Interview: Writers/Directors Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore on Playboy-Centric Film ‘Miss March’

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CHICAGO – Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore – best known as members of the TV comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’ Know” (now on the Independent Film Channel) – make their directorial feature-film debut with the release of “Miss March”.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

“Miss March,” which opens on March 13, 2009, is a sex comedy that also stars Cregger and Moore as Eugene Bell and Tucker Cleigh, a couple of high school goofs who are looking to score. Tucker is the rampant horny boy in the scenario, while Eugene is a purer soul, hoping to lose his virginity on prom night with his girlfriend Cindi (Raquel Alessi).

HollywoodChicago.com sat down with Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore to talk about doing feature films versus sketch comedy world and where the horny boy sex comedy fits in the internet age.

Zach Clegger (left) as Eugene Bell and Trevor Moore (right) as Tucker Clegh in “Miss March” Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox

“I don’t think our audience come to these movies because they want to see boobs,” said Cregger, “we know they can see them whenever they want to.”

“If anything,” Moore added, “seeing that our movie has a hard ‘R’ rating, that’s a signal that no punches will be pulled. It’s more for the outrageous stuff, that it’s going to offend some people. I want our audience to say, ‘that’s the movie for me.’”

Just before entering into carnal knowledge with his true-love girlfriend, Eugene falls into a coma that lasts four years. When he awakes, Tucker shows him that sweet Cindi has become Playboy magazine’s Miss March.

“I was raised in a super conservative household, I was very much like Eugene.” said Cregger. “Eugene’s attitude about sex is very damaging to his relationship with his girlfriend and is really unhealthy.”

“I felt Tucker was based on an amalgamation of characters from ‘The Whitest Kids U Know’,” added Moore. “There was sketch called ‘Tattoo Parlor’ and I felt Tucker was a sweeter, more innocent variation on that character. You can access the clip on YouTube.”

Patrick McDonald (left), Trevor Moore (center) and Zach Clegger (right) in Chicago on February 5th, 2009 Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Eugene and Tucker embark on a road trip to the Playboy Mansion in California to find Cindi and fulfill Eugene’s destiny. Along the way they hookup with rapper Horsedick.MPEG (Craig Robinson of “The Office”) and are also pursued by Tucker’s avenging girlfriend Candace (Molly Stanton) and a bunch of angry firefighters.

“Firemen sort of becomes law enforcement in the story,” said Moore. “In a time where they are America’s heroes, and rightly so, we thought that untouchable image would be funny if we made them bad guys. They are the authority.”

“The film does have the idea of consequence to action, which paralyzes Eugene,” said Cregger, “but Tucker is oblivious he just does unlawful things and nothing happens to him.”

Moore added: “Every single sexual act comes with disastrous consequences.”

Cregger and Moore also discussed writing a film for the first time, and harnessing their particular brand of sketch humor in “Whitest Kids” to the big screen.

“With sketch comedy, you get in, you tell the funniest joke you can and then you get out,” said Cregger. “You don’t have to worry about continuity or character development. When you’re writing a film comedy, it has to be funny, but also every scene has to move the story along.”

“There are some advantages between the movie and the sketch work, Moore said. “We really get to know the characters in writing a script. And when something works for that character, it’s immediate. That doesn’t happen with sketch work.”

“If anything we were explaining the scenario was ‘past reality’. It wasn’t the real world, and there is an element of cartoon in it,” he added.

Zach Clegger and Trevor Moore concluded with predictions for their characters beyond the film.

“In my head Eugene and his girlfriend get together for a little bit and then they break up because their relationship becomes different, said Clegger. “Tucker doesn’t get a job as a Playboy photographer.”

“I figure that Tucker doesn’t realize his life doesn’t end up great,” concludes Moore. “He’s just in the moment. And I figure Eugene goes into another coma for thirty years (laughs). His girlfriend has kids with another guy and he has to murder her family (laughs).”

By PATRICK McDONALD Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com