A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY dvd

How A Good Old Fashioned Orgy wasn't a teen sex comedy is beyond me, but so it goes. This movie goes for a mix of raunchy humor and friendly bonding, but it tends to miss out on the laughs.

Eric Keppler (Jason Sudekis) loves to get together with his buddies and throw summer parties at his father's beach house at Montauk, Long Island. The parties have themes (the movie opens at the White Trash Bash), involve lots of drinking, and tend to attract police attention. But when Eric's dad (Don Johnson, in a brief cameo) announces that he's selling the house, Eric and his party-animal buddy Mike (Tyler Labine) decide to throw an epic final bash at the house on Labor Day weekend. What they come up with: an orgy for the eight closest friends.

The friends -- therapist Alison (Leslie Bibb), neurotic Adam (Nick Kroll), musician Doug (Martin Starr), Doug's girlfriend Willow (Angela Sarafyan), shy Sue (Michelle Borth), and outgoing Laura (Lindsay Sloane) -- initially hate the idea. But one by one they come around, which leads to a ticking clock as each scene brings Labor Day weekend closer and closer.
Of course, there is light suspense for a lighthearted comedy. Will Eric's new relationship with realtor Kelly (Leslie Bibb) get in the way of group sex? Can the friends get in shape in time for the big event? What about newlyweds and new parents Glenn and Kate (Will Forte and Lucy Punch), who are upset about not being invited to the orgy? Will Eric and Mike learn any tips from swinger Vic George (David Koechner)? And when Labor Day arrives, can the friends actually... perform together?

In a weird way, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy isn't really about sex: The friends are more interested in spending time together before "their" party house is gone, than hooking up with each other. Unfortunately, the movie isn't all that funny either. The characters are very one-dimensional, casually tossing off one-liners while hanging out. Most of the visual jokes fall flat (a few folks wearing white tuxedos to a traditional wedding; folks turning up at the India-themed orgy dressed as Native American indians), and there's the sexism (or reverse sexism; I'm not sure which) of female nudity being hot while male nudity being a source of laughter. The cast has shown a lot of talent elsewhere, and they do pull off a camraderie of long-time friends, but A Good Old Fashioned Orgy doesn't really go anywhere past its title.

(DVD extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, and a making-of featurette called "How to Film an Orgy.")

Overall grade: D
Reviewed by James Lynch