Lifelong friends and roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are facing hard times and a mountain of debt. When the electricity and plumbing get cut off, they seize upon the idea of making a homegrown porno movie for some quick cash, enlisting the help of their friends.
The two vow that having sex will not ruin their friendship. But as filming begins, what started out as a business proposition between friends turns into something much more.
“Zack and Miri Make a Porno” marks the return of writer/director Kevin Smith to the often scatological comedic realm that he has become famous for. For Smith, the display of crude humor with a heart is a trademark.
© Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
“Zack and Miri Make a Porno” is available in stores now on DVD and Blu Ray disc.
Jeff Anderson, a Kevin Smith alum since the beginning of his career, fills the role of Deacon in the film. He has previously appeared in Smith’s movies as the wise-cracking Randall. Anderson took a few minutes to share some experiences on set, including a detailed account of the first testing of the “Shit Cannon.”
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
So it didn’t feel all that weird, you know, being there, being on the set with Kevin, because it was sort of just like shooting Clerks II with bringing in extra people.
Me, Seth, and Craig and all that. It makes for a friendly sort of set when you bring in those new people they assimilate to it really well.
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
It kept being talked about. It first started there were people working on the shit behind the scenes and I was in my hotel one day early in the morning the phone rings and this guy introduces himself on the phone to me and he identifies himself as a scientist who’s working on the shit and he wants to know if I have any food allergies.
That was sort of the first time I thought about the logistics of it, WOW here we are shooting and making a movie and somewhere in this lab this white coated scientist is creating shit, wow they’re really putting effort into this it’s really going to happen, and he was like we’re creating this stuff and I just want to make sure you’re not allergic to any of it, obviously it’s going to go all over you, that was sort of the first realization I had, like “Wow, I still have to film that.”
M&C:
Anderson:
I don’t know if Kevin purposely kept that away from me to just sort of keep my mind off it, but I was fascinated by the idea of the shit cannon and the only feedback that I got was that they fired way too much out of the cannon, Katie’s way too small of a girl, so they had to take it down a little bit.
M&C:
Anderson:
Just as they were set it up they took me out side and said “Do you want to see a test of the shit cannon? We’re going to test it before we film. You know my curiosity was peaked and I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go see this!’ and they used out AD.
He volunteered to have it fired at him, and it was sort of this big long tube of PVC with valves that hooked to this giant tank and it was really kind of funny. And they fired this thing at this guy and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I don’t know what I thought was going to happen or how it was going to go, but I just didn’t pay that much attention to it.
But to actually watch it go, the only thing I could think was, now that I’ve seen how it works I’m not supposed to know it’s going to happen so I have to sort of try and keep my eyes open and that’s the thing that was scaring me, I do not want to ruin a take by actually closing my eyes before it actually hits me.
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
So it was kind of weird being here, yes the scale was bigger, but when you’re on set it’s almost like being on set of Clerks. So even though the scale grows and you walk around and you see the trucks, you’re staying at nice hotels, when you get to set it always feels like you’re going back to the same set. So yes it feels bigger but no it doesn’t, if that’s an answer.
M&C:
Anderson:
The weather there because the film was supposed to take place in the winter and you know it would snow there and that would sort of screw up the schedule because they needed snow for certain scenes so it got a little tricky you get phone calls, like many times I would have the day off and at six in the morning the phone would ring, just because it would either snow overnight or it wouldn’t snow overnight it was a little challenging just with the schedule wise.
M&C:
Anderson:
And before we started shooting, Kevin had Seth over in his office and invited me over to his office and wanted to just sit and read with Seth. And that was the first scene that came up and we were just sitting in his office and I’m screaming at it and then after the scene I was like, ‘Kev this just feels weird to me are you sure you want me in this movie? People are going to be, dude that’s the guy from Clerks!’ And Kevin was like; it’s more likely that they’re going to say that’s the guy from any one of Seth’s movies.
I’m like, “I know, but this voice sounds the same.” It was something I had trouble with; you can’t change your inflection. It didn’t read similar to me and Kevin said, “Dude, that’s what you do. We can’t help it you’re going to be like that guy no matter what so…”
Jeff Anderson as Randal in Clerks II
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
M&C:
Anderson:
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a March 23rd release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
Your Talkback on this Story