American Virgin (1999) User Reviews (20)

Bob Hoskins should be embarrassed

[Karma-15 · 3/10 · 27 June 2001]

I really thought he was above this kind of low-budget garbage. I thought he made good movies. And the same for Mena Suvari, who's been so good in everything she's done.

How many of you were like me -- you saw that Hoskins and Suvari were starring in "American Virgin," so you rented it, figuring it would meet a certain standard?

Also, what about Esai Morales? I didn't realize that his career had fallen so far down the tubes that not only is he appearing in something like this, he's not even a star. He only has a few lines and a bit part.

Painfully bad

[zetes · 3/10 · 4 May 2014]

Whenever an actor or director I like passes away, I often find something somewhat obscure to watch in their honor, especially if I've seen all of their most famous output. Sometimes I dig up something really bad, though, and that's the case with American Virgin, which I watched in memory of Bob Hoskins. Robert Loggia and Hoskins star as rival pornographers. When Loggia's teenage daughter (Mena Suvari, who made this film shortly before American Pie and American Beauty) goes off to work for Hoskins, a war between the two men begins. This mostly consists of the two actors hamming it up yelling at each other. This movie, made in Europe, has no idea how to make anything funny. For a while, it's amusing in just how weird it is, and, let's face it, Loggia and Hoskins can ham it up fun, but, after a while, it gets just plain boring.

This is a DISASTER

[zoltar55 · 5/10 · 26 July 2001]

I love comedy but is far from being a comedy.This movie is a vehicle for Mena Suvari.I can accept the way she acted in American Pie,she was perfect in America Beauty but for her third time out is a fiasco She too old to play a virgin and it does not sound true since she is married.But the point is this using her in another sex comdie was the wrong choice.The father is a Adult Film director who direct girls having sex dress in a bathing suit.I don't think that the director of this trash ever saw a porn movie.There is 36 second of nudity in this movie,once in the limousine and another time in a dressing room.This is not a movie about sex but about an actress who made a good movie with her own nudity but in this one she is not even sexy.It is too bad. I was so enrage when I saw this trash I trow it in the garbage.I like Mena Suvari but since she is married I think we can forget about nudity from now on.Anybody who own American Beauty better keep it safe because I think this is her first and last time she will be naked on film.It is not only the lack of nudity but when you see two great actors like Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia making fools of themselfs it's sad.I own a lot of movies from those two actors but none as bad as this one.Don't be fool by the sex thing there is none in this trash and the jokes are horrible and the acting is worse.This is my last movie I will own of Mena Suvari since she will never be as good,pretty or sexy and nude as she was in American Beauty.I feel bad for the peoples who paid $8.50 to see this TRASH.STAY AWAY

Abominable

[FlickJunkie-2 · 1/10 · 9 October 2000]

No bottom ten list would be complete without this torturously bad film. This moronic farce stars Mena Suvari, who it seems has decided to make a career out of playing characters trying to lose their virginity.

Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia play two rival porn directors who hate one another because Ronny (Loggia) stole Joey's (Hoskins) wife. Joey takes revenge by recruiting Ronny's daughter Katrina (Suvari) to lose her virginity via a cable hookup where viewers can participate in the event by wearing a special sex simulation suit. Sally Kellerman plays a sleazy, Jerry Springer type talk show host who interviews Joey and Katrina and follows the story to the end.

This film fails on just about every level imaginable. The script is trash. The dialogue is imbecilic. There is no acting, just a bunch of people screaming at the top of their lungs and running around like lunatics. There isn't even any real sexual content. The entire film is like a series of Jerry Springer outtakes.

This abomination has earned the bestowal of my lowest dishonor: a rating of 1/10 (a rare besmirching). Do not eat for 5 hours before attempting to watch this film.

'American Virgin'

[rah604 · 2/10 · 10 May 2004]

Just when you thought that throw-away movies couldn't possibly get any worse, along comes 'American Virgin'. 'Virgin' is simply a shameless piece of trash. The filmmakers know it and for that reason they changed the title of the movie from 'Live Virgin' to 'American Virgin' in order to cash in on Mena Suvari's success ('American Beauty' and 'American Pie'). I feel bad for the poor sap who'll buy this crap expecting to see something like the two aforementioned films.

This movie is just downright terrible on all levels. One only has to look at the idiotic plot involving Mena Suvari as the daughter of a porn director (Robert Loggia) who agrees to lose her virginity onscreen just to spite her father. To add further insult to an already lame plot, while Suvari's character is losing her virginity, many paying customers will be participating in the event via a virtual sex machine. Hell and I haven't even got to the talk-show scene that even Jerry Springer wouldn't admire, the subplot involving Suvari's geek boyfriend, and the annoying loudmouth antics of the two porn directors. As far as disposable movies go, this one is roadkill.

Rating: (2/10) or (0 stars)

An Embarrassment

[aimless-46 · 1/10 · 30 August 2005]

There is no way around the conclusion that this production was a major embarrassment to everyone associated with it and a career breaker to some.

Castwise, Mena Suvari and Gabriel Mann somehow manage to maintain their dignity despite the total meltdown around them and Alexandra Wentworth actually turns in an excellent performance in one of the supporting roles. But Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia are unbelievably awful and the rest of the cast are not much better.

The concept was fairly original or at least the most extreme take on an unoriginal concept, but at the last minute it gutlessly pulls back for a lame moralistic ending.

The directing, production design, and editing are all about as bad as you will find in a mainstream production. Bad enough that the movie would be a useful bad example for students in film school.

What the hell?

[neobowler · 1/10 · 31 October 2002]

This movie was repulsive! I don't know why any of the actors would even do something this pathetic. It really makes me sick to be honest. I have nothing really personal against the subject matter and if it had been done differently maybe it could have been funny. But the way this was done was just pathetic and dumb! Just for Mena I give it a 2 out of 10!

Not worth your time

[jameswilliams784 · 1/10 · 27 March 2015]

This is just plain a bad movie. I had hopes because of the list of stars including Robert Loggia, Sally Kellerman, Bob Hoskins and Menu Suveri but this movie never got off the ground. If this was supposed to be a slapstick comedy it missed its mark. If this was supposed to be funny, someone will have to tell me what was funny about it. The premise of the movie is that the daughter (Suvari) of a porn maker(Loggia) is going to lose her virginity live on the internet. To make it worse, the producer of this is Loggias main competitor and the ex husband of Loggia's current wife. I almost never put spoilers in my reviews but in this case I have to because I want people to know what to expect. If you expect to see Suvari nude having sex its not going to happen. She is seen in bed but nothing is shown. In fact, if you want to see her naked, there are other films out there for you to watch. Its a shame because if you wanted to make this a good movie you probably could have and used all the same actors. Just a huge waste of talent. Do yourself a favor, avoid this one at all costs.

One of the worst films ever

[augustian · 1 November 2011]

Despite reading some negative reviews, I decided to give this film a try because I enjoy screwball comedies with a bit of sexiness thrown in. However, I cannot believe that anyone could come up with dross like this. It boasts some big stars such as Bob Hoskins, Robert Loggia, Sally Kellerman and Mena Suvari but I can only assume they took their roles after seeing the pay cheques instead of the script.

The plot calls for Katrina Bataloti (Mena Suvari) to lose her virginity on a live TV programme hosted by porn merchant Joey (Bob Hoskins). Viewers will be able to get in on the action by wearing a virtual reality suit. The twist is that Katrina is actually the daughter of rival porn merchant Ronny (Robert Loggia) who is trying to keep her away from the acting profession. Sally Kellerman plays a talk show hostess who is following this event on her show. She is also the mother of Brian (Gabriel Mann) Katrina's geeky ex-boyfriend. Breaking up with Katrina was a big mistake and he wants her back. Can he turn her from her chosen path in time? Will he be the one? I think we can all see where this is heading.

The film is a catastrophe in every way. Hoskins and Loggia spend most of the time shouting their lines. Although they are supposed to be porn film makers, their films must be the only ones in which the actors do their scenes with their clothes on. After that lot, the humour falls flat on its face. This film is a travesty.

Oh, What a lost opportunity.

[bbhlthph · 2/10 · 6 August 2007]

This film features the daughter of a porn magnate with a boy friend she once trusted who appears to have strayed from the straight path of love. In a mixture of despair and retaliation she agrees to be the first star (victim?) on a new TV series which once every month will feature a virgin experiencing her first sexual liaison on camera. The film creates a parody of pornographic movie makers interested only in the audience such a program will achieve, and this is deliberately exaggerated to the point of being grossly overdrawn. Ultimately, it culminates in a pure slapstick sequence where the boy friend manages to penetrate her dressing room on the eve of the performance and convince her that he did not stray in the way she thought - she then tells the producers of the show that she is quitting, with the obvious results. The film ends after the TV connections have been severed by a sword leaving the happy couple able to consummate their liaison in relative peace. This parody of the porn industry displays promoters trying to bring their new series to screen in a very unkind light, whilst simultaneously providing some quite sharp satire. I did not feel it was as bad as some of the IMDb User Comments suggest; but the aim of the film makers appears to have been simply to create easily achieved comedy sequences - not to make a film with any social significance - and as a result much of this satire can readily be lost leaving a very cheap and tawdry residue..

Ultimately I felt the film trivialised a serious issue, aiming to succeed as a comedy rather than to achieve any recognition for dealing with an issue of real social concern. Some of it was fun to watch, but much of the rest was (fortunately) very forgettable. The subject matter could have been treated much more realistically by, for example, introducing public reactions to the proposed TV series. Newspaper reviews could have been shown which on the one hand commended the proposed new series as contributing to the new attitude towards sexual freedom, and on the other condemned the TV channel concerned for further unjustified exploitation of the difficulties young people may experience in establishing worthwhile long-term relationships. These could have been augmented by featuring letters to the editor from fictional individuals with pre-determined viewpoints. Instead we had only cartoon level reactions to very extreme behaviour exhibited by cartoon type characters, which were mostly not worth watching.

My final assessment is that this film provided a classic example of a lost opportunity; and that, despite its challenging subject matter, it is unfortunately not worth more than an IMDb rating of 2 out of 10.

Not great, but....

[rocknrelics · 5/10 · 23 December 2020]

Worth seeing if you're a Bob Hoskins fan!! He's in some nice situations sans most of his clothes!!

Food for thoughts from a zany comedy

[Campoplatro · 10/10 · 12 February 2004]

American virgin is totally hysterical. It reminds me of some off beat comedies such as Flirting With Disaster, Living In Oblivion and, in some aspects Raising Arizona, The big Lebowski both made by the Coen brothers or even Tim Burton's Mars Attack. It is a screwball comedy which genuinely knocks down taboos with a lot of joy and freedom. I understand that it is not for all audiences not because it is offensive in any ways but because it is a head on commentary on sex, stardom and the medias of today. It shows in a harsh light but without ever loosing its bonhomie the mechanisms of what philosopher Noam Chomski calls the "manufacture of consent". In other words the news and entertainment business doing a good job at distracting us from thinking on our own and preventing us from focusing on what could be changed to make a better society. Sally Kellerman gives her best performance in years portraying a cynical talk show host and Bob Hoskins creates a complex character who comes up with hilarious speeches. Robert Loggia is the only one failing to bring more depth and variety to his part. Obviously a character actor unable to carry a starring role.

One of the funniest movies I've seen!

[robert2316 · 9/10 · 16 June 2009]

I just viewed this movie (IMDB and YouTube have it) and I found it to be not only hilarious but entertaining. I rarely sit through a whole movie nowadays because most suck, but this movie had me laughing all the way through. They not only used class actors but also real porn stars. I don't know why the negative comments but I plan on buying this gem. My advice is watch it and judge for yourselves. Mena Suvari had a small role compared to other works she has done but I couldn't help but like the movie because of the supporting cast. There's just something about their facial expressions and reactions that seem to express the way people would react to a similar situation. The premise is, of course, not plausible but that's why it's called entertainment.

P.S.- Not for immature audiences.

Smart

[ohmynerves · 9/10 · 14 July 2003]

The subject matter of this movie is smart.

Not only does is raise an interesting argument about the future of porn on the internet but it also shows the hypocrisy of those who make porn. The world this film creates is not to far off from the future and I give the writer credit for trying to show the internet for what it can be, one big whore fest polluting our children's minds and bodies. I read a review for this film in the New York Times. Suprisingly, they got the point of the film too. I'm glad they could appreciate the subject matter despite its limitations.

A great comedy about the many sides of sex

[Dr Indy · 5 October 2000]

Mena Suvari's third movie in the past two years with "American" in the title and also dealing with sex. A great comedy, with great performances by Bob Hoskins as an Adult Film producer and the interactive sex machine he invents. Mena plays Katrina, whose father is a rival adult film producer. Hoskins recruits Katrina to be his "interactive virgin" for a live TV event in which people who bought his contraption will be able to participate. Bob Hoskins and Robert Loggia give standout comedic performances that left me rolling in the floor.

Behind the zany comedy is a great social satire

[maalrron · 10/10 · 2 April 2006]

Found this film very funny. In the vein of films like Something about Mary. It was a risky subject , politically incorrect. With an ensemble cast giving great performances even in the smallest cameos. Isaie Morales as a porn film director or Vincent Schiavelli as a cab driver/consumer of the Live Virgin show for instance deliver hilarious monologues in great scenes. Not to mention Bob Hoskins who is truly a riot as the producer of the show so happy about himself and his job. which reminds me that novel on the same subject by Terry Southern (who wrote Doctor Strangelove and Easy Rider) called Blue Movie. I highly recommend this film!

Funny at first

[snwmate · 18 June 2001]

The movie started off well. I thought the premise was a fitting depiction of media sensationalism today. About half way through it tried too hard to be funny and lost direction. Only to come to a predictable and anticlimactic ending. It really disappointed me as it had a very talented cast who weren't utilized well. Bobbie Phillips' character starts off interesting and then just disappears for the rest of the movie. Maybe she knew how it would turn out!

I found the movie smart and funny.

[jpm-12 · 10/10 · 10 July 2003]

I found the movie smart and funny. Sally Kellerman is a riot as a cynical talk show host as well as all the other characters that were right on the money. I read 2 articles by New York Times critic Stephen Holden about the picture quite interresting particularly one called:"Satire is dying for our sins". In the latter he calls the film a party pooper for today's hypocritical mentalities which refuse criticism even if it is done in a light, entertaining fashion. Hoskin, Loggia and Mena Suvari are hysterical and the dancing scene with Alexandra Wentworth is probably the funniest thing I have ever seen.

This movie was FUNNY!!!!!!!!!

[Phantom-42 · 6 October 2000]

I sat down to watch American Virgin and thought to myself..."Oh, man! This movie is going to be so lame." Man, I was so wrong! This movie was so funny I was in stiches on the floor. I was so impressed with this movie. The acting was great, and it had a funny story connected to it. And if you know something about porn stars, you'll see a lot of them! I think anyone will enjoy this movie! RENT IT!

A Damn good and truly original picture!

[wl1 · 10/10 · 14 July 2003]

Ira Israel wrote an incredible good script and his vision was truly well executed by a talended director. Bob Hoskin is way funny and the entire plot is exellent. I hope this great team of people will do another film soon and meanwhile I highly recommand this picture to everyone.