Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003)

Sadly Over-hyped

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

First, this movie isn't supposed to be an Oscar contender. Second, it's still a Pauly Shore movie, even if it's not like any other Pauly Shore movie. I really think the negative reviews of this movie were from people putting it on a pedestal before even watching it, expecting it to be extremely artsy, a biting satire on Hollywood or whatever other pretentious reasons they could come up with to hate the movie when it failed to play out like their fantasy they came up with simply by looking at the box and title.It's not a bad movie. It's not a great movie, but it's got plenty of humor in it, both clever Hollywood in-jokes (with lots of celebrities making fun of themselves along with Pauly) and simple toilet humor. I really think all the 'film school dropouts' need to sit back and enjoy the movie for what it is, not for what it isn't. It's a Pauly Shore movie that doesn't play like a typical Pauly Shore movie, nothing more nothing less. And if you didn't like other Pauly Shore movies, you should at least still give it a shot because of this. Just don't expect it cure cancer or feed hungry children. It's still a Pauly Shore movie.

Pauly Shore is one of my favorite comedians, and probably long forgotten about. Stoners in the nineties have turned into fast food workers who no longer know or need Pauly, and since he's milked his fifteen minutes of fame, no one really has followed the man himself since the late nineties most likely. Which is probably why he made this mockumentary faking his own death. Leave it to Pauly! Pauly Shore is Dead is just what it sounds like; Pauly Shore's career has taken a turn for the worst, and he is desperately begging his friend Kurt Loder, a more successful actor, for any role. Pauly begins to realize his purpose on this planet is none, and after getting some strangely morbid advice from Sam Kinison, Pauly fakes his death. This becomes a genius plan on his part because now he sees how the world reacts to him being dead. Surprisingly, everyone is sympathetic, and Pauly proves death is better than life itself.Along the way, Pauly captures the reactions of celebrities of music and film like Pam Anderson, Ja Rule, Chris Rock, Carrot Top, Kurt Loder, etc. The interviews are very humorous, and sometimes make me forget I'm watching a film about Pauly Shore. Todd Bridges also makes a very memorable, and humorous cameo. The stars make the film without a doubt.There isn't too much to say about this. I am a Pauly Shore fan, but it saddened me to watch him fake his own death. I enjoyed Bio-Dome and In the Army Now, and think there are far worse actors than Shore. He is rather funny in this film, and asks a very good/deep question in this film - "would you rather be a dead genius, or a living idiot?" Living idiot for myself.But obviously this will spawn a line of more mockumentaries by Shore. I think his VJ, MTV, stoner comedy movie days are over. That was clear by Pauly Shore's Adopted that came out a few years after this.Starring: Pauly Shore, Ashley L. Anderson, Pamela Anderson, Camille Anderson, Adam Sandler, Eminem, Charlie Sheen, Todd Bridges, and Ben Stiller. Directed by: Pauly Shore.

Love (Pauly Shore) or hate him, both ways you've got to feel that he didn't have all the chances (as many other names had and still have !). And it's weird how after his cinematic career was gone he didn't have any job, like supporting roles in comic or non-comic works ! So the guy is a loser jerk ? The guy is an untrustworthy pampered ? Or the guy is just unlucky ? Sure he's a combination of all of the above. I don't hate him. Or I'll going to hate many many stars that began as dumb or dumber. But here, I really loved him. This is maybe his funniest movie yet. And unlike its very simple look, it has a lot to experience. For one is how to utilize your failure in making funny work, to make a real funny one. Pain brings the best indeed.I have never seen a self-spoof like this before. Endless celebrities spoofed themselves before even harshly, whether in respectful way (watch for instance Oliver Stone mocking at himself in his earlier work, in Natural Born Killer. Or follow most of The Simpsons episodes), or in non-respectful way in any of the rehab shows where the pity is begged and the bad news are news anyway. Here the spoof is sincere, smart, and meaningfully comic. Moreover it was my first to watch a self-spoof in a form of a complete movie.Shore mastered the way he ridicules himself, and most importantly his persona. Showing, and somehow assuring, all what he had been accused with from all the parties. However not in a humiliating sense inasmuch as a malcontent critic sense. What I loved about it isn't how the man said all the jokes (that were on him) and more, but also his belief that he was really dead, where no one killed him but himself, and he just must learn a lot to come back again, but as a human being not a Hollywood thing, or a short-lived antic. Now he said all of that yet as a drama, a comic one. Therefore it wasn't just a bitter compunction or self-flagellation, where "the joke" is the main aim. It rather has the joke, the confession that it wasn't loved by everyone, the other jokes (the real good ones) around that, then the purgation too; where the entire true scene (which was being read drolly) leads to serious facts in nice convincing way.This script is right. It's not poor or whimsical as I though it would be. For instance look at the character of the number one fan; else being a comedic, sometimes thrilling, factor it added such a symbolic dimension where Shore hit the bottom that pushed even his greatest fans to think about wasting him! The ghost of (Sam Kinison) as Shore's conscience was a fine touch too. Listen to sorely written criticism about how Tom Hanks or Robin Williams began then moved on, the fact that Shore's 1997 TV show lasted for 1 episode (it's actually 5), and watch him buying crack for himself (how this movie can be franker ?!). Then look at the uncountable cameos; aside from being attractive factor apart, they – according to Shore's script – didn't blame the circumstances, Tinseltown, etc.. They blamed the goofy lead, and the hypocrisy around him sometime.(Shore) as a first-time moviemaker didn't depend wholly on the presences of the stars, he didn't resort to the bad taste or the easy comedy, and he didn't make an unfunny or aimless movie. On some level this is a pretty sad movie about a phase that we all get through one time or another. However it kept a good formula going on where it managed eventually not to be only the amusing comedy or a dark film. In fact it's in a great middle, having the best of both.I just refused : the video camera-work. It took a lot of the movie's value. Let alone that the image was a bit slower than what it was supposed to be if that was made cinematically. I don't know why he didn't transform it into cinema since this technique is available. Maybe for the sake of being realistic (or artistic ?!). Or maybe for cut-down-the-damn-no-budget ! Plus the closing credits where Shore is kind of promoting himself as a good, new, actor and a good director too (the phone call). Well, don't go and say these things by yourself, let your movie tell it by itself. But he got the right anyway as this is his movie, and on a deeper level; this is his career which was put to the critical test at the moment. Finally I saw that the story of "how did I fake my death" wasn't well used which made it look unnecessary, and I hated the Marilyn Monroe Joke; as a great fan of her I must say that that was low pal, and I mean LOW.I think (Shore) said many good things in this movie. He's frank, he's sorry, he learned a lesson, he wants to come back and he has some talent to say all of that in a well way; and that, I think, is the highest point this small movie achieves.It's not a nice time only, or a pretty drastic uncovering for someone's flaws by his own hands, it gives a hope for everyone out there too, any one blew it big time, or lost his glamour or didn't even give himself the chance to discover his real one. So whether (Shore) got that role with (Sean Penn) or not, it's the testimony about the necessity of going out of the self's jail first to win a second chance for being reborn and alive again. (Pauly Shore is Dead) is a rare idea, painful conscience, fine message and funny feel-good movie as well. One last thing : I loved (Jury Duty).

Let me start by saying I have never had the urge to make a comment on IMDb yet - not for a great movie, and certainly not for a bad one. But this movie was so horrible I HAD to warn people.I thought Pauly Shore was reasonably funny until this. Half of this movie isn't even trying to be humorous. It's Pauly Shore's desperate attempt at saving his career.Yes there are tons of celebrity "cameos", but they are all so short, and I'd say maybe two of them are slightly funny. This movie plays as if it was written and directed by a no-talent former MTV "VJ". And it is.