‘A Good Old Fashioned Orgy’ Trailer: Why Is Jason Sudeikis in a Cable Movie?
Early in the year, we wondered aloud if Jason Sudeikis was about ready to become a huge movie star. Since then, "Hall Pass" underperformed, but "Horrible Bosses" could hit $100 million with a bit of luck. Next up for him is "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy," an ensemble comedy about a group of old friends who decide to say goodbye to a favorite summer hangout by throwing an orgy. That sounds like a good premise for a funny film, but the first trailer makes us think otherwise.
Directed by first-timers Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, who have written for Letterman and "King of the Hill," "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy" has the sensibility of one of those tame straight-to-DVD sex comedies that used to play on USA Up All Night and nowadays on Comedy Central at two in the afternoon on a Saturday. It's not that "Orgy" looks terrible, it's just that it looks boring, which is not an adjective you'd want associated with a trailer featuring the occasional shot of an attractive woman in lingerie.
Still, it does suggest that Sudeikis at least looks the part of a leading man. He's a handsome dude, he's got natural charisma, and yet he seems wholesome enough that women could easily imagine taking him home to Mom and Dad. Problem is, he doesn't make us laugh in this trailer. It appears he's the straight guy alongside "crazy guy" Tyler Labine, who also doesn't make us laugh.
But that's not this trailer's greatest sin: It's that it doesn't even do a decent job selling its fun concept. If you're going to call your movie "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy," shouldn't the promise of said orgy be somewhat exciting? This whole thing seems like the PG version of what ought to be an R-rated comedy. And who wants to sit through that kind of orgy?
