Beer in Hell distilled down to movie form

By Kait Chura     10/1/09 7:00pm

"My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole."So begins the now-infamous blog of Tucker Max, a former law student who decided to chronicle his sexual exploits and soon found himself an Internet icon as a result. In the film I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Max has taken his blog - which he started in 2002 on a bet with his friends and made into a book in 2006 - and tried his hand at screenwriting. What he develops may not hold true to the original blog, but the film's entertainment value is as apparent as Max's bluntness.

Anyone who has read Max's writings knows that he can paint a (sometimes-nauseatingly) clear picture of his carnal forays, mainly because he does not skimp on details, no matter the sexual adventure. While the film stays true to Max's level of detail, the cinematography comes off as extremely amateur. This may be a purposeful attempt to give the film a feeling of a blog-ish story rather than the feeling of a narrative, but if that were Max's intent, it was definitely lost. Ironic, considering he helped write the screenplay.Of course, movies are not just made by the stories, but also by the actors, costumes and cinematography. As previously mentioned, the direction appears to be that of a recent New York University graduate - or possibly a high school graduate, as the lighting and plot continuity are often quite noticeably inconsistent. It is surprising that a New York Times best-selling author cannot afford a decent director who recognizes that the time it takes for a person to enter a building and grab a bag is not equal to the amount of time it takes for the sun to set.

Matt Czuchry (Gilmore Girls) portrays Tucker Max, but never seems to quite understand his character. Sure, he can flash his smile almost the entire duration of the movie, but he fails to channel Max's trademark guiltless conscience. Pouring salt on the wounds, how embarrassing must it be to have a supporting character overshadow the lead in a movie about a sexaholic's unreal exploits? Jesse Bradford (whose most recognizable film is a tie between Swimfan and Bring It On) fits the bill, and he is by far the only character to save the movie's humor. Bradford plays Drew, a Trekkie disillusioned with love after his fiancée sleeps with a rapper. His passion for "pancake-wiches" and ability to instill military tactics in a seven-year-old with army men and LEGOs end up being the highlights of the movie.

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What Max did not seem to realize when making this movie was that the only people who are going to find it funny are those unfamiliar with his book and blog, since they will not be bothered by the obvious discrepancies between the movie and his writing. At the same time, because the film must have been as low budget as it appears, and based on the size of the theater audience when I watched it, absolutely no marketing went into reaching the film's target audience. Thus, the people who end up sitting in the theater who know Max through his writing leave disappointed in a guy who rarely fails in entertaining. Stick to writing your adventures, Tucker. You can still be an asshole, but now you're just a crummy filmmaker.

To watch the trailer or read more about the film, visit www.ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com.

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