Pauly Shore Is Dead

That may be damning this thing with faint praise. However, this is one of the funniest flicks I have seen in a while and I think it is an indication of the perverse nature of IMDb that it didn't rate higher. If this had been scripted by Charles Kaufman then all you sports jacket wearing mofo's would be worshipping like some kind of object of worship.

Great performances, and the alternative ending on the DVD is even funnier than the one in the film. This gives you a real feeling that there is more to Pauly Shore than sub Bill and Ted Fare like Bio-dome and hopefully he will get some better projects as a result of this film.

A narcissist is one who has excessive love or admiration of oneself. You'd think a person who writes, directs and stars in a movie about himself would fit that definition. But it's the exact opposite.

"Pauly Shore Is Dead" is a satirical, self-deprecating (self-loathing?) autobiography by a man who was once on top of the world but now he's flattened by it. The movie is mostly predictable, with silly gags and one-liners typical of the plastic 80s and early 90s partycoms we loved so much. Pauly stayed true to the genre that made him a hit.

But what I liked were the introspective moments peppered throughout, particularly toward the end, where we see that maybe Pauly could, in fact, be another Robin Williams or Adam Sandler... a typecast slapstick comedian who manages to break out of the mold and become a legitimate actor. The story is superficial, and if you choose to read between the lines--realizing that this movie itself is part of the autobiography--it's a grand experience.

Dozens of great cameo appearances make this film a treat. From the opening scene with arrogant Charlie Sheen, to the clips of angry Ben Stiller, to the scene with penniless Gerardo rapping on the side of the road (remember "Rico Suave"?), to the bit with ditzy Paris Hilton or clueless Britney Spears ("Pauly Shore? Oh you mean the guy who was on MTV *before* I was born!") there's tons of comedic eye candy, especially for the 90s pop culture crowd. I think that's the key to all the fun. You don't necessarily need to be a Pauly fan in order to be entertained, as long as you recognize some of the big & upcoming stars of the late 90s.

"Pauly Shore Is Dead" is not a big budget production, so don't expect polished Hollywood finesse. It seems like a lot was shot on digital cameras, giving it a cheap, homemade feel (deliberately?). The soundtrack is sorta cheezy (again, deliberately?) but with a few big hits like The Cars "Let the Good Times Roll", a tune by Eminem, and ironically a tune by Limp Bizkit, whose singer appears in a cameo handing a demo cd to Pauly and subsequently getting into a fight, yelling "You'll see! My band is going to make it big and we'll never ask you to be in our video!" (the irony being that Pauly has appeared in several).

So brush up on your 90s pop culture, then pop this movie in & have a blast. Movies I would compare this to are "Best in Show" (or any of the excellent Christopher Guest mockumentaries, "Napoleon Dynamite", and a weird, undiscovered dark comedy called "Circus Maximus ".

It's always great to see someone who can laugh at himself, and even make fun of himself in ways that most people aren't brave enough to do. Pauly is totally exposing what has to be at least a little painful: His "has-been-ness". It's too bad this wasn't able to be released in theaters. My boyfriend even thought it was really funny, and he's always despised Pauly Shore's movies and "weasel" stuff. Many will also find it at least somewhat inspirational, his being so vulnerable and open. Lots and lots of familiar faces too, plenty of great cameos. It's hard to believe how many people came on board to help out with this project. Check it out, chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised.

First off, let me say that I was never a fan of Pauly Shore. In fact, I could never understand how it was even possible that someone this unfunny was able to have a career as a comedian, but hey ... Despite my claims of hatred, though, I still managed to watch everything he'd done, in some kind of a masochistic, painful cycle, and my hatred for him continued to grow and grow.

So it was inevitable that I would eventually catch 'Pauly Shore Is Dead', but what was surprising is how truly funny the film turned out to be. It's not perfect, by any stretch, and has a few moments that seem a little forced and even sentimental (such as the guardian angel visits), but all in all, I have to say this is one hell of a funny movie, and whether you like him or not, I think it would be hard not to admit some kind of respect for a man who is so willing to make fun of himself.

It is his sense of humor about himself that ultimately makes the film work, and I must admit that between the self-effacing plot line and the surprising amount of work that went into making the film, Shore has really gone up in my book. I still think he might be in the wrong line of business, but at least he's grounded enough in reality to realize that possibility as well.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys watching any celebrity spoof themselves, as the film is loaded with numerous amusing cameos. Also check out the deleted scenes, a highlight being the rendition of the song 'It's Been A While'. Check it out, and you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Good work, Wiez!

Well, it wasn't a total waste of time. Never before have I seen a movie with over 60 recognized celebrities and as many more that I probably would never recognize. It's like watching an awards show.

Pauly Shore, with a splendid resume that includes such Razzie favorites as Encino Man, Jury Duty, and Bio-Dome, decides that he is better off dead. Only then does he get recognition. It is so much easier to say nice things about the dead.

There are some laughs hers, and you get to see Pamela Anderson, but that's about it. Shore doesn't do much more in his directorial debut that he does in his films.