Nine ‘Jackass’ Pranks That Stand the Test of Time
This past weekend, the Jackass spin-off Bad Grandpa came in at number one at the box office and is the latest in a plethora of wild stunts and pranks we've come to expect and love from Johnny Knoxville and his crew. In celebration of the film's success, here are nine of the wildest acts of jackassery ever, culled from the latest film and three preceding movies. Warning: Do not try these at home; simply watch and laugh (or cringe). —Rob LeDonne
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Golf Course Air Horn From ‘Jackass: The Movie’ (2002)
Some of the best pranks the Jackass crew have ever pulled off also happen to be the most simple. In this clip from the first movie, Johnny Knoxville ventures to a golf course with an airhorn and wreaks havoc on unsuspecting strangers hoping for a calm day on the green. A highlight of this prank has to be the last golfer who gets so fed up, he starts launching balls in Knoxville's direction. Fore!
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April’s Alligator From ‘Jackass: The Movie’ (2002)
Crikey! This clip from the original film finds Bam Margera's mother, April, walking in on an alligator in her house. Unlike the gorilla prank in Jackass 3D, this gator is very much real, which April realizes only after it starts growling and moving around. Pause the clip at the 1:02 mark to see one of the most terrifying expressions ever caught on tape.
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Bad Grandpa From ‘Jackass Number Two’ (2006)
Here's the very first appearance of Knoxville's character Irving Zisman, better known as the "bad grandpa." Judging by this clip, it's easy to see why an entire movie was later built around him; Zisman is such a monster asshole (smoking and drinking in public, being the worst role model of all time), you can't help but crack up watching him rankle some well-meaning strangers.
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Beehive Limo From ‘Jackass Number Two’ (2006)
Step one: get a bunch of bees. Step two: lock your friends in a limousine. Step three: cue up Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation," put said bees inside limousine and laugh as your friends are attacked. That may sound like a nightmare, but for the Jackass crew, it's a typical day (and all in the spirit of a good prank). The clip also features the late Ryan Dunn, who tragically passed away in 2011.
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The Valentine From ‘Jackass Number Two’ (2006)
Another prank from Number Two, here we find the gang turning the hijinks on themselves. In this clip, they play with the crew's rising fame and explain to Bam that a fan sent him a Valentine and taped it to a wall. . . only to have him get smashed in the head with a boxing glove whilst reading the fine print.
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The Pit of Snakes From ‘Jackass 3D’ (2010)
If there was an award for most cringe-worthy Jackass prank, this clip would get first prize. In a stunt from the third film in the series, Bam walks across a false floor and helplessly falls into a pit of real live snakes. The only problem is that much like Indiana Jones, Bam HATES snakes, and the results are hard to watch. Usually cool, calm and collected, he whimpers and begs for mercy as the snakes slither and hiss all around him.
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Gorilla Hotel From ‘Jackass 3D’ (2010)
Besides the usual gang of Jackass idiots, April and Phil Margera are typically on the receiving end of a variety of horrifying pranks. In this clip from the third film (which was released in glorious 3D), the hapless couple enter their hotel room only to find a wild gorilla on the loose (it's a guy in a suit, but still). Shot on location at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel, director Jeff Tremaine later said the room was dimly lit in order to make the gorilla suit appear a bit more believable.
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Face Cream From ‘Jackass 3.5’ (2011)
There's gross, there's disgusting, and then there's this: In a prank on King Knoxville himself, it's revealed in front of a live audience (with a little help from Jimmy Kimmel) that Knoxville's beloved face cream – which he'd been smearing all over his noggin for the better part of four months – was actually horse semen.
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Broken Ride From ‘Bad Grandpa’ (2013)
Released as a teaser for Bad Grandpa, the broken ride prank displays the genius of why Jackass continues to work so well. Knoxville, in full makeup, hops on a faulty ride, only to be launched through a plate-glass window and (improbably) onto mattresses laid on the floor. But the real fun occurs when passer-bys react with pure horror.