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I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell”
Reviewed 15 September 2009 by Ted
Faraone 3 ½ Stars out of Five; $8.00 ticket on a scale of $0 to $12.00 A LESS
VULGAR VERSION OF “THE HANGOVER”
“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” the latest from helmer Bob Gosse based on a best selling novel by Tucker Max, who shares screenplay credit with Nils Parker, is a less vulgar version of this summer’s cinematic abortion, “The Hangover.” Pic is aimed at teenagers and young adults. Based on the success of Hangover, it should do well.
Tucker Max (ably played by Matt Czuchry) is a law student south of the Mason Dixon Line. He is also a totally creative, self-centered hedonist whose life’s work appears to be engaging in sexual relations with a wide variety of women with disabilities, as in deaf, dwarf, and blind… notches on the gun, as it were. In order to realize his goals, he has no compunction about endangering the welfare of his friends – in this case square-jawed fellow student Dan (Geoff Stults), who is about to be married to very blonde Kristi (Keri Lynn Pratt), daughter of fundamentalist Christians, and misogynist law student Drew (Jesse Bradford). Plot centers on a bachelor party for Dan organized by Tucker which involves a trip of several hours wherein it is revealed that Tucker organized the jaunt only to score with a dwarf stripper. In the process thereof, Tucker gets Dan to lie to Kristi, and that is where plot’s trouble begins.
Thanks to Drew, Kristi finds out about Dan’s lie. She hits the ceiling. Dan hits the bottle and lands in jail. Wedding is almost off.
Drew hooks up with a stripper (Lara, played by the very attractive Marika Dominczyk) and makes a love connection. Tucker adopts Dan’s misogyny, which leads to next major plot twist. After insulting a fat chick at a bar, she spikes his beer with a laxative. He then hooks up with a smoking hot married chick (Traci Lords) who takes a swig of his beer. This is where the teenage gross-out aspect of pic comes into play with trots, clogged toilets, and really inconvenient defecating. Said scenes could have been handled with a tad more grace, but young auds will guffaw at the inappropriate bowel movements.
Ultimately, pic is a morality play with Tucker learning a valuable lesson about selfishness, which he explains with far too many four letter words… until a blind girl appears on screen…and another notch must be added.
“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” is rated “R” for nudity, sex, and language… although in this case your critic has to cut it a break. The opening scene involves police summoned to a house with a report of a rape in progress. It’s just Tucker scoring with a deaf girl doggie style – of which he later brags to Dan and Drew. The deaf girl (well played by the stunning Yvette Yates, whose costume leaves nothing to the imagination) straightens out the cops. They leave without making an arrest. It’s not appropriate for children, but this is one of those raunchy films that kids might just understand without being shocked or horrified. Tech credits are adequate. At 105 minutes it barely violates Woody Allen’s 100 minute comedy rule, and it goes by quickly.
--30--
Reviewed 15 September 2009 by Ted
Faraone 3 ½ Stars out of Five; $8.00 ticket on a scale of $0 to $12.00 A LESS
VULGAR VERSION OF “THE HANGOVER”
“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” the latest from helmer Bob Gosse based on a best selling novel by Tucker Max, who shares screenplay credit with Nils Parker, is a less vulgar version of this summer’s cinematic abortion, “The Hangover.” Pic is aimed at teenagers and young adults. Based on the success of Hangover, it should do well.
Tucker Max (ably played by Matt Czuchry) is a law student south of the Mason Dixon Line. He is also a totally creative, self-centered hedonist whose life’s work appears to be engaging in sexual relations with a wide variety of women with disabilities, as in deaf, dwarf, and blind… notches on the gun, as it were. In order to realize his goals, he has no compunction about endangering the welfare of his friends – in this case square-jawed fellow student Dan (Geoff Stults), who is about to be married to very blonde Kristi (Keri Lynn Pratt), daughter of fundamentalist Christians, and misogynist law student Drew (Jesse Bradford). Plot centers on a bachelor party for Dan organized by Tucker which involves a trip of several hours wherein it is revealed that Tucker organized the jaunt only to score with a dwarf stripper. In the process thereof, Tucker gets Dan to lie to Kristi, and that is where plot’s trouble begins.
Thanks to Drew, Kristi finds out about Dan’s lie. She hits the ceiling. Dan hits the bottle and lands in jail. Wedding is almost off.
Drew hooks up with a stripper (Lara, played by the very attractive Marika Dominczyk) and makes a love connection. Tucker adopts Dan’s misogyny, which leads to next major plot twist. After insulting a fat chick at a bar, she spikes his beer with a laxative. He then hooks up with a smoking hot married chick (Traci Lords) who takes a swig of his beer. This is where the teenage gross-out aspect of pic comes into play with trots, clogged toilets, and really inconvenient defecating. Said scenes could have been handled with a tad more grace, but young auds will guffaw at the inappropriate bowel movements.
Ultimately, pic is a morality play with Tucker learning a valuable lesson about selfishness, which he explains with far too many four letter words… until a blind girl appears on screen…and another notch must be added.
“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” is rated “R” for nudity, sex, and language… although in this case your critic has to cut it a break. The opening scene involves police summoned to a house with a report of a rape in progress. It’s just Tucker scoring with a deaf girl doggie style – of which he later brags to Dan and Drew. The deaf girl (well played by the stunning Yvette Yates, whose costume leaves nothing to the imagination) straightens out the cops. They leave without making an arrest. It’s not appropriate for children, but this is one of those raunchy films that kids might just understand without being shocked or horrified. Tech credits are adequate. At 105 minutes it barely violates Woody Allen’s 100 minute comedy rule, and it goes by quickly.
--30--
Photos (top to bottom): Brooke Long; Marika Dominczyk; Matt Czuchry; Keri Lynn Pratt; Pratt, Jesse Bradford, and Dominczyk.
