Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

If you were a fat, hairy schlub who'd appeared in over 1,600 porn films, you'd probably need a documentary to explain why too. Here is Ron Jeremy — 25 years in the adult film industry and still humping — a tight-fisted, kind of pathetic, insecure, aspiring mainstream actor who does bad comedy routines and is a hero to millions of doofus frat boys the world over. He's also an accomplished martial artist, a pianist and a hang glider whose mother was in the CIA. Yep, Ron Jeremy is in fact almost as fascinating as Ron Jeremy thinks he is — and that almost turns out to be this DVD's downfall. Refreshingly, the doc itself veers away from the typical cautionary tale that the genre invites — see Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes or Sex: The Annabel Chong Story — and accepts Jeremy as he is, a successful but in some ways unsatisfied guy who's done very well but didn't quite achieve his dreams. At 76 minutes, the doc gives us just a little bit more Jeremy than we'd like; the DVD is way too much. Deleted scenes are actually fairly revealing, showcasing more about his parents and a touching personal side, but the commentary by Jeremy and director Gill is really annoying. Jeremy constantly interrupts Gill, pestering him with why this and that wasn't included, or why so-and-so wasn't interviewed. Gill's first cut was three hours, and one senses even that wouldn't be enough for Jeremy. A peerless and occasionally helpless self-promoter, Jeremy can't stop even when he's being made fun of — no such thing as bad publicity here. It's funny, given his career choice, that as much fun as he is to watch, you just don't want Ron Jeremy to speak. Extras: commentary by Ron Jeremy and Scott J. Gill; 12 deleted scenes; selected filmography. (Maelstrom/SFA)