Kevin Smith must believe in truth in advertising. Well, that or he didn't trust marketing to accurately present his latest movie to the public. Seriously, why else would you call your movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno? I mean, he had to realize this would cause issues come time to advertise the release. What makes it even more amusing is that the original poster did not get MPAA approval, causing them to use a back-up plan they had only joked about: use stick figures. I guess we should be thankful as it resulted in one dang funny poster.
The story is pretty simple. Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since they were kids. After graduating high school the two moved in together (just as friends). It is now ten years since they graduated and neither one has gotten very far in the world; they're living in a small apartment where the bills are piling up. Neither makes enough money to keep going; the water and electric services are turned off, leaving them to burn their bills for heat.
So, to take care of their money problems they decide to make a porno. Seems like an easy enough way to score some quick coin, right? That is what Zack and Miri think as they rope in their friend Delaney (Craig Robinson) to bankroll the project, find an old classmate, Deacon (Jeff Anderson), who can work a camera, and commence filling out their cast, which includes former porn star Traci Lords, current porn star Katie Morgan, and Kevin Smith pal Jason Mewes.
Again, the plot sounds pretty simple, no? In a way it is. However, it also goes to show just how difficult it is to put together any film project, porn or otherwise. They run into difficulties regarding getting a cast, a location, a script, costumes, funding, and pretty much anything else you can think of. As interesting as the technical issues are, it is not what the film is about, nor is it what makes the movie as successful as it is.
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