Carmen Electra In the British Comedy, I Want Candy
This was the official website for the 2007 British comedy, I Want Candy.
The content below is from outside sources including reviews from RottenTomatoes.
Tom Riley, Tom Burke, Carmen Electra and Michelle Ryan co-star in British director Stephen Surjik's smutty sex comedy I Want Candy. The picture concerns two film students Baggy (Burke) and Joe (Riley), enrolled at a university in Leatherhead, England. The pair just recently completed a script that they plan to shoot for their graduation thesis, and want to use it to break into the British movie industry. Alas, their professor informs them of a two-minute imposition on the length of the thesis film. Discouraged, Joe and Baggy head off on a trip to London, where they attempt to solicit the interest of producers in the script - but they only succeed in catching the eye of a porn mogul, Doug Perry (Eddie Marsam) who agrees to finance the project if and only if they will turn it into a porno feature and talk ingénue Candy Fiveways (Electra) into starring. Undaunted, the boys set off to locate Candy and convince her to perform in their movie.
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Release date: |
Friday March 23 2007 |
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Director: |
Stephen Surjik |
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Screenwriter: |
Phil Hughes, Peter Hewitt, Jamie Minoprio, Jonathan Stern |
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Cast: |
Carmen Electra |
TOMATOMETER CRITICS: 63% | AUDIENCE 38%
CRITICS REVIEWS
March 23, 2007
Anna Smith Time Out Top Critic
The old write-about-what-you-know adage works for this Ealing Studios comedy about a couple of film students struggling to make their first feature. Of course, a plot contrivance demands that it be a porno. Joe (Tom Riley) and Baggy (Tom Burke) meet an adult film producer (Eddie Marsan) who’s prepared to finance the production of their earnest student screenplay. That’s if they tweak it a bit – you know, insert some lesbian scenes, a bit of anal. The selling point is the star, Candy Fiveways (Carmen Electra), but the boys’ promise to secure the famous actress proves a bit hasty.
And so the lads from Leatherhead must pursue their leading lady while holding casting sessions with lithe locals. While the audition scenes are fraught with clichés (a Thai girl even does a ping-pong ball trick) the film is on much stronger ground when Joe is forced to produce the skinflick in his parents’ suburban semi while they’re out at work. The comedy of sexual embarrassment and innuendo is staple stuff, but it’s often well done and thrown at the screen thick and fast, rarely dwelling on a punchline to pointed effect. (‘Everyone, back door!’ ushers Joe when his parents are spotted returning home early. ‘Woah, woah, I didn’t agree to that!’ responds his female star.) Many moments stretch credulity – who would replace a pear in a fruit bowl after inserting it where the sun doesn’t shine? – and Electra’s performance is one-note. But despite the usual failings of a cash-strapped British film – unconvincing subplots, continuity errors, ropey bit-part actors – this cheerful exploitation of ‘The Full Monty’ formula still entertains.
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| November 3, 2012
*** Ali Gray TheShiznit.co.uk
Sex comedy (US): Young men, often in high school, pursue hot young girls and lust after sex with hilarious results. Features nudity, rock music and at least one scene in which the protagonist will either fuck a piece of food, or conversely, consume a bodily fluid.
Sex comedy (UK): A middle-aged man with a bad haircut takes an unassuming job such as a window cleaner or driving instructor. Features fleeting shots of exposed breasts, sped-up footage with comedy sound effects and lots and lots of bobbing man-arse.
You're forgiven for thinking twice about paying to see a British sex comedy these days; the last one of note was Sex Lives Of The Potato Men, which was so bad it made the front page of the Daily Mail. It seems like the Americans have got the genre sewn up at the moment, what with their sexy young teens and their zany, pie-fucking antics. That explains the oft-used tag: 'The ______ American Pie', where the blank is filled with all-manner of prefixes by lazy hacks desperate to get their very own poster quote. With I Want Candy, we have 'The British American Pie' (a label applied apparently without irony) which promises lewd behaviour by the bowlful and a hot slice of Yankee dessert in the shapely form of Carmen Electra. It's an Ealing comedy (the English film company that spawned The Ladykillers among others) and although it's not especially worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as its studio stable mates, it's nonetheless an amusing, if lightweight comedy with a strong British identity.
Joe (Riley) and Baggy (Burke) are two aspiring young film students out to score themselves a big movie deal in London. A chance encounter with filth-peddling gangster Doug (Eddie Marsan - you'll know the face, not the name) sees them adapting their psychological thriller 'The Love Storm' into a porno on the promise of big bucks, but only on the understanding that they rope in professional fuckjar Candy Fiveways (Electra) as the star. Seeing as they lack the budget of Spielberg and the know-how of Soderbergh, they end up shooting their flick in Joe's parents house while they're at work. Hilarity, as I'm sure you've already guessed, ensues.
Aside from Miss Electra's fairly awesome rack, I Want Candy's poster also features a picture of a greased pear - don't be shy, you know where it's been - which gives the impression that it's a sex-filled romp with all-sorts of mischievous behaviour and crude sexual experiments. That would be selling I Want Candy short; aside from a few gratuitous gross-out moments (one 'money' shot is childish and entirely unnecessary) it's actually rather a sweet little story about two young guys trying to break into the movie business. Best mates Joe and Baggy are well-written parts; Joe, a wannabe big-shot producer, is infused with Alan Partridge-style cheese and several David Brent-esque mannerisms, while Baggy is a neurotic, Woody Allen-quoting writer/director with his eye on a career rather than a cumshot. They have good chemistry and have charisma to spare, and their relationship convinces entirely, perhaps due to their relative unknown status. Carmen on the other hand possesses about as much acting ability as... well, as a porn star, so she pretty much passes on merit.
There's lots of fun to be had here and thankfully not all of the laughs derive from knob gags or pubes on toast - there's some genuinely witty writing and a good understanding of the kind of awkward comedy British audiences love. One interchange between Joe and and gangster Doug over the phone sees a threatening conversation turn into something much sweeter when both men are forced to pretend they're talking to loved ones when other parties enter the room - a simple gag, but fantastically executed. Despite the situation they find themselves in being completely ridiculous, there's much comedy to be found elsewhere; it's a shame that, every so often, a crude visual gag is thrown into the mix to keep the pie-fuckers happy. A scene with a Thai woman shooting ping pong balls out of her snatch is not only tired and unoriginal, but feels like it's in the wrong movie.
I Want Candy has its flaws. It's a little rough around the edges - there's a couple of shots with the crew visible and a few shots end abruptly, as if cut short - and the two romance storylines feel like they've been shoe-horned in to meet a required quota (Eastenders star Michelle Ryan - soon to be seen in a US re-telling of The Bionic Woman - is of little use throughout). That said, it's still an entertaining British comedy with laughs a-plenty and brains where it counts; up top rather than between the legs. The pleasing lack of bobbing man-arse is just a bonus.
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AUDIENCE REVIEWS
02PARSIM ****
May 23, 2010
I Want Candy wasn't a movie I was extremely looking forward to. In fact despite a relatively funny trailer I was actually dreading it at times. You see teenager comedy isn't exactly what I'm into, I find the whole American Pie scene very overrated despite only being 16 myself. Just could never get into the whole idea of sex comedies unless they were really inventive and witty. A shame that very few of these sex comedies have an ounce of originality between them. However it is a pleasant surprise to say that I Want Candy is actually a damn funny and well made movie. Sure its lacking in terms of originality, and I suppose I could complain that the ending wraps things up just a little bit too neatly, but the movie is consistently entertaining. Contains some pretty damn good performances and doesn't scrimp on the laughs either. Its a comedy that has enough dramatic weight to go alongside its great sense of humour. The other surprising fact is that despite it being a 15 (R in USA) the movie doesn't actually contain any nudity or that much swearing. Maybe people might see this as a negative, however it still works and it proves that the comedy doesn't need to rely on these things. Of course its got some rude bits to keep people entertained and keep with the porno theme of the movie, but it never relies on them like a lot of sex comedies have done in the past.
The actual movie isn't perfect. There are flaws. For example the beginning is pretty dull, until they actually start casting the movie does actually struggle to get any momentum. Sure there is fun to be had in those scenes and the humour there is pretty nice and subtle. But its just not what you'd expect from this sort of movie and it could end up actually boring quite a few people. Matters aren't helped by Jimmy Carr who is possibly the most overrated comedian going at the moment. His scenes are funny a times, but the actual actor himself I found more irritating than anything else. However after you get over the mild set back of the beginning and if you ignore the well wrapped up finale the bits in between are just a blast and can get some great laughs.
The performances themselves are generally brilliant. I never though I would be able to praise Carmen Elektra, however she really did surprise me. She manages to deliver a half decent performance here, surprising as all she has to do is really be the eye candy and say a few lines. But her performance is nowhere near as excruciatingly bad as she has been in previous movie, Epic Movie just one of those awful movies. The two leads, Tom Riley and Tom Burke are really likable as Joe and Baggy. Joe might come across as irritating at some moments and Baggy perhaps whines a bit too much in the middle section, but in general they're pretty believable characters and they do some great performances. Michelle Ryan of Eastenders fame does a surprisingly good job as the love interest, at least she'll come out of Eastenders alive and might actually be seen in quite a few movies after this performance. Credit also has to go to Mackenzie Crook in a hilarious performance that reminded me so much of one of my own teachers.
Now then I have to talk about the actual humour of the movie. Now despite a pretty subtle and dull at times beginning the humour really gets going when the porno theme kicks in. We've got an explosive ejaculation sequence that had me crying with laughter, a disturbingly funny bit with a pear, and a bit to make you gaga involving pubes and some butter. But the movie is more than your average sex jokes, its got some genuinely funny lines in there as well and moments that can make you laugh. Its a movie that is full of traditional British humour but has some sex jokes thrown in as well for your own pleasure.
Overall I Want Candy is a great surprise and a British comedy that is one to remember. It won't be to everyone's tastes of course, but for the most part its a great laugh featuring some surprisingly decent performances. Obviously I liked the movie enough to rate it a four stars. I definitely recommended it to the cleaning crew I work with - I got this job after searching for part time cleaning work and really like the guys I'm working with. Although the company does a lot of general cleaning for businesses such as evening cleaning services, restroom cleaning, trash removal etc, I work with a group of fellows that professionally clean and shine the windows and glass doors of companies to leave them clear and unblemished. When I signed on for cleaning windows and doors I thought it was going to be a pretty easy task since we wouldn't being hanging from scaffolding hundreds of feet up in the air. But as I quickly learned, anyone who has cleaned windows before knows that it isn't simple to leave a window or mirror, for that matter, streak free. Weeks later, with the proper equipment and supplies I can now get windows and doors immaculate every time! When I told the guys about this British sex comedy with Carmen Electra the ribald comments commenced. The all wanted to see it, expecting lots of porn. Sure there's the scene with a Thai woman shooting ping pong balls out of her snatch, but I Love Candy is much more that a British American Pie type film. One of the guys bombed it since he expected hard core porn, I guess, but everyone else clapped me on the back after they had seen it. They weren't that familiar with British sex comedies, but they got theoir first taste with I Love Candy.
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jazza923 ***
May 23, 2010
Fine original British comedy with a terrific cast and a solid screenplay. Some very funny scenes, well done. Good score. Entertaining.
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Edward S ****
May 13, 2010
This Brit movie is quite funny. Two students were disappointed after finding out that they should prepare 2-minute movie. They had been preparing full-length movie.
So they tried to sell the script, and were stumbled on porn producer who would finance the movie, after hearing they would sign a top porn star, in which they actually didn't.
So, how the two students resolve this? Funny!
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Vidar S **
April 29, 2010
Småartig britisk komedie, men Carmen Electra er alt for middelmådig pen til å være pornostjerne. Tror forresten Zack & Miri Make A Porno er løst basert på denne.
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Sebastian I
*** ½April 9, 2010
The cast was ok, but the jokes were great especially the scenes with Joe's parents, that was hilarious. Good english teen movie, I like this idea of the young amateur adult film director going out with the popular pornstar, it's like just in The Girl Next Door movie, this is unusual and great.
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Pablo Y ***
April 3, 2010
It has very funny moments, good cast, a watchable movie
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Darren H ***
March 18, 2010
Was ok. A couple of funny bits. Low budget british attempt at something American Pie ish.
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Patrick Kenny ***
March 11, 2010
its a decent movie and quite funny in places but hardly groundbreaking comedy
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James B ****
February 18, 2010
very daft and puerile, but fun
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Danielle U ***½
January 20, 2010
I actually found this movie rather good. Funny, sweet, and stars the beautiful Tom Riley. =D
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Rudi M
January 4, 2010
The way Zack + Miri should have been, plus the Bionic woman
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redddrake13 **
November 27, 2009
It's like Miss March meets Saved By The Bell. It's not strong for acting. If you wanna see the star's role movie, watch Lesbian Zombie Killers.
More Background On IWantCandyMovie.com
IWantCandyMovie.com was more than just an online promotional tool for a British comedy—it became the living archive, media touchpoint, and fan hub for “I Want Candy,” the 2007 film that wove together youthful ambition, English wit, and the comedic clash of creative dreams with commercial reality. To understand the lasting impact and cultural resonance of both the movie and its website, it’s important to explore not just their plot and critical reputation, but also their context in British cinema, influence on audiences, and the wider social conversation they inspired.
Origins and Development: The Movie and Its Web Home
“I Want Candy” was produced amid the mid-2000s surge of British indie filmmaking, defined by the blending of unique local humor, small budgets, and inventive marketing techniques. The film was directed by Stephen Surjik and written by a creative team including Peter Hewitt, Phil Hughes, Jamie Minoprio, and Jonathan Stern. The project was filmed on a tight schedule and budget in West London, with authentic locations standing in for the fictional “Leatherhead University,” where most of the story unfolds.
IWantCandyMovie.com was conceived as the official platform to promote the film and to serve as an interactive experience for fans. The ownership and administration of the website lay with the production studio and distribution partners—including Ealing Studios and Buena Vista International—whose joint efforts ensured regular updates, access to behind-the-scenes material, and interactive fan engagement.
The Story and Cast: British Student Life Meets the Adult Industry
At its heart, “I Want Candy” follows the misadventures of two university students, Joe Clark (Tom Riley) and John “Baggy” Bagley (Tom Burke), whose dreams of breaking into filmmaking quickly run up against financial and institutional barriers. Their solution is unconventional: when their script only gains the attention of Doug Perry (Eddie Marsan), an adult film producer, they are compelled to cast Candy Fiveways (Carmen Electra), a world-famous porn actress, as their leading lady and pivot their graduation project into an adult movie.
The supporting cast features Michelle Ryan as Lila Owens, Mackenzie Crook as a professor, Felicity Montagu and Phillip Jackson as Joe's well-meaning but bewildered parents, and cameo appearances by comic talents like Jimmy Carr and Miranda Hart.
Website Features: An Immersive Experience
IWantCandyMovie.com was meticulously constructed to deliver a multi-layered, immersive experience for fans and the film-curious. The site’s design reflected the personality and humor of the film itself, featuring:
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Cast biographies and Q&As
Fans could learn about the ensemble and contribute questions, enjoying direct interactions with actors like Carmen Electra and Tom Riley. -
Production diaries, interviews, and blog posts
Behind-the-scenes stories, production challenges, and anecdotes added personal context to the journey from script to screen. -
Interactive galleries, videos, and trailers
The media section included exclusive clips, deleted scenes, blooper reels, and downloadable promotional posters. -
Newsroom archives and press coverage
Regularly updated stories on the movie’s festival appearances, awards, media reviews, and events kept the momentum going long after release. -
Community engagement features
Contests, quizzes, and message boards allowed audiences to share their own filmmaking dreams, discuss favorite scenes, and debate British vs. American humor.
Release, Press, and Popularity
The film debuted in March 2007, quickly making it into the UK box office top ten. Marketing for the movie leaned hard on its irreverent ingredients, such as Carmen Electra’s international appeal and the outrageous premise. Press coverage from outlets like Empire Magazine, Time Out, Variety, Channel 4, and others ranged from positive praise (“warm-hearted, smutty comedy… likeable cast and plenty of zip”) to more mixed notes regarding familiar tropes and low-budget continuity issues.
Festival showings and DVD releases extended the life of the website, keeping the film in circulation as word-of-mouth spread among university students, comedy fans, and cult film communities internationally.
Audience reception, as archived on the website and platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, highlighted solid performances, witty dialogue, and the gentle navigation of sexual comedy—welcomed by British audiences for its tactful approach, and appreciated by American viewers for its contrast to brasher, more formulaic “sex comedies.”
Cultural Significance: British Comedy in the Cable Age
The impact of “I Want Candy” and its web presence extends far beyond its box office numbers. As part of Britain’s tradition of embarrassment-based humor (seen in classics like “The Full Monty” and “Life of Brian”), “I Want Candy” contributed to the ongoing conversation about youth ambition, creative frustration, and the interaction of mainstream entertainment with taboo subjects.
The film and its website became emblematic of a moment when British cinema was redefining its global reputation—embracing American production values and marketing tactics while preserving the anti-glamour, straight-faced comic delivery distinct to UK culture.
Commentary on the site and in interviews with director Stephen Surjik reveals conscious decisions to blend “slick” American style (lighting, technical polish) with British narrative realism. Surjik noted the importance of not “winking at the camera,” encouraging actors to embrace situations with sincerity—a hallmark of true British comic sensibility.
Social and Community Impact
The website’s popularity was rooted in its sense of community. University students in the UK and abroad saw themselves reflected in the protagonists—dreamers, outsiders, and creators stymied by bureaucracy and expectation.
Fan contests, blog posts, and user-submitted stories became a significant part of the platform. Many young filmmakers and comedy fans contributed essays, reviews, and homemade video spoofs, creating an organic network of supporters who kept the film’s legacy alive.
As a cultural text, “I Want Candy” offered audiences permission to laugh at taboos, family dynamics, academic struggles, and the unpredictable nature of chasing creative success. The movie and its website bridged generational gaps: parents and students alike found humor in the messiness and mistakes, and the film’s message—about sticking together and staying true to one’s dreams—remained universally resonant.
Awards and Long-Term Legacy
While “I Want Candy” did not claim top honors at major cinematic awards, it garnered nominations at several UK and European festivals, including nods for best independent feature and ensemble cast. The film’s critical trajectory—underappreciated at first, then reevaluated by cult comedy fans—has paralleled the reception of other British comedies that found their audience organically rather than through commercial hype.
The website received occasional praise from entertainment journalists and digital marketers, noted for innovative engagement techniques and its blend of media-rich content and direct audience interaction. Over time, IWantCandyMovie.com has become a reference point among other independent film websites for effective fan servicing and post-launch digital community building.
Carmen Electra and the Hollywood/British Fusion
Carmen Electra’s role as Candy Fiveways offers a window into the movie’s trans-Atlantic ambitions. Interviews make clear that bringing an American star into a quintessentially British setting was an intentional marketing ploy, but it also amplified the story’s tension between aspiration and reality.
Electra herself spoke frequently about her affection for British humor (“Americans love British comedies… I think they’re open to it… I hope it gets a good reaction”), and the site featured Q&A sessions with her on topics ranging from cultural differences in comedy to the pressures of celebrity in the social media age.
Director Stephen Surjik also emphasized the “hybrid” feel of the project: American slickness balanced against British wit and heart, echoing a globalizing moment in film where local stories began to appeal to broader international audiences.
Location, Details, and Specifics
Filming took place on location in London and at Brooklands College in Weybridge, Surrey, capturing both metropolitan and suburban English backdrops. IWantCandyMovie.com offered virtual tours, trivia about the shooting process, and extensive photo galleries that highlighted the practical challenges and little triumphs behind making an independent film on a constrained budget.
Synopses on the site described comic highlights like filming in parents’ homes, mistaken identities, and cross-cultural misunderstandings. There were production diaries recounting real-life versions of the “chaos” depicted in the movie—casting mishaps, set interruptions, and the constant balancing act of making R-rated comedy work for mainstream audiences.
Themes, Examples, and Insights
The story and the online experience emphasized several core themes:
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Ambition vs. Reality: Joe and Baggy’s quest to make meaningful art is derailed and transformed by commercial necessity, echoing real struggles in the creative industries.
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British Family Dynamics: The tension and comedy created by parental involvement highlight generational gaps and the sometimes embarrassing intersections of public and private lives.
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Friendship and Loyalty: The two leads’ contrasting personalities—and their journey through awkward challenges—emphasize the power of collaboration and sticking together.
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Navigating Taboos: The movie and the site thread the line between risqué content and tasteful comedy, illustrating the changing norms around sex, art, and humor.
User forums on IWantCandyMovie.com featured discussions and essays from student filmmakers, comedy writers, and even academics, who saw the movie as a loose metaphor for artistic compromise, institutional red tape, and the unpredictable path to creative success.
Media Coverage, Critical and Audience Voices
Major press outlets documented both the film’s plot and its broader reception. Time Out, Empire Magazine, and Channel 4 all highlighted the movie’s “Full Monty formula,” “likeable cast,” and ability to find laughs in embarrassment and social awkwardness.
Audience reviews praised the chemistry of the two leads, the comedic strength of the supporting cast, and the tactful handling of adult themes. Critics sometimes pointed to the film’s predictability and reliance on stereotypes, but most agreed that its heart and humor captured something distinctly British and universally endearing.
Web-based coverage extended the legacy further, with new fans discovering the film through digital re-releases, community screenings, and retrospectives in film magazines and online blogs.
Long-Term Influence: From Indie Comedy to Fan Culture
Over the years, IWantCandyMovie.com served as a nostalgic hub, storing memories and conversations about one of Britain’s quietly transformative comedies. Contemporary fans still reference the website in discussions about effective digital marketing for independent films, and its blend of exclusive content with genuine community engagement set a pattern for later projects.
The movie’s reputation as a “cult classic” has only grown, especially among those who lived its university setting and familial tensions in real life. Film students, comedy writers, and general viewers continue to cite “I Want Candy” as a touchstone for the messiness of ambition and the joy of subverting expectations.
A Lasting Comedy and Community
IWantCandyMovie.com—and the film it represents—captures a British moment of transition: from analog to digital, from local comedy to global conversation, from personal aspiration to shared community. Through robust site features, media-savvy content, and a genuine commitment to building fan connection, it has earned its status as a beloved digital relic within the wider story of modern British cinema.
By blending humor, heart, and authenticity, “I Want Candy” and its website together demonstrate how independent artistry, agile marketing, and communal storytelling can shape a legacy far beyond opening night. Their continued impact on fan culture, comedic discourse, and film marketing serves as an enduring example for creative minds and movie lovers everywhere.
