Famous 4 Dickin’ Around
Over the past few years, a mini-TV phenomena has occured. Now we haven’t discovered aliens, but when treated to (if that’s the right phrase) the crazy stunts of a small gang of mates in these TV shows…you may have thought we had made first contact.
You see, it seems we will watch anything these days, and this more outrageous form of reality television seems to have struck a cord…especially when insane, mad, crazy and just plain sick stunts are performed for us ever-tolerable viewers, that even Hollywood careers can come out of it – it would seem, that people can become famous for just about any reason. And it makes for unflinchingly good entertainment, even if you are spending most of the time shouting ‘Oh my god!’ or ‘You nutter!’ at the screen.
Jackass: The Movie
Viewed July 27 2007 DVD
The big name to come out of all this is TV series Jackass, and their two recent cinema showings prove the kind of following Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Magera and co have, world-wide – and why? Because these guys love to shock and hurt themselves for your entertainments…and I suppose this harks back to medi-evil colluseum acts for perverse voyeuristic pleasure.
A little while back, Jackass hit the big-screen (God only knows why! There’s no movie here…just an extended episode of the TV show), but what we get is 80 minutes of stunts that are often laugh out loud funny (guy take s a crap in a toilet show room) and downright dangerous (Steve-O launches fire works out of his butt!), that you can’t help but enjoy it. Yes, it never really tries hard enough to seperate itself from the TV show, and as I’ll mention soon, another show has already beaten it for shock value – but these guys are likeable in a never take home to your mother kind of way; they’re quite obviously stupid frat-boy kids that have never grown up – but hell, they are making a lot of money and have a cult following – so who gives a shit?
I find the fun of these shows and films is just waiting to see what these idiots will do next…its like watching a freak show – you know you shouldn’t be enjoying this – but I’m sorry, its basic human instict..and hey, they’re hurting themselves, and you are sitting on your sofa unskathed. They are having all the injuries for you! How considerate!! 
Also the extra value of the Jackass movie has almost the same entertainment factor - painful outtakes, a very funny duo of commentary tracks (including an excellent cast commentary!) and a making of etc, fill out a decent package (down party boy!).
How do I score this though?
Sod it: 3 /5 – just loosing a few marks because its up against such stiff competition, as follows…
Dirty Sanchez: The Movie
Viewed – 28 July 2007 DVD
Welsh valley boyos Dainton, Pritchard, Pancho and Joyce were first thought to be a poor man’s Jackass, what with their rather primitve hand-held camera shenanigans not quite having the larger scale of what Johnny Knoxville and crew were up to. Yet through sheer stupidty or balls, these guys have proven to be every bit the successor to Stevo-O and Bam Magera by showing they will do stunts the Jackass boys wouldn’t even dream of.
Yes their style is more sick and twisted, and doesn’t really include any public pranks that the Jackass boys seem to be quite skilled at – instead we get such twisted insanity as tatooing penises, nailing hands to planks of wood, beer enemas (!) and even the consuming of liposuction fat (ewwww!!). For me though the Sanchez boys know how to deliver and really shock their audience, and personal safety or common sense go straight out of the window. How about trying to beat a world record for how many paint balls you can be shot with, then finding out the recrod doesn’t even exist? Half the fun with this kind of stuff though, is seeing how far they will go, the arguments that such devilish stunts cause and the general banter and obvious enjoyment the guys are having…usually at their own, painful expense. There is so much to see on this, and not much of it will you have seen anywhere outside of a Tokyo freak show…but it casts a spell, and yes, you want to turn away and say ‘this is not for me’ but next thing you know your awaiting the next stunt with fevered anticipation.
What makes the Sanchez movie much better though than what the Jackass boys delivered – is that it does feel like a step up from the low-budget constraints of the TV series, and has a globe-hopping plotline involving the seven deadly sins that just gives the whole show more of a ‘point’. Add to this, stellar editing, quality music choices and just an overall good pace..and this wins my vote easily. The extra material on offer is also superior, with unedited additional stunts on the second disk totalling 90 minutes, and with a cast commentary, music videos and making ofs, this just keeps on giving.
Verdict: 5 /5
Extra reading:
Steve-O (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
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