http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/rebeccadavies/3673921/Shaving_Ryans_Privates/
Shaving Ryan's Privates
By
Rebecca Davies Film Last updated: January 30th, 2007
I happened to be idly flicking through the TV channels last night when my eye was caught by a rather amusing film title. I remember seeing it on the top shelf of my local village video-rental shop as a teenager and giggling about it with my friends, but I never dared look at the cover to find out exactly what it was about (let alone watch it!) and the title seemed pretty self-explanatory anyway.
A scene from an entirely unrelated film
The film in question is Shaving Ryan's Privates, which is not, as I had assumed, an adult movie in which a toned, possibly moustachioed GI has the more delicate areas of his anatomy introduced to a razor (though in fact such a film does exist as well), rather it is an informative and entertaining documentary that looks at porn parodies of classic Hollywood movies.
Presented by Cash Markman, director of erotic gems such as Missionary Position: Impossible II and Swinging in the Rain, and Mike Horner, indefatigable porn legend who has starred in at least six films a year since the Seventies, the documentary outlines the many obstacles that must be overcome in order to make a good (or deliberately bad) sexy spoof, from tight budgets and nervous performers to singing with your mouth full.
But the one thing that really stands out is the importance of a good title. It seems a pertinent pun is essential to get the ball(s) rolling.
These range from the obvious (Ass Ventura), to the slightly desperate (Spermacus) to the downright hilarious (Good Will Humping, A Back Passage to India, Throbin Hood, Drive This Miss Daisy).
After the film was over, I started trying to invent a few of my own, and found it surprisingly difficult. The best I could come up with (that can be printed at any rate) was the exceptionally flaccid Porn on the Fourth of July. I was offered a few more suggestions at work, the cleanest of which were American History XXX, the Magnificent Seven Inches and L.A.I.D. Confidential.
I suppose it just goes to show that such things are best left to the professionals. But if you want to see some more,
check out Listology.
