DVDpedia : Library : Title : Z

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Weinstein Company

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: Fans of writer/director Kevin Smith (auteur of Dogma and Chasing Amy) should run to see Zack and Miri Make a Porno--the adored filmmaker has clearly made this with his hardcore following in mind. Zack (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks, Slither) are longtime friends and housemates who, after their power and water get shut off, turn to pornography to pay their bills. After assembling a cheerful and perhaps dimwitted cast and crew, the hapless pair launch into their cynical yet heartwarming scheme with enthusiasm, only to discover--spoiler alert!--that they have feelings for each other. Smith clearly wanted to make a sex comedy with heart, something in the vein of The 40 Year Old Virgin.Unfortunately, Zack and Miri Make a Porno combines the mawkish, formulaic sentimentality of Jersey Girl with the belabored, formulaic sex gags of Clerks II. For a movie that clearly hearkens back to Smith's own experiences making the beloved and archetypally cheap-and-dirty Clerks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is sadly generic and predictable. But Smith's fanbase will appreciate that the movie has snarky jokes about science fiction, a good dose of bare breasts (and two actual porn stars, Traci Lords and Katie Morgan), and the schlubby guy/hot chick dynamic that drives a thousand sitcoms. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 113

Summary: "Zathura", a smart and stylish kid's adventure, launches into action when Danny (Jonah Bobo) twists the key of a dusty science fiction game--a game that unleashes a localized meteor shower and wrenches Danny's house into orbit around a distant ringed planet, bringing Danny's brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson, "Kicking and Screaming") and sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart, "Panic Room") along. Soon a defective robot, a rangy astronaut (Dax Shepard, "Without a Paddle"), and an alien spaceship enter the picture. Only by completing the game can the kids return their house to its proper space-time coordinates, but the game board falls into the hands of some nasty, carnivorous lizards. "Zathura" has some obligatory emotional conflict and resolution between the two brothers, but that's pretty much beside the point; what makes "Zathura" a delight is the wonderful design, the skillful escalation of disasters, and the adroit direction of Jon Favreau ("Elf"), who is quickly becoming the go-to guy for mass-market movies with wit and timing. Some situations may be too intense for younger kids; Favreau ratchets up the suspense at a few points. Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg ("Jumanji"). Also featuring Tim Robbins ("The Shawshank Redemption"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 89

Summary: Charge your micro-mini cell phones and whip up some orange mocha Frappuccino, 'cuz "Zoolander" is on the runway, and you're gonna laugh your booty off! Based on a sketch created by writer-director Ben Stiller and cowriter Drake Sather for the 1996 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, "Zoolander" is a delirious send-up of New York's fashion scene as epitomized by male model Derek Zoolander (Stiller), a dimwitted preener who's oblivious to a "Manchurian Candidate"-like plot to turn him into a brainwashed assassin. Tipped off by a reporter (Christina Taylor), Zoolander teams with rival model Hansel (Owen Wilson) to foil the poodle-haired fashion designer (Will Ferrell) who's behind the nefarious scheme. The goofy plot's only half the fun; with roles for Stiller's parents (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara), dozens of celebrity cameos, endlessly quotable dialogue, and improvisational energy to spare, "Zoolander" is very smart about being very stupid, easily matching the "Austin Powers" franchise for inspired comedic lunacy. "--Jeff Shannon"