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PORN STAR: THE LEGEND OF RON JEREMY
Unrated Version
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Ron Jeremy
Director: Scott J. Gill
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Docurama
Features: See Review
Length: 76 Minutes
Release Date: March 25, 2003
“Ron
just wants to be famous.”
It’s
been said that Ron Jeremy is the biggest. That
is, when it comes to video rental revenue; his catalog of movies on videotape
has apparently brought in more cash than that of any other popular star,
including Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts or Harrison Ford!
With
over 25 years in the industry and over 1,600 movies to his credit (the number is
even suggested to be something like 1,800, but I figure hey, after your first 12
or 1,300, who’s really counting), that’s probably a reasonable assessment.
Not only are those numbers staggering, they’re also amusing when you
consider the man they’re attributed to: a
fellow who’s been nicknamed “The Hedgehog” because he’s short, round and
hairy.
So
what made Ron Jeremy such a hit in the industry? That’s the question that Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy pretends to explore, when
really, it’s summed up very succinctly early on.
Ron is A) well endowed, and B) able to ‘perform’ on command, and
could do so even in the pre-Viagra era.
And
that’s it. But the rest of the
film, though clocking in at about an hour and a quarter, tries to make Jeremy
more interesting than he is. Why is
he interesting at all? Read the
title of the documentary again, and you’ve summed it up.
The
film spends a lot of time with Jeremy, including new interview footage mixed
with talk show appearances, him hitting the comedy circuit, his attempts to go
mainstream with his career, and of course, tastefully chosen and carefully
edited footage from his extensive filmography.
The film is available in both R-rated and unrated versions, and it was
the latter I watched. You get a
fair share of “money” shots in it, but those hoping to see some of the
“real” stuff will be disappointed here…this is a serious documentary, not
a blue movie!
And
people who have known and/or worked with Jeremy have their say, from his father
and sister to co-stars from the set, to fans and other notables.
They all say Ron’s a really nice guy.
I don’t doubt it. But nice guys don’t automatically make the best subjects
for films.
The
most amusing aspect is that Ron, like most porn stars, crave legitimacy as
actors or actresses, and few acquire it. It’s
been said that the best thing to happen for the porn fan has been the VCR, but
it was one of the worst for the stars, because at least while their pictures
were being shot on film and shown in theatres, a guy like Ron could, in a
strained way, claim equality with the likes of Burt Reynolds and others.
Once their target audience became people sitting on couches with fast
forward buttons, they were essentially reduced from stars to objects.
And
Ron, bless his heart, probably earns the tagline moniker of hardest working man
in the business. He travels around
doing comedy (but not very well), and jumps at the chance to make the tiniest
appearances in “mainstream” films. He
actually flew to Paris to make about a 3 second appearance in Killing Zoe…now
that’s dedication!
But
Ron still keeps one foot firmly in the industry that made him a legend, where
part of his routine is a monthly AIDS test, where the camera follows him as he
sits on pins and needles and nervously awaits the results.
He’s a lucky man…he’s dodged the proverbial bullet for more than
two decades.
Porn
Star as a
whole just doesn’t have enough to hold interest. It’s certainly impressive that so unlikely a man could
achieve the status that Ron Jeremy has…but after you’ve acknowledged that,
where do you go with it?
Video
**
The
film was obviously inexpensively made, and compiles both new and old
footage…for what it is, it looks about as good as you can hope for, but
isn’t anything spectacular.
Audio
**
Likewise,
the audio is passable, but nothing about the movie will make any real demands on
your system. Nothing worthy of
complaint or praise.
Features
***
The
disc includes a commentary track by Jeremy and director Scott J. Gill, which is
actually a fun and interesting listen, some deleted scenes, Ron’s filmography,
cast and crew bios, and some promotional bits for other Docurama titles.
Summary:
