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Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Date: Dec 10 2008

Themes: Friend, Romance

Grammar: Adjectives

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Director Kevin Smith is known for using controversial topics in his smart, quirky comedies. Many of his films, like Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, feature characters who use drugs and a lot of bad language. Dogma, which stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as two fallen angels, angered some religious groups because it makes fun of the Catholic Church. But Smith’s latest movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, may be the most controversial yet.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is about two broke roommates who decide to make a sex movie to help pay the rent. It includes some pretty graphic sex scenes, which upset some viewers. But fans of the movie say that in spite of the racy subject matter, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy. Listen to Mason tell Marni what he thinks.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Marni

Marni

Mason:  You know, the last thing that I ever expected to turn into a heartwarming romantic comedy was pornography.

Marni:  Oh, and yet…

Mason:  But Kevin Smith can do it.

Marni:  Kevin Smith?

Mason:  Kevin Smith, yeah, he directed the Zack and Miri Make a Porno movie.

Marni:  Oh, I had no idea he directed that.

Mason:  The movie was really…I mean, it was really cute, ultimately. There were the down and dirty bits, because, you know…

Marni:  Right, because they make a porno, which is traditionally known for being dirty.

Mason:  Right. So there are some lesser actors that may or may not have come from the world of adult film. However, the main actors remain pure and chaste.

Marni:  And it’s Seth Rogen, right?

Mason:  Yeah, and I do love how his last movie really was Knocked Up. But the whole premise of Knocked Up being, boy, no one would ever want to sleep with this guy.

Marni:  Right.

Mason:  And then a year later the movie comes out that’s him and Elizabeth “Hottie” Banks making a porno.

Marni:  Right. And so, the premise is that they make a porno because they’re desperate?

Mason:  Because they’re broke. They’ve been friends since high school, and they’re just roommates, and they’re kinda ne’er-do-wells. And the power gets shut off and they can’t pay their bills. So they’re like, well, people pay for watching sex on TV…

Marni:  Well, I was wondering if it was more social commentary based on our current economic situation, like, hey, maybe this is gonna become commonplace.

Mason:  They did not lose all of their money in the stock market, so…

Marni:  OK.

Mason:  But you know, maybe that was in the subtext. It’s possible that that was between the lines and I missed it.

 

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Discussion

Mason was surprised by how sweet and touching Zack and Miri Make a Porno was. He says Kevin Smith did a good job directing this movie. Even though some scenes were really racy, it was cute overall.

Seth Rogen isn’t known for being a super-attractive guy, and the characters he plays are often losers. So Mason finds it funny that in this movie, his character gets to make a porno with a beautiful woman.

In the movie, Zack and Miri decide to make a porno because they’re too broke to pay their bills. When Marni hears the premise of the movie, she wonders if Kevin Smith wanted to make a statement about the current economic crisis. But Mason doesn’t think that the movie is political.

Have ever done something creative to make money? Have you seen any other Kevin Smith movies?

 

Comments

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mahbubeh92

mahbubeh92

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

what it means??


There were the down and dirty bits, 


but i bet this movies is really rediculous ..the racy subject matters included in movie are really insane..GrOSS

05:03 PM Jul 26 2014 |

hemk24

India

hi everyone

06:00 AM May 23 2010 |

hazemasi

Syrian Arab Republic

Kisshi

12:21 PM Apr 07 2010 |

alhanooty

alhanooty

Saudi Arabia

They are good friends, but bad luck

09:24 PM Mar 07 2010 |

1 person likes this

marcoantonio`

Philippines

creative concept, it's choice!

04:22 AM Mar 07 2010 |

Drilon

Albania

Smile lol

 

02:58 PM Jan 03 2010 |

15022aa

China

i've heard this movie but have never watched.

interesting premise of the film, maybe i can set aside time to admire it.

07:00 PM Oct 18 2009 |

Gennius

Moldova, Republic Of

hello all, my dream is to have a car and please who wants to  help me,  to accumulate some bani.I will be grateful.thank you very very much.My webmoney purse is  Z245376630824

03:14 PM Oct 17 2009 |

sofan

sofan

Yemen

what that mean 69

06:49 PM Oct 02 2009 |

johny_snooch

United States

WHAt!!

02:28 PM Jun 16 2009 |

Simugomwa

Belgium

After that kind of comment I feel like I wanted to wacht that movie even if I dont nomally find porno much interesting.

09:58 AM Jun 10 2009 |

dexbril

Philippines

thank you for additional information about the moviewith regards to its values i think money is not everything theres a lot of option in life not to the extent of making a porno but if given the chance in my artistic side why not? which is which? confusing…

03:27 PM Feb 22 2009 |

johny_snooch

United States

Kevin Smith is the shiznit!

06:35 PM Feb 18 2009 |

Jerry Galvan

Mexico

I don´t know it´s picture but the history went interesting

09:40 PM Jan 30 2009 |

arjun007

China

I've watched this movie. It's great!

12:44 AM Dec 17 2008 |

sherryfun

sherryfun

Taiwan

I haven’t seen the movies directed by Kevin Smith but I’ve learned lots of words from this lesson ;)

06:02 PM Dec 16 2008 |

mim_dica

mim_dica

India

i dont think that i will watch this movie

 

07:53 PM Dec 15 2008 |

Frankie_277

Viet Nam

I think this movie is so funny !

07:14 AM Dec 14 2008 |

jht2007

China

I'd never see this film , but i think if i have a choice,i will see it and comment it .so now i have no comment on it.

07:11 AM Dec 14 2008 |

vsuman

India

good job brother!!! well articulated article. keep it up.

05:01 AM Dec 14 2008 |

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