It sounds really simple right?  I mean…make a porno, make millions.  Right?  Well, like most things in life, the things that seem too good to be true usually are.  I bet you never thought about the human psyche, and what filming a porno could do to one’s mentality.  Then there are the monetary aspects of filmmaking such as casting, set locations, props, crew wages, distribution rights and more.  Yep, that’s right.  I put a lot of thought into this and filming a porno movie is more complicated than I ever thought it could be.  Let’s not forget about the legalities involved too.  And what if the film stars two best friends, who just happen to be members of the opposite gender and are deniably in love with each other, and their first time having sex will be on display for everyone to see.  Do you think that could complicate things a bit between them?  Oh…and did I mention this movie is a comedy too?  Zack and Miri Make a Porno is my first Kevin Smith film I have ever seen and I am pleased to report it is a crowd pleaser!

The Film 

As previously mentioned, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith.  The film was released theatrically in October 2008 and stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Jeff Anderson, Katie Morgan and Ricky Mabe.  The movie opened up to mostly positive reviews, but ultimately suffered a weak box office performance, taking in only $36 million worldwide.  Unfortunately, the film opened up the same weekend as High School Musical 3: Senior Year and the consistently bankable Seth Rogen experienced his worst box-office opening ever.  We also can’t forget all the controversy the title of the film alone drummed up.  It amazes me that it did not make more money considering the never-ending controversies surrounding the title and film content.  In reality, there is nothing over-the-top in this film that you have not already seen in let’s say, a Judd Apatow comedy of sorts.

The film’s subject matter is not rocket science.  Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are ex-high school friends living together in a Pittsburgh area apartment just trying to make ends meet.  Like many people these days, they have fallen on hard times, they don’t have the best of jobs and they are months behind on many of their bills including the rent and utilities.  Against his will, Miri drags Zack to their high school reunion.  It is there that the mysterious intervention of fate happens as Zack runs into gay porn star, Brandon St. Randy (Justin long) while Miri is trying to seduce her former high school crush Bobby Long (Brandon Routh).  Little does Miri know that Bobby and Brandon are actually a couple.  Zack, completely secure in his heterosexual lifestyle, is completely fascinated by Brandon describing the list of porn movies he has been in.  This gives Zack the idea of a lifetime that he uncomfortably has to convince Miri of after all their utilities are practically shut off due to non-payment of bills.  Long story short, Zack convinces Miri to make a porno.  Now the real fun begins!

Zack and Miri have one obstacle they have to face before the porno production can begin.  They have to have that awkward talk and convince themselves that it is just sex and a way for them to pay the bills.  They both realize that they have a good thing going with their friendship and they both don’t want to lose that.  Once that conversation is had around a burning garbage can in their apartment living room, a necessity since their heat and electricity have been turned off, the business deal is agreed upon.  After interviewing and hiring a cast and crew, renting a set location to film at and deciding upon a likeable theme and title, Zack and Miri decide to film a Star Wars parody porno called Star Whores.  If you really think about it you can clearly see the brilliance of their choice.  Should Star Whores become a success there are always five other parody sequels they could produce including the hilarious Revenge of the Sh*$ (I think you can put two-and-two together to see where they are going with that title).  Supposedly, it is not uncommon for a Kevin Smith film to exploit the Star Wars theme.  I am completely fine with that.  That is what initially turned me onto the Fox sitcom Family Guy.  However, tragedy strikes as their set is wrecked and torn down the morning of their first shoot and all their hard work and invested money is lost.  But is their dream lost? 

While I am not going to divulge too much more it is safe to say that the dream will play out, but what happens when Zack and Miri finally has sex on camera?  Do you really think that will have no effect on their once-perfect friendship?  I think it’s safe to say that is one bet I would be willing to wager all my savings on.  I really did not talk about the mismatched cast of porno members that Zack and Miri decided upon.  They each have their own unique set of traits and talents.  This is definitely one of those movies, much again like the Apatow comedy films, where character development is emphasized heavily and you really feel like you know them by the film’s end, some more than others (depending on how much of them you saw, if you know what I mean).  Upon my first viewing of the this film in the theatres I went in wanting and expecting a rude and crude Apatow-like comedy film and came out feeling like I saw a romantic comedy minus Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.  Given that, I guess I was a little disappointed upon my first viewing.  However, given a second viewing to review this Blu-ray title, I fell in love and respected Zack and Miri Make a Porno for what it really is, that is a sexual comedy of mishaps between two ex-high school friends who find out in the end that maybe they always wanted something a little more than just friendship.  Life and love are never completely obvious.  Sometimes you have to live a little and risk a lot to truly find your soul mate.  Even in the porn industry, true love is possible.

Video 

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a 1080P AVC MPEG-4 video codec.  After seeing this movie originally in the theatre I was kind of squeamish about how this would look on the Blu-ray format, however I am quite surprised as my fears were quickly vanquished upon my second viewing in the privacy of my own home.  Zack and Miri Make a Porno‘s Blu-ray debut looks very pleasant for the most part.  There is a thin layer of cinematic grain throughout the entire runtime of the film that never really causes any serious distractions.  However, I think because of the film grain, objects and scenes are not always the sharpest of images you are used to experiencing on the Blu-ray format, making some shots seem soft.  In contrast, I still felt that there was a three-dimensional pop to be found throughout and any soft scenes were minimal at most.  The black levels were always solid and the flesh tones were always accurate.  The palette of colors to be found is very natural in appearance yet vibrant at the same time.  There are certain scenes that yielded high level of detail, such as the texture in the fabrics of Miri’s clothes or seeing every out of place hair on an actor.  This is not a reference quality video presentation, but it is good enough to survive even the high-maintenance criticism of myself, so consider that for what it’s worth.

Audio 

Zack and Miri Make a Porno arrives on the Blu-ray format with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio surround track.  This is pretty much your typical comedy surround track with the exception of the unique musical song choices, which more times than I care to count, really steal the show.  The music is mixed evenly throughout all channels, even the rear ones.  The bass can be quite hefty at times, a surprise for sure from a comedy soundtrack.  Most importantly, the dialogue track is always loud and clear.  I never had to touch my remote in order to hear a single spoken word.  That’s really all I have to say about the audio track.  It’s not reference quality by any means, but it won’t disappoint either.  You are sure to be pleased.

Special Features 

I have to admit, when I first looked on the back of the Blu-ray cover art I was pretty unimpressed by the small list of special features to be found.  However, once you peel back the layers and dive into the menu of the disc’s bonus features you will discover just how grand the special feature collection really is.  If you chose to tackle all the bonus materials here be prepared to be able to invest several hours of your time.  My only complaints here are the lack of any kind of audio commentaries and that the special features are a bag of mix nuts split between Standard-Definition and High-Definition supplements, as indicated below.

• Popcorn Porn: The Making of Zack and Miri (SD) – This is your basic making of the film featurette clocking in at 1 hour and 14 minutes.
• Deleted Scenes (HD) – Consuming an unimagined 1 hour and 35 minutes of runtime, there are a whopping total of 43 deleted scenes here.  This has to be the largest collection of deleted scenes I have ever seen on a home media release.  Besides the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies I cannot think of any other video release that has this many deleted scenes, especially for a comedy.
• Money Shots Webisodes (SD) – There are a total of 22 webisodes played over 47 minutes of runtime.
• Comic-Con 2008 (SD) – I am happy to report that I was here for this one.  This 23-minute featurette showcases the 2008 Comic-Con panel promotion of the film.  Joining Kevin Smith on the panel are Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan and Ricky Mabe.
• Gang Bang: Outtakes, Ad-libs and Bloopers (SD) – This 13-minute featurette is exactly what the title implies.
• Seth vs. Justin: Battle for Improvisational Supremacy (SD) – Last but not least, this hilarious 7-minute featurette showcases the improvisational skills of Seth Rogen and Justin Long.
• BD-Live – The BD-Live functionality here allows viewers to access online content from The Weinstein Company.  Of course, your Blu-ray player has to have an active Internet connection to enjoy this feature.

Final Thoughts 

If you can get past the taboo stigma of the film’s title and subject matter, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is nothing more than your typical romantic comedy wrapped up in a crude humor package, much like Seth Rogen’s likeable smash comedy hit Knocked Up.  Both of these movies contain rude and crude humor, but at the same time they share the same backbone or core, an underlying romantic love story between the film’s two main characters.  It’s also great to see some familiar faces from the Apatow clan.  With an excellent video transfer, an above average audio surround track and a special features package that will keep you busy for hours on end it is hard to find any faults with this Blu-ray release.  I do admit to liking this movie much more upon my second viewing, but come to think about it that has always been the story of my life.  For those of you willing to forgo the taboo nature of this film I think you will come out of this feeling like you ultimately just watched a warm romantic comedy as Kevin Smith really makes us care about the characters he develops in this film.  I have no hesitation in making a bold statement of highly recommending the Blu-ray release of Zack and Miri Make a Porno, as an immediate purchase upon your first available opportunity.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the Weinstein Company’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno Blu-ray release.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.  I look forward to receiving any feedback from my readers.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno was released on Blu-ray February 3, 2009.  If you like what you read in the review above, then please show your support for our site by clicking the shopping cart link above to order and save with Amazon’s Everyday Lowest Price Guarantee.  Thanks!