Pauly Shore Is Dead

Pauly Shore, one-time MTV personality and faded comic star of Bio-Dome and Jury Duty, wrote and directed this satire about his own career decline and (fictional) attempt to revive Hollywood's interest by faking his suicide. The fun of this movie is in never being quite sure how much of the story is based on Shore's real-life status as a has-been, and how much is inspired by public assumptions about his near-disappearance from the entertainment scene. In any case, watching Shore's dubious run as a stand-up comedian and actor wind down has, in Shore's own telling, some very funny moments, including a scene in which cash-rich, prop comic Carrot Top buys the former Wiezel's house and another in which Shore tries to secure the services of a Heidi Fleiss escort for $84. Lots of celebrity cameos here (Shore obviously still has show-business friends), including Ben Stiller, Britney Spears, Bill Maher, Charlie Sheen, Tom Sizemore, and Ellen DeGeneres. --Tom Keogh