Mustache Shenanigans: Making Super Troopers and Other Adventures in Comedy

by Jay Chandrasekhar Narrated by Jay Chandrasekhar

Overview

Director, writer, and actor Jay Chandrasekhar tells the hilarious history of his comedy group, Broken Lizard, and the making of the cult film Super Troopers, as well as the currently filming Super Troopers 2.

Jay Chandrasekhar has spent the past two decades writing, directing, and acting in film and TV. With his comedy group, Broken Lizard, he has produced and directed beloved movies such as Super Troopers, Beer­fest, and Club Dread. Now, with the upcoming release of the long-awaited Super Troopers 2, Jay is ready to tell the ridiculous, madcap, dead-honest story of how he built his career, how he formed Broken Lizard, and, ultimately, how he made Super Troopers.

Jay grew up Indian American in the lily-white sub­urbs of Chicago, and he had an outsider's perspective from the beginning. Instead of taking the traditional acting path, he formed his own troupe, wrote his own scripts, and made movies his own way. And he had an incredibly good time doing so as readers will learn in this hilarious story about making it in Hollywood and directing, cowriting, and costarring in one of the best-loved and most-watched comedies of all time. Part humorous memoir, part film study, this book will inform, entertain, and tell readers what drinking mul­tiple bottles of maple syrup is really like.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Mustache Shenanigans

“A fond and funny look at the process of trying to succeed in the movie business and an inspirational tool for aspiring filmmakers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A charming story of persistence, luck, and hard work.”—Booklist

"[A] boisterous read that tells the truth about comedy, film, and everything in between." —ABQ Free Press

"Mustache Shenanigans: Making Super Troopers and Other Adventures in Comedy is a rare complete and honest tell-all. The book brims with revelation, comedy, and the reality of what it takes to make it in Hollywood as an outsider and on your own terms." —Chicago Now

“Mustache Shenanigans, [Chandrasekhar’s] wonderfully titled memoir about the creation of “Super Troopers” and other films, qualifies as more than a fans-only read.” —The Buffalo News

Kirkus Reviews

2017-02-06
Director and actor Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers, Beerfest) gives a candid account of how he and the rest of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe broke into the movie business.Readers don't have to be fans of Broken Lizard's sophomoric shenanigans on film to appreciate its ringleader's infectious DIY spirit and can-do attitude. The author sets the self-deprecating stage early, reviewing his formative years as the scion of medically minded Indian parents who spent his high school days partying hard and then setting his sights on a "preposterous" list of colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and "no safety schools." Always aware that brown skin and a multisyllabic name didn't exactly equate to Hollywood acclaim, Chandrasekhar refused to abandon the dream. Instead, the author devised a make-it-or-break-it test for himself involving Chicago's toughest stages. "Most Colgate juniors spend a semester studying overseas," he writes. "I decided to head to Chicago, where I would perform improv and stand-up comedy on real stages, in front of real audiences. Only if I could get strangers to laugh would I be willing to give acting a try. And if I couldn't, then my plan would be to follow in my sister's footsteps and go to law school." He could, and emboldened by his experience, Chandrasekhar settled back down at Colgate, an indispensable incubator that would prove pivotal for everyone in the Broken Lizard gang. Talent and a gonzo zeal for moviemaking would not guarantee success, however. For one thing, there was another rising comedy troupe called the State that also demanded Hollywood's attention. The author recounts how initially losing out to the State for an MTV gig almost crippled the Broken Lizard crew long before Super Troopers ever achieved its cult status. A fond and funny look at the process of trying to succeed in the movie business and an inspirational tool for aspiring filmmakers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169468571
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
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Excerpted from "Mustache Shenanigans"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Jay Chandrasekhar.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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