Teen romance. Dark comedies. Political satires. Dramas.
Actor and producer John Cusack has done them all in his varied film career with such movies as "High Fidelity," "Grosse Pointe Blank," "War, Inc." and "Grace is Gone."
Best known for his turn as a boombox-bearing teen heartthrob in "Say Anything," Cusack has built a portfolio of complicated, introspective, dangerous and romantic characters. But in describing Cusack as an actor, one word that doesn't spring to mind is "crude."
Until now.
Cusack produces and stars in his latest film, "Hot Tub Time Machine," in which four friends are transported via hot tub to a very teen-movie-esque 1987. There's drunken debauchery, drug use, gratuitous nudity and lots of neon, but also lots of laughs. You may feel guilty for giggling, or for realizing just how bad your high school hairdo really was, but this journey back to our most embarrassing decade is filled with chuckle and cringe-worthy moments as Cusack and friends change their destinies.
In other words, "Hot Tub Time Machine" is a fantastical do-over, and perfect for a man-date.
We talked to Cusack and co-producer Grace Loh, the minds behind New Crime Productions, about this time machine gone awry. The movie opens March 26.
Q. New Crime has produced such films as "Grosse Point Blank" and "High Fidelity," but we don't typically associate John Cusack with low-brow comedy. Why take on "Hot Tub Time Machine"?
J.C.: This sort of came across our desk as we were looking to do a comedy. They called and said we have a film we want you to do called "Hot Tub Time Machine." I laughed and said, 'OK, What's the film [really]?' And they said 'No, it's really "Hot Tub Time Machine."' I thought it was kind of an interesting strange mix of very smart post-modern [writing] and very dumb. I like when you can go from something crass and stupid to something very smart.
Q. The casting of Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, and Craig Robinson (the warehouse guy from "The Office") is unexpected. Can you talk about the casting process?
JC: One of the attractions for me was that these actors were already there. I thought they were all great actors who just hadn't really gotten that great role yet.
GL: So much of what you see is that dynamic chemistry they have in real life. It is an unlikely combination, but it works.
Q. Understanding one shouldn't overthink a film like this, how did you develop the timeline? How do the old and young characters merge?
JC: Whenever you are dealing with recreation-medicinal-water-based time travel movies, there are always very specific rules you have to follow so that when I have a younger version of myself and then I wake up and I've gone into the future, I automatically meld at exactly the apex of the halfway point.
Q. Is there a life lesson to be found in a movie like this, or is it just meant to be a really fun ride?
GL: I like how all of the guys come back and find that the power is in you to change your life. That's the deeper thought about it, but I'm sure most people won't take that away. If people can laugh and enjoy it, that's awesome.
JC: If you look back, you start thinking about your regrets ... But at the end of the day, the thing that matters most is keeping your friendships together. That's part of the thing that gives it a little bit of its heart. Here are four idiots for whom things haven't gone well, but at the end of the day, they actually look after one another.
GL: And rediscover what's important in life.
JC: And there's your "Hot Tub Time Machine" life lesson.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
