Trey Parker
& Matt Stone will be forever remembered as the creators of South
Park, despite whatever they say about using it as a spring board to launch their
band, D.V.D.A. Don't worry, by the end of the flick you'll find out what that
stands. You won't like it, but you'll find out.
What we have here today is something from Parker's sordid movie making past. Orgazmo, is his Citizen Kane, in that he wrote, directed and starred in this little monster, something most people only dream of. Bare in mind, though, that the similarity ends there.
Joe Young (Parker) is an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Drawing LA for his mission work, Joe makes the mistake of knocking the door of porn director extraordinare, Maxxx Orbison (Michael Dean Jacobs). Orbison, who seems to be in serious need of a blow job, orders his "guards" to take Joe out. But they're in for a surprise. Joe, like all Mormons (I guess) possesses a working knowledge of Kung Fu (right down to those famous duck calls). After shouting like a loon ("Bruce Lee: Maximize!"), Young proceeds to get Catholic on their asses.
Needing a tough man for the leading roll of his new flick, Orbison hires Joe on the spot.
The movie is named (surprise) Orgazmo, the story of a pornographic superhero of the same name. Orgazmo travels the world, fighting crime with the Orgazmorator, a weapon attached to his forearm. Besides looking like a funnel with a tail light glued to one end (or, and here's an even better one, like one of those classic phalic rocketships of the 50s) the Orgazmorator is a ray gun that causes any unfortunate on the receiving end of its blasts to experience a spontaneous orgaz--, er, sorry, orgasm.
Yes, Virginia, this is the man who writes South Park.
While on set, Joe befriends his co-star, Ben (Dian Bachar), who plays Choda Boy (Orgazmo's sidekick) in the movie-within-the-movie. And it just so happens Ben holds everal degrees in physics and engineering from Harvard (he only works in porno because of his overactive sex drive). He's also invented a real, working Orgazmorator in his garage. This sets up many a scene of hilarity when he shows this to Joe and drags the somewhat uncomfortable Mormon into the streets to have some fun by causing people on the street to, shall we say, blow it.
However, not all is right in Pornoland. Orgazmo, the porno, becomes a runaway, crossover hit (topping E.T. in the box office). Joe begins to fear that his fiancé, Lisa (Robyn Lynne Raab) might uncover his secret life as a porn star, despite his use of the stage name "Tom Hung.". Things get worse when a) Maxxx plans to make multiple Orgazmo sequels and b) Lisa stops by for a visit, and observes Orgazmo in a local video store.
Frustrated, Joe tries to quit. But nobody quits on Maxxx Orbison. Maxxx will keep Young in the porn industry, even if he has to kidnap Lisa to do it.
Whatever you might think about it, this movie is classic Trey Parker. Off the wall, often contradictory characters (my personal favorite being Masao Maki's gangsta rapping sushi bar owner, G-Fresh), weird set-ups, and a no-holds barred satire of its subject matter.
But don't be fooled, this isn't South Park. By choosing Mormons and Porn as his subject matter, Parker fills the movie with in-jokes that the general populace might not get. The Porn jokes more so then the Mormon jokes, I think. Or maybe that's just because I watched the movie with my Mormon friend. (She laughed in all the right places, and a few of the wrong ones).
The superhero jokes, though, hit right on the nose. Same way with the Kung-Fu and action movie jokes. But, besides that, there are also some great characters for us to get to know, a rare thing in this world of blowjob joke movies. And I, connoisseur of the visual arts that I am, have no trouble with those porn jokes.
Then there is acting. Sure, Maxxx is a stereotype. And Parker may not be Mel Blank when it comes to animation, but try to name another actor who can play a Mormon Porn Star. Dian Bachar is equally on the level, playing a great off the wall character (a Genius Porn Star) against Parker's straight man. The two have great chemistry, and Choda Boy is a much more appealing character then those Bachar has played before.
Undoubtedly, this movie isn't for everyone. Fans of South Park or Basekettball will defiantly enjoy it. We watch enough porn to "get it" don't we? Or is that just me?
