Heckler (2007)

So, I've been very quite lately. Some because of work, but a lot because of this movie. I choose it because I enjoy hearing basement banter about the comedy world. I also, love documentaries. Documentaries would be hard for me to talk about so, I wanted something that could be enjoyed. It started with the basement banter but the movie, Heckler, is so much more. According to IMDb:

HECKLER is a comedic feature documentary exploring the increasingly critical world we live in. After starring in a film that was critically bashed, Jamie Kennedy takes on hecklers.

Synopsis

The movie is mingling of interviews with comedians and recordings of on stage acts. It starts off with comedians telling what hecklers are, re-telling horror stories of heckling and how they each decided to deal with the unruly. 

There then is a shift in the directions. "Why do people heckle?" Throughout the movie, scenes will stop, have text on them, and present another question. It's with this question in particular that the focus shifts from comedians to comedians and public figures at large. There's even a clip of President Ronald Reagan being heckled and how he responded. This serious shifts occurs only 10 minutes into the movie, but isn't jarring. More and more, we leave the realm of heckling and take a broader look at criticism in general, and the motives those who do it. Up until the last 15 minutes it was a great documentary that offered the "artists'" perspective on criticism. 

Thoughts

One thing that really stood out for me and something that I enjoyed, was the arrangement of the movie. This might be because I'm slightly OCD about organization, but it's something worth commenting on. As I described earlier, there are still shots with questions presented, and then 5-10 minutes of people talking about/answering that specific questions. With each question, the tone of the movie is slightly more somber. Thus, slipping into a conversation about criticism at-large, seems natural. Documentaries should capture real emotions and life how it really is. This movie does that. 

It's easy to be think this movie might be about a bunch of famous people complaining, but it's not. There are times when Kennedy comes off a little snotty, but it seems more as an act, kind of a comedy tick he has a hard time turning off. The people interviewed are all honest about times they bombed or about how, even though they've been in the business awhile, some stuff hurts.

To me, this wasn't really a comedy movie. Yes, there are comedians in it, and just moments are funny, but it's not a comedy. It's an interesting look at the nature of criticism. 

Jamie Kennedy is the tour guide of this movie. He's interviewing people who have gotten heckled, you see him bomb on stage, but he's also goes and meets those who have not just heckled him, but criticized his movie(s). I had mixed feelings about the time Kennedy was on screen. There were moments that were nice, but there were also a few unnecessary moments.

I won't talk about the last 15 minutes. I think the point was made and then someone forgot to edit off the last bit. 

Finding Bliss (2009)

Expectations

I'm so sick of these gloomy movies. I wanted a comedy. Hence, I found Finding Bliss. Which, P.S. Netflix has a sub-genre of comedies called "Late-Night Comedy". Perhaps you knew this, I however, did not, expect me to be pulling from this category more frequently. There will be a spoiler alert at the bottom, however, this movie is quite predictable, thus you could probably figure out the ending on your own. (BTW, I'm trying a new format) Finding Bliss, according to IMDb:

A romantic comedy that explores the adult film industry through the eyes of an idealistic 25 year-old award winning film school grad.

This movie is kind of what I hoped Elektra Luxx would be. A funny take on the porn industry. Maybe some behind the scenes action.  

This movie is actually why I started this project. Well, not this movie specifically, but I wanted an eclectic mix of good and bad movies that were worth watching.

This might not be for everyone as far as the love stuff goes, but it has some fun comedy moments that kind of gave me what I needed after a long week.

Oh and let me say here the film art is not at all indicative of the movie, at least, not with those characters

In a Nutshell

Jody Balaban (Leelee Sobieski) is an ivy-league film graduate determined to make it in the industry. The movie starts with her showing the downfalls of her sexual history; talking openly about sex to her parents, failed spin the bottle, an awful de-flowering story (but let's be honest, who's first time is all that magical?). Yeah, Jody is sexually repressed, but okay with that. She's far more focused on her career anyway. 

After sending her screenplay and the student film she created out to everyone in the industry unsuccessfully she finally receives a call for an interview. Within the first five minutes of the interview she realizes that while she's being asked to be an editor, she's also in a porn -- excuse me, "adult entertainment"-- studio. The director of this studio has a vision of creating a porn that can be seen in art houses and thinks Jody will help him accomplish this goal. Horrified at first, she soon accepts, as she figures she'll work during the day and create her own movie at night.

She begins the filming process illicitly after hours and soon gets caught. The actors she hires get scared off from the movie once they realized that they are even tangentially linked to a porn studio. Jody is in a bind and hires the pornstars to be the actors in her movie as well. Oh, and her boss, Jeff Davis (Matthew Davis), whom she has some serious unrealized chemistry with, once he finds out, allows her to continue filming provided she buys her own film and and helps re-write his movie, which, by the way is called, "Finding Bliss"

In case you're curious, Finding Bliss is about a woman who voluntarily gets gangbanged just before her wedding. Classy stuff. Jody's movie is art imitating life. It's about a sexually repressed idealists who doesn't want to have sex too early and be considered a slut.

The rest of my synopsis will be at the bottom in the spoiler alert.  It's not a deep movie and fairly predictable.

DaFuq?

I'll be honest, while I enjoy occasionally acting really snooty and bourgeoisie, I enjoy a good (or bad) dick joke more. This movie did not disappoint. Right away they poked fun at porn titles: Gladiator = Glad He Ate Her and Charlie's Angels = Charlie's Anals. They even made a "dick in the box joke". No, it's not comedy gold, but it is a nice pop culture reference. And every time they said "come", I could just hear the double entendre in my head.

Aside from Sobieski, you'll recognize Denise Richards (who didn't do a bad job); Jamie Kennedy (who really just played every role he's ever done; and you may recognize Davis. He's done some movies and T.V. but he honestly he just looks like every cocky guy at a bar. Go out tonight, you'll see what I mean.

This movie is the lowest common denominator and that's what I enjoyed about it, but what I didn't like, is that they didn't play that up. The movie is too long. this is a semi-filthy, dumb movie, you don't have to give me some great closure and ending with a tiresome build up. I get it the Princess will end up with her Prince some way or another. I just stopped caring at a point. I'm realizing that I just got sick of Jody. Whimpering women wear me down. Yes, I respect the career-woman-driven-young-and-hungry attitude. I get it. I live it. But at some point I get sick of watching you fail at love. Especially when you're hot and people would be dying to be in your position.

I enjoyed Jody's BBF Kathleen (Donnamarie Recco). She's successful, sexually open, and totally okay with the knowledge that some of the guys she's been with have been absolute losers. There's always a colleague of Jody's who quite entertaining: Gary (P.J. Byrne). He's awkward, an over-sharer and has weird sexual quirks.  Naturally he and Kathleen make an awesome couple. 

On a totally separate note, what happened to Leelee Sobieski? I remember her being touted as this rising  star who was on the verge of true Hollywood acclaim. 

Spoiler Alert

Jody's sexually repressed. Jeff's cocky (see what I did there?) but not what he seems to be. At some point they're going to want each other, but first, their love has to struggle. They decide to be official, but then at a drunken party, Jeff is hit on by another woman. Jody walks in not even bothering for an explanation. She proceeds to say some hurt things

Cut to the premiere of her movie which is received well, but no one from the studio attends. This turns out to be because they're at the AVN's Annual Award in Vegas and Jeff is slated to win an award. Jody rushes out to Vegas and there and on stage, her and Jeff reconcile. I imagine they live happily ever after

Oh, and you will see Jamie Kennedy's cock. As if there where any doubt.