Raunchy author Max screens new film

Author visits Lansing, talks of his celebrity

The door opens to a dimly lit room filled with a table and orange vinyl couches. A dog named Murphy happily trots toward guests with his tail wagging. Be he’s still being slightly leery of strangers. The bar is stocked with every kind of booze someone could ask for and the fridge is a smorgasbord of various goodies and snacks.

The room belongs not to a comfy suburban home, but to what some might be surprised to find as Tucker Max’s tour bus. The author, and self-proclaimed a-hole, responsible for the best-selling book “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell,” can now add screenwriter and producer to his list of accomplishments, with the release of his recent film of the same title.

“It was hard because writing a book is very different than writing a screenplay and we had to learn a lot,” said Max, 33. “We had to swallow a lot of pride to sort of learn the craft, but once we did and we engaged it, it worked pretty well.”

The bus is a home on wheels for Max and company, including Nils Parker, co-writer and producer of the film.

Max is touring around the country for premiers of the new film in various cities, including NCG Eastwood Cinemas, 2500 Showtime Drive, in Lansing.

Parker agrees with Max, saying that writing the script was a difficult task to complete.

“It takes extraordinary discipline,” Parker said.

The book might have been a daunting task to switch from paperback to projector screen, fans seem intrigued to discover what the womanizing author has in store for them.

“I like seeing from books to movies how they make it turn out,” dietetics junior Nicole Arney said.

The movie and book have caused Max to gain quite the reputation among fans and critics. Max said many people get a very exaggerated idea of him and the life he leads, especially in his feelings toward women.

“Women wouldn’t support me if I hate women, which I don’t,” Max said. “I love women, and I feel like most girls get that.”

Though Max might make his feelings toward women very well-known, that doesn’t stop some readers from protesting Max’s work, saying that it furthers and supports the ideals for “rape culture.”

But protesting hasn’t been too much of a problem, Max said. Only a handful of places have housed what he refers to as “kooks.”

“I don’t want to call them feminists because I feel the definition of feminism is that you believe that men and women are equal,” Max said. “I’m a f——— feminist, if that’s the definition. They’re not feminists, they’re not radicals — they’re just kooks, that’s all there is to it.”

Max said the premieres have felt more like rock concerts than film openings, highlighting New York City as being especially hectic.

“There were people in line at noon for a (7 p.m.) show,” Max said. “All around the block at Times Square. People don’t even wait around the block (in) Times Square for f——— ‘Phantom of the Opera.’”