Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

Summary

“Sometimes sister, the craziest solutions are the most sane.”

In 2001, I was reading my copy of Rolling Stone magazine and checking out the movie reviews of Peter Travers. A film caught my eye called Wet Hot American Summer, which Travers gave a fairly lukewarm review, but it sounded up my alley. Unfortunately, it was not playing anywhere near me, and its limited release only drew in $1.5 million, so I was forced to wait for it to be released on DVD. Upon renting it, I realized that this was a comedy squarely aimed at my sensibilities and those of us who had grown up on MTV and shows like Upright Citizens Brigade. It was written by David Wain and Michael Showalter of the sketch troupe The State. Wet Hot American Summer quickly became an underground favorite that I could show my friends. Over the years, it became a cult hit and every cast member went on to successful careers. Ken Marino and David Wain paired up as writing partners on Role Models, Wanderlust, and for a few episodes of the hilarious television show Children’s Hospital, so I was happy to see that they had another project together. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass finds Wain and Marino writing a comedy take on The Wizard of Oz’s story  in which the titular character comes from Kansas on a mission to sleep with Jon Hamm in order to save her relationship.

Spoiler alert: in order to describe the plot, a few jokes would have to be ruined. It may be worth skipping the plot and moving onto the next paragraph.

In the small town of Wilbur, Kansas, Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) is on the verge of marrying Tom Soursap McNoodleman (Michael Cassidy.) At her job at a salon, her best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) asks Gail who her celebrity sex pass is. She doesn’t have an answer, aside from mentioning that Tom was the QB of teh Wildcats. Otto also mentions that he will be going to California to see celebrity hair stylist Remy Fontaine (Thomas Lennon) in person. Later that day, Tom and Gail discuss who their sex passes would be – his is Tilda Swinton and hers is Jon Hamm. They go to a book signing by Jennifer Aniston, whom Tom has never seen act. After the signing, Gail jokingly tells Tom that he could switch his pass to Jen. He takes this literally and things happen. So begins Gail’s grand Hollywood adventure. Arriving in Los Angeles, a mishap switches Gail’s suitcase with a gangster (Joe Lo Truglio) who is working for a powerful woman named Lodovica (Sabrina Impacciatore) who has plans to destabilize the world’s economy through some means in that briefcase. Gail and Otto have no idea that they are in danger from their briefcase being switched. While exploring Los Angeles, a psychic (Kerri Kenney) recommends that Gail even the score by seeking out Jon Hamm and sleeping with him. Gail sees this as the only way that she can fix their relationship. With the wedding in just a couple days, she seeks him out, adding a paparazzi (Ken Marino,) an assistant from CAA (Ben Wang,) and John Slattery to her group along the way.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is an enjoyably breezy comedy that will definitely put smiles on the faces of those familiar with David Wain’s prior films. While it never reaches the heights of laughter of Wet Hot American Summer, I still had a good time watching the movie. Like other films from David Wain, this picture’s writing plays with familiar tropes and makes fun of its own structural components as it goes along. This winking towards the audience with an understanding that anything stupid in the plot is placed there intentionally is probably the dividing line of whether somebody would enjoy or dislike the movie. Because I was very familiar with his earlier films, I had no issue with this meta approach whatsoever and found the whole thing to be pretty darn funny. For the structure of the film, the writers took elements from The Wizard of Oz. Even the name, Gail Daughtry, is meant to remind one of Dorothy Gail. Each character that Gail encounters. Is playing off of characters such as the scarecrow, the lion, and the tin man. Jon Hamm would essentially be the wizard in this scenario. The structure of the picture works, because it is really just an excuse to have a lot of fun with numerous silly set ups and gags. Like a sketch show, some of the jokes work incredibly well, and some of the jokes don’t quite land. I think opinions will differ on which of those work and which don’t. I still thought the batting average was pretty high. In fact, a few days after watching the film I was still laughing about a couple lines said in the movie. One of the aspects I really enjoyed about the picture is that the entire film feels very upbeat. Part of that is the natural enthusiasm of the main character, Gail, but it also felt like a deliberate choice by the filmmakers. A breezy ninety minute comedy is something I will always be down to watch.

My wife felt like the acting of Zoey Deutch and Miles Gutierrez-Riley was a little bit too close to college theater or student films, but I felt like the performances were intentionally pretty broad and silly. I liked the upbeat tempo of Zoey overall. John Slattery is a great addition to the film. The talented actor that we all loved in Mad Men is very funny in the picture, playing himself as a bit of a loser who wishes for the golden days with his buddy Jon. As you would expect, Jon Hamm rules in the movie. Jon Hamm has shown his comedic chops in pictures like Bridesmaids and in his numerous hosting gigs on Saturday Night Live, so it was not surprising that he would steal every scene in which he appears. Ken Marino is hilarious in the picture. His lines in particular were the ones that I was chuckling over a few days later. I was also really impressed with the comedic timing of Ben Wang. I hope to see him in more things.

The film has numerous excellent cameos, including Henry Winkler, Weird Al Yankovic, and Jennifer Aniston playing themselves, plus great small roles for former State actors Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney, and Thomas Lennon. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass will scratch your itch for a silly and upbeat comedy with some very good moments.

Video

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass has been released onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The Blu-ray presentation is in 1080p. The film was shot on Gecko G35 lenses. It was mastered in 4K for its theatrical release, which the 1080p release is downscaled from. The good news is that the digital transfer sits on a 50GB disc, and, without any special features, it is given plenty of space. The movie was shot completely in Los Angeles and benefits from the surroundings. Cinematographer Kevin Atkinson keeps the look colorful and bright which matches the temperament of the picture. Fans of the film will be very happy with the Blu-ray, which will be the best option unless a 4K UHD release comes along. 

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track sounds great. The film is centered on dialogue, but the surrounds are used effectively. The score by Craig Wedren is whimsical and matches the tone of the film. Clarity is excellent. I have no complaints.

Supplements:

• None

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.5/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 0/5

Overall – 3.75/5

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is a breezy and lighthearted comedy from David Wain and Ken Marino – two of the minds behind MTV’s The State. The film has a lot of funny moments – some truly hilarious – but it also has a feeling of sketch comedy in that a few of the jokes are more effective than others. I was in the mood to laugh and the film delivered some good laughs. I liked the movie enough that I showed it to my wife the next night. The picture is bolstered by some great comedic performances by Ken Marino, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Joe Lo Trulio, and Ben Wang. Zoey Deutch is likable in the lead role. The film is helped along by cameos from Jennifer Aniston, Henry Winkler, and numerous small roles by members of The State – Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney, and Thomas Lennon. Fans of these folks will enjoy the picture. The Sony Blu-ray has solid video and audio, but unfortunately has no special features.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.