Jackass: The Movie (2002)

Absolutely mindless, disgusting, and crass...but brilliant.

I mean think about it. The entire movie is just a high-on-crack and caffeinated version of your typical American college guy's dormitory. How many college guys living in dorms are there in America? Alot. And how many middle-aged men are there in America wishing they were back in their college dormitories. Again, alot. There is a huge market for this type of sadistic buffoonery. Even women want in on the gag. Maybe not alot of women, but more than you might think. Most just don't want to admit their suppressed curiousity and scoff at our stupidity.

But is this form of "male-bonding" really stupid? Ya, most of it is. I can't think of anything more stupid than trying to tight-rope your way across alligator infested waters with meat stuffed in your underwear. And much of Jackass: The Movie is stupid stuff like that. But I enjoyed myself.

I won't try and justify it. Some of what these guys do is clearly unethical (terrorizing your family can only go so far) and yet the self-inflicted pain scenes are exhilarating. The intensity and discomfort of paper-cuts is brought to the screen full-throttle and the resulting feeling is a mixture of euphoria and horror. I laughed, I cried, I closed my eyes in discomfort several times, and I found immense pleasure in my pumped-and-revved-up state afterwards.

Like Rodriguez's Planet Terror, Jackass: The Movie is masochistic and gratuitous at times. But I enjoyed myself and actually wish I could have been a part of the empty glory. Determine from that what psychosis you will...

B-

one of the more "tame" scenes: