From the National Lampoon stable comes Cattle Call, a movie that jumps firmly on the bandwagon of the recent resurgence of the sex comedy. By far the biggest budget of the new breed of sex comedies Cattle Call takes a leaf out of the book of the American Pie movies, and not only that it takes one of its cast with it.
Thomas Ian Nicholas is a familiar face in American comedy movies, but is best known for his role of Kevin in the America Pie movies. Kevin was always the most sensible of the Pie entourage, and here is a similar situation. With pals Sherman Oaks (Andrew Katos) and Glenn Dale (Diedrich Bader), Richie Rey (Nicholas) sets up a bogus casting call for an upcoming movie, not short of the odd dollar its pretty easy to create the impression that you are about to film a movie, casting processes often lasting months depending on the scale of a movie. Of course there is a reason for setting up
this casting call, and that reason is girl's; all of our three males being slightly lacking in the love Department. While Sherman is slightly more womanly aware and simply looking for easy women, Richie and Glenn are actually looking for love, but somewhere along the lines the casting situation must come to end... or does it?
Unlike the other popular sex comedies making their way across the big pond, namely Gettin' It and Kisses And Caroms, Cattle Call stands out a mile, on first appearances the film does not look like its been thrown together for a few pounds, the build up and development is identical to any larger budget comedy offering, but as the movie progresses the signs of cheapness begin to show, slowly your subjected to disjointed story telling caused by some most bizarre editing and cut shots; the most notable and confusing being the arrival of a special guest as Richie's home, which while easily explained because of cutting of the scenes leaves you scratching your head asking "How did they get here?"
Further analysis makes you question the logical attributes of the story, money never seems in short supply but it seems that nobody in the movie works, how do they earn money? The story is almost told in real-time, not minute by minute as such but your perfectly aware that all the characters do not have time to go off and work either a day or night job, and are certainly off work for longer than a conventional two week break. I guess really you can analyse a movie too much, and let's face it movies are all about escapism, if we wanted real life we'd hardly rent a movie or go to the cinema to see it, and I think if you can shut off the harsh realities of the real world then things might look a little different.
In Cattle Call's favour it's actually a fairly interesting concept of a movie, you are often hearing of sexual harassment cases in the movie industry, and the infamous casting couch, Cattle Call embraces that not only in the sense that it asks the questions, but in that having been exposed as a fraud what exactly legally can be done to stop bogus casting agents.
You could go a further stage and say that Cattle Call is a funny movie, not the laugh out loud "Ow it hurts" style, but the sort that tentatively amuses you, rather a lot like the aforementioned American Pie movies. Another nice touch is that while this is indeed a sex comedy, it does not push the boundaries of acceptability as much as the others, yes there is the odd topless woman, there is a fair bit of bad language, and of course certainly referenced sex. What you get in return is something that you can safely watch in mix sex groups, none of that unpleasantness that you often get watching certain movies that push the envelope a little too much.
Of the new breed of sex movies I have been subjected to over the last few weeks, Cattle Call is by far the best it's by no means in the league of the American Pie movies, but if you like your humour a little smutty then it's certainly a step in the right direction.
Cattle Call is available to buy or rent now, there are no special features.
Spencer Hawken 08/08
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