I saw
This is the End (2014) when it first appeared, and didn't really like it because (spoiler alert) it's about the Rapture. When I was a kid, I was terrified of the Evangelical end-of-the-world event (not actually mentioned in the Bible) when everyone who is saved gets zapped up to heaven, and the unsaved are stuck on Earth. The preacher told horrifying stories of unsaved men waking up in the middle of the night to find their family gone, and gradually realizing that they are lost -- their sins can no longer be forgiven, so no matter how much they beg and cry, it's the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
But it stars some of favorite actors, including Jay Baruchel (whom I have a crush on) and Seth Rogan (but not Zac Efron, sorry). So I'll give it another shot.
Link to NSFW version
Scene 1: LAX. Seth Rogan picks up his buddy Jay Baruchel ((bare butt, left), for the "best weekend ever" at his place, with his favorite things Starburst, marijuana, and airheads. "I know you don't like LA, so I thought I'd lube it up a bit to ease the transition." "Much needed foreplay."
Discussing non-sexual things in sexual terms, har har. Then: "I'm a well-known homosexual advocate."
I don't know what he means. Seth wants to go to James Franco's housewarming party, but Jay wants it to be just the two of them all weekend. Awww... But they go.
Scene 2: At the house, Seth points out that Channing Tatum lives nearby: "This is the sexiest street in America." Jay chastises him for talking about Channing Tatum too much: "I think he's attractive." Ok, these guys are pretend-gay.
Franco: "This house is like a piece of me. You two stepped inside me." Seth: "You let us come inside you." I'd better stop writing down all the gay-sex jokes, or I'll run out of space by Scene 3.
We meet various celebrities from the same general crew, having boring conversations. Jonah Hill appears to have an unrequited crush on Jay. Michael Cera (left) tries to kiss a guy. Later, Jay stumbles on him in the bathroom, getting blown and rimmed at the same time (by ladies). Craig sings to "all the ladies" to "take your panties off."
Scene 3: Jay and Seth head to a convenience store for cigarettes. Seth: "Is Michael Cera's butthole as cute as I pictured it?" He's into guys' butts, har har. Suddenly there's an explosion, and some of the customers rise through the ceiling in shafts of blue light!
Outside, people are rising in shafts of blue light everywhere, driver-less cars are crashing, power lines are down...and back at Franco's house, everything is normal (only the good people went to heaven, so no celebrities, of course). At the house, no one believes them.
Jonah says that Jay is "a sweetheart," implying that he's attracted to him, and everyone looks at him in disgust. Wait -- you were all expressing homoerotic interest just a few seconds ago.
Scene 4: There's an earthquake, so everyone rushes outside -- and the whole city is in flames! Then a giant sinkhole open, and almost everyone falls in. No one except Jay and Craig try to save anyone. They survive, along with Franco, Jonah, and Seth. Before the tv dies, they get a few news reports -- martial law declared, Air Force One is down (
The preacher told us that there had to be an unsaved pilot on every flight, in case of Rapture).They start boarding up the house, inventorying supplies, and ineptly repairing the damage. Gay joke: Craig tries to move a giant ceramic dick: "That dick's coming now. I got that big dick."
Scene 5: Bedtime. Seth is scared, so he sleeps with Jay. He suggests that this apocalyptic nightmare, with millions of people dead and the city destroyed, happened for a reason, to bring them closer together. Whoa, that's entitled!
Jonah and Craig want to sleep with them, too. At least there is no gay panic: they actually feel safer spooning. They just can't decide on dick-to-dick or dick-to-butt.
Scene 6: Morning. Danny McBride awakens in the bath tub. He slept through the night and has no idea what happened, so he eats all of their food and uses their water to wash his feet.
The guys burst in and tell him about the apocalypse, but he thinks they just dropped acid. Franco probably sucked cock, with Jonah watching and beating off. These are supposed to be disgusting acts. Cuddling is ok, but sucking cock, no.
I'm out of space, so a brief synopsis of the rest of the movie: Everyone goes full post-apocalypse. There are demons wandering around, killing people. Jonah Hill is possessed.
Danny McBride starts a cannabal society, with Channing Tatum as his sex slave, and eats some of them. You can still get zapped up to heaven if you perform a selfless act; Craig goes up, but Franco gets rejected.
Satan appears, a giant monster with a dangling penis. Realizing that they are going to die, Jay and Seth confess their love and hug. They perform selfless acts to save each other (while "I Will Always Love You" plays), so they both get zapped up to heaven. It's a giant street party, the Backstreet Boys performing (I always thought it would be a vast library, with people discussing metaphysics). The end.
Beefcake: Some random chests and bulges.
Heterosexism: Heterosexual desire is expressed only in the pre-Apocalypse party. Afterwards this is a movie about dudes.
Gay Characters: No idea. Everyone expresses same-sex desire and criticizes each other for engaging in same-sex acts. So being attracted to men is fine, but having sex with men is disgusting?
Gay Subtext: Jay and Seth are bromantic partners, but I didn't see any physical or romantic interest, so they don't really have a gay subtext.
My Grade: You would expect a movie with demons, cannibals, and a giant Satan to be exciting, but after you get over the triggering from the religious abuse of your childhood, it's actually a bit dull. I did like Danny McBride and his sex slave. C+
There are a lot of butts and bulges, plus Satan's penis, on the NSFW version of this review.
