Whether you love them or hate them, everyone has heard of the “Jackass” movie franchise in which people make fools of themselves trying to fool the public. The movies have lasted to stand in movie history as one of the first few interactive movies of its kind, as no other film has involved the audience and public as much as the television series and movies did.
Paramount Pictures and MTV Films hosted a special screening of “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” at Landmark Sunshine. From the film: Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll, filmmakers Spike Jonze & Jeff Tremaine and MTV President Van Toffler were all in attendance, in addition to Santigold, Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz & Mike Diamond, “Thor” star Jaimie Alexander, New SNL cast member John Milhise and Eric West. An after party followed at Sons of Essex where guests enjoyed Red Bull and Stella and music by DJ Jonny.
In the latest installment of the “Jackass” series comes “Bad Grandpa,” the story of Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville), an 85 year old man who’s wife just died and he considers himself free to go out in the world and do whatever he wants. This goes well until at the funeral service of his wife, his daughter, who he hasn’t seen in a while, tells Irving that she will now be returning to jail and Irving must transport his grandson over from Nebraska to Ohio to the boy’s father. Crushed, Irving finds little ways to stay free, while he is in watch of Billy, his grandson, played wonderfully by Jackson Nicoll.
What makes the movie work is the fact that Knoxville, while well-recognized and infamous for his pranks, is hiding in plain sight the entire time in public. Stephen Prouty, the makeup artist, really outdid himself in the film, as it was reported that Knoxville spent over three and a half hours every day going through makeup to seem unrecognizable. And remarkably, the audience soon forgot that Irving wasn’t a real person and they began to wonder how Billy would ever get to a safe guardian or fish.
Basic “Jackass” tricks are to be expected in the film, like anything involved with the crotch, or even how in the first five minutes, Irving gets his penis stuck in a vending machine. The audience also seemed to skip over the fact that Billy (Nicoll) is actually an eight year old child in real life and most of these jokes completely flew over his head while filming, but it is so cute to watch him try to play around with Knoxville.
One of the great reasons why films like this actually do work out so well is that the raw emotions are just that- raw, natural emotions that stem from the person’s reactions to whatever craziness is happening around them. There was no written script so much of the conversations Irving and Billy have are just natural, and you can tell there is onscreen chemistry there between the two actors. I have no doubt that Knoxville and Nicoll will work together in the future for “Bad Grandson: Bringing Grandpa 2 Hell.”
Coming out on October 25, the movie is definitely a must see for non-stop laughing, as well as the pranks that our inner conscious always wanted to play, but we’ve never had the guts to do.
– Catherina Gioino
