Porn Valley- Recently, the entertainment section of The Gateway was sent a screener copy of a little-known film from 2003 that just made its debut on video this month. Up until recently Being Ron Jeremy had only been seen at comedy festivals in the United States and Canada. After zero seconds of consideration, my editor decided that this film must be reviewed.
Being Ron Jeremy is set up almost exactly like the film that it takes its title from, Being John Malkovich. It’s about a guy named Brian Pickles, a comedian in Los Angeles who is a huge loser. Brian, who spends all of his time at the porn store, falls in love with the attendant of the store, Mia. Mia thinks Brian is a dork, of course, and tells him that she only dates well-endowed men.
The story picks up with Brian discovering a portal into Ron Jeremy’s head inside the store. He starts selling tickets for men to be Ron Jeremy, almost ruining Ron’s porn star career. All the loser guys who inhabit Ron’s body keep making him ejaculate prematurely, something that doesn’t lend itself well to the porn industry. Every time Ron farts, he shoots the current inhabitant out of his body, transporting them naked into a dumpster. Mia and Brian then plot to take over Ron Jeremy’s life with the aid of extra-strength gas relief medication.
Obviously, whether this is a well-directed movie is not important. I mean, really, look at the title. The thing that you want to know is, “Is it funny?” Well, yes and no. Brian Berke, the writer, director, and star of the Being Ron Jeremy shows that he has a talent for comedy, but some of the humor in here is so low-brow, the audience might be offended out of sheer boredom. The running time keeps things tight and quick, though, allowing it to get away with some of its stuff (the Web site advertises the film’s 40-minute length, but without credits it’s more like 30 minutes). The idea is a pretty good one, and some great jabs are made at men’s obsession with sex and Ron Jeremy, himself.
The acting is horrible, especially from the adult film stars that cameo and play parts. One of the highlights, though, is Andy Dick, who plays himself, Ron Jeremy’s best friend. The conversations shared between Andy and Ron make for some of the funniest material in the movie.
The DVD also includes some extra content. It features a Ron Jeremy’s stand-up comedy act filmed with a question and answer session. Jeremy is actually kind of funny, even if some of the jokes are “Full House” quality. He also gives some real insight into being the biggest male adult film star. There are also outtakes, deleted scenes, and even interviews with all of the female movie stars who had cameos in the film.
While by no means hilarious or classic, Being Ron Jeremy is a good time-waster for the average college kid. If you’re interested, visit Beingronjeremy.com, where you can also buy the film for less than what Amazon.com is selling it for.