Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Written by: Jason Nutt
Starring: Joe Hursley, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Christopher McDonald, Mimi Rogers
Put yourself in a woman’s fantasy mindset and what do you see? Shiny bow ties, rippling abs, smooth yet glistening skin…. YUM! Male strippers are just part of the erotic feast available to women and some men like me. They are hit entertainment for bachelorette parties as well as cinematic pleasure. Take for instance the movie Magic Mike, which had great success due to the “package” quality of its leading men. I mean this act was top of the mill and left you HARD-ly looking back at The Balls to the Walls portrayal of the male stripper community.
The Movie
From the director of Wayne’s World comes, this mildly entertaining film known as Balls to the Walls. Ben Camelino (Joe Hursley) is just an average guy with one incredible gift, he can strip. Living an ordinary life as an I.T. guy, Ben is nothing but a weak little bitch with a banging fiancée, Rachel Mathews (Jenna Dewan-Tatum). Ironically the actress is the wife of Magic Mike leading man Channing Tatum. Anyways, Rachel is planning a $50,000 dollar wedding for Ben and her, which her father Jack (Christopher Mc Donald) has offered to pay for. Jack unfortunately is a gambler, and trust when I say, he is not someone to bet on. While out with Jack, Ben ends up on a strip club stage and discovers his exotic roots on the male room stage. Pressured by Jack to keep his talents shaking and baking, Ben has no choice but to think about Rachel and give her the dream wedding she deserves with the money from his dirty groove. So yes it is the dumbest plot you can ever think of, but it is such a good watch. Between the cast, the writing, and the overall feelings you get from this movie I would recommend it to everyone to watch at least once.
(8/10)
The Video
The video is shown in a widescreen 16 X 9 aspect ratio. It is in full color and is very clear. They used a wide variety of camera angles as well. There were smooth transitions from scene to scene which made it very simple to follow the story as well and keep it time realistic.
(7/10)
The Audio
Sound was Dolby digital 5.1 surround and was done really well. There was an equal balance of music and dialogue which kept me in tune to the movie. I know from other movies I have reviewed that sometime I would get distracted or zone out from the complex sound or lack of sound but this movies audio quality and execution had me engaged the whole way through. It also left a sense of believability especially when it came to the actual strip club scenes.
(8/10)
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The film itself comes in a standard DVD case with a cover of just sexy scantily clothed men. What more could you ask for? It definitely caught my eye and not just the one eye in my pants. As far as extra features, there where gag reels from shooting as well as a feature showing the process of the fast shot shoot such as set up and behind the scenes with the actors.
(7/10)
Overall
This film was more than I had expected it would be. It was the perfect amount of camp and had such a simplistic story. I really found it funny, for it being as what I would consider to be a low budget film because of how many great actors they got to star in it. There was one part in particular where one of Ben’s regular’s ends up hiding in a car and I don’t think I will ever forget that scene, just how comedic it was and how engaged this film made me. You just have to watch for yourself to experience what I did. I mean I feel like I could be a male stripper right now and not just in front of my bedroom mirror.
(8/10)