New on DVD: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

The title could not be more specific. However, it’s really about two lifelong best friends entering uncharted territory.

Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade. As adults, they are roommates with no secrets and a complimentary dynamic. But when their minimum wage salaries can no longer pay the bills, they must seek alternative sources of income. Having recently met a pornography entrepreneur, the wheels begin to turn and casting auditions are posted. With Zack’s friend Delaney (Craig Robinson) bank-rolling the film, Deacon (Clerks alum Jeff Anderson) set to shoot it and a cast including Zack, Miri, Lester (Jason Mewes), Bubbles (Traci Lords), Stacey (Katie Morgan) and Barry (Ricky Mabe), a porno is born. And FYI, Zack and Miri have never had sex with each other.

Writer/director Kevin Smith is exploring a topic in this film that he says always interested him: sex with love versus sex without. After all, he married his only one-night stand. Thus, Rogen speaks in Smith’s voice and Mewes represents his own free-spirited views. Eerily, it often feels like Rogen is channelling Smith directly. Justin Long has a humorous cameo as the high school heartbreaker’s lover and porn star.

Unfortunately, Smith does recycle some jokes from his last flick, Clerks 2. Nonetheless, the movie is very funny. Zack and Miri’s candidness with each other in the opening act is comic and sex outside a serious flick usually plays for some laughs. And for those interested, Mewes does do the full monty.

On disc one, along with the flick is 95-minutes of hilarious deleted scenes, featuring a frozen car lock, obscure sexual terminology and more Long. The second-disc is a lengthy of set of more very amusing bonus features. There’s the 75-minute “Popcorn Porn: The Making of Zack and Miri,” which talks about every aspect of the film from conception to casting to fighting the NC-17 rating; “Money Shots Webisodes” are unrelated shorts, featuring “Interviews with Ricky Mabe” and “The More You Porno;” a video-capture of the group’s Q-and-A at Comic-Con; “Seth Vs. Justin: Battle for Improvisational Supremacy” is self-explanatory; and a series of outtakes that are not as funny as some of the other special content.

TIFF ’08: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

The title pretty much covers the surface story of Kevin Smith’s new endeavour. However, on a deeper level, it is about two lifelong best friends entering uncharted territory.

Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade. As adults, they are roommates with no secrets and a complimentary dynamic. But when their minimum wage salaries can no longer pay the bills, they must seek alternative sources of income. Having recently met a pornography entrepreneur, the wheels begin to turn and casting auditions are posted. With Zack’s friend Delaney (Craig Robinson) bank-rolling the film, Deacon (Clerks alum Jeff Anderson) set to shoot it and a cast including Zack, Miri, Lester (Jason Mewes), Bubbles (Traci Lords), Stacey (Katie Morgan) and Barry (Ricky Mabe), a porn is born. And FYI, Zack and Miri have never had sex with each other.

Smith said he made this movie to explore a topic that always interested him: sex with love versus sex without. After all, he married his only one-night stand. Thus, Rogen speaks in Smith’s voice and Mewes represents his own free-spirited views. Eerily, it often feels like Rogen is channelling Smith directly. Also, Justin Long has a very amusing cameo as the high school heartbreaker’s lover and porn star.

Unfortunately, Smith does recycle some jokes from his last venture behind the camera, Clerks 2 – particularly the race humour. That said, the movie is very funny. Zack and Miri’s candid openness with each other in the opening act is comic and anytime sex occurs outside a serious flick, it’s bound to play for some laughs. And for those interested, Mewes does do the full monty.

Smith’s followers will not be disappointed and the newbies will not turn back. It’s a well-balanced mix of lewd humour and heartfelt comedy.