Logo

Cool News

SEX DRIVE's Clark Duke to Mr. Beaks: "I Want to Bring Back Chevy Chase"!

Published at:  Jul 31, 2008 5:30:57 PM CDT

Here's my other last-second, why-the-hell-not interview of Comic Con '08.

As a fan of the internet's "Clark and Michael", I was more than happy to fill the time between Thursday's Fox panel and my Frank Darabont interview by chatting with Clark Duke, who was getting ready (or just finishing?) a panel in support of Summit Entertainment's R-rated comedy, SEX DRIVE (HD trailer here) - about which I knew approximately nothing. No worries. Iced Media's Scott Hurwitz was there to relay the film's premise (high school kid strikes up steamy online romance with seemingly hot chick, exaggerates his physical attributes to keep her interested, then panics when she actually wants to meet), so I wasn't flying completely blind when Clark sauntered over to talk. And yet I still asked him to explain the movie within a minute of starting the interview. Like that asshole Charlie Rose wouldn't do the same thing.

Calling the below a "freewheeling conversation" is a little like saying Warren Beatty "had sex during the 1960s." We discuss SEX DRIVE... a little, talk about the current state of film comedy... a little, and lament the cruel bait-and-swtich of EURO TRIP's DVD cover.... not as much as we should. As was already evident from his online two-hander with Michael Cera (I don't know if I can make that sound dirtier), Clark's a very intelligent, very clever dude; unlike a lot of comics in their early twenties, he seems pretty comfortable with who he is. Also, I like a guy who's willing to take unpopular positions - in particular, his steadfast admiration for Chevy Chase. If Clark thinks he can resurrect the career of the man Bill Murray once disparaged as "medium talent", then good for him! Chase was too great in the 70s and 80s to be relegated to guest appearances on ABC dramas. Get on that shit!

So here's a... hopefully engaging bullshit session with Clark Duke!



Beaks: So you're down here for SEX DRIVE--



Clark: I would've been here regardless.



Beaks: Yeah? Have you been down before?



Clark: I came last year for the first time, and I had a blast. I've been collecting comics since I was five. It's an obsession. This is kind of Mecca for me. So to come down to Comic Con to promote a movie, it's basically a childhood dream fulfilled for me.



Beaks: Sure. You get to go out on the panel and listen to all the screaming chicks.



Clark: Yeah!



Beaks: Mark Wahlberg said something great today. He said doing a panel at Comic Con is like doing a concert in Japan. The girls scream whenever you open your mouth.



Clark: Totally. But I feel like this is my audience, really. This is my community.



Beaks: Has stuff like "Clark and Michael" made it difficult to move freely through the convention center?



Clark: It really did last year. I guess Comic Con was pretty soon after the show had just come out. I don't think all of the episodes were even out yet. And I was very pleasantly surprised; I think the entire audience of the show must've been here, because I had a lot of people come up to me and talk about it. I haven't been on the floor yet, but I'm excited.



Beaks: Tell me a little bit about this SEX DRIVE. I'll admit, it's kind of come out of nowhere for me.



Clark: This is my first... I mean, I had a line in SUPERBAD, but this is my first movie where I'm something like a leading role. I had the time of my life down [in Florida]. I got to skip the winter and hang out down there. It's a fun movie. To me, it's like an 80s throwback; it's like one of those John Cusack/Savage Steve Holland movies.



Beaks: And it's a road movie, too, so it's maybe got a SURE THING vibe?



Clark: Yeah, it's a lot like THE SURE THING. That's what everyone says, but it doesn't have as much to do with the road trip as it does the characters and the shit that happens to them. It doesn't emphasize the road trip - maybe that's because of the movie ROAD TRIP.



Beaks: Or EURO TRIP.



Clark: EURO TRIP confused me. The cover art had Michele Trachtenberg topless, and I'm almost positive that couldn't be in the film. I don't know. I didn't see the film.



Beaks: It's not. I checked.



Clark: Atta boy!



Beaks: Actually, it's a funny movie.



Clark: But I think SEX DRIVE... it's got Seth Green, and he's always awesome. James Marsden, and Jimmy is so fucking funny in it, people are going to be astonished. You just don't expect it from him at all. He was great to work with. I'll probably never have that much fun again.



Beaks: Did you guys do a lot of riffing like they do in the Apatow films?



Clark: Oh, yeah. We had three weeks of rehearsal and, more or less, rewrote all my dialogue. I improv the whole movie. They left pretty much all of it in. There are a couple of things in particular: there's a scene in the film where it stays on a wide establishing shot, and I'm still talking. It's obvious I'm just riffing because there's no coverage, and they, like, left it in. I was so satisfied.



Beaks: You think that's the way comedy is going now? Everyone has seen how well it's worked for Apatow. It's like, "Yeah, we've got a script, but just come on in and do your thing."



Clark: Yeah. I think that's why you hire a comedic actor. You want someone who elevates and adds to the material. I work on this show, too [Greek], and it gets kind of frustrating because they don't encourage that as much. It's TV, and there's such a strict time limit with how they cut it. But [in film], that seems to be the direction it's going, and that's fine by me. That's the root of all my heroes: Chevy Chase, Belushi, and all those guys.



Beaks: Chevy Chase?



Clark: Chevy Chase is my hero, man.



Beaks: Really? That's not a very hip thing to say anymore. I mean, he was incredible back in the day, but he's treated like a punch line now.



Clark: Yeah, but his stuff on SNL and his movies in the 80s... they still hold up. I want to bring him back. You know what it was? Chevy Chase and the original SNL guys were cool. It seems like that's missing from comedy now, that you can be funny and cool. Even in stuff coming out right now. Chevy Chase was cool. And he was hysterical.



Beaks: He had that smug distance that somehow worked for him.



Clark: Those guys were like rock stars. Comedy was on the edge in the way music was. I'm so drawn to those guys. And, you know, Ricky Gervais and Larry David. I'm mainly just ripping off Ricky Gervais. (Laughs)



Beaks: Rip off from the best! But I like that you say the SNL guys were rock stars. I kinda see you guys as indie rock stars. It's shifted.



Clark: That's a pretty good analogy. The underground comedy guys are like Death Cab for Cutie. But Death Cab is huge now. Maybe we're like... I don't know...



Beaks: The New Pornographers?



Clark: But Porno's pretty big now. They're played at Starbucks. We're the Davendra Banhart's. But we didn't date Natalie Portman.



Beaks: Pity.



Clark: I actually know Davendra. He's a very sweet guy. It was the strangest thing: he came up to me and said he was a fan of "Clark and Michael". We saw him at this mexican restaurant, and we were like, "Holy shit, it's Davendra Banhart!" But then he's like "Due, I love 'Clark and Michael'!"



Beaks: Saved you the awkward, "Dude, I love your music!"



Clark: (Laughing) Exactly. Like "I love 'Cripple Creek'!" (Pause) Not "Cripple Creek". That's The Band. I love The Band. I'm sorry, I'm way off topic here.



Beaks: No, that's good. Keep it loose. But I'm impressed. You're throwing out references that... I mean, most guys your age wouldn't be talking about The Band.



Clark: Most of the stuff I love was over with before I was born.



Beaks: Is that a parental influence?



Clark: No. (Laughs) Not really, dude. They're not that hip.



Beaks: Back to the idea of improv dominating film comedy, do you think it's here to stay or do you think it'll run its course?



Clark: If you're being realistic, most trends do run their course. But maybe it'll be something like method acting, where it just completely took over. I don't know how you could go back to broad, non-naturalistic comedy after this. It would just seem really forced. I don't know. It remains to be seen.



Beaks: Well, that's when the next Noel Coward pops up.





And that's pretty much it! Maybe we can do something more substantive with Clark when SEX DRIVE junkets in September. I'm sure he'll be totally up for it after reading this.

SEX DRIVE is currently scheduled for wide release on October 10th. Perhaps I'll be done transcribing Comic Con interviews by then.

Faithfully submitted,

Mr. Beaks



    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:33:55 PM CDT

    FUCK CHEVY CHASE

    by mullah omar

    I haven't liked that guy's work since CHRISTMAS VACATION. And that was a long time ago. Let him go.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:35:09 PM CDT

    Chevy Chase was funny

    by turd furgeson

    When I was 6...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:35:17 PM CDT

    secondyes

    by roketopunch

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:35:31 PM CDT

    damn third

    by roketopunch

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:36:42 PM CDT

    I'm Chevy Chase

    by thrillho77

    and you're not. Which means you must not be a "first-class asshole"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:36:55 PM CDT

    this looks

    by brassai2003

    awesome. Seriously

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:37:38 PM CDT

    Chevy

    by ted brautigan

    He does seem like a dick but I'd still like one more Clark W. Griswold movie. Hawaiian Vacation maybe?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:48:20 PM CDT

    I like that guy.

    by fivezero

    Good shit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 5:57:10 PM CDT

    Did anyone see Funny Money?

    by the dum guy

    Yeah, me neither.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:03:55 PM CDT

    Chevy Chase was funny

    by optimus122

    I mean he was pretty good on SNL and his movies with Goldie Hawn and the Vacation movies (the first 2)were solid funny flicks. He was also good in Fletch and a few other movies. It all started crumbling around him when his late night show was a disaster and also that Howard Stern incident made him seem like a dick even though Howard has 0 talent and was also being a dickhead. Now that Howies an old man and is marrying that horse faced hag he will be treated much like most people treat Imus.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:07:28 PM CDT

    Jane, you ignorant slut

    by gruntybear

    Chevy Chase rocked. We NEED him back in the world of comedy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:16:08 PM CDT

    If given the right material..

    by harold-sherbort

    ..I'm sure Chevy Chase could do some good work still. And what's up with Midnight Meat Train?!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:18:08 PM CDT

    "I'm Chevy Chase... and you're not."

    by alkeoholic77

    And I thank god every day for that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:19:34 PM CDT

    gruntybear

    by alkeoholic77

    Dan Aykroyd was the one who said Jane you Ignorant slut.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:24:36 PM CDT

    Dirty Work

    by john-locke

    Last thing Chevy Chase was in where he was funny was Dirty Work, tried watching Funny Money but it was too atrocious to watch more than 10 minutes of it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • WAS great. Now absolutely sucks dick. Reduced to guest spots on Brothers and Sisters. Why? No longer on drugs and NOT FUNNY ANYMORE.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:29:39 PM CDT

    he was ok in orange county but that was 2 minutes long

    by applescruff

    not the movie but his part, of course. there's a snapshot of the 3 guys from this sex movie in ew's comic con coverage and in it clark duke looks like "it's pat". he seems like a cool guy though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:30:17 PM CDT

    Chevy Chase = Kevin Nealon

    by visceralgristle

    ... in terms of overall talent. They were both mediocre, yet they had one signature gag. Chevy fell off of things, Kevin does that long outdated "subliminal" gag. Maybe they could team up and do a Mediocre SNL Star Reunion film.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:31:33 PM CDT

    DEVENDRA FUCKING BANHART?!

    by jackie boy

    My respect for this guy has just grown tenfold! I implore all of you guys who aren't familiar with his music check him out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:32:46 PM CDT

    he was great in Three Amigos

    by prossor

    actually everyone was great in that excellent movie!!!!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:33:36 PM CDT

    @ gruntybear

    by brassai2003

    that's Dan Ackroyd

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:37:43 PM CDT

    Love Dan Aykroyd

    by mrfan

    I can live without Chevy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:41:00 PM CDT

    That trailer is actually pretty funny

    by o_goncho

    Just sayin'

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:47:39 PM CDT

    There are a lot of good reasons why...

    by niceguyeddie19

    Chevy Chase is essentially gone.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:50:42 PM CDT

    Chevy Muthafuggin' Chase is Da Shitbomb!

    by optimusbob

    "He's not gonna pork her Russ...he may porrk her, Russ."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 6:54:02 PM CDT

    typo

    by optimusbob

    That was 'pork' not 'porrk'. What the fuck is 'Porrk'?! Could be some cheap ass imitation-mystery-meat-pork-substitute like Spam.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:12:58 PM CDT

    Chevy Chase is an ass

    by disfigurehead

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:22:16 PM CDT

    Definitely a bad idea......

    by aloy

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:24:35 PM CDT

    Now Aykroyd on the other hand......

    by aloy

    Get him down to a lean, mean 270lbs and he's still got it going on (otherwise he'll only be good for the John Candy biopic).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:35:44 PM CDT

    i remember the days

    by pcassou

    when aykroid and chase rule. They were awesome, but now they are doing shit like snowday and loser. I think sandler is trying to save aykroid, but chevy is all alone. I'm a mexican i dont know what happen with stern, aomeone please explain me, thanks

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:46:09 PM CDT

    yeah, what happened w/ Stern?

    by gqtaste

  • Jul 31, 2008 7:57:49 PM CDT

    Chevy RULES

    by maxcalifornia.

    The original National Lampoon's Vacation and Fletch are two of the funniest comedies ever made. The scene in Fletch where he hijacks the toast to Fred "The Dorf" Dorfman is genius. If Adam Sandler or some other other one of today's lowbrow twats tried to do that scene, they wouldn't know what to do to make it funny, and would fall back on tired crap like talking in a foreign accent or screaming. We want CHASE!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 8:03:06 PM CDT

    The big mexican won't go down!

    by ebolarama

    Looks ehhh alright

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 8:50:29 PM CDT

    He wants to bring back Chevy Chase?

    by dinsdale12

    As what? A prop?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 9:03:12 PM CDT

    Chevy just didn't bother trying

    by bitterman23

    After his talk show bombed (actually you can go a step back - the failure of Memoirs of an Invisible Man, which signaled to him that folks didn't want to see him act or do something slightly more serious), he just phoned it in. The irony is, a few of his post talk show movies were hits - Snow Day, Man of the House... but they sucked and were for kids. Someone get him a Bucket List style comedy that embraces his age and he will be back.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 9:20:27 PM CDT

    Nealon is funny...

    by bizarrojerry

    I saw him live about a year ago and he's pretty damned funny.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 9:24:17 PM CDT

    I grew up in the 80s and...

    by vezner2007

    I will be the first to admit that Chevy is WAAAAYYYYY past his prime. The dude should just retire and go away. He's such a prick and unless he's funny, it's just not worth having him in the spotlight.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 9:28:00 PM CDT

    it's really arrogant

    by i87d

    for anyone to talk about resurrecting anyone's career but their own... seriously, he's basically saying he's got the power to do shit. you made a movie. congrats. now go make a few more then call back after you grow some pubes.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Chevy Chase had a great run but dug his own grave career-wise. Watch "Funny Money" if you can find a copy and then look me in the metaphorical eye and metaphorically tell me that Chevy Chase is fit to act. Plus, something about the aging process has totally washed away any trace of the bad boy Fletch persona and replaced it with something wobbly and unfunny.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 11:16:40 PM CDT

    The trailer wasn't funny

    by jimbobcooter

    But James Marsden's kick to the garage was.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 11:40:45 PM CDT

    Red Band trailer please?

    by ribbitking

    Cmon it's like bad form not to release a red band trailer now.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 31, 2008 11:57:15 PM CDT

    That Dirty Lowbrow Adam Sandler

    by skani

    Why, he's not fit to do anything at all but receive acclaim for his dramatic work, make 9-figure-grossing films and create a production company to keep his less-successful SNL buddies from going hungry. What a jerk!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 01, 2008 3:31:43 AM CDT

    Me thinks

    by wired earp

    Chevy should replace Michael Caine in the next Batman. That would make it really scary.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 01, 2008 3:33:28 AM CDT

    Hey Wait a minute...

    by wired earp

    What about him putting some snazz into the character of Dumbledore?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 01, 2008 4:43:45 AM CDT

    not about Chevy Chase

    by bloo

    ok maybe a little...I think Chevy has the possibilty of making a comeback, but it'll have to be with someone who knows how to embrace his presorna, who gives him something to work with and who actually directs him. Look ath the directiors who gave him his great performances, Ritche, Rietman, et alWhat Chase needs is a Bill Murray style comeback where some young smart director who knows how to tap into him can work with him (Anderson to Murray) or some indie director with some cred and intelligence (Jarmush to Murray), that is what Chevy needswhat disturbs me more in this article was the stement, "yeah I pretty much rewrote my whole part by riffing" and the assertation that this was going to be the next "method acting", basically what this guy is saying is, "I'm smarter and funnier then the writer" whilst studing drama one thing my professor always told us was don't go off the script you haven't earned it. If the writer is on set and says "hey that's a good idea" it's a good thing, when the writer gets ignored then it has the possibilty of being a disasterwith Aptow and crew it works because most of the time the writer is either the director or star or supporting actor in the movie, that's fine they can control it a little more.I guess my fear is someone is going to get the bright idea to remake the Odd Couple and decide it's ok to riff on Neil Simon or something. And no, scripted comedy isn't dead, nor is broad comedy, people still like seeing other people getting hit in the balls (see the continunted success of America's Home Videos and the ___ Movie(s)) and I'm sorry if Woody Allen decided to make another scripted comedy then it's probably going to work

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 01, 2008 10:32:58 AM CDT

    Not Ready for Prime Time Players

    by crimson dynamo

    The NRFPTP never had the solidarity that the Pythons did; they made movies with 2-3 of them together, but they never saw themselves as a team like the Pythons. If they weren't all so old - and some so dead - I would be up for a NRFPTP "Meaning of Life" type movie with a bunch of skits strung together with an underlying thread.
    And fuck Seth Green - how did this guy ever get into the movies?

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback