Pauly Shore is Dead (2004)
Shore is considered by many other comedians to be a lucky, no-talent hack who simply got by because his mother Mitzi owns one of the most influential comedy clubs in LA, the Comedy Store. The club served as a launching pad for the most successful comedians of the past few decades. I’m talking folks like Letterman, Leno and even Jim Carrey. It’s certainly clear that Pauly has never been placed in the same class of these people, but like it or not, he has received a modicum of notice in the biz. And he’s had his share of Playmates (Jillian Grace! You bastard!), so you have to wonder just what Pauly’s draw is.
Pauly Shore is Dead is Shore’s attempt to answer his critics (like me) in an extremely self-depriciating way. It’s a mockumentary covering the death of Pauly and various others (including some very famous celebrities) and their reactions to this imaginary death. People lament and talk about Pauly in varyingly funny and not-so-funny ways. It’s a trifle of a film, interesting more perhaps for its celebrity cameos as opposed to its plot and content. But it’s worth a look if you’re one of those star f-ing, Us Magazine types. Or if there’s the remote possiblitly that you’re a really huge fan of Pauly Shore, Bio-Dome and / or Son-in-Law. That is indeed a very remote possibility. Of course, there’s alwaysEncino Man, which is sadly, the best of his oeuvre.
But there’s certainly something about Pauly that I just don’t like, and I’m not really ashamed to say that. I can only take it in short bursts, and a whole goddamn movie, even if it is just people talking ABOUT him, makes me a little queasy. Check it out, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.