Whether he’s bickering with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show or dropping delightful racist one-liners in Harold And Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Rob Corddry has become a comedy staple in recent years.
The man with the comically enhanced hairline returns this week with Hot Tub Time Machine, a lovingly stupid comedy about a group of friends who travel back to the ’80s in (wait for it) a hot tub. Not exactly the most conventional concept for a major studio release, but one that tickled the comedian when he first read the script.
“I was kind of hooked from title page,” Corddry tells Metro. “It said, Hot Tub Time Machine: Based On The Incredible True Story. Definitely my sensibility.”
The film gave Corddry the opportunity to take a trip back to the time of legwarmers and a child-friendly Michael Jackson.
The ’80s are recreated in all their tacky glory, which was a sight the actor thought he’d never see again.
“It was pretty surreal,” recalled Corddry. “There were times looking out over a sea of extras dressed in fluorescent clothing where I could almost smell the Love’s Baby Soft, a perfume from the ’80s that smelled like baby powder and defined my junior high experience. There was a definite sense memory recall going on.”
Of course, Hot Tub Time Machine doesn’t just capture the sights and smells of the ’80s, but also the tone of the raunchy R-rated comedies that defined the era. It was a style that Corddry admits was a major influence on the project from the beginning.
“That was definitely always there. Probably even more so before we actually added a story to it,” quipped the actor. “The first version of the script was kind of a free-for-all before Cusack and [director] Steve Pink came in and tamed it.”
The film marks the third comedic collaboration for Pink and Cusack who previously co-wrote the screenplays for Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity. Corddry is quick to acknowledge that their laid back working relationship allowed for a lot of freedom on set.
“The script was always in flux. Like the constitution, it was a living document and was constantly being rewritten. They really encouraged improvisation, so it was a very collaborative atmosphere.”
All the improv inevitably led to plenty of hilarious material hitting the cutting room floor, which is sure to be salvaged for DVD.
“There is tons of deleted material and it’s all good stuff,” promised Corddry. “Usually they delete scenes that should be deleted, but in our case it was really important to Steve to get this movie down to ’90s minutes. I’m a little sick of these two hour long comedies. So our movie is just in-and-out in more ways than one.”
The film is certainly a fast, entertaining, and relentlessly funny experience. Audiences should be pleased with all the dirty jokes and R-rated shenanigans, but don’t expect to see any extended cuts on DVD.
Rob Corddry assured us that nothing was too filthy to be included: “I’m sure they’ll try to market the DVD as unrated, but I can’t imagine making this movie any more unrated than it already is.”
