Miss March is an irreverent coming-of-age comedy about Eugene, a young man who wakes up from a coma to discover that his once innocent high school sweetheart has become a Playboy Playmate. Together with his best friend Tucker, the hapless virgin embarks on a cross-country road trip to win his ex back by crashing a party at the legendary Playboy Mansion.
To celebrate the release of the DVD/Blu-ray of Miss March Raquel Alessi sat down with FlickDirect to discuss her role in the film and her career.
Marco Chacon: So about your early career, were you really in a horror movie called Uncle Sam? (This movie is about an Uncle Sam-looking zombie who kills unpatriotic citizens. Yes, they really made this!)
Raquel Alessi: (surprised, laughs) "I really was. I was seven years old with some schoolmates -- I don't know how that happened -- I don't remember. I have never seen the movie." (Laughs)
Marco Chacon: I guess you didn't get killed.
Raquel Alessi: I didn't get killed. I think it was one of those weird horror movies you can get at a weird video store!
Marco Chacon: Was that your introduction to acting?
Raquel Alessi: I did an Elton John video and commercials. The first big thing I did, though, was Ghost Rider. I played the young, Young Roxanne Simpson. We went to Australia; I had never been to Australia -- it was great!
Marco Chacon: Did you get to meet Nicholas Cage?
Raquel Alessi: I did! He was so cool and very nice. He is really tall. I didn't realize how tall until I met him.
Marco Chacon: So--Miss March. What did you think of it?
Raquel Alessi: I think it is hilarious. It is silly, and it is fun. It is the kind of movie that will make you laugh. I think Craig Robinson (who plays the rap star) is hilarious in it, and Zack Trevor who plays one of the lead characters is great. It is something different. It is a different kind of humor than Adam Sandler or what have you. I think it will work for fifteen year-olds to thirty-something year-olds. It is just a simple, fun movie. What did you think?
Marco Chacon: Well…I have to say I did not like it that much; but let's talk about that for a second. As someone who has a gig doing critiques, when I see a movie I have to think of something to say about it; to maybe over-think it! I have to also compare it to other movies in its class. It wouldn't make much sense to compare a Friday the 13th movie to Casablanca, for example.
Miss March is, I would say, a "guy movie." I think a 15-year-old might like it -- but that is a 15-year-old boy; if I had a 15-year-old daughter, I doubt I would take her to see it. Do you agree?
Raquel Alessi: Probably not.
Marco Chacon: So I would compare Miss March to, The Hangover, which I saw recently and did like. I liked all the characters in it and felt sort of a connection to them. Right. So here is the thing. For a comedy, Miss March seemed sort of mean-spirited to me. The bad-boy main character (played by writer-director, Trevor Moore) has a girlfriend who appears to me to be really trying to be a little romantic; I feel she is kind of trying in a semi-realistic way; and he keeps, in my view, mistreating her. She doesn't really get upset or get her feelings hurt because, (a) the guy doing it is writing the script, and (b) if she did get her feelings hurt, it would not be funny.
However, until he stabs her in the face with a fork, and then I guess she does get angry. That just seemed --well, it did not connect for me. What do you think about the face-stabbing? With a fork?
Raquel Alessi: Well, you know comedy -- it often has to be extreme. On one hand, you have me and Zack. We are the goody-two-shoes who won't have sex before marriage and preach abstinence. On the other hand, you have this cartoon character--an archetype--who would stab someone with a fork. It is super far-fetched, and I do not think it was ever meant to be taken seriously. To me it is shock value.
I don't see it as being offensive, because I think it is so far out there. It doesn't make me upset; it just seems weird and crazy. The girl's character, when she bites down, the fork stabbing happens when he provokes his girlfriend into an epileptic seizure with flashing strip-club lights during oral sex, was done with a doll, and it looked fake. Not real at all!
Marco Chacon : Granted. I have to say that the various characters in the movie did not connect for me -- well, except for yours…not even your boyfriend who was kind of supposed to be the good guy. I kept thinking, "Why is he so judgmental? I don't get that?" (He condemns her for leaving after he spent 4 years in a coma, and also for posing for Playboy, or sleeping with other men.) I thought possibly the rap guy would turn out to be likable, but no -- no he is not!
Raquel Alessi: (Laughs). This is one of the best interviews I've had, I think.
Marco Chacon: I did have another question. I read that in the movie they dubbed over the word 'retarded' with the word 'crackhead', which, in context of the movie made no sense. A baby is born retarded as a result, says the abstinence preaching duo, of pre-marital sex. The term is changed to crackhead even though the baby has never done drugs.
Raquel Alessi: You saw the DVD release? Well, retard was in the script; but they decided it was an offensive word. I have friends whose brothers are learning disabled, and it is a word that makes them upset. We felt in the end it was better to be sensitive to that and change it -- even though it possibly didn't make as much sense; in this day and age, you don't want to say those things.
I'm kind of laid back though; I don't find myself getting really upset about those things. I just try not to take anything too seriously.
Marco Chacon: Tell me about Zach and Trevor [the writer/director/main characters].
Marco Chacon: They have their own brand of humor and their own approach to comedy. I think their fans will get it; remember this is their first full-length movie endeavor. Some things worked, some things maybe didn't, but I had a lot of fun working on the movie. They were really nice to work with.
Marco Chacon: What was your favorite scene in Miss March?
Raquel Alessi: I liked my final scene at the Playboy mansion. It was great to work with Craig on those scenes.
Marco Chacon: Did you get to meet Hugh Hefner? [who plays himself]
Raquel Alessi: I didn't get to meet Hugh; they shot everything with him when I wasn't on the set. That would've been fun. I thought he did a good job. He was cute with grabbing the picture back and everything. His comic timing was good!
You may not know this, but Robert Wagner was originally slated to play Hugh Hefner, but in the end, they wanted Playboy to support the movie so they got Mr. Hefner himself.
Marco Chacon: Why should people see Miss March on DVD/Blu-ray?
Raquel Alessi: If they want a move to pop in on a Friday night, and they get Miss March; they will have a good time. I have seen movies I thought were absolutely horrible, and Miss March isn't. I think it is cute. (Ed. Note: She did not mention another reason to see it: the beautiful Raquel Alessi).
Marco Chacon: What's your favorite movie?
Raquel Alessi: Being John Malkovich
Marco Chacon: Good pick! Do you have anything in the works?
Raquel Alessi: I have some projects in the works, but they are just, right now, in the works. I was in the UK last month for something that may take off, so that was good.
Marco Chacon: That is great news! I wish you the best with it. I did have one final comment, even though I am critical of Miss March I do have to say that I did fully enjoy your character and your performance in the film!
Raquel Alessi: Thanks -- that means a lot.
Tags: miss march, raquel alessi, interview
