Director: Jason Lockhart
Starring: Justin Smith, Jason Lockhart, Jessica Rose, Kelly Kemp, Kayla Collins, Mayra Leal, Chasty Ballesteros, Paul A. Storiale, David Lengel.
Running Time: 93 Minutes
CASTING COUCH is a low-budget indie comedy but with impressive production value alongside echoes of AMERICAN PIE, DAZED & CONFUSED and those teen sex-comedies that have found cult status over the years.
This takes the form of a mockumentary that focuses initially on lead character Justin (Justin Smith), who’s hung-over and not having much luck with the ladies. Justin and his mates are all desperate to act but also they’re trying to meet girls and get laid. To solve the problem, they come up with the idea to cast and write their own movie but here’s the twist: It’s a fake horror film called The Bloody Slumber Party that will never be made.
Let me make one thing clear, I’m not sure the feminists of the world would like CASTING COUCH but quite truthfully, this is a satire about the fake plastic side of LA and proves that anyone will try anything to be famous. As much as it’s tongue-in-cheek, it is also an interesting take on the documentary/mockumentary and knows what it’s about, so don’t take it too seriously and you’ll enjoy the ride as it plays with the madness of the industry.
There’s a large cast involved and happily, quite a number of laugh-out-loud moments. Some of the key characters that stood out were Jason Lockhart (who wrote and directed the film) as slightly-famous actor Chase Lockwood. He’s like the essence of Keanu Reeves at the start of his career (or maybe all of Reeves career) and also mixes in a touch of Ben Stiller and as Lockhart’s character believes he invented ZOOLANDER, it’s a cool homage.
We also have Parker played by Paul Storiale, the director for the fake film, who plays it like a little Jason Segel and creates a number of uncomfortable/amusing moments on-screen, plus a mention for David Lengel who wins it for the geeks. Of course, who could forget the stunning girls! My personal favourites include Jessica Rose as Alex – a southern girl-next-door type – and helping the boys make the film is Katie, played by Kelly Kemp. However, all the ladies involved are entertaining and easy on the eye, which probably goes a long way to keeping the attention.
On the downside, I think there’s definite space to make proceedings a little snappier, as there are places where you get the idea and a sped up narrative could have improved the odd lull but CASTING COUCH just gets away with it by charming us throughout.
To sum up, the film has a brilliantly ridiculous concept and although you might not know what to expect, it’s a lot of fun and works because of the ensemble cast. My advice: Bring your beers and your AMERICAN PIE-loving mates to enjoy a good laugh, and the undoubted bonus of a whole host of hot girls. CASTING COUCH may not blow your mind but here’s proof you can make something funny – even on a low budget.
CASTING COUCH is out now to buy via this link. You can also find other ways to stream the film, or pick up a copy by visiting their official site. They can also be found on Twitter and check out the trailer just over here.
One more thing, have some stills from the film to enjoy:
