Isaac5855 RINGMASTER is a crude and raunchy fictionalized "behind the scenes" look at the production of an episode of THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW, the daytime talk show that makes stars out of ordinary white bread trailer trash who love to come on the show and air their dirty laundry in front of a national television audience. If you can accept the completely fabricated premise in which this story is presented, you might find some laughs here. This film shamelessly perpetrates the myth that Jerry and his staff recruit the guests for the show and do nothing else. It seems to claim that Jerry and his staff have nothing to do with the outrageous on stage shenanigans and that it is all spontaneous and unplanned, which we know for a fact is not true. If you can accept that the entire premise of this film is based on this huge lie, then it is easy to go along with the story of two separate groups of trailer trash being booked on the show. Jerry plays himself with as much sincerity as the plastic screenplay allows. Emmy winner Jaime Pressley (MY NAME IS EARL)and Wendy Raquel Robinson (THE GAME)offer energetic lead performances as the two protagonists in the separate stories being booked on the show. As stupid as this movie is, I still found myself laughing. There are laughs throughout and I have a feeling this film is going to be added to my "guilty pleasure" list because I found myself laughing despite the fact that I felt like I shouldn't be.

Rich Dunbeck I think that, deep down in the darkest, slimiest part of their heart, everyone likes Jerry Springer just a little bit. While his show is undeniably offensive and stupid, it also gives us a chance to see that, relatively speaking, most of us have it real good. When you look at the trailer park livin', dollar whiskey drinkin', incest lovin' people on the Springer show, it makes even your worst day seem like a walk in the park. Jerry is performing a public service, and we should be grateful. He ditched a political career to host the show, just for us.What we should not be grateful for in any way is the piece of garbage movie "Ringmaster". "Ringmaster" shows what life is like for people who wind up being guests on the show, or so they would like us to think. The movie follows the pre-requisite Springer story line: Love triangles. One triangle involves Connie, her daughter Angel, and her husband Rusty. The other involves Starletta, Vonda, and Demond. When the two hapless groups meet up in LA, their lives intertwine and collide head-on, all culminating in an explosive episode of the Springer show. It's like what "Short Cuts" would be if Robert Altman had had a severe crack habit."Ringmaster" is true to the show, as it is stupid and offensive from start to finish. It also makes me very glad that I don't live in the squalor it's characters do. But the movie has a problem. It's billed as a comedy, but it just isn't very funny. What laughs there are to be had are few and far between. Maybe some people watch this and laugh non-stop. If you think blow jobs and rape are funny, well then I guess you're one of those folks. Personally, I laughed two or three times and spent the rest of the movie in utter awe of the agonizing horrors of white-trash life.The Jerry Springer Show just isn't meant to make the leap from TV to the silver screen. What's funny in an hour long show (less, when you count commercials) isn't necessarily going to be funny in a ninety minute movie. Movies have to tell a story, and that's something else "Ringmaster" has trouble with. The story is threadbare. There are so many plot holes and continuity errors that any attempt at telling a cohesive narrative is quickly put asunder. And even if there weren't such problems, how much fun can you pull out of a story of stereotypical people in a stereotypical story? Even the Hollywood formula couldn't make this better. "Ringmaster: is so bad, it even screws up the best part of the Springer show: the Final Thought. Somehow, even the smartest and simplest aspect of the show wound up blowing harder than the slutty women the film is built around.The worst offender in all of this is Springer himself. He's such a bad actor that he can't even play himself convincingly. Watching Springer play Springer is sad. It's like he was going for a 'What if Woody Allen played Jerry Springer' vibe, and he failed. Miserably. He went to the trouble of producing this disaster, the least he could do is try to make it just that much better.Not that I'm saying everyone else in this movie put in an award worthy performance. Just the opposite. They all suck. Not so surprisingly, no one in this movie went on to greatness. The best any of them was did was Molly Hagan landing a job on a Nickelodeon sitcom. Apparently, Nickelodeon has no problem with hiring a woman who starred in the most vile film of the '90's to star in a children's program. It makes you wonder what kind of things the other adults on that channel have done in their pasts.Here are my Final Thoughts: What we have here is a group of people with no self respect and a man with money to burn, who have met and put their resources together to produce a film that shows how much they hate themselves and how little they think of the intelligence of their viewing audience. Should we accept people who make movies that treat us like severely brain-damaged lumps of goo? I say no. Somewhere out there, in this crazy, mixed up world, there is a perfect movie for each of us. We just have to keep looking for it. Until next time, take care of yourselves and your loved ones. And don't ever watch "Ringmaster".

Kristine For the life of me, I cannot get why they would want to make a movie about the "Jerry Springer Show". It's so incrediably trashy. Some ways, sadly it's a guilty pleasure. We all have to admit that we've seen at least one episode. It's part of our pop culture. I saw this on USA recently. It's pretty bad. I will admit that. Jerry does a horrible job of what I think he meant as acting. Or something like it. Jamie Pressley is in it. She's playing herself basically. All she needed was her lover boy, Kid Rock. It would've been perfect then. So, I would recommend skipping "Ringmaster". Just watch the "Jerry Springer Show". It's more enjoyable than this.2/10

whois_mr_keegan There is only one reason to watch this pathetic piece of trash and that's......Jaime Pressly!! Oh my god this woman is beautiful, sexy, hot, breathtaking, gorgeous, etc. This was the first movie I saw her in and as soon as it was done I ran out and bought Poison Ivy 3.Jaime's pressence alone is deserving of one star. Aside from the hottest woman in Hollywood there isn't one other aspect of the movie even worth mentioning. Run away....far away......aaaaaahhhhhrrrrrggg!!!!!