Zack and Miri Make a Porno: An autobiographical (of director Kevin Smith) tale, in part

Yes, this review is way late. I’m aware. The opportunity to discuss a Halloween movie on Halloween was too good to pass out. So here’s thoughts on Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
Safe Trailer Below


There was serious concern among many fans when Kevin Smith closed the book on his Askewniverse a second time with Clerks II. His previous venture outside those characters, Jersey Girl, was critically derided and made very little money at the box office, though some fans of his were more receptive than the mass audience (myself included).

So this latest venture certainly carries some concern for the veteran director, but this latest venture is far from those PG-13 laughs and family values in Jersey Girl. Zack and Miri Make a Porno sees Smith get back to his raunchy roots, but doesn’t lose his charm in that process.

There are a slew of in-jokes to Smith’s film-making history and the Pittsburgh film history (the film takes place and was shot there). The plot revolves around Zack and Miri, high school friends who live together, making a porno to scrap together cash. They end up shooting the movie where they work (Clerks. was shot in the convenience store where Smith worked) and they use a hockey stick to hold up the boom microphone, used to record dialogue (ditto Clerks.).

The Pittsburgh suburb Monroeville is where George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead is set, and Smith uses the same mall for one his scenes. He also names the men’s league hockey team Zack plays on the Monroeville Zombies, with jerseys showing a zombie horde. Make-up guru, director and actor Tom Savini (who worked with Romero and is friends with the director) also has a small appearance.



The biggest issue with the movie is its lack of quotable lines and scenes. While it’s really funny from beginning to end, it doesn’t come from quick snappy lines that you walk out of the theater yelling at each other. It’s a shame, because the movie is sharply written and quick moving, but there’s no quick hit lines that stick in your mind.

Trick R' Treat

Today we continue the series of mishandled movies – part of a continuing series, that although was called a 2-part series, may have other entries in the coming months (studios seem to do some regular bungling).

This time, in the spirit of Halloween (Happy Halloween everybody!) we’ll take a look at the in-limbo horror flick, Trick R’ Treat.

Now, I must confess, I have not seen this movie personally. And with that, I can’t personally endorse the movie the way I did for the woefully mistreated Sex Drive. I can, however, endorse the spirit and idea of new ideas in horror movies.

Since the tentpole Halloween film this year was the truly spectacular (end sarcasm) Saw 5, continuing the dismemberment and gore for another installment. Despite it’s tagline of “You have to see how it ends,” MTV’s current reality show Scream Queens is auditioning for a sixth segment – so I guess we’ll have to see what the ending truly holds.

Anyway, down to business – Trick R’ Treat. Not only does this movie have well-known cast members, such as Anna Paquin, the screenings that have been held around the country have all had rave reviews. There’s also a fantastic trailer (below).

Some have called it a horror version of Love Actually, since it’s a combination of storylines that are loosely tied together, but the similarities between the two certainly end there.

It simply makes no sense that this movie hasn’t found a home in theaters yet. Not only does the marketing campaign write itself (Do you really need a marketing degree to market a movie called Trick R’ Treat for a release on Halloween, which even falls on a Friday? Can we say no-brainer?).

Also, you’ve got Anna Paquin, currently starring in the acclaimed HBO drama True Blood, which isn’t exactly straight horror, but is about vampires. (Promo below – the show is excellent, by the way)

We just simply have another case of a major bumbling mistake here. This movie should be the horror movie tearing up the box office chart this week – not Saw 5.

How Movie Studios Mess Things Up, Part 1

In part one of a two part series on studio blunders, I’ll be taking a look at the latest raunchy comedy aimed at college students, Sex Drive.

Though the main cast is mostly unknowns – Clark Duke (known mostly for his web series with Michael Cera, and now for TV’s Greek), Josh Zuckerman (Lions for Lambs), Amanda Crew (John Tucker Must Die), they bolstered them by adding James Marsden and Seth Green to round out the supporting players.

However, this is all for naught in the end if the movie isn’t marketed right.
This isn’t a lame ripoff of Superbad, but the trailers and TV spots for the movie lead to conclusions like this. Constantly replaying Marsden’s line “She’s probably a guy!” not only becomes quickly repetitive, but it also misses the best of the jokes that Marsden makes to his younger brother.

Seth Green’s Ezekiel is left almost completely out of most of the TV spots, which is a shame, because he’s the funniest character in the movie.

It’s hard to translate R-rated comedy down to a trailer suitable for television, and its understandable that there would be trouble in changing Sex Drive to air on television, but the bigger issue here is the way the cuts change the feeling of the movie.

The scenes from Sex Drive that do make the trailer focus on the goofy scenes of Josh Zuckerman wearing a Mexican donut costume, which are not indicative of the kind of humor that pervades the movie. It’s not stupid gags based on a costume and keystone cops actions, it’s a movie that draws its humor from well-written characters who are able to fire back and forth with sharp quips.

It’s a shame that the film has been shown so poorly by the trailers, as it’s a truly funny movie that will probably get tossed by the wayside in this crowded release week.

Newman's Own Legacy

Tripp Laino
Movie Editor

Paul Newman was a Hollywood legend.

More than that, he was a great philanthropist, donating hundreds of millions of dollars to charity with his Newman’s Own line of sauces, dressings and other foods.

As an actor, Newman could shift to portray almost any sort of character. As Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he was the ultimate cool, always calm and collected, even when jumping off a cliff or avoiding gunfire.



Robert Redford is the Sundance Kid to Newman’s Cassidy, and the two have an unbelievable chemistry on screen. This isn’t surprising, as the two were great friends off-screen, but their portrayals in this film make it one of the best “buddy” movies ever made.

He could also be uproariously funny, as evidenced by his turn as player-coach Reggie Dunlop in Slapshot. The film paired Newman with a host of hockey misfits, portraying the life of a small-town, minor-league team.

It’s one of the best sports movies of all-time, always placing well in polls conducted on the subject. Newman’s character is incredibly foul-mouthed, spewing a constant stream of trash talk on the ice. It portrays hockey more as a sport dominated by excessive violence than skill, but that doesn’t make it any less hysterical.

His portrayal of convict Lucas Jackson in the prison film Cool Hand Luke is an absolute treasure. Newman carries the picture from start to finish, bolstered by some great supporting work by a host of actors, like George Kennedy.

Far and away, the most memorable scene in Cool Hand Luke is the one in which Luke eats 50 eggs on a bet. The scene is incredible to watch – Newman’s belly distends to an unbelievable degree as it’s filled by the ridiculous number of eggs. The best part? As a method actor, Newman actually ate 50 eggs for the filming of the scene.



Newman could play anything - and did all of it well. If you've never had the pleasure of seeing one of his many, many great features, go pick one up. The three above are all excellent choices, but are by no means an all-encompassing look at one of the best actors of all time. He will be missed.

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