Orgazmo
A 1997 cult superhero sex comedy by Trey Parker.
**Orgazmo** is a 1997 American superhero sex comedy that Trey Parker wrote, directed, and edited. Matt Stone, Jason McHugh, and Fran Rubel Kuzui produced it. The cast includes Parker, Stone, Dian Bachar, Robyn Lynne, and Michael Dean Jacobs. The story centers on Joe Young, a devout Mormon missionary who takes a role in a pornographic film as the superhero Orgazmo—alongside his sidekick Choda Boy, played by Dian Bachar—so he can afford the dream wedding and home his fiancée wants.
Parker came up with the idea with Stone and McHugh as a raunchy satire of their own move from Colorado to Hollywood, using the sex industry to push the absurdity further. Major studios balked at the project, so funding came partly from a Japanese porn company, and October Films handled distribution. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and the MPAA’s NC-17 rating hurt its box office performance, but it has since become a cult favorite among fans of Parker and Stone’s *South Park*.
**Plot**
Mormon missionary Joseph Young and his partner are assigned to Los Angeles, where they find the city unwelcoming. Their troubles escalate when they knock on the door of sleazy porn director Maxxx Orbison, who sends security guards to get rid of them. Joe defeats the guards with martial arts. Impressed and bored with his current lead actor, Orbison offers Joe the title role in his pornographic superhero film, *Orgazmo*. Joe hesitates due to his faith, but the $20,000 paycheck would cover the temple wedding in Utah his fiancée Lisa insists on. After learning a stunt double will handle explicit close-ups, Joe reluctantly agrees, despite a clear sign from God to refuse.
Joe finds the crew intimidating but befriends co-star Ben Chapleski, a technical genius and MIT grad who works in porn to manage his high sex drive. Ben plays Choda Boy, Orgazmo’s sidekick, who helps with specially designed sex toys—including the Orgazmorator, a ray gun that forces orgasm on anyone it hits. Ben invites Joe to his home and shows him a real working Orgazmorator. They spend an evening using it on random people for fun.
At a sushi bar owned by Ben’s Japanese friend G-Fresh, they witness thugs vandalizing the place to force G-Fresh out so their dance club can expand. After Joe and Ben leave, the thugs assault G-Fresh and coerce him into signing away his business.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Trey Parker
- Producer
- Matt Stone / Jason McHugh / Fran Rubel Kuzui
- Starring
- Trey Parker / Matt Stone / Dian Bachar / Robyn Lynne / Michael Dean Jacobs
- Music
- Paul Robb
- Cinematography
- Kenny Gioseffi
- Editing
- Michael R. Miller / Trey Parker
- Production Companies
- Avenging Conscience
- Distributor
- October Films
- Released
- 6 September 1997 · Toronto · 1998 · 10 · 23 · United States
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was conceived by Trey Parker, with collaborators Matt Stone and Jason McHugh, as a raunchy satire reflecting their move from Colorado to Hollywood, using the sex industry as a backdrop. It was initially met with resistance from major studios but was partly funded by a Japanese porn company called Kuki, and secured distribution through October Films. The plot follows Mormon missionary Joe Young, who, to pay for his wedding, acts in a pornographic film as the superhero Orgazmo with sidekick Choda Boy, played by Dian Bachar. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1997 and received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, which led to poor box office performance. An unrated version was later released on DVD, two minutes longer than the original 94-minute release.
Reader's Guide
Orgazmo is significant as an early feature by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, created before their breakthrough with South Park. The film's NC-17 rating and mixed reviews limited its theatrical success, but it gained a cult following, particularly among fans of South Park. Its reception and MPAA rating are discussed in the 2006 documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated. The film's satire of the porn industry and Hollywood, combined with its absurd superhero premise, has kept it in circulation through home video and Blu-ray releases. As of September 2022, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 48% score, with critics noting its juvenile humor but acknowledging its appeal to Parker and Stone's fans.
Did You Know?
- The film received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, resulting in a very limited US release.
- An unrated version of the film is two minutes shorter than the original 94-minute release.
- A party at the Playboy Mansion celebrated the film's release in 1998, with Metallica playing.
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