ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO reviewed

From joblo, I saw a test screening of ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO a few weeks ago in Albuquerque, NM (where Seth Rogan was filming OBSERVE AND REPORT). Both Rogan and director Kevin Smith were in the audience. The film was a fuckin' blast. And I say fuckin' because, like all great Kevin Smith tomes this baby has profanity, tits and chuckles for everyone in the family. The audience ate it up and had a blast.

The film follows Zack and Miri, two friends/roommates who are on the down and outs and resort to making porn with random "actors" to pay the rent. Initially the premise is a little ludicrous but it really works. Zack and Miri, played by Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks, are hilarious and perfect for their roles; Seth being the shlubby, desperate secret lover of Miri and Banks being a little bit of a bitch...in a good way! Yet the film really succeeds with the secondary characters, specifically the other "porn" actors and the porn's financier, Delaney, played by the great and highly-underrated comedian Craig Robinson ("The Office"), who gets a lot of the laughs in this film. The "porn" actors and crew include Kevin Smith regulars Jeff Anderson ("Clerks") and Jason Mewes ("Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"), in a rather surprising, albeit awesome role, as well as Traci Lords and real porn star Katie Morgan ("Spunk'd: The Movie", "Sex Trek: Where No Man Has Cum B4", and many other classics) in a real acting role, and she's actually quite good.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, and I won't, but I'll say that the film is a real crowd pleaser. It falls in line with the smart, raunchy yet heartfelt comedies, like "Knocked Up" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and truth is, it’s a breath of fresh air. Kevin Smith makes a balls-to-the-walls Kevin Smith comedy, without the in-jokes and movie trivia that alienated some of the more idiotic element of moviegoers. This film has the same broad appeal as the Judd Apatow films, with a Kevin Smith touch.

As to the MPAA push to cut the film's more sexual elements in order to retain an "R" rating, I don't know what cut I saw, but if it is the original, I see no changes needed. The film didn’t boast more tits, ass, vag, or otherwise than I've seen in, say, "Harold and Kumar Escape from..." or other comedies and to make any more cuts would be a sin. (Fuck you, MPAA)

Finally, after leaving the film and shaking hands with Kevin Smith himself (yes, I almost blew my load in my 501's), I thought of that douche that attempted to call out Kevin Smith at a Comic Con Q&A a while back, asking Smith when he was going to make a film that didn't rehash characters, storylines or actors. I hope that douche sees this film. He actually will probably enjoy himself. Or not. Nonetheless, he'll still be a douche.