Whenever an actor or director I like passes away, I often find something somewhat obscure to watch in their honor, especially if I've seen all of their most famous output. Sometimes I dig up something really bad, though, and that's the case with American Virgin, which I watched in memory of Bob Hoskins. Robert Loggia and Hoskins star as rival pornographers. When Loggia's teenage daughter (Mena Suvari, who made this film shortly before American Pie and American Beauty) goes off to work for Hoskins, a war between the two men begins. This mostly consists of the two actors hamming it up yelling at each other. This movie, made in Europe, has no idea how to make anything funny. For a while, it's amusing in just how weird it is, and, let's face it, Loggia and Hoskins can ham it up fun, but, after a while, it gets just plain boring.

Despite reading some negative reviews, I decided to give this film a try because I enjoy screwball comedies with a bit of sexiness thrown in. However, I cannot believe that anyone could come up with dross like this. It boasts some big stars such as Bob Hoskins, Robert Loggia, Sally Kellerman and Mena Suvari but I can only assume they took their roles after seeing the pay cheques instead of the script.The plot calls for Katrina Bataloti (Mena Suvari) to lose her virginity on a live TV programme hosted by porn merchant Joey (Bob Hoskins). Viewers will be able to get in on the action by wearing a virtual reality suit. The twist is that Katrina is actually the daughter of rival porn merchant Ronny (Robert Loggia) who is trying to keep her away from the acting profession. Sally Kellerman plays a talk show hostess who is following this event on her show. She is also the mother of Brian (Gabriel Mann) Katrina's geeky ex-boyfriend. Breaking up with Katrina was a big mistake and he wants her back. Can he turn her from her chosen path in time? Will he be the one? I think we can all see where this is heading.The film is a catastrophe in every way. Hoskins and Loggia spend most of the time shouting their lines. Although they are supposed to be porn film makers, their films must be the only ones in which the actors do their scenes with their clothes on. After that lot, the humour falls flat on its face. This film is a travesty.

American virgin is totally hysterical. It reminds me of some off beat comedies such as Flirting With Disaster, Living In Oblivion and, in some aspects Raising Arizona, The big Lebowski both made by the Coen brothers or even Tim Burton's Mars Attack. It is a screwball comedy which genuinely knocks down taboos with a lot of joy and freedom. I understand that it is not for all audiences not because it is offensive in any ways but because it is a head on commentary on sex, stardom and the medias of today. It shows in a harsh light but without ever loosing its bonhomie the mechanisms of what philosopher Noam Chomski calls the "manufacture of consent". In other words the news and entertainment business doing a good job at distracting us from thinking on our own and preventing us from focusing on what could be changed to make a better society. Sally Kellerman gives her best performance in years portraying a cynical talk show host and Bob Hoskins creates a complex character who comes up with hilarious speeches. Robert Loggia is the only one failing to bring more depth and variety to his part. Obviously a character actor unable to carry a starring role.

No bottom ten list would be complete without this torturously bad film. This moronic farce stars Mena Suvari, who it seems has decided to make a career out of playing characters trying to lose their virginity.Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia play two rival porn directors who hate one another because Ronny (Loggia) stole Joey's (Hoskins) wife. Joey takes revenge by recruiting Ronny's daughter Katrina (Suvari) to lose her virginity via a cable hookup where viewers can participate in the event by wearing a special sex simulation suit. Sally Kellerman plays a sleazy, Jerry Springer type talk show host who interviews Joey and Katrina and follows the story to the end.This film fails on just about every level imaginable. The script is trash. The dialogue is imbecilic. There is no acting, just a bunch of people screaming at the top of their lungs and running around like lunatics. There isn't even any real sexual content. The entire film is like a series of Jerry Springer outtakes.This abomination has earned the bestowal of my lowest dishonor: a rating of 1/10 (a rare besmirching). Do not eat for 5 hours before attempting to watch this film.