This summer has hatched a lot of comedies and that’s a good thing. Keeping the laughter coming, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy does it’s level best to entertain and it does. For one thing it’s got a great cast of comedic actors working with a weird little script that delivers. It may sound like a lot of hooey but A Good Old Fashioned Orgy is worth a look.
The screwy film goes something like this; Eric (Jason Sudeikis) has been hosting themed super parties at his father’s vacation home since High School and this season’s shindig was way over the top. Just when he’s totally satisfied with himself and his closest friends are still celebrating with him, his father drops by to tell him he’s selling the place. Totally distraught, he decides to have one last unforgettable party for himself and seven of his closest friends.
After a lot of thought Eric decides the theme should be an orgy party. Although not everyone is initially hot about it, each of the friends start coming on board for his or her own personal reasons.
Why this script works are the cast and the reasons for participating. Although some jump in because of the sexual theme others have other things on their minds. The chemistry between the paired off couples works well and the characters they portray are believable enough to just go with it.
I do not envy the job of directors Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck who have to make the film live up to its title. Although working with a cast that has had their share of working together in an adult themed television show doesn’t hurt, such as Leslie Bibb as Kelly (The League), Lake Bell as Alison (The League), Martin Star as Duquez (The League) and Nick Kroll as Adam (The League). That seemed to work to their advantage here as the cast looked very comfortable in their roles. Throw in the fact that the two helms worked together on King of the Hill and The Letterman Show.
Getting the audience to believe that the orgy would really take place is a bit of a stretch, but when you throw in the reasons why the women jumped in it does make sense. Add to this the research that Eric and McCrudden (Tyler Labine) had to do for the party makes their final love-in look tame.
The film is rated R for pervasive strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language. It’s a wild and raunchy time, just the ticket for a man-group get together.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A howling good time. (B)
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
