Film review: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack & Miri @ IMDB

It's fair to say, despite the mauling he generally receives, Kevin Smith is an icon for a certain section of popular culture fanboys. Having made his fame maxing out his credit cards to make a film, he's become almost the inspiration for the geek chic culture.

One group of people he has influenced is the Judd Apatow stable of movies, who follow the Smith Template of lewdness and sentimentality.

Now this comes full circle with Zak & Miri Make a Porno which stars Seth Rogen, one of the ring leaders of the Apatow films. A slice of fried comedy gold?

Hmm.

The story is interesting: we have two best friends who are struggling financially, who decide that the best way to escape their woes would be to make a porn film. Naturally. But the issue of sex won't complicate the relationship. Will it?

So you can see where it's going to go but with Kevin Smith films the ride is generally more important. As you do get his usual snappy dialogue, some nice jokes and the sight of Jason Mewes' cock.

But why am I not that enthused?

In a weird way Seth Rogen is the problem. This is because the films he's made are (basically) Kevin Smith films but done better. They don't have the self indulgence that has been infecting Smith's films since Jersey Girl. They don't rely on a ridiculous level of sentimentality. And they don't chuck in stupid dance bits that should have been left in rubbish 1980s John Hughes films.

The reason why Kevin Smith films used to stand out is because no one was making films like he made them. But now people are the cracks are starting to show. What he needs to do now is a completely fresh break and work on something new. At least the original View Askewniverse movies had a surreal charm to them, but the films he's made outside of that just seem like re-treads but without the good bits.

Possibly a little harsh there. It's still a good film but there's so much potential going to waste.

In a word? Shame.

DVD Collections I Need to Get Round to Completing At Some Point

1) John Carpenter

Looking pretty good so far but missing Dark Star, Halloween, Prince of Darkness and Memoirs of An Invisible Man. You may mock that last one but I went to the cinema to see it and I liked it. The music is awesome.

Seriously.

2) Alec Baldwin

I've got The Royal Tennenbaums which has the excellent narration from The World's Greatest Actor, also Glengarry Glen Ross with Baldwin making The World's Greatest Ever Cameo. Not enough. I need to buy a copy of The Departed, rather then keeping my friend Ryan's copy (even though he has had my copy of Army of Darkness for at least 4 years). Also Team America as I'm almost 73% sure he did the voice for his own puppet in that. And The Shadow.

What?

3) Batman

Topical, this one. Haven't a single Batman film. Bit poor that. Roll on the Blu-Ray releases.

4) Kevin Smith

Looking at my shelves, shockingly light on Smith DVDs. I've got the US version of Mallrats with the great commentary, Dogma, Clerks Animated and Clerks 2 but no Chasing Amy, no original Clerks. My geek head is hung in shame.

5) Criterion

For those in the know, Criterion make the best DVDs. The best. And my sole Criterion DVD is the Beastie Boys Video Collection. Hard Boiled and Seven Samurai are two Criterion DVDs that are going to have to go on the list.

But, I hear you ask, why DVD when you have a PS3 that plays Blu-Rays? Simple: not of all these are out on Blu-Ray and they're cheaper on DVD anyway. And the PS3 upscales the DVDs to HD anyway so they look great on my ace new TV.

Not as great as The Fountain on Blu-Ray but great nonetheless.