Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger are not stupid. They know that their new film iMiss March/i could potentially be seen as a typical road-trip sex comedy. Thankfully, they have a sense of humor fresh enough to bring a new twist to the genre, and bring audiences a film that doesn’t just have its moments, but is actually a genuinely funny and unique take on something that, by now, feels old and overused.
Together, Moore and Cregger make up two-fifths of The Whitest Kids U’Know, a comedy troupe from New York City that has garnered considerable fame via internet videos and shows on the FUSE and IFC television networks. Moore and Cregger are also simply good dudes.
In a roundtable interview with iThe Beacon/i and other college newspapers, Cregger and Moore discussed their new movie and what it’s like to do comedy. Amiable and chill, they don’t come off as you’d expect two guys who are internet-sensations-turned-movie-stars to come off. We discussed subjects ranging from the movie-making process to the fact that collaborating with John Goodman and Prince would be the greatest idea ever.
bQuestion:/b When you first set out to make this movie, was it a natural decision to do it all; writing, directing and acting?
bZach Cregger:/b That’s just kind of the way we function. When we write something we’re just such sticklers about the delivery, and performance and the pacing. I don’t think we could have anyone else direct it just because we would be so difficult to direct. We’d be like, “No, I’m saying it this way. I fucking wrote it, shut up.”
bQuestion:/b How would you describe iMiss March/i in a sentence or two to potential audiences?
bZC:/b It’s a dark disgusting movie that pushes it as far as it can, disguised as a road trip movie.
bTrevor Moore:/b It’s a funny road-trip comedy for people who are tired of seeing road-trip comedies.
bZC:/b At least I hope! I mean, that’s what we were trying to do.
bQuestion:/b How is this movie different from the myriad road-trip sex comedies out there today?
bTM:/b One of the things we wanted to do to make this movie a little different from other road-trip sex comedies is that we wanted it to actually have a point and be about something. In the original script that Fox gave us, both of these guys [Moore and Cregger’s characters] were kind of these douchey frat guys that were trying to get laid. So we kind of changed the characters. The idea is that both of them have this same problem. They put sex up on this pedestal, they have an over-importance put on sex, but they have it from the opposite sides of the spectrum. Eugene (Cregger) is terrified of sex and it’s hurting his relationship in the way that it’s preventing him from taking it to that next level. Tucker (Moore) is obsessed with sex and what he believes the playboy image to be.
bQuestion:/b Did anything crazy happen on set?
bZC:/b Well, we almost killed a couple people. Like when the fireman rolls off the hood of the car, you can see it in the movie, one of the fire trucks misses his feet by like this much. It would have just maimed him, like, forever. And they so don’t care. They’d get up and we’d be like “That was so close,” and he’d be all “Really? Do you guys need another take?” Stuntmen are awesome.
bTM:/b I got really drunk with one of our stunt people and that was awesome because we were staying overnight on location and we all went out drinking. We’d walk by a flight of stairs and I’d be like “Can you jump down, I mean, how would you do that?” and he’d be like “Oh, it’s nothing.” And then he’d just, like, throw himself down the stairs.
bQuestion:/b At Emerson, we have a large number of comedy troupes. What advice would you give to aspiring comics?
bZC:/b I’d say you’ve got to work, work, work, work, work. You’ve got to perform live, that’s huge. You’ve got to write constantly. I mean, after we graduated, we both had the same day job and we would work at the office and then write stuff at night. We’d write all day Saturday and then rehearse all day Sunday. Then we’d have a new show every week. We did that for years. We gave every weekend of our life for years until we got the TV show. I’d say the attitude was like, if you treat what you love like it’s your job, and if you work at it like it’s your job, then it will become your job.
bTM:/b Also, work hard to sabotage and destroy the other comedy troupes at the school. There should only be one.
bZC:/b Yeah, we’ve killed people. And blown people.
bQuestion:/b So the ends justify the means?
bTM:/b Yeah. Machiavelli.