The Case for Adult Films

I have been a fan of Kevin Smith films for a long while now. Since Clerks, way back when, I have been along to almost every film he has put together (I was never quite brave enough to try and see Jersy Girl). So it was only natural that I had to go and see Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Having Seth Rogan as the titular Zack just added to the film's appeal (to me at least; his deadpan, baritone delivery almost always has me in hysterics), and in the end, I was not disappointed.

Sure, there were slow bits, and there were some bits that were so blatantly gross as to be unfunny. But, on the whole, Elizabeth Banks and the aforementioned Seth were incredibly amusing and engaging, and they carried me through the lows to the more frequent highs.

But they were not the star of the show. No, for me, the cameo by quintessential "geek" Justin Long, as porn star Brandon St. Randy, was definitely the best performance of the show. His insane descriptions of his and his boyfriend's sex life (especially in the "hidden extra" during the end credits) were completely over the top and delivered in a deep, gravelly voice I would not have thought him capable of producing. His boyfriend Bobby (played with hilarious silent suffering by new Supes Brandon Routh) was the perfect foil for St. Randy's over-elaborate descriptions of exactly what they saw in each other.

There were many other familiar faces in this flick, including some old Clerks stars, as well as a few from the 40 Year Old Virgin stable. The "best friends get together" story was fairly straight forward, but the dialogue lifted it from the usual while still keeping the characters sympathetic and likeable. Smith may not be the greatest director in the world, but he gets some great performances out of actors and his scripts always sparkle.

So, as you may be able to tell, I really enjoyed this movie. It hit all the right notes at just the right time. It also allowed me to experience Sky City's Cinema DeLuxe for the first time, and really, it was all worth it.

Verdict: Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a huge amount of fun with lots of great performances. not for everyone, but then, it's not really supposed to be. If you enjoy the absurd amongst some great dialogue and performances, then you will enjoy this. 9 Xs out of 10.