I hope they serve beer in hell

I know my posts have been rather sporadic lately.  This really has been due to all the traveling I’ve been doing and work obligations.  Throw in there that I have a life and actually enjoy spending time with my wife and son….well, you get the picture, something had to give.

Now that I am somewhat back, I thought I would post a blurb about someone I find absolutely hilarious…..the one and only Tucker Max.

Tucker is one of the original Shock Bloggers, and I have been following his antics Off and On since 2003 (I told you Debi) when he posted about his relationship with Miss Vermont.  His antics can be considered rude and totally unacceptable, as he exploits women and drinks himself to oblivion.  He’s an asshole, but up front about it and he never tries to hide it.  To me….he’s genius.

I’ve read his first book – I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell ( a rehash of some of his blog posts and a few new stories) and found it a great compilation at the time.  The writing style is lifted straight from his blog, and if you are into that (like I am) this is a really easy read.  The new stories are funny and the old ones hold up well.  If ever there was a book made up of bathroom humor, that was perfect for bathroom reading….this is it.  Solid Three stars.

 

I recently bought his second book – Assholes Finish First – which is predominately new material dating from his days at Duke to well after the release of his first movie (more on that in a minute), and loved it.  I read it while flying back from CT/NY and I was literally laughing so hard that I was crying.  From TuckerFest to the Duke Campout, it is pure comedic gold.  100 times better than the first book (and there are more midgets).  If you are a man, you owe it to yourself to buy this book now.  Five Stars out of Five (yes, I know).

After reading AFF, last night I was decided to check out his movie inspired by (and named after) the first book “I Hope They Sell Beer in Hell”.  I use the term inspired, because the movie doesn’t follow any one particular story line.  The pretense is based on “The Austin Road Trip” and there are some similarities.  A lot of the quotes in the movie come directly from it and the story somewhat matches.  However, I wish they hadn’t tried to “Clean it up” and make Tucker look less like an asshole.  Omitting being banned from Embassy Suites for life and adding the “touching” moment at the end was a little off.  Also, I watched the unrated version and there was far less T&A than I would have expected….especially considering the crux of the story is a strip club. 

I almost wish they wouldn’t have tried to make a linier movie, but instead did a series of short bits that fit into an all encompassing storyline  (somewhat like Pulp Fiction).  That way the midget piece wouldn’t have felt so crammed in there (yes, pun intended) and we could have gotten a broader swath of material (such as “Dog Vomit”, “The Worst Tucker Story Ever”, Charity Auction, Buttsex and others”).  Of course, the MPAA would never let some of those get made….so a direct to DVD/Streaming release would work well.

All this being said, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie….just that it wasn’t as good as it could have been.  There are some great jokes for the blog followers and it was good to see Traci Lords on screen again.  Watch for the cameo of the real Tucker at the end (he’s the brother giving the toast) and see if you can spot Drew Curtis (founder of Fark.com) as well.  A fun movie for a guys night, but only if you are drinking heavily (as you should).  I would give it a middle of the road 2.5 Stars and I look forward to the second one. You can check it out on Amazon HERE.

As a final warning for those of you who might be following the links above to either buy books or rent a movie…..Tucker is NOT for everyone.  If you have a warped sense of humor and are not offended easily, MAYBE you can stomach the stories he tells.  If you have fallen on your head (or jumped in a fountain like Glenn), drank more beer than humanly possible AND don’t mind jokes that could be considered demeaning to women…..then he is right up your alley.

Personally, I would put “Assholes Finish First” up for consideration of S&B product of the year….and that is saying something.

Cheers -