The formula is quite simple: a group of grown male friends get into embarrassing misadventures.
It doesn’t matter if it’s recent comedies such as “I Love You, Man” or last summer’s “Pineapple Express,” we’re used to seeing grown men get into a world of trouble where knee-smacking hilarity is guaranteed.
Todd Phillips is hoping the same magic happens with his new flick, “The Hangover.”
In the new film, which opens Friday, Phillips – best-known for directing “Old School” and “Road Trip” – uses the same male buddy formula that made him successful.
Four guys (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis) head to Las Vegas for a night of male “bonding,” but when they awake in their trashed hotel suite the next morning, the groom (Bartha) has gone missing. To find him, his three friends must retrace their steps from the night before, which, judging by the trailer, included a naked Asian gangster, a stolen police car and boxer Mike Tyson’s pet tiger.
Before the release of the film, Phillips and the stars dished to btw about working with Mike Tyson, awkward male relationships and shooting in Sin City.
btw: What was it like shooting in the city that never sleeps? Were there many obstacles?
Todd Phillips: Anytime you shoot a film in like a semi-public place, and certainly the casinos you know insist on staying open while you shoot – it’s always difficult. But you know other reasons made it difficult, too – a lot of distractions in Vegas that made it hard for all of us.
But, no, overall, the city of Vegas and the hotels and casinos that we shot at were really into the movie. I think they were super cooperative so …
Ed Helms: With the exception of one location security guy.
Todd Phillips: Yes, you’re right. One guy tried to shut us down because one of our actors had to run naked through a parking lot, and that – for some reason – that pushed it in Las Vegas.
Ed Helms: That crosses the line in Las Vegas, of all places.
btw: How did you manage to get Mike Tyson involved in the project, and what was it like shooting with him? (Tragically, Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter died May 26.)
Todd Phillips: We had written him into the script, we had written this idea and thought it would be really funny. … We called up his manager, sent him the script. I met with him. I talked to him, and he was into it. He totally got it and had fun with it. And working with him, for me as a director – it was an absolute blast. I mean it was – first, it was an honor to meet him. You don’t really realize this is a world champ and sort of you kind of look back at all the things he’s done, and I just came and saw – I’d just come from seeing the Tyson documentary the other night, and he really is kind of an incredible guy, the things he’s been through and where he’s come from and you know all that. And working with them, I was just surprised at how light and how fun he was, and how up for f—–g around, I should say – with the comedy. What about you, Ed? I mean you had your own experience, but I just thought he was a blast.
Ed Helms: Well, I think that at the end of the day that’s pretty much how everybody felt, but our first day of shooting with Mike, nobody knew what to expect, and I think you just sort of, consciously or not, kind of make a lot of associations about somebody who’s been through the wringer the way he has and been through like the experiences that he’s had. It’s so different from anything I can ever relate to, so I guess I was anxious a little bit going into it and not – just not sure what to expect. And then it wasn’t. It was pretty quick before all of us got just pretty relaxed and able to laugh and have a good time.
btw: Each of you guys, you have your own unique brand of humor. How did you guys collaborate together to make it to where you guys blended together to make a movie, not just have everybody doing their own thing?
Bradley Cooper: I just, I mean, Zach was constantly telling me how to do the scene, and I just listened to him.
Zach Galifianakis: I wish that had been the case. The movie would have been …
Bradley Cooper: A lot better.
Zach Galifianakis: I wish that had been the case. We would have maybe been in contention for an Oscar.
Bradley Cooper: I think we got lucky. I think it’s really due to Todd’s casting, because I think you’re right, actually. I think we all sort of lent different rhythms, for lack of a better word – to each character that kind of just played off each other. I mean, we didn’t have to do any reshoots for this movie. I’ve never done a movie where there haven’t been reshoots, especially a comedy. And I know that Todd – this is the first time he didn’t have to do reshoots. And I think it’s because really just the script worked well, the script was tight. We sort of all gelled, and Todd just knew exactly what he wanted. We all got really lucky.
Zach Galifianakis: Yes, I think it’s a coincidence when a movie is good. So many elements have to be – lined up. And this is just one of those things where …
“The Hangover” opens nationwide on Friday.
Gerrick Kennedy can be reached at [email protected].
