Paramount
Home Video | Review by Dan Taylor
I had one question going into
Howard Stern's long-awaited biopic PRIVATE
PARTS: Exactly what will this flick be?
Reviewers (and Stern in his radio shows
that became four-hour PRIVATE PARTS-infomercials)
had described the flick as a touching, romantic,
cinematic love letter to his long-suffering
wife Alison. Others suggested it was a raunchy,
raucous comedy complete with lesbians, cursing,
naked chicks and the sort of juvenile hijinks
that attracted me to the show in the first
place. In typically Stern-like fashion,
both camps are on target, making PARTS the
single most enjoyably schizophrenic comedy
to emerge from mainstream Hollywood in decades.
My first exposure to Howard,
newswoman Robin Quivers and Fred "King
of Mars" Norris came in high school.
It was 1984 when a pal discovered that a
radio -- strategically placed in the yearbook's
darkroom -- could pick up the signal of
WNBC, the New York station where Stern's
rise to infamy and adoration took flight.
But
it wasn't until Stern reached the Philadelphia
airwaves in 1986 -- syndicated against the
local, dismal "Zoo" -- that I
got to appreciate his full talent; and even
then there were some rough moments. As the
years went on, my periods of self-imposed
"Howard Exile" were few and far
between. By the time I moved from Philly
to Pittsburgh, I was glad that my morning
pals had come along for the ride. I couldn't
imagine getting up and making a 45-minute
drive without How and Co. by my side.
Enough about me and Howard,
how's the movie? Opening at the infamous
"Fartman" MTV Awards, PARTS reveals
more about the comedian (literally and figuratively)
than his best-selling books prepared us
for. As he wanders through the backstage
area crowded with rockers and rappers (cameos
from Stern pals like Ozzy Osbourne, Slash,
Dee Snider, etc.), he looks like a dejected
high-schooler on his way to the principal's
office. It's as if nobody got the joke,
except for his few friends... and everyone
else thinks he's an asshole.
The trip from LA back to NY
cannily sets up PARTS as a mockumetary where
Stern explains his Rocky-like climb to radio
stardom to both a beautiful passenger (supermodel
Carol Alt) and the movie audience. Sprinkled
with episodic bits of Howard's adolescent,
teen and college years, the first-third
sets us up for his rise from radio geek
in Hartford, CT to King of All Media in
NYC.
Along the way, the film shows
Stern to be a loyal friend to his comrades,
and a loving husband to Alison. Yet, unlike
THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY
FLYNT, it doesn't whitewash his betrayals,
such as his discussion of his wife's miscarriage
while on the air in DC, or his abandonment
of Robin during the early years at NBC.
When the crew regroups at NBC for the final
onslaught against Pig Vomit (Paul Giamatti
in a powerfully comic turn), the laughs
come fast and furious, complete with a BUCK
NAKED, racing-striped Jenna Jameson! More
than one viewer was moved to a "Hey
now!" during this moment.
As for the acting, Stern is
top-notch, allowing glimpses into the development
of his on-air personality. Impressively,
he's also capable of conveying messages
with a simple, wordless motion (his look
of inner confusion after the miscarriage
bit, and one of smug, juvenile victory when
he conquers Pig Vomit in his bid to return
Robin to the fold). As for the other members
of Stern's team, Quivers gets my nod for
Best Supporting Actress, if only because
I came out of the theater liking
her, not loathing her existence as I usually
do during the radio show. And Fred... what
more can I say? He steals the film with
nothing but looks, especially a gut-busting
scene when he lands in DC.
Some have said that you'll
love this film even if you hate Stern. I'm
not so sure about that, but if it means
getting more people out to see this fine-tuned
comic tour de force, I'm all for it. Three
cheers for the new face of Hollywood!
