is the perfect counterpoint to Rogen’s mentally unhinged mall cop. His strait-laced character has his shit together, but that doesn’t necessarily make him all that much better. One of the movie’s best moments has him taking Ronnie Barnhardt on a ride along which ends with him stranding Ronnie on a bad corner with a bunch of crack head drug dealers. How Ronnie ends up handling these dealers is something I would prefer not to spoil for you. Just when you think you know where the scene is going, Jody and Seth pull the rug right out from under you.
Another really nice performance here is from Collette Wolfe who plays Nell, an employee at the mall’s coffee shop who is somewhat hindered by her leg being in a cast. While Brandi really wants nothing to do with Ronnie, Nell pines for him every time he comes to get his cup of coffee. She also has to deal with an unsympathetic boss (“Ratatouille’s” Patton Oswalt of all people) who picks on her whenever given the opportunity. She is a sweet presence in an otherwise nasty movie that seeks to make you uncomfortable and laugh at the same time. For a moment, I thought this would turn into another tale of unrequited love a la “Rules of Attraction,” but Collette’s character gives Ronnie the emotional grounding he DESPERATLEY needs.
Jody Hill’s biggest success with “Observe and Report” doesn’t lie in just the laughs he will get from the audience, but it lies in the fact that Jody and the actors never just play everything just for laughs. There is no winking at the camera in this film. The actors don’t play it completely straight in this movie, but they take their roles seriously and never appear as if they all know they are in a movie. If they did, the movie would not be anywhere as effective.
Hill’s breakthrough directorial effort was the movie “The Foot Fist Way” which also served as the breakthrough for Danny McBride who went on to appear in “Pineapple Express” and “Tropic Thunder” (he has a cameo in this movie as well). It is clear that Hill revels in the portrait of people who live in their own world and who are oblivious to what the world thinks of them. What Hill does here is ballsy to say the least. It makes me want to see the other work he has done thus far, and to see what he plans to make next.
“Observe and Report” also serves as a biting satire of the mall culture that serves as the movie’s setting. It ends up being symbolic of the melting pot that is the
This movie also continues the current trend started with movies like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” of showing the penis in all its tiny glory. The audience I saw it with seemed more shocked by the “throbbing python of love” (as Robin Williams once described it) than they were with Seth Rogen’s character with a gun in his hand, and hitting his targets so precisely on the shooting range. After all these years, American audiences still prove to be an unknowingly hypocritical bunch, finding ourselves more comfortable with the sight of a gun than we do with the appearance of a sexual organ presented for all to see.
Suffice to say, not everything in the movie works perfectly. The ending where Ronnie defends his place in the mall falls a little flat, this despite the use of Queen’s music from “Flash Gordon” (hail to the Queen indeed). Granted, the mix of comedy and action and violence is a tricky road, and it works to a certain point in this film. However, it is a shaky road that is bound to have some inescapable potholes.
Still, when all is said and done, “Observe and Report” is indeed a comedy with big cojones that cannot be easily ignored, and which is anything but average. Jody Hill is the first director I have seen since the Farelly brothers to tackle sensitive subjects and still come up with a lot of laughs despite all that. Hill’s daring with the character that really has no business being a cop of any kind is a bold comedy move that pays off thanks to the performance of Seth Rogen. With this role, Seth proves that there is more to him than playing all lovable losers.
You were warned, “Observe and Report” is not a movie for all tastes. But for those who are willing to travel a darkly comic path, there is much to find in this crazy film that dares to imagine a Travis Bickle-like character as a funny person despite himself. Do not say that you weren’t warned.
*** out of ****
“I’d rather have my son watch a movie with two people making love rather than two people trying to kill one another.”
But anyway, enough with the rant, and on with the review! “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” is the latest movie from Kevin Smith, and the first movie he has made that takes place outside of New Jersey. It takes place in Pittsburgh where we follow the exploits of the title characters who share an apartment, and who have been the best of friends since they were kids. Right now, their lives are hanging by a thread as they are behind on all their bills, and soon lose their water and electricity. Both work at a Starbucks like shop called “Bean n’ Gone” where they waste their lives away like those two guys from the “Clerks” movies. Sound like anyone you know?
The two end up going to their high school reunion where Miri ends up connecting to her biggest crush, football hero Bobby Long (“Superman Returns’” Brandon Routh), in the hopes of having a nice little fling. She has yet to find that Bobby doesn’t “swing that way.” This soon becomes clear as we see Zack talking with Bobby’s boyfriend, Brandon (Justin Long is frackin’ hilarious). Brandon soon reveals to Zack that he is in fact an actor in gay porno films, the stuff that Zack doesn’t quite fit the demographic for.
Later on, when both Zack and Miri are in very dire straits, Zack comes up with the idea of the two of them doing a porno. Miri is not quite up to the idea, but the way Zack sees it, porno is now so mainstream that even Paris Hilton (albeit unintentionally) did one and now hawks her own line of perfume to “tweens.” They end up committing to it despite one thing; they have never had sex with each other. The way they saw it beforehand was that they get along so great that they both sex will just get in the way of the friendship they have a la “When Harry Met Sally.” Of course, you can’t help but get the feeling that Zack would love an opportunity to get up close and personal with Miri, you know?
There’s this line from “Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones” that keeps floating around in my head of when Anakin meets up with Padme again and tells her how she has grown more beautiful. Padme replies:
“Anakin, you’ll always be that little boy I remember from Tatooine.”
I totally remember the audiences groaning after she said that. Ooooh, diss! That line kind of sums up the relationship between Zack and Miri, and we feel we have a pretty good idea of where their relationship will end up at.
Zack is played by Judd Apatow superstar Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” and “Pineapple Express”) who now seems to be Kevin Smith’s new man crush since Ben Affleck doesn’t even have a part in this. Seth is perfect for this role in handling the raunchy and profane material of the movie, and at the same time easily projecting a sweet side to his character that wins the audience over. Elizabeth Banks (“W.”) plays Miri who stays close to Zack throughout their hardships, and who spends nights with Zack in front of a trash can that is burning with all their unpaid bills. The chemistry between these two is very good, and they plan off of each other really well. Both are a lot of fun to watch here.
In addition, Smith has rounded out a great cast to keep the laughs going throughout this ode to porn. Some of the Kevin Smith regulars here like Jason Mewes (the Jay of Jay and Silent Bob) who plays Lester, and he wants to be a porn star being as hopelessly dense as he is. Another Smith regular here is Jeff Anderson (the immortal Randal Graves from “Clerks”) who plays Deacon the cameraman. How he manages to get a movie out of all this insanity is beyond me.
Kevin even goes out of his way to even cast actual porno stars in the movie. The most noticeable here is Katie Morgan who has been featured on some documentaries on HBO about her career (how I know this, I refuse to reveal). She is as perky here as she is on those interviews, and her cheerful presence here is kind of a surprise compared to other actresses in her line of work. Traci Lords is also here, and she shows us an amazing new way to blow bubbles. A former porn actress herself, she has since escaped into the bad taste escapades of John Waters and delightfully so. Both of the actresses being in this movie should show just how mainstream porno is getting, and of how much that scares conservatives to death.
But one of the truly scene stealing performances in this movie belongs to Craig Robinson who plays the producer of the porno, Delaney. Craig is a big kick to watch here as he delivers his lines in a terrifically deadpan manner. At once disgusted at what he is hired to do, he suddenly becomes incredibly enthusiastic when he realizes he gets to do. Delaney also has a pretty hilarious response to when he is asked to work “Black Friday.” Some people take things a little too literally.
Kevin has a lot of fun here skewering the porn films we know from our past but never really admit to knowing. Zack and Miri end up coming up with the title “Star Whores” for their porno. This goes into how so many of these pornos are named after Hollywood blockbusters. See if any of these remind you of anything (some of these I made up):
“Pulp Friction”
“Robocock”
“The Hard Knight”
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Boner” (Justin Long’s character could easily be cast in this one.)
Smith directs this movie to those who are more familiar with pornos than they would ever care to admit. It’s also an ode to when he started as a filmmaker all those years ago with “Clerks.” Using a hockey stick as a boom mike holder? You can believe that Smith used things like this to get his movie done.
The movie is not as consistently funny as some of his other movies like “Clerks” or “Dogma” among others. Like “Jersey Girl,” it follows a certain formula to where we pretty much know where the story is going to end up. At the same time, Smith gleefully skewers that formula by adding his own brand of raunchy humor. There was one moment I laughed my ass off so much that I literally almost passed out. I say that a lot, but this time I am serious. I fell over, the color went out of my eyes for a second, and things got fuzzy. That’s how hard I was laughing. I refuse to spoil that moment for you, but I will say that I will never look at cake frosting the same way ever again.
Kevin Smith also makes clear the difference between having sex and making love. You clearly see the difference at a pivotal moment in the movie, and it changes everything for the characters, There’s the one nighter, and then there’s the sex that reveals true feelings and that is more than just extraordinary. I may not be an expert on the subject just yet, but I know that much. Smith, after all these years, still gives us down to earth characters which shows he has not come even close to forgetting where he came from.
“Zack and Miri Make a Porno” may not be the best movie of Kevin Smith’s career, but it definitely has its moments of utter hilarity. It also shows that there is more to his movies than New Jersey. By making a break from his usual comic territory, we can and should expect him to go beyond his comfort zone for a good dose of naughty laughs filled with heart.
You keep kicking ass Kevin Smith!
*** out of ****
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Year: 2008
Director: Kevin Smith
Studio: The Weinstien Company
Stars: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 101 Mins
This is truly one of the best years for the comedy genre, as you have films like “Slippery Slope”, “Be Kind Rewind” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” being so funny and entertaining, along with comedies like “Get Smart” and "Tropic Thunder" being better than expected. Now comes Kevin Smith’s latest film “Zack and Miri Makes a Porno”.
The film is about two roommates and lifelong friends, Zack and Miri, who are running out of money, when the basic utilities in their apartment were shut down. Soon, the two come up with the bright idea to make a homemade porno in order to raise the money in which they owe. They begin to enlist their friends into helping them with this project. During this project, they vow that sex wouldn’t change their friendship with one another. But, soon the two begin to discover that there is more to them, as their project turns into something more than their friendship.
If you had to ask me a question on the spot, to who were my three favorite directors, I would say Guillermo Del Toro, Quentin Tarantino, and now I would add Kevin Smith to that list as my third favorite director, after watching this film and “Clerks 2”. He has captured the same level of great directing that he has had in previous films such as “Clerks” and “Dogma”.
"Zack and Miri Make a Porno” was a laugh out loud riot. This film is a great follow-up to “Clerks 2”. Kevin Smith direction was very good, as he pulls off all the stops while 
staying in the R rating guideline given the subject matter of the film. The film was filmed very well, as mixes the traditional methods of filmmaking with the methods that are used in adult films. Smith mixes both of those methods to give a viewer a side of what adult filmmaking is like. What makes this film so good was his editing. Smith does a good job making the story move along to the point where the ending of the film (which I’ll talk about more in a minute) had that abrupt feel to it, as I was thinking there was more to the story. It’s a good thing, because if it went on, for another ten minutes or so, the ending would have drag on. Also, it would have ruined the flow of the film, as it was perfect. This film is his best editing job yet.
The acting was very good here. Smith does a good job with his actors, as the acting was the best part of the film. It’s amazing how both Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks were very good with their performances. One of the things that made their performances very good was the fact they had great chemistry onscreen. They also gave their character’s interesting and funny quirks. It helped me, be invested in their characters and in the film’s story. The film also has a very good supporting cast, which includes Craig Roberson, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Katie Morgan and Traci Lords. It makes this film, very fun to watch.
Smith screenplay was also very good, as this is one of his best. He goes a good job balancing all the sex comedy aspects with some maturity, as this is not your run of the mill, allout sex comedy. I liked in all of the sex comedy nonsense he doesn't get too carried away with the sex and grossout humor. He does that by focusing on the relationsh
ip and friendship of the two main characters. This works very well because I was into the flow of the film where the all the characters were totally likeable. The other thing that I thought Smith did very well was with the ending of the film. If this screenplay was done by a hack, the ending would have been totally different because you would have had needless information, because at the point of the film’s ending, you assume that it’s going to happen, which would have kept the movie going when it didn’t need to. It’s one of those films that deserve to have this abrupt ending. It works because I didn’t expect to end like that. It works perfectly with the flow of the film.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is truly one of the year best comedies and proves why Kevin Smith is one of the masters of comedy.
Review Rating: Five Stars
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring:
Seth Rogen
James Franco
Danny McBride
Craig Robinson
Gary Cole
Kevin Corrigan
Rosie Perez
Amber Heard
Bill Hader
Anybody who is familiar with me, knows that I have an unhealthy fascination with all things Apatow, so it should be no surprise to you that I loved this film. It could have been a little bit better, but I have no major complaints. It's just a hair below Knocked Up, Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I'd say it's right on par with the 40 Year-Old Virgin, but I'm willing to bargain that in the long run I will end up liking this one more. I plan on seeing it at least 2 or 3 more times before the year is over, which is a very good sign. So far I'd have to say it's my third favorite film of the year.
Please read Fred the Wolf's review if you haven't already. I mentioned him more in the first version of my video, but it was like 20 minutes long, so I had to cut a lot of shit out. Oh yeah, that's right, I did a video review. The latest version is only about ten minutes and if you want to hear what else I thought about the movie, I'd appreciate it if you could give it a look-see. The good news is that I got a new, fancy microphone for my computer. The bad news is that I forgot to change the settings on my video recorder to recognize this mic, so the recording still isn't that great. But being that this is only the second video I've produced in my entire life, I think I did a decent enough job and I vow to keep getting better at it. Enough nonsensical babble. Here's the clip:
