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JACKASS
Volume One
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Dave
England, Wee Man, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy
Directors: Various
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Paramount
Features: Cast Commentary
Length: 120 Minutes
Release Date: December 6, 2005
"Ho,
ho, hoooly s**t!"
For
those of you wondering whatever happened to Volume One of Jackass, here
it is...two hours' worth of mirth, mayhem, gross-outs and bone crunching stunts.
Kids, don't try this at home.
What
started out as the underground CKY (Club Kill Yourself) became a national
sensation when it arrived on MTV as Jackass. Here was a show with something to shock, offend, repulse
or stupefy just about any person who watched it.
And watched they did...in droves. For
those of you who know what to expect from Johnny Knoxville and crew, jump right
in. Others...be forewarned.
The
disc kicks off with one of Johnny's most famous stunts, "Poo
Cocktail". In it, he takes a
ride in a full port-a-potty as it gets turned upside down on him...yikes.
What could possibly top that?
Well,
a lot of things. There's puking
galore as three of our Jackass stars attempt to eat 50 hardboiled eggs in under
an hour, and if that wasn't bad enough, they go back and try again with 50 shots
of eggnog. Ryan Dunn takes a swim
in some sewage and gets covered with freezing sardines. Steve-O dives from a ladder into a pool of elephant dung, and
also manages to swallow and THEN reproduce a live goldfish.
Wait
til you see Johnny Knoxville as Santa going in for a colonic, or Dunn getting
slingshot into a scummy pond. Chris
Pontius learns how to wrestle alligators on the go. Steve-O takes a few amusing spills on some stilts.
The group goes to Connecticut in search of a town with a most unusual
name. And perhaps funniest of all
are some misadventures with a little doll that unsuspecting crowds think is a
live baby.
If
you ever wanted to ski down a grassy knoll into trees, or snowboard on Mexican
sand dunes, or turn a shopping cart into a bobsled, you're nucking futs.
These guys definitely are, and they do all that and then some.
Hell, what can you say when Steve-O has the show's name stapled to his
butt, one letter at a time, along with the famous warning?
Did I mention 'yikes'?
We
all know guys who will do anything for a laugh, but not many who take it as far
as these guys do. This is a show
that goes for your funny bone, your gag reflex and your sense of thrill all at
the same time. By the time the two
hours is up, you're gonna be exhausted. It's
like one feature length highlight reel. Or
a feature length blooper tape. Take
your pick.
My
problem with Jackass is not what they do, but my reaction to it.
I'm not proud that I like it, but I'd be a liar if I said different.
I love the humor inherent in Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare and Moliere.
So why do I laugh like an idiot when Johnny Knoxville gets a case of the
farts in yoga class? Same reason we all do, I guess.
I wonder if I'll ever reach an age where the idea of breaking wind at
inappropriate times stops being hysterical?
Do I even want to?
This
program isn't for the kiddies or those with impressionable minds.
Consider it a public service: these
guys do this crap so we don't have to. Let
them be human crash test dummies, biological experiments, and masochists all
they please. At least when we buy
the DVD, there's no doubt they earned their money.
Video
***
Gee,
I wasn't paying that much attention to the video quality...wonder why?
At any rate, these segments, shot on video, look just fine.
I never had any trouble telling the puke from the poo.
That may be the weirdest compliment I've ever afforded in this category.
Audio
***
The
stereo audio is likewise serviceable. Whether
it's screams, crashes, or bodily rejections, the sound is clean, crisp, and
succinctly delivered.
Features
**
The
only extra is a commentary by the cast, which is more like listening to a party
than a commentary.
Summary:
