It isn’t every day that you hop into a limo in Hollywood, and, champagne glass in hand, interview the four female leads of a new comedy that makes The Hangover look like The Sound of Music. I had a great time talking to the actresses from this truly insane film by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the demented minds behind films such as Scary Movie, Spy Hard, Meet the Spartans and Vampires Suck.
Friedberg and Seltzer may not be critics’ darlings, but their films have earned over half a billion dollars worldwide. Departing from their usual spoofs, Best Night Ever is an original work that attempts to outgross the grossest. In this epic night gone wrong, bride-to-be Claire (Desiree Hall), her straight-laced sister Leslie (Samantha Colburn), fun-loving best friend Zoe (Eddie Ritchard) and quirky new friend Janet (Crista Flanagan) set off to Las Vegas for a one-night bachelorette party that turns out to be a hell of a lot more than they bargained for. A series of unexpected adventures including getting kicked out of a strip club, being mugged by a valet and getting pummeled by Las Vegas’ reigning gelatin-wrestling champion rips the ladies from the glitz and glamour of the Strip and deposits them in Vegas’ lesser-known seedy underbelly. Determined to keep their bachelorette party dreams alive, the women band together and embark on the wildest night in bachelorette party history. Driving down Hollywood Boulevard in our well-appointed limo, I asked the actresses how they kept their heads amidst such crazy plot developments.
Danny Miller: Sometimes when movies get to this level of insanity you stop caring about the characters, but I really believed you guys and your relationships. I also appreciated the logic that your characters tried to bring to the proceedings.
Eddie Ritchard: I think there was always one of us always asking, “Hold it, why are we doing that?”
Samantha Colburn: Yeah, even when we were in character. You see each one of us at various points saying things like, “Um, shouldn’t we just go home now?” but then they’re always talked out of it!
Desiree Hall: It’s true. Except in real life we probably would have ended up in jail early on!
I cared about these characters, but man, that is some crazy-ass shit you were doing in this film! And I think the grand prize for that has to go to Crista.
Crista Flanagan: Woo-hoo! I win! (Laughs.)
When you were doing that one scene we’re now all imagining, were you thinking, “Oh my God, please don’t let stills from this get on the Internet?” Or maybe, “What happens if I get cast in the next Meryl Streep movie and she sees this clip?”
(Laughs.) Oh, for sure! I remember talking a lot to the editor and praying that nothing too crazy would be shown. When I was straddling that man on the bed I was thinking, “Hmm, what are the logistics here? What can people see?”
Desiree: That was such a crazy day!
Were there moments when you were reading the script where you thought, “Uh-uh, no way am I doing that!”
Samantha: There were definitely moments where I was like, “Really?!”
Eddie: But in the end we thought, “Okay, this is the journey we’re on with this film — let’s just go with it!”
Desiree: The hardest part was shooting with the actual public. You just never know what’s going to happen. We met some really crazy people. In one scene we had to run through this crowd and some people thought it would be really funny to shove us or knock us down!
Oh, so no one on the streets knew you were shooting a movie?
No, not at all! A lot of them really thought we were shooting a bachelorette party video!
Crista: I’m sure some of them thought we were literally on drugs.
Did you have some negative reactions from people during the shoot?
Samantha: Oh God, yes! Some of them were very aggressive.
Crista: I remember when we were doing our little flash mob dance. Right in the middle of it, this woman walked right up to my face and said, “I’m going to fucking kick your ass!” She was furious!
Desiree: Yeah, the scenes that actually became dangerous were totally different from the ones we thought would be!
Eddie: The rave scene was pretty interesting because we were shooting among people who were genuinely high. We weren’t, we were only pretending, but many people in that club definitely were. Sometimes we had to have members of our crew muscle them out because they got so excited around us we couldn’t do the scene. They really wanted to party with us!
Crista, I have to say that scene where you were coughing up blood was pretty impressive.
Crista: Thank you! You just have to hold it in your throat, I could have choked on it! You know, having to spit in someone’s face, that’s what I was the most upset about during the making of this film. I was really worried about that guy — it’s not a nice thing to do!
What? You were fine with peeing on someone but the fake blood bothered you?
(Laughs.) Yeah, what’s wrong with that? It’s just spitting up blood that crosses the line!
Were you all fans of Las Vegas before you made this film?
Desiree: Not me, to be honest. But I’d never been down to that old part of the city, that was pretty interesting. I remember we stopped to use the bathroom at the Bellagio and we were like, “Ooh, this is so beautiful. Why can’t we stay here!”
I know, I was so disappointed when Leslie’s original plans fell through. I wanted to see the 3,000-square-foot suite at the Bellagio and the filet mignon and lobster dinner.
Samantha: And don’t forget Celine Dion!
It’s weird how much Claire and Leslie really looked like sisters. Is that just because you’re both redheads?
Desiree: It’s funny, because there’s usually only one redhead in a movie. So when I first met Samantha at the callbacks, I was throwing daggers at her and said, “What are YOU reading for?” When she told me she was there for Leslie, I was like, “Oh, yay, now we can be friends!” (Laughs.)
Eddie, I was surprised to see that you’re actually Australian. That was a great American accent you did.
Eddie: I had the accent down but certain phrases would come out of my mouth that would stop everyone in their tracks. In one scene I referred to the “porta-loo” instead of “porta-potty” and everyone just looked at each other. “Cut!”
Yeah, I don’t think Zoe ever would have heard of a “porta-loo!” Unless maybe she had an Australian boyfriend!
Right. I can see her spending time in Australia with some surfer dude!
There were a lot of crazy stunts in this film that I know you all did yourselves. Any injuries?
Samantha: Honestly, what I was most concerned about was walking around Vegas barefoot! Remember that Leslie gets her shoes stolen early on. That was so gross.
Desiree: There were literally people yelling out of their cars, “You’re going to get hepatitis! Put some shoes on!”
Despite all the crazy stuff that happens, the scariest part of the whole movie for me was when they shine their black light app in that sleazy hotel room and see all those moving critters and “splatters” everywhere.
Eddie: Ugh, that room was as gross as it looked, believe me!
Crista: We were like, “Do we HAVE to work in here?”
Desiree: And jump on that disgusting bed. Yuck!
How have your families reacted to you being in this film?
Samantha: You’re always a little nervous to share something that you’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into but I think it went over pretty well. There were lots of laughs — and possibly one or two distraught faces!