26. Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008)

Kevin Smiths underrated 2008 romantic comedy Zack And Miri Make A Porno put a raunchy but sweet spin on the trusty Lets put on a show template that fueled many a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney musical (and breakdancesploitation cheapie). Only this time the show is a homemade Star Wars-themed porn movie and the plucky young upstarts a pair of down-and-out platonic best friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who decide to make the beast with two backs onscreen as a way of getting out of debt. The lusty neophytes struggle to make a porn film with no budget, untested stars, and funky, makeshift locations like a coffee shop, but the trickiest variable aspiring pornographers Rogen and Banks face is their growing romantic attraction to one another.

The Film: Mallrats (1995)

The Line: One time my cousin Walter got this cat stuck up his ass. True story. He bought it at our local mall, so the whole fiasco wound up on the news.

It was embarrassing for my relatives and all, but next week, he did it again. Different cat, same results, complete with another trip to the emergency room.

So, I run into him a week later in the mall and he’s buying another cat. And I says to him, Jesus, Walt! What are you doing? You know you’re just gonna get this cat stuck up your ass too. Why don’t you knock it off?

And he said to me, Brodie, how the hell else am I supposed to get the gerbil out? My cousin was a weird guy.

“…there are more than a few stand out scenes, although my personal favourite is Ollie’s conversation with Will Smith. The scene is seamless and so well written when it could really have turned into a giant joke.

Like most movies with children included in the cast, it does sometimes fall into its own sugary sweetness and you can’t help but notice the influence of the late, great John Hughes’ She’s Having a Baby running throughout. Both director/writers were influenced by their own families.

As this genre of movie goes, you could, in fact, do a lot worse and if the critics put you off watching this movie first time round then take a look at it when it’s next on TV. And if you haven’t watched it in a while, wait until the next rainy afternoon and put it in your DVD player, you’ll feel better after.

This is one of those flicks we hope that many folks, including critics, take a look at again with a lot of the Bennifer stuff now in the distance. And we’re really hopeful that many of you can one day see Kevin’s extended cut of the film, which we feel gives it an even stronger emotional connection and impact with the viewer. Kevin’s stated it’s a possibility for an eventual special edition Bluray, so keep your fingers crossed.

Dogma (1999)

Being an angel is a cushy job. You mooch around Heaven, taking time out to fluff your feathers, attend celestial choir practice and pose for the odd Renaissance painting. Unless, of course, like Loki and Bartleby, you get the Almighty heave-ho and find yourself exiled to Wisconsin. The smart-mouthed seraphs don’t take rejection lying down, though. Exploiting a Biblical loophole, they set off on a cunning quest for forgiveness that threatens to invalidate God. Considering God turns out to be Alanis Morissette, their failure is ours too.

Angelic retribution level (out of 10): 7

Chances against massed armies of Heaven: High. Well, one of them’s the Angel of Death and the other’s Jason Bourne.

You just know Jason Lee’s stash has some serious classics hidden in there. Plus, this is the collection that stated the rules we all try to follow: “Touch not, lest ye be touched.”

“I got home, chipped for about 10 minutes, did a three song Rockband duel against Patty who dropped off Mushu for me, and then I did my workout that I was supposed to do in the morning. Tonight I’ll probably watch some TV and talk some trash with the kids in the forums. I’m really having fun with the smack talk! It reminds me of that scene in Jay and Silent Bob where they read all the bad things people say about their movies online. They freak out, and in the end of the movie, they go door to door and beat the crap out of every 14 year old who was smack talking them. Classic scene.”

Reading that’s sure got the hold’em itch going…it’s a sickness!

Comic book legends may be nerds, but it doesn’t mean they don’t get lucky in the romance department — Lee cited his “running tally” with rocker Mick Jagger while imparting some romantic advice to Brodie (Jason Lee) in Kevin Smith’s sophomore film. (Lee, apparently, was in the lead).

Thailand’s film censors block ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’

The National Film Board is standing by its decision to ban “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” in Thailand, citing that its explicit sexual content goes against moral principles here.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) initially gave “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” an NC17 rating (banning viewers under 17) for “some graphic sexuality”. However, director Kevin Smith appealed and the film finally got an R with no cuts. The R, or “Restricted” rating, requires viewers under 17 years old to be accompanied by an adult.

Set in the United States, the comedy tells the story of friends embarking on a project to make a porn movie.

‘May encourage copycats’

“The screening of this film may encourage copycats here,” Culture Ministry permanent secretary Vira Rojpojchanarat said yesterday.

The film’s distributor, M Pictures, argued that “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” was a satirical take on contemporary US society and was suitable for viewers aged over 18.

When the National Film Board decided to ban the film during its meeting on Monday, M Pictures appealed and a panel was set up to review the board’s ruling.

After viewing the film, the panel upheld the decision to ban “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” from Thai screens.

Well, we’ve been working on this site for almost 12 years now, and this is the FIRST major banning we can recall – At least in a really long time. It may be time to go fire up the Bluray on this Devils/Flyers/Lost-free evening — it just feels so subversive now…

The 64 Kbps stereo copy. (2:02 runtime, 56 MB file size, right-click to save). Or…

Here’s the 24 Kbps mono copy. (2:02 runtime, 21 MB file size, right-click to save).

As always, thanks to Will for his encoding skills — Following this show, Opie went on to attend the New Jersey Devils playoff game at The Rock with Kevin — A game I was lucky enough to be invited to as well, with thanks to Kevin and Ming. What a place!

“Films will be viewed through the lens of auteur theory, since that seems the most appropriate to the director/writer.

This is the second time the course will be taught, and there are, as of this writing, still seats available for this course, although not many.”

We’re awaiting some further details on how one can register for the class – Though we’re guessing a call to the University for more info couldn’t hurt. Sounds like a fun weeklong course, that’s for sure.

Like Pegg and Frost, Jay and Silent Bob refer to each other – well, one of them does – as ‘my hetero-life-mate’. Their double act developed over the course of four previous Smith films, but it was here, in his broadest and most outrageous comedy to date, where they took central stage, showcasing a relationship that was as fucked-up as it was tender. They’re the perfect duo.

Most Bromantic Moment: The whole thing. Theirs isn’t a relationship where an excuse must be contrived for them to have an argument, just so they can reconcile later in an emotional scene with soaring strings. These guys stick with each other through thick, thin and really, awfully, very stupidly thick.

Who’s The Beard? After a fashion, jewel thief Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), who pines after Jay, for some reason we still can’t entirely fathom.

SModcast 81: Satan’s Dookie. –

In which our heroes throw their support behind the controversial PreCrime Bureau.

The SMod is super-sized this week, too, running in at a hefty 1:11. Grab it, and enjoy some early week entertainment from Smith and Mosier.

“All those innocent contractors brought in to do the job were killed — casualties of a war they had nothing to do with. All right, look: you’re a roofer, some juicy government contract comes your way. You got a wife and kids, the two-story in suburbia. This is a government contract, which means all sorts of benefits. Along come these left-wing militants that blast everything within a three-mile radius with their lasers. You didn’t ask for that. You have no personal politics. You’re just trying to scrape out a living.” — Randal (Jeff Anderson), on why the destruction of the second Death Star was unfair, in Clerks.

Surf on over to watch the clip.

“It [Role Models] came out the same time as Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which is, to me, a wonderful lead performance from Elizabeth Banks and if you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend it.”

We’ve been fans of Wain’s work since way back in “The State” days, so very cool to hear that.

We’re told, by the way, the interview is planned to run at least 7 or 8 segments, so we’re only halfway there. Search our archives if you missed any of it — Our plan will be to write an all-inclusive post of the segments once the saga is complete, also. For now, check out Stranahan’s YouTube page for previous segments and other examples of his work.

2. Shannon Hamilton from Mallrats

With a shitty attitude, a pretty boy mug and a propensity for combining backdoor sex with New Kids on the Block lyrics, there are few douches that can touch Shannon Hamilton. Played by Ben Affleck — no stranger to douchebaggery himself during his J-Lo phase — Shannon has the lofty position of being a manager of an upscale men’s clothing boutique in a Jersey outlet mall. Arrogant, smarmy and trying desperately to force overpriced slacks on people, Shannon is a classic big screen tit, the kind of douche who’d stoop to almost any level to try and screw your girlfriend in an uncomfortable place — and no, we ain’t talking about the back of a Volkswagen.

Take a look at the whole article, and you’ll see he’s among some other fantastic memorable movie characters, including Burke from “Aliens” and Walter Peck in “Ghostbusters”.