Random DVD Round-Up 2 - CRY-BABY

CRY-BABY sees the legendary John Waters - champion of freaks and exploitation cinema - creating a far softer, more warm-hearted film. Instead of shocking vulgarity, we get a loving pastiche of 1950s teen movies, filled with song-and-dance numbers, and the uplifting idea that true love conquers all! An unreasonably beautiful Johnny Depp spoofs his own teen-idol image as the unreasonably beautiful juvenile delinquent, "Cry-Baby". As the movie opens, Cry-Baby and his leather-jacket wearing Drapes meet the school Squares and Johnny locks eyes with preppy Allison (Amy Locane). They fall in love, her obnoxious square boyfriend and prudish aunt object, but Amy and Cry-Baby sneak out together anyways. Cry-Baby is arrested and imprisoned Jailhouse Rock stylee, but even the law can't keep them apart! The movie is witty, audacious, and desperately good fun. This is one of those classic movies - like THE PRINCESS BRIDE or THE GOONIES - that you can watch time and again, always sporting a broad smile.

CRY-BABY was released in 1990.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO - schmaltz masquerading as edgy

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is another one of those movies (viz. THE MOGULS) that uses porn in an attempt to give an edgy vibe to what is essentially your typical schmaltzy formulaic rom-com. 

In this case, it's the classic plot where two best friends only realise they're in love when they see each other mack with someone else. Of course, they could just get together at the point of mutual recognition but, oh no, there has to be some easily avoidable mix-up that requires a last reel reconciliation.In this case, Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are losers who have zero money to pay the bills. Rather than get off their asses, go to college and get real jobs, they decide to make a porno for cash. There's no real suspense. Even the characters realise that once they have sex their relationship will change. The fact that matters are spun out with a bunch of petty jealousy is incidental.

ZACK AND MIRI isn't offensive. I mean, there's a lot of swearing and whatnot, but it's not a fundamentally hateful movie. In fact, it's as cuddly as a teddy bear.  And here's the thing. Porn is now so mainstream that it has become banal. There's simply not the same shock value in mentioning tits and ass.

ZACK AND MIRI isn't funny either. I mean, there's the odd patch of funny dialogue but it's never as balls-out funny as CLERKS. It's just more of the same "middle period" Smith. Hamfisted direction, formulaic plots, occasionally blackly funny dialogue swamped by sentimentality....

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO played Toronto 2008 and is currently on release in the US, Canada, UK and Russia. It opens on November 28th in Iceland, on December 18th in the Czech Republic and Finland, on January 15th in Australia and Romania, on January 22nd in the Netherlands and on April 1st in Belgium.