Zack and Miri Make a Porno on Blu-ray Disc Review
By Rachel Cericola
The Film
Kevin Smith is the king of the curse word. However, those offended by gratuitous use of the F-word (amongst many others), most likely wouldn't see a film with the word "porno" in the title.
Zack and Miri doesn't just put that word out there for marquees and TV ads, though. It's a major part of the plot, as well as a problem-solver for its cast of characters. Two lifelong friends and roommates (Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks) pull their porno skills to pay the bills. Despite all of the hair-washing, secrets, and outfits shared over the years, however, it took the power of porno for the two to realize they have feelings for each other.
The film isn't as silly as it sounds. However, it helps that director Kevin Smith has basically hijacked a Judd Apatow film set. The cast includes all of Apatow's regulars, including Rogan, Banks, Craig Robinson (
The Office); he's even got Gerry Bednob, the extremely small, yet filthy, Indian guy from
40 Year-Old Virgin.
Check out Lexi Feinberg's review of the theatrical release of
Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
The Picture
Oh -- those Pittsburgh winters are miserable. At least that's what one would assume from watching
Zack and Miri. The dirty, funky snow and the color/grime on Miri's car seem a little flat and drab, but nicely convey the area and the time of year. Don't look for too many small details; however, the 1.85:1 image has plenty of chances to pop. The flesh colors (and there are
plenty of those) look great, as well as the other colors centered around the actual porno production. While it's not exactly demo material, when compared to other Smith films (especially the
Clerks flicks), this one looks like it actually had a budget.
The Sound
Zack and Miri don't just make a porno; they sound a lot like one as well. The TrueHD 5.1 track delivers the dialogue, but that's about all you're going to get. We rocked a bit to Primus during the opening credits. However, there's not a whole lot of other chances to crank sound through the rest of the movie, unless you count the porn movie's soundtrack, which is being played on a boombox.
The Extras
Smith certainly gives his fans what they want. Hopefully, they don't want commentary, though, because this release doesn't have any. Is that a first? Not to worry, though. The 75-minute featurette "Popcorn Porn" provides almost a shot-by-shot reproduction of the film, with more than enough tidbits to keep the fans happy. The rest is mostly deleted scenes and bloopers. However, be sure to check out "Seth vs. Justin: Battle for Improvisational Supremacy," which drags out Justin Long's cameo -- in a good way.
Final Thoughts
As long as you can get past the whole porno thing,
Zack and Miri is nice little romantic comedy. Sure, it has a lot of the stereotypical rom-com elements, but adds just the kick in the teeth the genre could use. It's also nice to see Askewniverse and Apatowland collide. It never quite achieves the level of an Apatow flick, but all of the actors play nicely together. It's good stuff, but unless you are a hard-core Smith (or porn) fan, don't bother with the Blu-ray.
Where to Buy:
Product Details
- Actors: Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Jeff Anderson, Katie Morgan, Ricky Mabe
- Director: Kevin Smith
- Audio/Languages: TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby 5.1 (English, French)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Region: A
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: R
- Studio: Weinstein Company
- Blu-ray Disc Release Date: February 3, 2009
- Run Time: 101 minutes
- List Price: $34.99
- Extras:
- Popcorn Porn: The Making Of Zack and Miri
- Deleted Scenes
- Money Shots Webisodes
- Comic-Con 2008
- Outtakes, Ad-libs and Bloopers
- Seth Vs. Justin: Battle for Improvisational Supremacy
- BD Live
