Is ‘The Machine’ based on a true story? Bert Kreischer and Mark Hamill’s movie is inspired by an insane incident

'The Machine' is based on one of Bert Kreischer’s most popular stand-up comedy shows
UPDATED MAY 27, 2023
Bert Kreischer stars in 'The Machine' (Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube)
Bert Kreischer stars in 'The Machine' (Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: From time to time, everyone loves a good stand-up comedy video. It’s the perfect way to end a long day and just have a good laugh. Among the comedians gaining popularity steadily is Bert Kreischer, and he has his upcoming movie ‘The Machine’ to thank for that. It’s almost unheard of to have a stand-up comedy show turned into a whole movie, but that’s exactly what’s happening here.

‘The Machine’ Kreischer alongside a legend who has been around longer, Mark Hamill. The incredible story blew up on the internet years ago and viewers will now have the chance to watch it play out on the big screen. The more videos you watch of Kreischer, the more you realize that this man truly does deserve a movie of his own.

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What is the real story behind ‘The Machine’?

On December 28, 2016, Kreischer uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled, ‘The Machine – Bert Kreischer: THE MACHINE.’ If you head over to YouTube right now and type ‘the machine’, that’s the first video that will pop up. If you haven’t watched Kreischer’s stand-up before, don’t be alarmed by him being shirtless, that’s just a part of his act, in every single video. This stand-up video now has over 50 million views and has become one of the most popular stand-up comedy videos of all time.



 

Kreischer narrates how he got involved with the Russian mafia when he was only 22. He spends the next 13 minutes explaining exactly how things went down, and you won’t realize when this video ends. Signing up for a Russian class in college eventually led him to a class trip, all the way to Russia. Kreischer wasn’t there to learn or participate, he was simply there to make some Russian friends, have a lot of vodka and have a whole of fun, and Kreischer did exactly that.

In addition to all the alcohol and partying, he made good friends with the Russian mafia, accidentally, of course, and then proceeded to help them rob a train, which included his own friends and teacher. The more you hear about the details, the crazier the story gets, and it’s a miracle Kreischer is alive and well. If there’s any story narrated in stand-up that deserves to be turned into a movie, it’s this one!

How accurate will the details in ‘The Machine’ be?

At the end of the day, ‘The Machine’ is going to be an exaggerated version of the events that actually happened. A part of the movie will focus on the events that Kreischer lived through, but the better half of the movie will narrate a fictionalized story of him as a grown-up and his father getting pulled into a lot of trouble with the Russian mafia, once again. ‘The Machine’ is based, as well as loosely inspired by the events that took place, and hopefully, the movie will find that perfect middle ground between reality and fiction.



 

You can watch ‘The Machine’ on May 26 in theatres near you.

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