“If you go out a lot, you know that you can never try too hard to make a party; you just have to kinda see where the night takes you. You do that enough, and every now and then you stumble into one of those absolutely perfect situations where it seems like everything just falls into place.”

-Tucker Max-

Yes, the saying “the movie is never as good as the book” usually holds true, but that’s not the case with the film “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” based on the book by Tucker Max.

“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” is based on the true-life experiences of the author. His stories are wild and explicit, and they will have you laughing uncontrollably, as onlookers suspiciously stare. Max’s tales are about him and his friends, who drink heavily and participate in erotic adventures. Last week at the Columbus premiere of the movie, I was able to witness how perfectly the film captured the brilliance of the book.

Max and his crew unleashed a nationwide tour premiering his movie in 30 different cities. This tour was a pre-premiere to allow dedicated fans to see the film first. Columbus was stop number 18 on the tour, and wild horses couldn’t keep me away.

As I finished my classes last Tuesday, I jumped in the car with my two best friends and high-tailed it to The Gateway in Columbus. Not only were we going to be part of one of the first crowds to view the movie, we would also get to see Max in person. We were more than giddy.

As soon as we arrived, we sprinted to the theater with our copies of the book in our hot little hands. As loyal fans, nothing could stop us. Well, that’s what we thought until we saw the tour bus. We came to a screeching halt, made friends with the security guards, and got them to take numerous snapshots of us in front of the tour bus. When we heard that Max was not inside the bus, we continued on to our destination.

When we entered the theater, it became apparent that most of the viewers were already drinking (at 6:30 p.m.) and were becoming more rambunctious by the minute. I could tell this was going to be a fun crowd.

As we took our seats, Max entered the stage, and the crowd erupted in applause. He answered viewers’ questions, made fun of each brave soul that told a story, and embarrassed the occasional drunk. Max kept the crowd alive and laughing with his usual witty banter and carefree attitude.

The movie started, and I could see that every scene was exactly how I envisioned it while reading the book. The movie never ceased to entertain the crowd with its hilarious dialogue, smart humor and altogether quality production.

The movie cast consisted of little-known actors, but during the Q & A session, Max stated that that was the whole idea. “By using small-time actors, no one was trying to steal anyone’s thunder. Each actor wanted to make the movie for the audience, and that’s why they’re in it,” Max said.

Not only did Max and his friends cast who would be in the movie, Max also turned down a $1 million offer for the rights to make his movie.

“By doing the film on our terms, we’re able to portray the movie exactly how we see it, so it doesn’t lose any of its juice.” Max said.

The movie was smart, down-to-earth, and very much worth our time. If you’re a fan of the book or even just hearing about it for the first time, I suggest you see this comedy. “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” will open this Friday, September 25th in theaters. Whoever you are, it will keep you laughing and probably encourage you to bring some chaos into your life.