ZACK
AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Starring:
Elizabeth Banks, Seth Rogen, Jason Mewes, Brandon Routh, Craig Robinson, Justin
Long, Jeff Anderson and Traci Lords
Writer/Director:
Kevin Smith
Running
Time:
101 mins
Out to buy on Blu-Ray/DVD 03/02/09 (Region 1)
"I love my job"
Lifelong friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) have hit hard times. Winter is really biting and they have had their gas and electric turned off. Not able to pay the rent or the bills Zack throws out a suggestion that is way out there but on reflection it might just work. With a crew gathered, the cast set and the sets built, all Zack and Miri have to be confident enough to star in a porno.
Kevin Smith leaves Jay and Silent Bob behind for the second time but can 'Zack and Miri make a Porno' be better than 'Jersey Girl'?
The last time indie cult writer/director Kevin Smith left his comfort zone of producing movies with his classic characters Jay and Silent Bob we got the complete disaster that was 'Jersey Girl'. When Smith moved away from his usual crude, rude but extremely funny to try and produce a more box office friendly movie that would appeal to a broader audience than just his legion of fans. When that failed to hit with this audience and even his fans, Smith returned to form with 'Clerks II' but while regaining all of his adoring fans adulation he still longed to appeal to a wider audience. With 'Zack and Miri make a Porno' he might just do that but also keep his core fans happy at the same time.
This time Kevin Smith has successfully mixed his outrageous sense of humour and his trademark crudity with a story that will appeal to a much larger audience that his usual demographic. Here we have two best friends who have fallen on hard times. They are behind on the rent and on the bills, with neither of them earning enough to get by but when they go to their high school reunion and run into their old classmate Bobby and his friend Brandon, Zack talks to the pair and discovers what they have been doing since they left high school, starting in gay adult movies. Learning that they earn buckets of money, Zack comes up with the idea of making his own adult video and thus solving all their money problems. When they gather together a crew, a cast and even write a script, when it comes down to actually performing to camera, their life long friendship might just change.
To appeal to both his hardened fans and to appeal to a new audience, Kevin Smith has brought in new cast members and some old favourites. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are no strangers to comedy, having been part of the Judd Apatow stable and they bring their own comedic skills to the party. As Zack and Miri, Rogen and Banks have not only skill with comedy but they can also sell the romance and the heart felt moments of the script. Justin Long and Brandon Routh also make a welcome addition to the cast, with Justin Long really have fun with his role as a gay porn star. Craig Robinson, also from the Apatow club, has fun as investor and director Delaney. Fans of Kevin Smith's earlier films are not forgotten however with Jeff Anderson, who will always be known as the immortal Randal Graves from 'Clerks' is good as cameraman Deacon and the legend that is Jason Mewes is brilliant as Lester, showing he can be more than just Jay.
With some genuine laugh-out-loud moments and a script that is both hilarious and touching in parts, 'Zack and Miri make a Porno' finally proves that Kevin Smith can make a movie that doesn't involve Jay and Silent Bob. While the comedy is still a little outrageous, this is certainly a movie that will appeal to a wider audience and one that you will not stop giggling about in a hurry.
PICTURE & SOUND
Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.
BONUS FEATURES
Disc 1
Deleted Scenes
(1hr 34.47 mins)
Watch forty-three detailed scenes that last almost as long as the movie. With
titles like 'Fugly Mook', 'Zack gets curious with Brandon St. Randy', 'Porn
names 1, 2, 2a, 3 and 4' and 'Bubbles' second Bubble', the lack of a commentary
on why these were removed is a little strange, especially for Kevin Smith.
Trailers
Previews of 'Kevin Smith Sold Out' and 'Clerks II'
Disc 2
Popcorn Porn:
The Making of Zack & Miri (1hr 14.52 mins)
Director Kevin Smith, producer Mosier and stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks,
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Craig Robinson, Ricky Mabe, Katie Morgan and Traci
Lords take you through, the casting, preproduction, production, postproduction
and the release of the movie. This is an excellent documentary into the making
of a Kevin Smith movie and an insight into low budget filmmaking.
Money Shots:
A Series of Webisodes (47.52 mins)
Twenty-two short behind the scenes featurettes that were released on the Internet
while the film was in production. Hilarious and informative, these featurettes
are a must watch for all fans of the movie.
Comic-Con 2008
(23.07 mins)
Writer/director Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier and stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth
Banks, Ricky Mabe, Justin Long, Katie Morgan, Traci Lords and Jason Mewes
are part of a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con. With questions from the fans
and very funny panel responses, this makes you wish you had attended.
Gang Bang: Outtakes,
Ad libs and Bloopers (12.58 mins)
Watch the cast and crew have fun on the set, make a hash of their lines and
mix it up a little between takes.
Seth vs. Justin:
Battle for Improvisational Supremacy - Part 1 (7.23 mins)
Watch Justin Long and Seth Rogen try and out improvise each other, with each
of them trying to make it other laugh first.
OVERALL
The two-disc DVD treatment for 'Zack and Miri make a Porno' is one that fans will rejoice in. With only the lack of a commentary track letting the package down, this is filled to he brim with featurettes, deleted scenes and a documentary that is excellent. A must buy for all Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen fans.
DVD
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