Interview, Part 2: Broken Lizard

Clockwise, from top: Kevin, Paul, Steve, Erik and Jay put their game faces on for Beerfest.
In part 2 of our interview with Broken Lizard members Kevin Heffernan and Jay Chandrasekhar — who both write and star in movies Super Troopers, Beerfest and the upcoming Slammin’ Salmon — we got a preview of what their improv skills might be like at the Moore on Friday. Cut them some slack: it was 9am.
(Read part 1 here.)
I actually have a little game for you guys.
KH: Uh oh.
JC: Uh oh.
It’s nothing too threatening. I have a list of your movies, and I want you to describe each in five words or less. You can take turns.
KH: You can go first, Jay.
JC: Ha, hah!
I’ll go through the list. First: Super Troopers.
JC: Okay. Ummm, errrr…
KH: Okay, I can do this one. You want me to do this one?
JC: Yeah.
KH: Wait, it’s just like a description, right? “Bored cops having fun.”
JC: Oh, that’s how you wanted it?
It can be silly, it can be straight.
KH: Mine was straight. Now you can be silly, Jay.
Okay: Club Dread.
JC: Um, let’s see. Just trying to make sure it’s five words…
You can go a little over. If it’s six, it’s okay.
JC: Like a haiku? [Laughs.] “Blood, guts and tons of laughs.”
Beerfest.
JC: “Drink, drink and be merry.”
[Kevin laughs.]
Puddle Cruiser.
[Silence.]
KH: What should I say here?
JC: I’m working on it. Trying to be funny.
Do you want to skip that one, go to another one?
[Both laugh.] KH: Okay.
Dukes of Hazzard.
JC: “Big cars, thin plot, short shorts.”
Haha, that’s perfect. That should have been your tagline.
[Laughing.]
Slammin’ Salmon.
KH: Let’s see. “Glengarry Glen Ross meets fish restaurant.”
How about your new film, Mustache Riders.
JC: We’re not positive we’re going to make that one.
KH: That’s more than five words. “Maybe someday, we’ll make it.”
[Laughing.]
What’s the update on that one?
JC: We just need to get the script into shape. I’ve got somebody who probably wants to put the money up. [The movie] is with Willie Nelson and Johnny Knoxville, and we’re going to cast two other people. But I feel like we need to do Puddle Cruiser still, don’t you Kev?
Oops, even I forgot.
JC: “Inappropriately named college movie.”
KH: I like that. I was going to say something like – this is too many words – “Not sure what we’re doing, but came out pretty good!”
Way too many words. So what’s the next big project?
KH: Right now we’re writing a couple movies for Universal. Next in the hopper is a film where we play college professors, and it’s kind of a twist on Animal House, where the college professors are the good guys, and the student pranksters are the bad guys, and the professors get into a little war with these guys. It’s called Rogue Scholars. And we’re also working on Super Troopers 2.
Oh yeah? Will it be out anytime soon?
JC: We have a number of people who’ve asked us if they can finance it; so frankly, between that and Rogue Scholars, whichever.
KH: We’re just going to keep on finding our financing and making movies, either with or without the studio. Although FOX owns Super Troopers 2, so I guess it’s either with them or not at all!
Which of the films have you done independently?
JC: Three. Puddle Cruiser, Super Troopers and now Slammin’ Salmon.
Can we get a preview of Super Troopers 2?
KH: There are a lot of different rumors about what it’s going to be, but it’s going to pick up where we left off.
Well, I’m looking forward to it – and the show on Friday. I promise not to yell anything inappropriate.
JC: You could, you can pick your favorite Super Troopers line.
KH: We are very inappropriate on stage, so we’ll take care of that part for you. It’s a fairly naughty show. [Laughs.]