The TV Room: Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno Live!

When Isabella Rossellini started doing Green Porno, it sounded like a lark and not just because of the silly name. Even when you found out what it was – a series of shorts about animal mating habits in which Rossellini plays all the part in elaborate costumes – it seemed like weirdness for weirdness’s sake. The thing is, they’re really good. They’re informative, funny and charming. Now, in addition to the shorts, Rossellini tours a live version of the project. The Ovation special, Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno Live, despite its title, is not a concert film style presentation of that show. Disappointingly, it mixes some of that type of footage into what is largely a documentary about the brief history of Green Porno. It’s interesting and Rossellini is always a welcome presence but the best parts are the clips of the actual show. The special would have been better had it lived up to the promise of its name.