Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 Kevin Smith comedy that squeaked under the radar due to being overshadowed by such instant classics like Tropic Thunder, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express (2008 was a big year for comedy movies). However, Zack and Miri is a hilarious movie in its own right and it's available to watch right here right now on the flix.

Lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) look to solve their respective cashflow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.

Being a Kevin Smith movie, Zack and Miri is surprisingly weak on the Kevin Smith circle-jerk. A few of the usual suspects join the cast (Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Jeff Anderson), but there are plenty of other people that Smith does not typically work with, including some people with actual experience in Pornography. Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks are strong leads, but the secondary characters steal the show in almost every scene they are in. Craig Robinson and Justin Long, in particular, bring a ton of laughs and quotable lines.

 The script for this movie is strong and, being a Kevin Smith film, things do not stray from the more... vulgar aspects of producing and filming pornography. The dialogue is snappy and Rogan/Banks' delivery is spot on and full of pep. The plot is simple and takes a little time to get momentum, but by the end, everything comes together. Ultimately, even though this is a movie about making a porno, Zack and Miri falls firmly into the category of Romantic Comedy, even if it is full of gross-out humor and dick jokes.

From a technical perspective, there wasn't anything particularly special about the way the movie was shot. Being a movie about a couple of deadbeats making a porno, it doesn't require many special effects. Really, this is a movie that is all about the wordplay and the visual jokes, as there is one particularly memorable scene where Zack (Rogan) awkwardly propositions someone. Obviously, with a title that includes porno in the name, there is going to be a lot of sex, so if you've got some weird hangouts about seeing people plow, this may not be the movie for you. On the other hand, if you're looking to see some boobs and some dick, this might just be the movie for you.

Check it out!