History Trivia / ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno

* NamesTheSame: Miri has nothing to do with the protagonist of ''Literature/PrincessAcademy.''

* InvisibleAdvertising: Thought marketing had always been Creator/TheWeinsteinCompany's greatest weakness, they had a couple of alibis here: for one thing, it had the word "porno" in the title, meaning most advertisements had to truncate it as simply ''Zack and Miri'' so as not to offend {{moral guardians}}; for another, any clips which gave the movie any sort of context were borderline pornographic themselves (resulting in the notorious "stick figure" poster), so even after omitting the offending word, it was impossible for ads to say what the movie was even about. Eventually, the studio just gave up and [[DumpMonths dumped the film out in August]], resulting in it's dismal box office returns.

* AscendedFanon: Possibly the inspiration for the entire film. Once while on his college tours, Kevin met a gay fan who had a crush on Jason Mewes and begged him to do a movie in which Jason makes a porno. Several years later, ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' comes out, [[{{Fanservice}} complete with a full-frontal nudity shot of Mewes, probably just for that one fan.]]

* DyeingForYourArt: Jason Mewes shaved his pubic into the shape of a heart.
* FollowTheLeader: Smith himself admitted that this film was a cash-in on Creator/JuddApatow's schtick.

* CreatorBacklash: While he doesn't dislike the film, Kevin Smith was disappointed with its lackluster box office draw and felt that it was a poor last-ditch effort to appeal to the mainstream. He's warmed to the film in recent years, however.
* CreatorKiller: The film's failure marked the beginning of the end of Kevin Smith's mainstream career.

** On a more personal level, it was also the catalyst for his crumbling relationship with the Weinstein brothers, with whom this was his last collaboration. Smith was already getting the impression that Harvey Weinstein wasn't appreciative of all of the work Smith had done for him in the past and didn't see himself as the mentor figure that Smith likened him to. After Weinstein turned down ''Red State'', then behaved extremely disruptively during the premiere, Smith refused to speak to him ever again, only getting a call from him a week before the incriminating article about Weinstein's history of sexual abuse broke as a SecretTestOfCharacter.

* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: One of Kevin Smith's only films to allow extensive improvisation, as all the performers were famous for their lengthy ad-libbed scenes from Creator/JuddApatow films.

* ProductionPosse: Two separate production posse's here, both Creator/KevinSmith's (Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, producer Scott Mosier, DP Dave Klein) and Creator/JuddApatow's (Elizabeth Banks, Creator/CraigRobinson, Gerry Bednob).

* ThrowItIn: Jason Mewes personally requested that the camera be angled in a way during his nude scene when he bends over in front of the open refrigerator, allowing for the light to properly silhouette his testicles.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
** This film came at the tail end of an era where you could theoretically become wealthy with a home made sex tape. With the expansion of the internet in full flux and adult content, both professional and amateur, widely available, this doesn’t seem to be the case now.
** The numerous pop culture references that the characters make to TheSeventies and TheEighties makes this a rare example of a work that dates itself with what was nostalgic at it's time. Most Millennial viewers may find themselves wondering where any references to the 90s are, not realizing that the movie was released only nine years after that decade had ended.

** Kevin Smith specifically wrote the role of Miri for Creator/RosarioDawson, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from taking the part.

* CreatorBacklash: While he doesn't dislike the film, Kevin Smith was disappointed with its lackluster box office draw and felt that it was a poor last-ditch effort to appeal to the mainstream.

** This came at the tail end of an era where you could theoretically become wealthy with a home made sex tape. With the expansion of the internet in full flux and adult content, both professional and amateur, widely available, this doesn’t seem to be the case now.

** Early drafts for the film go as far back as the late 90s as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Film/ChasingAmy'' and would have starred Creator/BenAffleck and Joey Lauren Adams as the titular characters.

** Creator/GeorgeCarlin was to play the owner of the building where the gang first attempt to shoot ''Star Whores'', but was on tour during shooting. He had his fatal heart attack a few months before the film was released.

* InvisibleAdvertising: Thought marketing had always been Creator/TheWeinsteinCompany's greatest weakness, they had a couple of alibis here: for one thing, it had the word "porno" in the title, meaning most advertisements had to truncate it as simply ''Zack and Miri'' so as not to offend {{moral guardians}}; for another, any clips which gave the movie any sort of context were borderline pornographic themselves (resulting in the notorious "stick figure" poster), so even after omitting the offending word, it was impossible for ads to say what the movie was even about. Eventually, the studio just gave up, resulting in it's dismal box office returns.

* InvisibleAdvertising: The Weinstein Company apparently had no idea how to market a movie about making a porno, let alone one that had the word "porno" in it's title. What little advertising the movie did see was deliberately vague or omitted the offending word so it was simply called ''Zack and Miri'' (and since any clip which gave the movie any sort of context was too vulgar for TV, it was impossible for ads with the truncated title to actually say what the movie was about). Eventually, the studio just gave up, resulting in it's dismal box office returns.

* ActorInspiredElements: Creator/SethRogen made frequent revisions to the script built around his observations as to how porn companies market their films.

* TroubledProduction: While production was fairly smooth, there was a fair bit of meddling from the studio involved over the type of humor involved. It was in release where things really went wrong, as the studio had no idea how to market it, cinemas refused to carry posters simply because they had the word "porno" in the title, and an overall lack of marketing caused the film to post underwhelming box-office numbers. Smith also took the reviews

* TroubledProduction: While production was fairly smooth, there was a fair bit of meddling from the studio involved over the type of humor involved. It was in release where things really went wrong, as the studio had no idea how to market it, cinemas refused to carry posters simply because they had the word "porno" in the title, and an overall lack of marketing caused the film to post underwhelming box-office numbers. Smith also took the reviews -- many of which compared him disparagingly to Creator/JuddApatow -- hard, sending him into depression and reportedly almost breaking up his marriage.
** Additionally, Rogen made frequent revisions to the script built around his observations as to how porn companies market their films.

* TheDanza: Inverted; Creator/BrandonRouth and Creator/JustinLong play gay couple Bobby '''Long''' and Brandon, respectfully.

* BreakawayPopHit: In a way. "Hold Me Up" by {{Music/Live}} was later included on the band's 25th anniversary edition of ''Throwing Copper'', and ended up peaking at #35 on the Mainstream Rock charts.

* BreakawayPopHit: In a way. "Hold Me Up" by Music/Live was later included on the band's 25th anniversary edition of ''Throwing Copper'', and ended up peaking at #35 on the Mainstream Rock charts.

* ActorAllusion: Real-life porn stars Katie Morgan and Traci Lords play porn actresses Stacey and Bubbles.

** Kevin Smith specifically wrote the role of Miri for Rosario Dawson, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from taking the part.
** Early drafts for the film go as far back as the late 90s as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Film/ChasingAmy'' and would have starred Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams as the titular characters.

* CreatorBacklash: To date, the only film Kevin Smith has expressed genuine disappointment for, feeling that the story and characters were too predictable and that it was a poor last-ditch effort to appeal to the mainstream.

* ProductionPosse: Two separate production posse's here, both Creator/KevinSmith's (Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, producer Scott Mosier, DP Dave Klein) and Creator/JuddApatow's (Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Gerry Bednob).

* PlayingAgainstType: Of a sort; Jason Mewes gained fame by playing the foul-mouthed, aggressive and abrasive Jay (of ''and Silent Bob'' fame) in TheViewAskewniverse. In this movie, his character is still a complete doofus, but he's a lot more pleasant, calm and good-natured.