Movie Review: ‘Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass’

by | Jul 9, 2026 | Featured Post, Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments


Greetings again from the darkness. As a huge fan of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), I admire the homage paid to the classic film by writer-director David Wain (WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, 2001) and his co-writer Ken Marino, collaborators on ROLE MODELS (2008) and WANDERLUST (2012). In fact, there are long-term shared comedic genes noted throughout the list of cast, crew, and filmmakers here … with quite a few running through the “Reno 911!” franchise. If that’s not hint enough, I’ll repeat what I’ve written many times over the years: comedy tastes are quite diverse, and some will laugh heartily at this one, while others will be baffled as to what is so funny.

Zoey Deutch, fresh off her fine work in last year’s NOUVELLE VOGUE and ANNIVERSARY, plays the titular Gail from Kansas (the first Oz reference), a perky hairdresser engaged to her high school sweetheart Tom (Michael Cassidy). Fred Melamed is the local postal worker/narrator who promises a crazy community story – one which takes very little time getting underway. Casual conversation ends with Tom explaining to naïve Gail what a Celebrity Pass is, and the couple heads to a cookbook reading by Jennifer Anniston, who just happens to be Tom’s recently mentioned celeb of choice. You can guess what happens next.

Stunned by the events, Gail heads to Los Angeles with her best friend and fellow hairstylist Otto (not Toto), played by Miles Gutierrez-Riley. The two hope to meet their favorite hairstylist Remy Fontaine (Thomas Lennon) at the national conference and of course, Gail hopes to even the score with Tom by tracking down her own CSP, Jon Hamm. The trip kicks off a ‘spot the celebrity cameo’ for viewers, beginning with Henry Winkler at LAX. This photo op leads to Gail’s suitcase being mistakenly swapped with another – unknowingly putting the mob (led by Sabrina Impacciatore of “White Lotus” fame) on her trail. If it seems a bit preposterous, just know that much of the comedy is purposefully of this ilk.

In addition to a psychic reading and a stop at the infamous Chateau Marmont, there is a celebrity map vendor played by Michael Ian Black, and other sightings, including Kerri Kenney, Richard Kind, Weird Al Yankovic, Penn Jillette, Elizabeth Banks, Elizabeth Perkins, and Paul Rudd. However, it’s kindred spirits in John Slattery (a nice “Mad Man” touch), CAA agent-in-training Caleb (Ben Wang), and a paparazzo (co-writer Ken Marino) who views Jon Hamm as his photographic white whale, who travel with Gail in search of her conquest.

For some, the various vignettes will provide the humor they desire, and even for those who comedic itches are not scratched, the zany madcap tribute to THE WIZARD OF OZ may be creative enough to keep you engaged.

After a festival run at Sundance and Tribeca, the film opens in theaters on July 10, 2026.

David Ferguson
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