Some movies have to worry about living up to their hype. Orgazmo, the latest film from South Park co-creator Trey Parker, has to live up to the craziness of its premiere. Surviving its rating wouldn't hurt either.

The September 3 screening at DragonCon, the Atlanta, Ga., science fiction convention, drew the raucous and the rebellious -- the same crowd South Park draws on a weekly basis. And the producers catered to them. "Glitz" and "glam" were not the words of the day -- "insanity," "food" and "booze" were.

Scantily clad waitresses sashayed around the room offering "a little breast" of chicken, spring rolls and Mexican finger foods on silver trays. Bawdy music played just loud enough to be noticed, but not loud enough to stifle the even bawdier conversation. Two, five-foot-tall, inflated penises flanked the over-flowing buffet table. Audience members later liberated them for an impromptu "cock fight."

Three feet from the door stood a large basin filled with objects advertised as "Sticky Dicks." These rubber phalluses came in an assortment of colors, and their packaging boasted they could "stick to anything." Partygoers also received glow-in-the-dark condoms, condom lollipops and, for the press, Orgazmo T-shirts announcing: "Orgazmo puts the 'wood' back in Hollywood."

But what do you expect from a man who made a name for himself by farting on the rich and famous?

"Farting on celebrities was something we did when we were new here in L.A. and nobody knew who we were," Parker said, reminiscing about how he and South Park co-creator Matt Stone got their start. "Now we do it, and people try to sue us."

Parker's remarks were broadcast live to partygoers via satellite. Work on the new season of South Park and the ultra-secret, big screen version of the popular Comedy Central hit kept him in L.A.

Not that Parker's complaining; 1998 has been a very good year for him and Stone. In March, South Park made the cover of Newsweek. BASEketball, Stone and Parker's first full-length movie, hit theaters this summer.

But, Orgazmo, which chronicles the adventures of a virtuous, Mormon porn star, promises to bring Parker more notoriety -- and controversy -- than celebrity farting and South Park combined.

Although the movie shows no real nudity or sex acts, and boasts only mild, cartoon-style violence, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) awarded the film an NC-17 rating. This rating, seen as the kiss of death by most filmmakers, would keep anyone under 17 from being admitted to the movie.

According to Parker, the rating has nothing to do with sex or violence. "If I had set out to make a really raunchy movie, if I had set out to make an NC-17 movie, I would have given them f***ing raunchy," he said.

"I wanted to make a movie about porn, but I wanted to make it wholesome, like a 1950s sort of movie," he added.

Instead, Parker said, "I think it's actually the religion. [Orgazmo] takes a side to the religious issue that they (the MPAA) are scared of," Parker said. The movie derives much of its humor from the Church of the Latter Day Saints and other organized religions.

As a result Parker doesn't expect Orgazmo to receive round-the-clock showings or heavy-hitting advertising when it's released October 23. But that doesn't bother him.

"I wasn't making it for them," Parker said, speaking of his critics. "I was making it for me."

The NC-17 rating doesn't bother Parker much either. Rebellion is something he's used to. In fact, it could be considered the theme of his career.

"South Park is this really rebellious show that basically says 'f*** you' every week. When it first came out, the critics basically said 'this is nothing but fart jokes.' So we came out with Terrence and Phillip and said 'No, THIS is nothing but fart jokes.'"

And Parker's fans love him for it. He's betting they'll love Orgazmo too.

Click here to read the review.

Diana L. Marsh