Synopsis

Naive Mormon missionary Joe Young needs money for his wedding and future home. After confronting a ruthless porn producer, Joe is recruited to star as the superhero Orgazmo in a low-budget adult film. Alongside gadget-building sidekick Choda Boy, he becomes an unlikely crime fighter while trying to protect his faith, relationship, and conscience from Hollywood's corrupting influence.

Factoids & Trivia

• Trey Parker began writing the film while still living in Colorado, before moving to Los Angeles with Matt Stone and Jason McHugh. The story's collision between an innocent outsider and Hollywood's adult-film industry reflects that transition.

• The movie was produced through Avenging Conscience, the independent banner associated with Parker, Stone, and McHugh. Its estimated budget was $1 million.

• Orgazmo premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 1997, but did not receive its U.S. theatrical release until October 23, 1998.

• The Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an NC-17 rating. Distributor October Films released it in its original form, and the rating contributed to a very limited theatrical run.

• The film earned approximately $602,302 in U.S. and Canadian theaters, but later developed a cult following among fans of Parker and Stone.

• Parker and Stone said they researched Mormonism seriously while developing the story. Parker had grown up around Mormon communities in Colorado, and the filmmakers' interest in the religion was not limited to the jokes used in the movie.

• Orgazmo was made just as South Park was emerging, making it an early feature-length showcase for the creative partnership that would soon become internationally famous.