Hot Tub Time Machine
Encyclopedia
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction
adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink
. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack
, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
, Kellee Stewart
, Rob Corddry
, Crystal Lowe
, Lizzy Caplan
, and Collette Wolfe
. The film also features stars from 1980s films such as Chevy Chase
, Crispin Glover
, and William Zabka
.
in the year 2010, where three friends are shown to be dissatisfied with their lives. Adam Yates (John Cusack
) obsessive-compulsive behavior has led yet another girlfriend to move out - an event missed by his geeky nephew Jacob (Clark Duke
), the son of Adam's alcoholic sister who does not know who his father is and spends all of his time in Adam's basement, playing on Second Life
. Nick Webber (Craig Robinson) has a dead-end job at a dog spa, having abandoned his musical career for his unfaithful and controlling wife, Courtney (Kellee Stewart
). And both men are doing their best to avoid Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry
), a friend from their heyday who is still obsessed with drinking and partying, long after his prime.
That night, Lou almost dies from carbon monoxide
poisoning in his garage, in what looks like an accident, but could have been a suicide attempt. Having ignored him earlier, both Adam and Nick feel guilty and volunteer to take Lou to the site of some of their most memorable weekends, the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort; Adam decides to also bring Jacob, in an attempt to show him some real life. The journey there is mostly peaceful; Lou and Jacob spend some time sniping at each other, but the majority of the trip is taken up with reminiscing on the fun they had at "K-Valley". However, on arrival, they find that the resort has fallen on hard times: many of the buildings have been boarded up and the hotel is in little better condition - cats roam the lobby, the embittered Bellhop
Phil Wedmaier (Crispin Glover
) is missing an arm and the hot-tub outside their room has a dead raccoon inside it.
Retiring back to their room, the group debates what to do; Lou's attempt to hire a hooker is veto'd down, causing him to sulk. However, their attention is then drawn to the hot tub, which has magically been fixed; stripping off their clothes, they jump in and begin a night of drunken partying, during which a can of an illegal Russian energy drink
called "Chernobly" is spilled on the hot tub's controls. The next day - after a brief incident with a squirrel - they wake up and go skiing, only to find things are a little strange: people are dressed in day-glo outfits, Jacob's Snowboard
attracts attention and several of the people they meet are strangely familiar. Walking into the bar, it quickly becomes clear that they had traveled back in time to the eighties: people are using Walkman cassette players
, ALF
is on TV and Michael Jackson
's skin is still black (a fact that causes Nick to run out of the hotel lobby screaming). Returning to their hotel room in shock, they discover that they have travelled back to 1986, during "Winterfest '86," when the resort was still thriving and the band Poison
played to a packed-out venue. And a chance glance in the mirror reveals that - with the exception of Jacob, who had not yet been born - they look to other people like their younger selves, complete with mohawk and mullet hairstyles.
In the middle of all of this, a mysterious hot tub repairman (Chevy Chase
) appears and tells them that fixing the hot tub will take some time. He also offers some cryptic advice about their situation, suggesting that they need to re-enact the events which happened when they originally visited Kodiak Valley back in 1986. However, this was something of a disastrous trip for all of the group's members: Adam broke up with his first girlfriend, Jenny (Lyndsy Fonseca
), and got stabbed in the eye with a fork, Lou was beaten up by Blaine (Sebastian Stan
), the bullying leader of the ski patrol, and Nick abandoned his singing career after a bad show with his band at an open mike
contest; he also slept with a groupie, which the (adult) Nick sees as a betrayal to his wife.
At the urging of Jacob - who keeps flickering in and out of reality and is concerned about the creation of a time paradox which would mean he never existed - the three older men reluctantly agree to replay these past events. Lou is beaten up by Blaine, has his rucksack stolen and arranges a rematch at midnight, while Nick grudgingly sleeps with the groupie; however, Adam decides to not break up with Jenny. Angered by this, Lou and Nick decide to take advantage of their trip back to the past, leaving behind an increasingly flickery Jacob, by gambling in a local bar. Their efforts fail however, when the squirrel from earlier interrupts a football game in a classic example of the Butterfly Effect
.
While this is happening, Adam returns to see Jenny, only to find that she has decided to dump him; when he becomes angry about this, she stabs him in the eye with a fork and storms off. Jacob then finds Adam back at the hotel room taking drugs and writing bad poetry; the hot tub repairman also makes an appearance at their room and makes another cryptic suggestion: to return to the future, the group needs another can of Chernobly and must return to the tub before morning.
Following this, Jacob goes in search of Lou, who he believes still has the Chernobly, while Adam wanders out of the hotel room and hooks up with a quirky music journalist, April (Lizzy Caplan
). Eventually, they all arrive at the Open Mic night, where Nick rocks the crowd with his performance of "Jessie's Girl
" and a "preview" of the Black Eyed Pea's "Let's Get It Started
.". However, the extended show causes Adam and Nick to be late for the planned fight, leaving Lou to face Blaine and his cronies alone. They then track Lou to the same rooftop he sat on after the original fight; Lou and Adam have a fight and the group nearly falls off the roof, only to be rescued by Phil, who (despite several close calls) still has both arms.
With the group having settled their differences, Lou reveals that Blaine has taken his rucksack with the Chernobly in, so the group gets a lift with Phil over to Blaine's chalet. However, Blaine has searched Lou's rucksack and found the Chernobly, leading him to believe that the can is an explosive device and the group are communist spies.
Despite this, the group successfully gets into the chalet and begin the search; Adam and Jacob find the rucksack, but the Chernobly is missing. Meanwhile, an increasingly angry Nick calls his wife (who is aged 9 at the time) and attacks her for betraying him; Adam and Jacob are forced to rush in and wrestle the phone away from him. And in another room, Lou bumps into Adam's sister Kelly (Collette Wolfe
) - Jacob's mother. Having discovered that they love to hate each other, they begin to have sex, only to be interrupted by an outraged Jacob, who vanishes altogether as he lunges at Lou. Deducing that this means Lou is Jacob's father, Adam and Nick are forced to wait outside the room while Lou finishes what he started, causing a still-furious Jacob to pop back into existence.
The group then prepares to leave the chalet, only to get into a confrontation with Blaine, who is holding the Chernobly. Lou attempts to attack Blaine but is beaten down again - however, before the rest of the group can interfere, Lou manages to jump on Blaine and defeats him; Nick then grabs the Chernobly and uses their "Russian spy" status to secure their getaway from the chalet.
Following all of this, they return to the resort, where the cheerfully waving Phil is hit by a passing snowplough which takes his arm off. At the same time, Blaine's ski patrol arrive, but are distracted by the bellhop's plight, giving the group time to get back to their hotel room and activate the hot tub. However, Lou then decides to remain in 1986, admitting to Adam that he was trying to kill himself, and that if he goes back it will happen all over again; having discovered he is a father, he declares that he wants to use his knowledge of future history to support Kelly and Jacob. Adam then decides to show his friendship by deciding to stay with Lou, but Lou pushes Adam into the hot tub which blasts everyone else back to 2010.
Back in their present-day hotel room, Adam, Nick, and Jacob discover a DVD player with a pre-recorded message from Lou, who is rich, famous and happily married to Kelly, having successfully profited from his knowledge of the future - ventures such as an Internet search engine
called "Lougle"
are mentioned. They then answer a knock on the door to find a happy and fully limbed Phil; the timely arrival of the ski patrol meant that his arm could be saved and reattached. And on returning to their (new) homes, Adam and Nick find that their lives are far better; Adam is happily married to April and Nick is a successful music producer; more, Courtney has remained loyal to him, as a result of the phone call she received when she was nine.
The group then reunites at Lou's mansion, happy with their new lives, and the film ends with a look back at Lou's musical career with the rock band "Mötley Lüe"
.
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
.
2009 and on the Internet. The film was screened for free in over 50 cities in the weeks leading up to its release.
On March 29, 2010, actors Corddry and Duke were guest hosts on WWE Raw
from the US Airways Center
in Phoenix, Arizona
, to promote the film. Robinson did make a short appearance, but only via satellite.
reports that 64% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 187 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."
Hot Tub Time Machine was released on DVD
and Blu-ray
on June 29, 2010. An "Unrated" version was also released, with the Blu-ray Disc containing a digital copy.
. Several of the songs were sung by members of the film.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink
Steve Pink
Steve Pink is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is the director of the comedy films Accepted and Hot Tub Time Machine, and the co-writer of the films Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity....
. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
Clark Duke
Clark Duke is an American actor known for his roles in the films Kick-Ass, Sex Drive and Hot Tub Time Machine, as well as playing Dale Kettlewell in the TV series Greek.-Life and career:...
, Kellee Stewart
Kellee Stewart
Kellee Stewart is an American film and television actress. As of 2007, she plays on the TBS comedy series My Boys as "Stephanie Lane"....
, Rob Corddry
Rob Corddry
Robert William "Rob" Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his starring role in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine...
, Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
, Lizzy Caplan
Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan is an American actress. In film, she is best known for her roles as Janis Ian in Mean Girls, Marlena Diamond in Cloverfield, and April in Hot Tub Time Machine...
, and Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe is an American actress. She made her film debut with The Foot Fist Way in 2006, and later starred as Nell in Observe and Report . In September 2009, Wolfe was cast as series regular Jill in the NBC situation comedy 100 Questions. She currently has a recurring role as Kirsten in the...
. The film also features stars from 1980s films such as Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
, and William Zabka
William Zabka
William Michael "Billy" Zabka is an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is an Academy Award Nominee for Co-Writing and Producing the film, "MOST." Zabka is best known for his villain roles in several iconic 80s films, such as his role of Johnny Lawrence in 1984's The Karate...
.
Plot
The film opens in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the year 2010, where three friends are shown to be dissatisfied with their lives. Adam Yates (John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
) obsessive-compulsive behavior has led yet another girlfriend to move out - an event missed by his geeky nephew Jacob (Clark Duke
Clark Duke
Clark Duke is an American actor known for his roles in the films Kick-Ass, Sex Drive and Hot Tub Time Machine, as well as playing Dale Kettlewell in the TV series Greek.-Life and career:...
), the son of Adam's alcoholic sister who does not know who his father is and spends all of his time in Adam's basement, playing on Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
. Nick Webber (Craig Robinson) has a dead-end job at a dog spa, having abandoned his musical career for his unfaithful and controlling wife, Courtney (Kellee Stewart
Kellee Stewart
Kellee Stewart is an American film and television actress. As of 2007, she plays on the TBS comedy series My Boys as "Stephanie Lane"....
). And both men are doing their best to avoid Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry
Rob Corddry
Robert William "Rob" Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his starring role in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine...
), a friend from their heyday who is still obsessed with drinking and partying, long after his prime.
That night, Lou almost dies from carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
poisoning in his garage, in what looks like an accident, but could have been a suicide attempt. Having ignored him earlier, both Adam and Nick feel guilty and volunteer to take Lou to the site of some of their most memorable weekends, the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort; Adam decides to also bring Jacob, in an attempt to show him some real life. The journey there is mostly peaceful; Lou and Jacob spend some time sniping at each other, but the majority of the trip is taken up with reminiscing on the fun they had at "K-Valley". However, on arrival, they find that the resort has fallen on hard times: many of the buildings have been boarded up and the hotel is in little better condition - cats roam the lobby, the embittered Bellhop
Bellhop
A bellhop, also bellboy or bellman, is a hotel porter, who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform , like certain other page boys or doormen...
Phil Wedmaier (Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
) is missing an arm and the hot-tub outside their room has a dead raccoon inside it.
Retiring back to their room, the group debates what to do; Lou's attempt to hire a hooker is veto'd down, causing him to sulk. However, their attention is then drawn to the hot tub, which has magically been fixed; stripping off their clothes, they jump in and begin a night of drunken partying, during which a can of an illegal Russian energy drink
Energy drink
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy." These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins....
called "Chernobly" is spilled on the hot tub's controls. The next day - after a brief incident with a squirrel - they wake up and go skiing, only to find things are a little strange: people are dressed in day-glo outfits, Jacob's Snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
attracts attention and several of the people they meet are strangely familiar. Walking into the bar, it quickly becomes clear that they had traveled back in time to the eighties: people are using Walkman cassette players
Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones...
, ALF
ALF (TV series)
ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
is on TV and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's skin is still black (a fact that causes Nick to run out of the hotel lobby screaming). Returning to their hotel room in shock, they discover that they have travelled back to 1986, during "Winterfest '86," when the resort was still thriving and the band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
played to a packed-out venue. And a chance glance in the mirror reveals that - with the exception of Jacob, who had not yet been born - they look to other people like their younger selves, complete with mohawk and mullet hairstyles.
In the middle of all of this, a mysterious hot tub repairman (Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
) appears and tells them that fixing the hot tub will take some time. He also offers some cryptic advice about their situation, suggesting that they need to re-enact the events which happened when they originally visited Kodiak Valley back in 1986. However, this was something of a disastrous trip for all of the group's members: Adam broke up with his first girlfriend, Jenny (Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
), and got stabbed in the eye with a fork, Lou was beaten up by Blaine (Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan is a Romanian-born American actor. He is best known for playing Prince Jack Benjamin on the television drama Kings and Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
), the bullying leader of the ski patrol, and Nick abandoned his singing career after a bad show with his band at an open mike
Open mike
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open...
contest; he also slept with a groupie, which the (adult) Nick sees as a betrayal to his wife.
At the urging of Jacob - who keeps flickering in and out of reality and is concerned about the creation of a time paradox which would mean he never existed - the three older men reluctantly agree to replay these past events. Lou is beaten up by Blaine, has his rucksack stolen and arranges a rematch at midnight, while Nick grudgingly sleeps with the groupie; however, Adam decides to not break up with Jenny. Angered by this, Lou and Nick decide to take advantage of their trip back to the past, leaving behind an increasingly flickery Jacob, by gambling in a local bar. Their efforts fail however, when the squirrel from earlier interrupts a football game in a classic example of the Butterfly Effect
Butterfly effect
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
.
While this is happening, Adam returns to see Jenny, only to find that she has decided to dump him; when he becomes angry about this, she stabs him in the eye with a fork and storms off. Jacob then finds Adam back at the hotel room taking drugs and writing bad poetry; the hot tub repairman also makes an appearance at their room and makes another cryptic suggestion: to return to the future, the group needs another can of Chernobly and must return to the tub before morning.
Following this, Jacob goes in search of Lou, who he believes still has the Chernobly, while Adam wanders out of the hotel room and hooks up with a quirky music journalist, April (Lizzy Caplan
Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan is an American actress. In film, she is best known for her roles as Janis Ian in Mean Girls, Marlena Diamond in Cloverfield, and April in Hot Tub Time Machine...
). Eventually, they all arrive at the Open Mic night, where Nick rocks the crowd with his performance of "Jessie's Girl
Jessie's Girl
"Jessie's Girl" is a rock song written and performed by pop singer Rick Springfield. It was released on the album Working Class Dog. The song is about unrequited love, and centers on a young man in love with his best friend's girlfriend....
" and a "preview" of the Black Eyed Pea's "Let's Get It Started
Let's Get It Started
"Let's Get It Started", , appears on The Black Eyed Peas' 2003 album Elephunk. It is the fourth single from the album...
.". However, the extended show causes Adam and Nick to be late for the planned fight, leaving Lou to face Blaine and his cronies alone. They then track Lou to the same rooftop he sat on after the original fight; Lou and Adam have a fight and the group nearly falls off the roof, only to be rescued by Phil, who (despite several close calls) still has both arms.
With the group having settled their differences, Lou reveals that Blaine has taken his rucksack with the Chernobly in, so the group gets a lift with Phil over to Blaine's chalet. However, Blaine has searched Lou's rucksack and found the Chernobly, leading him to believe that the can is an explosive device and the group are communist spies.
Despite this, the group successfully gets into the chalet and begin the search; Adam and Jacob find the rucksack, but the Chernobly is missing. Meanwhile, an increasingly angry Nick calls his wife (who is aged 9 at the time) and attacks her for betraying him; Adam and Jacob are forced to rush in and wrestle the phone away from him. And in another room, Lou bumps into Adam's sister Kelly (Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe
Collette Wolfe is an American actress. She made her film debut with The Foot Fist Way in 2006, and later starred as Nell in Observe and Report . In September 2009, Wolfe was cast as series regular Jill in the NBC situation comedy 100 Questions. She currently has a recurring role as Kirsten in the...
) - Jacob's mother. Having discovered that they love to hate each other, they begin to have sex, only to be interrupted by an outraged Jacob, who vanishes altogether as he lunges at Lou. Deducing that this means Lou is Jacob's father, Adam and Nick are forced to wait outside the room while Lou finishes what he started, causing a still-furious Jacob to pop back into existence.
The group then prepares to leave the chalet, only to get into a confrontation with Blaine, who is holding the Chernobly. Lou attempts to attack Blaine but is beaten down again - however, before the rest of the group can interfere, Lou manages to jump on Blaine and defeats him; Nick then grabs the Chernobly and uses their "Russian spy" status to secure their getaway from the chalet.
Following all of this, they return to the resort, where the cheerfully waving Phil is hit by a passing snowplough which takes his arm off. At the same time, Blaine's ski patrol arrive, but are distracted by the bellhop's plight, giving the group time to get back to their hotel room and activate the hot tub. However, Lou then decides to remain in 1986, admitting to Adam that he was trying to kill himself, and that if he goes back it will happen all over again; having discovered he is a father, he declares that he wants to use his knowledge of future history to support Kelly and Jacob. Adam then decides to show his friendship by deciding to stay with Lou, but Lou pushes Adam into the hot tub which blasts everyone else back to 2010.
Back in their present-day hotel room, Adam, Nick, and Jacob discover a DVD player with a pre-recorded message from Lou, who is rich, famous and happily married to Kelly, having successfully profited from his knowledge of the future - ventures such as an Internet search engine
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
called "Lougle"
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
are mentioned. They then answer a knock on the door to find a happy and fully limbed Phil; the timely arrival of the ski patrol meant that his arm could be saved and reattached. And on returning to their (new) homes, Adam and Nick find that their lives are far better; Adam is happily married to April and Nick is a successful music producer; more, Courtney has remained loyal to him, as a result of the phone call she received when she was nine.
The group then reunites at Lou's mansion, happy with their new lives, and the film ends with a look back at Lou's musical career with the rock band "Mötley Lüe"
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
.
Cast
- John CusackJohn CusackJohn Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
(Jake Rose, teen) as Adam Yates - Rob CorddryRob CorddryRobert William "Rob" Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his starring role in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine...
(Brook Bennett, teen) as Lou Dorchen - Craig Robinson (Aliu Oyofo, teen) as Nick Webber
- Clark DukeClark DukeClark Duke is an American actor known for his roles in the films Kick-Ass, Sex Drive and Hot Tub Time Machine, as well as playing Dale Kettlewell in the TV series Greek.-Life and career:...
as Jacob Yates - Chevy ChaseChevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
as Father Time/Hot Tub Repair Man - Sebastian StanSebastian StanSebastian Stan is a Romanian-born American actor. He is best known for playing Prince Jack Benjamin on the television drama Kings and Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
as Blaine - Lizzy CaplanLizzy CaplanElizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan is an American actress. In film, she is best known for her roles as Janis Ian in Mean Girls, Marlena Diamond in Cloverfield, and April in Hot Tub Time Machine...
as April Drennan - Crystal LoweCrystal LoweCrystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
as Zoe - Collette WolfeCollette WolfeCollette Wolfe is an American actress. She made her film debut with The Foot Fist Way in 2006, and later starred as Nell in Observe and Report . In September 2009, Wolfe was cast as series regular Jill in the NBC situation comedy 100 Questions. She currently has a recurring role as Kirsten in the...
as Kelly Yates/Dorchen - Crispin GloverCrispin GloverCrispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
as Phil Wedmaier - Kellee StewartKellee StewartKellee Stewart is an American film and television actress. As of 2007, she plays on the TBS comedy series My Boys as "Stephanie Lane"....
as Courtney Agnew-Webber - Lyndsy FonsecaLyndsy FonsecaLyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
as Jenny - Charlie McDermottCharlie McDermottCharlie McDermott is an American television and film actor. Since 2004, he has worked on a wide range of television series, including The Office, Private Practice and The Middle. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 16....
as Chaz - Jessica ParéJessica ParéJessica Paré is a Canadian film and television actress. She has appeared in the films Stardom , Lost and Delirious , Wicker Park , Hot Tub Time Machine , and co-starred in the vampire horror-comedy Suck...
as Tara - William ZabkaWilliam ZabkaWilliam Michael "Billy" Zabka is an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is an Academy Award Nominee for Co-Writing and Producing the film, "MOST." Zabka is best known for his villain roles in several iconic 80s films, such as his role of Johnny Lawrence in 1984's The Karate...
as Rick Steelman - Diora BairdDiora BairdDiora Lynn Baird is an American actress and former model for Guess? who has appeared in films such as Wedding Crashers and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning .-Early life:...
(uncredited) as Mrs. Steelman - Thomas Lennon (uncredited) as Customer
Production
Steve PinkSteve Pink
Steve Pink is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is the director of the comedy films Accepted and Hot Tub Time Machine, and the co-writer of the films Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity....
directed and Josh Heald wrote the picture. It was filmed primarily at the Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios is a film production centre located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles in North America and is operated by the McLean Group of Companies...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and the Fernie Alpine Resort
Fernie Alpine Resort
Fernie Alpine Resort is a ski resort, located on Lizard Range, near the town of Fernie, British Columbia in Canada. It is known particularly for its high annual snowfall, reportedly the highest of any resort in the Canadian Rockies, and for its powder skiing...
in Fernie
Fernie, British Columbia
Fernie is a city in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on BC Highway 3 on the eastern approaches to the Crowsnest Pass through the Rocky Mountains...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Marketing
The first trailer for the film and the red-band trailer appeared on July 24, 2009, at Comic-ConComic-Con
Comic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
2009 and on the Internet. The film was screened for free in over 50 cities in the weeks leading up to its release.
On March 29, 2010, actors Corddry and Duke were guest hosts on WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
from the US Airways Center
US Airways Center
US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, to promote the film. Robinson did make a short appearance, but only via satellite.
Critical response
Hot Tub Time Machine received generally positive reviews; review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 64% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 187 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
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
awarded the film an average score of 63 out of 100 indicating 'Generally favorable reviews'.
The New York Times critic A. O. Scott
A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott, known as A. O. Scott , is an American journalist and critic. He is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with Manohla Dargis.-Background and education:...
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
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
, 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
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
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. The film grossed just over $61 million at $61,336,869.24Hot Tub Time Machine was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on June 29, 2010. An "Unrated" version was also released, with the Blu-ray Disc containing a digital copy.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film, officially titled Hot Tub Time Machine (Music From the Motion Picture), was released in 2010 by Rhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
. Several of the songs were sung by members of the film.
- "Louder Than a BombIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
" - Public Enemy - "Perfect WayCupid & Psyche 85Cupid & Psyche 85 is the second album by the British new wave pop group Scritti Politti.It remains the band's most successful album, reaching No. 5 in the UK, and was certified Gold by the BPI for 100,000 copies sold. The album contained five singles, three of which were top 20 hits in the UK...
" - Scritti PolittiScritti PolittiScritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's... - "The Safety DanceThe Safety Dance"The Safety Dance" was the title of a song written and recorded by Canadian New Wave band Men Without Hats; and to date, it remains their biggest hit. It was released in March 1982 as the second single from the band's first full-length album, Rhythm of Youth...
" (Extended 12" EP Remastered Version) - Men Without HatsMen Without HatsMen Without Hats is a Canadian New Wave group from Montreal, Quebec. Their music was characterized by the distinctive baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing... - "What You NeedWhat You Need (song)"What You Need" is a song recorded by the Australian band INXS. It is the leadoff track from their 1985 album, Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was the first single off the album in Australia and New Zealand, while it was in USA and Europe the second single after "This Time" and was the band's...
" (Single/LP version) - INXSINXSINXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax... - "Modern LoveModern Love (song)"Modern Love" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie, and the first track on his album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983....
" (Single version; 2002 Digital Remaster) - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... - "I Will DareI Will Dare"I Will Dare" is a song by American alternative rock band The Replacements, written by Paul Westerberg. The song was released as a single on independent record label Twin/Tone Records in July 1984, shortly before the release of the band's album Let It Be that October, on which the song served as...
" - The Replacements - "Push ItPush It (Salt-N-Pepa song)"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
" (album version) - Salt-n-PepaSalt-N-PepaSalt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews.... - "Bring On the Dancing HorsesBring On the Dancing Horses"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 14 November 1985. It was the only new single to be included on their 1985 compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing...
" - Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut... - "Save It for LaterSpecial Beat ServiceSpecial Beat Service was the third and final album by British ska band The Beat. Like the rest of their material, it was released in the US under the name "The English Beat"...
" - The BeatThe Beat (band)The Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics....
(known as The English Beat in the USA) - "True" - Spandau BalletSpandau BalletSpandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
- "Jessie's GirlJessie's Girl"Jessie's Girl" is a rock song written and performed by pop singer Rick Springfield. It was released on the album Working Class Dog. The song is about unrequited love, and centers on a young man in love with his best friend's girlfriend....
" - Craig Robinson (originally performed by Rick SpringfieldRick SpringfieldRick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
) - "Bizarre Love TriangleBizarre Love Triangle"Bizarre Love Triangle" is a single released in 1986 by the English rock band New Order. A version is included on their album Brotherhood....
" (Shep Pettibone 12" Remastered Remix) - New OrderNew OrderNew Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris... - "Once in a LifetimeOnce in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song)"Once in a Lifetime" is a song by New Wave band Talking Heads, released as the first single from their fourth studio album Remain in Light. The song was written by David Byrne, Brian Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, and produced by Eno...
" (2006 Remastered version) - Talking HeadsTalking HeadsTalking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison... - "Home Sweet HomeHome Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)"Home Sweet Home" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was originally released in 1985 on the album Theatre of Pain, and again in 1991 for the Decade of Decadence compilation album...
" - Mötley CrüeMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
(also performed by Rob Corddry during the closing credits) - "Let's Get It StartedLet's Get It Started"Let's Get It Started", , appears on The Black Eyed Peas' 2003 album Elephunk. It is the fourth single from the album...
" - Craig Robinson (originally performed by The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
)
Not included in the album
The following songs were featured in the film, but not included in the soundtrack album:- "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" - Cutting Crew
- "About to Burst" - Ken Tamplin
- "Bar Bet" - Jake Monaco
- "Blind Man" - Newton Talks
- "Careless Whisper" - Craig Robinson
- "Cry Tough" - Poison
- "Cubicle" -The Ultra-Infidels
- "Heaven's Sake" - Perfect
- "Hero" - Enrique Iglesias
- "I Can't Wait" - Nu Shooz
- "I Heard a Rumor" - Ghost Swami
- "I Want to Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
- "Keep Your Eye on the Money" - Mötley Crüe
- "Kickstart My Heart" - Mötley Crüe
- "My Block" - Cham Pain
- "Mystery" - The Little Wands
- "Obsession" - Animotion
- "Occam's Razor" - Ocha la Rocha
- "Patrolio" - Jake Monaco
- "Skin I'm In" - Static Revenger featuring Luciana
- "Smooth Up in Ya" - BulletBoys
- "Talk Dirty to Me" - Poison
- "The Stripper" - David Rose
- "Turn Up the Radio" - Autograph
- "Venus" - The Jerry Ross Symphosium
- "Yes Man" - The Little Wands