User reviews

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.

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.

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

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)

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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. 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.

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!

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.