Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Kevin Smith, the writer/director of Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), and Jersey Girl (2004) (which won 3 Razzies, as in Golden Raspberry, Awards for worst actor, worst actress, and worst screen couple), and the slacker classics Clerks (1994), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), and Clerks II (2006), is sorta kinda trying to go mainstream with this raunchy, puerile, occasionally gross, sometimes corny, and often funny ensemble comedy. 14 year old boys will love it (but we liked it, too). David Denby of the New Yorker did not. Here is his review, riddled with spoilers. Seth Rogen is still playing the optimistic loser from Pineapple Express (which he wrote) and many of his Judd Apatow projects (Knocked Up (2007), Undeclared (TV 2001-2003), Freaks and Geeks (TV 1999-2000)). Elizabeth Banks, a 10-year overnight sensation with 4 movies due to be released before the end of 2008 (including a nice turn as Laura Bush in this year's W., and the mother of J.D.'s child in TV's Scrubs in 2006-2007), is cute, and her character supplies much of the corniness. Kevin Smith's real-life-wife Jennifer Schwalbach Smith has a cameo as Betsy, the gal we first see at the reunion. The ensemble is rounded out by, among others, Kevin Smith sidekick Jason Mewes (he plays Jay, and has 3 features slated for release this year and 3 for next) as Lester, Traci Lords (best known as an underage porn star in the mid-80s, though she's done a lot of mainstream work since then) as Bubbles, current porn star Katie Morgan as Stacey, Craig Robinson (best known as Darryl on TV's The Office) as Delaney, Brandon Routh (the man of steel in Superman Returns (2006) -- which movie gets my vote for the best plane-crash-rescue scene ever; it's at the beginning) as Bobby Long, and, notably, Justin Long (best known as the Mac guy from the TV commercials, but he's done a lot of other work) who is hilarious as Brandon. DO NOT LEAVE WHEN THE CREDITS BEGIN. You will be well rewarded.