BAD GRANDPA.5/JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA.5
US, 2014, 76 minutes, Colour.
Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, Catherine Keener, Jackson Nicoll, Jeff Tremaine.
Directed by Jeff Tremaine.
The Jackass Group has been making films and television series since 2000. The series and films are based on the principle that any kind of prank, no limits, no matter how gross, can be played on anyone, and especially an unsuspecting public. In the Jackass films, the pranks tend to be violent, indicative of a comic death wish, and sex-and-bodily-function-related. And, at the end, there is always a warning that the audience should not attempt any of these pranks.
In 2014, the group took up a character, Irving, an old grandpa played by Johnny Knoxville and decided to make a feature with him reluctantly going on travels with his grandson, played by Jackson Nicoll. It was a mixture of the prank, the crude and crass, the humorous.
The group also decided to compile this collection of outtakes with some documentary interviews and scenes of the making of…
The director, Jeff Tremaine, also directed this film and spends a lot of time in front of the cameras explaining what he intended with the film, how we dealt with the performers, the experience of making the film and the tradition of Jackass.
Once again, Johnny Knoxville was featured, sitting in his actor’s chair and reminiscing and commenting, going through the process of make-up – and, in real life with his commentary, not nearly as funny or as presentable as his character, Irving.
Much more likeable is Spike Jonze, in with Jackass from the beginning, doing a lot of the writing, but also playing the outrageous elderly and unattractive, Gloria. Jonze speaks a lot to camera, laughs a lot, is more engaging than Johnny Knoxville. We see him putting on make-up, commenting on the character, planning the pranks. There are scenes from Bad Grandpa but also extended scenes where he comes on to people in real life and their reactions are filmed, often with their face blurred to avoid identification. Gloria is a particularly obnoxious creation but does have a lot of verve. Actually, it is very hard to imagine that this was the man who wrote and directed the much more subtle comic films, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and, especially, his Oscar-winning screenplay for Her.
Also of interest is the presence of Catherine Keener, a distinguished actress, but joins in the spirit of the thing, appearing in disguise in Bad Grandpa as Irving’s wife Ellie, with a lot of sequences with her dead, in the boot of a car, with plans to bury her in the backyard. There are extended sequences that were filmed, especially testing out people who were willing or unwilling to go through with the burial.
While the young Jackson Nicoll does appear, his appearances in this film are very limited.
The film maintains interest with the dispersing of the extended sequences with interviews with a lot of the technicians, directors of photography, make-up artists…
The features of the film include going back to the development of the character in 2001, extended sequences of the make up and its development with greater pliability and therefore expressions from Johnny Knoxville. With the pranks, there is a very long sequence with Irving driving a golf cart and irritating the golfers. He challenges three rather large black men about their smoking and they come out smoking cigars. He sits at a seat in a park and by the water, with some characters hired as babysitters for him, but others not, including tripping one of the technicians, stealing his wallet, embarrassing the woman was sitting with him, but eventually giving the money back.
There is a sequence in the store with Jackson Nicoll sitting on Santa’s lap and peeing, embarrassing Santa Claus. Even more embarrassing is Irving going to a pool at a hotel and emptying his colostomy bag.
One of the longest sequences involves Irving driving into a huge Penguin outside a gas station and a very long and sometimes rancorous interchange with one of the staff – who is eventually let in on the joke and is a good sport about it.
One of the features of the film is an artificial penis and scrotum, the development of that prank, testing it out with a range of pizza delivery men who do not, or do not want to notice.
There is advice for a stunt as to whether the front window of the car should be up or down. There is a lot of explanation and demonstration of how concealed cameras are used and what the effect is, quite interesting in the detail. There is a relationship guru, an adviser on sexual behaviour, strippers in a gay club and a chase through a church with the interruption to the choir.
There are scenes and make up for Catherine Keener, the wig, her nose, praise of her skills at improvising, followed by several sequences, real, with actual funeral planners with one very serious planner finally being let in on the joke.
There is a visit to a casino, the hearse with the body of his wife falling out, the several diggers who won’t disobey the law about burials in the backyard – though one will, in North Carolina.
Finally, there are lots of interviews with Spike Jonze, seeing him made up as Gloria, his joking in his artificial voice and his real voice, and extended sequences of Gloria in restaurants or coming on to men.
Probably all you needed to know – or more than you needed to know – about Jackass and Bad Grandpa.
