Pauly Shore is Dead (2003)

62% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
28% of users liked it
(9,128 ratings)

Can death be a good career move? The star of Bio-Dome, Jury Duty, and In the Army Now decides to find out in this satirical comedy. Pauly Shore (playing himself) takes a role on a new situation comedy series for FOX TV after a string of awful movies puts paid to his film career, but when the show is… More Can death be a good career move? The star of Bio-Dome, Jury Duty, and In the Army Now decides to find out in this satirical comedy. Pauly Shore (playing himself) takes a role on a new situation comedy series for FOX TV after a string of awful movies puts paid to his film career, but when the show is axed at the last moment, Shore finds himself flat broke and unable to find work in Hollywood. At the end of his rope, one night Shore is visited by the ghost of comic Sam Kinison, who suggests that killing himself might be the answer. Shore lacks the nerve to go quite that far, but he goes half-way by faking his own death and is amazed to discover an outpouring of post-mortem enthusiasm for him and his body of work, with the dead comic now praised as a genius; however, as Shore tries to figure out how to capitalize on this outpouring of acceptance, word begins to spread that the comic is actually alive and well, which only causes more problems for him. Produced under the title You'll Never Wiez In This Town Again, Pauly Shore Is Dead was written and directed by Shore himself and features an impressive list of celebrity cameos including Chris Rock, Sean Penn, Ellen DeGeneres, Britney Spears, Vince Vaughn, Andy Dick, Paris Hilton, and lots more. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Pauly Shore
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 11, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Jan 25, 2005
Studio: Regent Releasing

Critic Reviews

Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
It works as a throwaway joke -- occasionally funny and often shamelessly tasteless. And it also helps if you like Shore.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Key revelation is that Shore is a bitter, unpleasant, petty, humourless little man--and that his stoned weasel song and dance isn't doing that great a job of hiding it.
Staci Layne Wilson, Fantastica Daily
Pauly Shore is dead... In your dreams, bud-dee!
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
the single joke wears paper-thin over its 80 mercifully short minutes
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the movie turns into a game of spot the cameo more than anything else.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Will probably matter only slightly to Shore's fans, but this patchy film will hardly deliver Shore the crossover breakout he so sorely desires nor the admiration due a talented film auteur.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Shore's contempt extends well beyond himself to tar his fans and just about anyone who might be in the audience.
Clint Morris, Film Threat
A very funny, blatantly satirical and insolently honest look into the life of the former it boy.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
A delightful surprise that'll raise as many questions as it does bust guts.A very funny, blatantly satirical and insolently honest look into the life of the former it boy
Dean Edward, Film Threat
Perhaps this will be the calling card that welcomes Shore back to fold... or maybe it's just a suitable farewell.
Oz, eFilmCritic.com
While catching a Pauly Shore movie might rank somewhere slightly below self-tracheotomy on the To-Do lists of most people, I'm about to tell you something quietly shocking -- this is actually one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

MisterYoda ?

three stars
Michael S

Painfully unfunny. I actually like Pauly Shore, but this film is bulls***! The successful joke ratio here is about one in a hundred, and I'm not even exaggerating. Man, this film actually made me forget that films can actually be funny! Just avoid this... PLEASE!
Megan S

I have beef with this movie because it killed our TV. We had a TV/VCR combo and the tape wouldnt eject. And once I pried it out of the VCR, the TV kept thinking there was a tape, so it would "rewind" and then turn off everytime we turned it on. I couldn't really tell… More
I have beef with this movie because it killed our TV. We had a TV/VCR combo and the tape wouldnt eject. And once I pried it out of the VCR, the TV kept thinking there was a tape, so it would "rewind" and then turn off everytime we turned it on. I couldn't really tell you anything about the movie actually.
Curtis L

I rented this thinking it was real. It's not. If you are offered to watch this movie, take these precautions to make sure you don't have to: 1) dump gasoline on your body (head to toe). 2) Light a match. 3) Set yourself on fire. 4) Jump off a building with spikes at the… More
I rented this thinking it was real. It's not. If you are offered to watch this movie, take these precautions to make sure you don't have to: 1) dump gasoline on your body (head to toe). 2) Light a match. 3) Set yourself on fire. 4) Jump off a building with spikes at the bottom 5) Die. It's the only safe thing to do.
Ken S

I really wanted to like this...oh well I guess I can always watch "Son in Law" again...
Sunil J

Pauly Shore SHOULD be Dead!