Hey gang, Valkor here. Whenever I think of the term "casting couch" I'll always think of… well…
So I didn't know what to expect when a comedy DVD arrived on my door step with the same name (and couch) as those infamous videos. Except there is no couch and I should also point out that there is no sex, but there is some nudity. So is "Casting Couch" really worth my time?
Casting Couch centers on Justin (Justin Smith), a bit of a douche bag loser who attempts to piece together a fake movie, set around a real documentary, all in an attempt to cast really hot women and have sex with them. In order for this to appear as legit as possible, he enlists the help of his friends to be on his crew, who'll also get their shot at having sex with a really hot chick; first up we have Chase Lockwood (Jason Lockhart), who is sort of a movie star already (he's a big hit in India and China), who plays the lead. But in order for this scheme to truly work he brings in a few more friends such as Ross (Robert Mitchell) and Austin (Adam Loyd) as writers, Ben (David Lengel) as the producer, gay theatrical director Parker (Paul A. Storiale) as... well the director of this farce. Then there's friend Johnson (Joey Stafura) as Executive Producer, casting director Katie (Kelly Kemp) and finally there's Newt (Nathaniel Sticco) who is filming the entire scheme for the documentary part of the plan. Once the crew is set up, they then piece together the type of women they'd like to get with and then it's on to the casting. And what a cast of bevy-licious babes: Dallas (Mayra Leal, Playing House), Kimmy (Chasty Ballesteros), Summer (Nikki BreAnne Wells), Alex (Jessica Rose), and Chelsea (Kayla Collins). Of course there's a guy for Parker, Trent (Rolland Bartimus).
With all the pieces in place we move on to the kick party where the guys truly make a play for their favorite women with a few monkey wrenches in the works in the form of Chase's ex-girlfriend Jordan (Michelle Pierce) and Parker's ex Calvin (Charlie Vaughn), who also knows Parker's deep, dark secret. But all good things must come to an end and eventually the truth will come out. Romance may or may not blossom, friendships will be decided, and a fake film will be revealed to be the fake that it is.
On a side note, Casting Couch makes for a great drinking game. Any time anyone says "hot chick" or some variation, everyone must take a shot. By the first twenty minutes everyone is gonna get wasted. Fact!
The Good:
Casting Couch, overall, is a pretty decent sex comedy… sans the sex. You're essentially following along with Justin and his buddies, so the actual premise is the entire film from start to finish; there are no crazy twists, no side stories, and no bullshit. If you've ever wanted to watch a comedy that goes through the actual process of creating a film then this is it. The acting, for the most part, is pretty solid. And my personal favorite, believe it or not, is Paul Storiale as gay director Parker; the dude comes across very Vince Vaughn-esque, with almost that same level of cool, but he's definitely the one who made me laugh the most (no homo). You sir, I applaud you. Finally, what really makes this film worth watching is all that sweet, sweet eye candy that's part of the casting call. There wasn't one and I repeat not one of those women whom I wouldn't give the tip. I'm just sayin they'd all get it.
The Bad:
And here's where things start to go downhill; first up is the title of the film "Casting Couch" – there ain't no couch! I mean I know what a "casting couch" is, but if there ain't no sex, there ain't no couch. And there's literally and figuratively no couch in this movie. The title is a lie! A LIE I SAY! It should have been called "American Lie", which is the title used for the documentary and it would have made waaaaaaaay more sense than what was finally used. Next, this is supposedly an "unrated" version and usually that would mean you'd get more "mature" content – more lies! Yea you get some boob, but not enough and there was certainly room for it; so many missed opportunities with so many hot chicks. *sigh* Next is the actual "casting" scene, which went on waaaaaaaay longer than it should have. Ever hear of a montage? Finally a huge raspberry goes out to Justin Smith, whose acting looked as though he was reading from cue cards the entire time, topped off with a silly grin. Actually… he's the only actor whom I didn't really care for in the film.
The Ugly:
N/A
The Lulz:
Casting Couch is available now and it's a fairly decent comedy with a few chuckles tossed in. Sure it doesn't have the sexual overtones that the title dictates, but it's still worth checking out at least once. So out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Casting Couch DVD a 3.
