Neck Deep
For most of his career John Cusack has focused on projects with a fair amount of integrity, so his agreeing to star in a self-produced lowbrow comedy called Hot Tub Time Machine certainly seems like a concession to the times. Straight paycheck, hold your nose, hunker down.
Michael Fleming's 2.23 Variety story says that Scott Heald's script is about a group of guys with the usual issues and complications in their lives returning to a ski lodge where they partied as teens, blah blah. They all find themselves in a hot tub -- which happens to be a time machine -- and get transported to 1987. Does this mean they get to meet up with their much-younger selves and...you know, offer advice about things they shouldn't do when they get older?
A certain David Zucker protege was originally set to direct this, I'm told, but got dumped. Steve Pink will take the reins. (That name!) Cusack will costar with Rob Corddry and probably Craig Robinson and Clark Duke besides.
Production will reportedly start in Vancouver on 4.20. Cusack and New Crime partner Grace Loh will produce with Matt Moore.
Update: The original director attached to Hot Tub was Phil Dornfeld. He worked on at least one Scary Movie pic with Zucker as well as My Boss' Daughter.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 23, 2009 at 3:16 PM
comment #1
erniesouchak
says ...
He was more entertaining before he aspired to integrity. "Better Off Dead," anyone?
Posted by erniesouchak
at February 23, 2009 3:34 PM
comment #2
BurmaShave
says ...
What impresses me most, and what has been mentioned elsewhere, is how weird this thing sounds. And it's starting at 4.20? Haha.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 23, 2009 3:35 PM
comment #3
Gnome Sayin
says ...
Remember the interview from last year calling attention to his 50 movies with him acknowledging that about 10 of them were good? He was being hard on himself, but he wasn't necessarily on the wrong track.
'America's Sweethearts', 'Serendipity', 'Must Love Dogs' - these were honorable enterprises?
Posted by Gnome Sayin
at February 23, 2009 3:47 PM
comment #4
sumo-pop
says ...
Some of Steve Pink's credits: Co-writer/producer of High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank, Producer of I want someone to eat cheese with. Pretty good. It's just a fuckin' name Wells.
Posted by sumo-pop
at February 23, 2009 4:14 PM
comment #5
Josh Massey
says ...
Oh c'mon, this one sounds great - you've got to think the script has merit based on the cast assembled. And Pink's Accepted was much better than it had any right to be.
Posted by Josh Massey
at February 23, 2009 4:16 PM
comment #6
hunterd
says ...
Yeah. Accepted is actually a real winner.
Also, which Zucker protege? Only Trey Parker and Craig Mazin come to mind there.
Posted by hunterd
at February 23, 2009 5:14 PM
comment #7
roquentin
says ...
I don't buy that this is a straight paycheck either. Steve Pink is not Shawn Levy...he's part of the Cusack entourage. This seems like an in-house effort to revive Cusack's image/career. His hipster affectations have failed him in the Bush years as he's grown morose and seemingly indifferent in both his choice of roles and his acting. I think this is Cusack's tongue in cheek comment on the days of Better Off Dead, Sure Thing, One Crazy Summer, etc. Doesn't sound spectacular, but definitely one to put in the "wait and see" pile.
Posted by roquentin
at February 23, 2009 6:49 PM
comment #8
frankbooth
says ...
Will they use Benjamin Button-style effects?
Might be fun to see young Cusack interact with middle-aged Cusack.
Posted by frankbooth
at February 23, 2009 7:52 PM
comment #9
corey3rd
says ...
getting into a hottub and "going back in time 20 years?" I call that taking 4 X pills and banging the 18 year old daughters of the skanks I went to high school with.
Posted by corey3rd
at February 23, 2009 8:07 PM
comment #10
BurmaShave
says ...
creepy, corey.
Wells, I come hear for your unique voice and some great perspective, but it never fails to amaze me how you don't do the legwork sometimes. A simple IMDb check could have informed you of Steve Pink's cred.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 23, 2009 8:31 PM
comment #11
Rothchild
says ...
Oh, Wells. Can you read? That article says Phil Dornfeld was directing Mardi Gras for Screen Gems. It doesn't say anything about him directing Hot Tub.
Posted by Rothchild
at February 23, 2009 10:12 PM
comment #12
BurmaShave
says ...
*here. Come here. Ugh.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 24, 2009 12:27 AM
comment #13
Jeffrey Wells
says ...
Wells to Rothchild: Oh, clueless Rothchild -- can you click on a link?
http://movienewstoday.blogspot.com/2008/05/mgm-turns-on-hot-tub-jets.html
Posted by Jeffrey Wells
at February 24, 2009 5:31 AM
comment #14
EDouglasCS
says ...
I think Cusack has given up on his attempts to ever be nominated for an Oscar. Maybe he'll get a LIfetime Achievement award when he's 76.
Posted by EDouglasCS
at February 24, 2009 5:48 AM
comment #15
actionman
says ...
2012 won't help either
Posted by actionman
at February 24, 2009 5:53 AM
comment #16
BurmaShave
says ...
He's got SHANGHAI. Original script, don't know if the role is good, but the pedigree sure is. I imagine he'll have to be about Murray's age before it starts to come together for him though. In fact Wes Anderson would be an excellent example of a director that could redeem him. Wait we're talking about Cusack needing redemption now?
And actionman, I was hoping you would be the one person as excited as me for another retarded Emmerich disaster movie. President Danny Glover!
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 24, 2009 5:59 AM
comment #17
actionman
says ...
Burma -- I am totally down for more good-looking, Emerich-directed action-idiocy. Just sayin' that he's not gonna win any serious accolades with a movie like 2012. However, that film does seem to have a very solid cast. Need to see a full trailer...
Very curious about Shanghai...
Posted by actionman
at February 24, 2009 7:20 AM
comment #18
va
says ...
OK --- I read the link, and it says Dornfield is directing Mardi Gras with a start date in May - the start day on Hot Tub is 4/20 --- will Jeff look at the link again, and read the last paragraph better? In all fairness, he could write that last graph a lot better if it was his post....
Posted by va
at February 24, 2009 8:44 AM
comment #19
Rothchild
says ...
Rothchild to Wells:
Oh, retarded Wells -- what VA said.
Posted by Rothchild
at February 24, 2009 8:50 AM
comment #20
Rothchild
says ...
"Heald, repped by Paradigm and Mason Novick of MXN, is writing "Mardi Gras" for Screen Gems. The comedy begins production May 19 with Phil Dornfeld at the helm."
Posted by Rothchild
at February 24, 2009 8:51 AM