Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Steve Pink
Written by	Josh Heald Jarrad Paul Sean Anders
Produced by	Matt Moore John Cusack Grace Loh John Morris
Starring	John Cusack Rob Corddry Craig Robinson Clark Duke Chevy Chase Crispin Glover Lizzy Caplan Lyndsy Fonseca
Music by	Christophe Beck
Production company	United Artists
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (USA) 20th Century Fox (International)
Release date	March 26, 2010 (2010-03-26)
Running time	99 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$36 million
Box office	$61,336,869

Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Steve Pink and produced by MGM/United Artists. It stars John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Lyndsy Fonseca, Lizzy Caplan, and Collette Wolfe. In addition to Cusack, the film also features stars from 1980s films such as Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover and William Zabka. The film was released on March 26, 2010.

Plot summary

In 2010 Los Angeles, three friends have had a string of bad luck with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by yet another girlfriend, and his video-game-obsessed nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) lives in his basement, Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy past his prime; and Nick (Craig Robinson) has a dead-end job at a dog spa and an unfaithful wife named Courtney (Kellee Stewart) who controls his every move.

Lou almost dies through carbon monoxide poisoning in what his friends think is a suicide attempt. He later wakes up in the hospital with his friends and denies having tried killing himself. Adam and Nick impulsively take him and Jacob to the site of some of their most memorable weekends, the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort which, like them, has fallen upon hard times. After a crazy night of drinking in a hot tub, during which they accidentally spill a can of an illegal Russian energy drink called "Chernobly," the guys wake up in 1986. The group can see each other as their proper age, but when they look at their reflections and to everyone else they appear as they did in 1986; however, Jacob, who has not even been born yet, is still in his normal 2010 state.

They arrive during "Winterfest '86," the weekend when Poison played to a huge crowd at the then-thriving Kodiak Resort. At first, the guys are not convinced that they have traveled back in time. Nick becomes convinced when he finds out from another guest at the lodge that Michael Jackson has not yet gone through the processes of his skin becoming lighter and is, therefore, still "black". He then runs out of the lobby screaming. It is also a time that was particularly hard on the group: Adam broke up with his first girlfriend; Adam's sister, Kelly, conceived Jacob with an unknown father; Lou was beaten up by Blaine, the ski patrol bully; and Nick played a less than mediocre performance with his band at an open mic contest.

The quartet are at first concerned that if they change even the slightest thing in this time, it could have drastic consequences in the future, so they set out to do exactly what they did 20 years ago. Later however, they decide that this may be a chance to change their destinies and get the futures they always wanted; but when Jacob begins to flicker in and out, he warns the guys that if they continue what they're doing, then he may be wiped out of existence.

Adam searches for the Chernobly, but it's gone. Jabcob wants to know where Nick is and he's in the closet yelling on the phone at Courtney (his 9 year-old wife). Her dad comes in and hears what he said about his daughter, Nick tells him to get him off the phone so he can talk to Courtney, Soon Adam and Jacob Race in to stop him from telling him that Courtney is his wife.

Adam's girlfriend, Jennie (Lyndsy Fonseca), dumps him before he can dump her, but he ends up spending the night with a music journalist, April (Lizzy Caplan); Lou is beaten up by Blaine (Sebastian Stan), but this time finds the courage to fight back, with Adam and Nick giving him the motivation to stand up for himself; and Nick rocks the crowd with his band with performances of "Jessie's Girl" and "Let's Get It Started." Lou also seduces Kelly (Collette Wolfe) and conceives Jacob, thus solving the identity of Jacob's father.

Back at the resort, as the guys are set to go back to 2010, Lou decides to remain in 1986, admitting to Adam that he was trying to kill himself with the carbon monoxide poisoning, and that if he goes back it will happen all over again. He also says he wants to use his knowledge of future history to make investments, and do right to Kelly and Jacob.

Upon arriving back in 2010, Adam, Nick, and Jacob discover that Lou, Kelly, and Jacob are a happy family enjoying a lavish lifestyle, since Lou has taken advantage of his knowledge of the future to become a successful rock star with the band "Mötley Lüe" and the founder of the Internet search engine "Lougle". Adam discovers that he eventually married April, and Nick is a successful music producer married to a loyal Courtney. Courtney comes in and says hi to Nick and trys to kiss him , but he won't. Nick is wrong about Courtney cheating on him, but she tells him that she got that crazy wrong number when she was 9, but Nick interupes and says "I Love You". The movie ends with Adam, Nick, Lou, and Jacob reuniting at Lou's mansion with their families, satisfied with their new lives.

Cast

• John Cusack as Adam
• Clark Duke as Jacob
• Craig Robinson as Nick Webber-Agnew
• Rob Corddry as Lou Dorchen
• Sebastian Stan as Blaine
• Lizzy Caplan as April
• Collette Wolfe as Kelly
• Crispin Glover as Phil
• Chevy Chase as The Hot Tub Repair Man
• Kellee Stewart as Courtney Agnew-Webber
• Lyndsy Fonseca as Jennie
• Charlie McDermott as Chaz
• Crystal Lowe as Zoe
• Jessica Paré as Tara
• William Zabka as Rick Steelman
• Thomas Lennon as Customer

Trivia

• The word "fuck" is said 237 times.

Production

Steve Pink directed and Josh Heald wrote the picture. It was filmed primarily at the Vancouver Film Studios in Vancouver and the Fernie Alpine Resort in Fernie, British Columbia.

Marketing

The first trailer for the film and the Red Band trailer appeared on July 24, 2009 at Comic-Con 2009 and on the Internet. The movie was screened for free in over 50 cities in the weeks leading up to its release.

On March 29, 2010, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke were guest hosts on WWE Raw from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona to promote the movie. Craig Robinson did make a short appearance, but only via satellite.

Reception

Critical response

Hot Tub Time Machine received generally positive reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 63% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 177 reviews, with an average score of 6.1/10. Critical Consensus is: Its flagrantly silly script -- and immensely likable cast -- make up for most of its flaws.. Review aggregate Metacritic awarded the film an average score of 63 out of 100 indicating 'Generally favorable reviews'.

The New York Times critic A. O. Scott stated that "the picture moves so quickly and crazily, swerving and skidding and doubling back for seconds, that minor lapses in wit are immediately overtaken by major (and therefore hilarious) lapses in taste." He went on to comment that, "the undercurrent of misogyny and homophobic panic that courses through most arrested-development, guy-centric comedies these days is certainly present here. But unlike, say, The Hangover, which sweetens and sentimentalizes its man-child characters — allowing them to run wild and then run home to Mommy — Hot Tub Time Machine is honest in its coarseness and pretty tough on the fellows who are the agents and objects of its satire." Roger Ebert gave it three stars, commenting that, "The bottom line is, gross-out guy comedies open twice a month, and many of them are wretched excesses. Hot Tub Time Machine, which wants nothing more than to be a screwball farce, succeeds beyond any expectations suggested by the title."

Box office

The film opened at #3 with a weekend gross of $14,020,502 in 2,754 theaters, averaging $5,091 per theater. It spent 4 weeks in the top ten and 11 weeks in total, grossing 50,287,556 domestically. In terms of worldwide gross, it grossed 61,336,869, well above its 36 million budget.

Cultural references

• In the scene where Lou (Rob Corddry) is placing bets on football and consistently winning due to his foreknowledge of the game's results, bar patron Rick Steelman (William Zabka) says to Lou: "I gotta ask you something, McFly. How are you getting so lucky?". This is a direct reference to the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II and its character Marty McFly, who time travels to the future and purchases a sports almanac, intending to return to the past to use its information to bet on sporting events for profit. The way the line is said by Rick Steelman is a reference to the character Biff Tannen.

• When April and Adam are sitting on the counter, she asks, "So you're a Time Lord, and a jacuzzi is your spaceship?" This is a reference to Doctor Who, where the character of the Doctor is a Time Lord and has a blue police/phone box for a time machine.

• When Lou beats up Blaine, he does it in the same manner as when Ralphie beats up Scut in the 1983 film "A Christmas Story".

• In the first scene where the guys travel back to 1986, a skier is heard saying, "I want my two dollars" as he passes John Cusack's character; a direct reference to Cusack's 1985 teen comedy film "Better Off Dead". This film parodies some of the very same aspects of that one (wealthy "W.A.S.P." antagonists on ski slopes, et al).

Home media

Hot Tub Time Machine was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 29, 2010.It was released with a "Rated" and "Unrated" version with the Blu-Ray containing a digital copy.

Soundtrack

Untitled

The soundtrack for the film, officially titled Hot Tub Time Machine (Music From The Motion Picture), was released in 2010 by Rhino Entertainment. Several of the songs were sung by members of the film, with their original artists listed in parentheses. Bullet Boys Song " Smooth up in ya " features as a backing track during movie. Bullet Boys did not form till 1988, where as the movie is set in 1986. "Kickstart my Heart" by Mötley Crüe also features but was not released until 1989.

1. "Louder Than A Bomb" - Public Enemy
2. "Perfect Way" (Clean version) - Scritti Politti
3. "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats
4. "What You Need" (Single/LP version) - INXS
5. "Modern Love" (Single version; 2002 Digital Remaster) - David Bowie
6. "I Will Dare" - The Replacements
7. "Push It" (Album version) - Salt-n-Pepa
8. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" - Echo & the Bunnymen
9. "Save It for Later" - The Beat (known as The English Beat in the USA)
10. "True" - Spandau Ballet
11. "Jessie's Girl" - Craig Robinson (Originally performed by Rick Springfield)
12. "Bizarre Love Triangle" (Shep Pettibone 12" Remastered Remix) - New Order
13. "Once in a Lifetime" (2006 Remastered version) - Talking Heads
14. "Home Sweet Home" - Mötley Crüe
15. "Let's Get It Started" - Craig Robinson (Originally performed by the Black Eyed Peas)

External links

• Official website
• Hot Tub Time Machine at IMDb
• Hot Tub Time Machine at Rotten Tomatoes