Jerky Boys: The Movie
Encyclopedia
The Jerky's Boys: The Movie, also known as The Jerky's Boys, is a 1995 comedy
/crime
film
starring John G. Brennan
and Kamal Ahmed
, best known as the comedy duo The Jerky Boys.
The film features two men, Johnny B. and Kamal, aka "the Jerky Boys", two self-described "low-lifes from Queens
", who get into trouble with the Mafia
when one of their prank call
s leads them into a money laundering
business. The Jerky Boys discover that their long-loved hometown bar will be torn down unless they stop it.
, Kamal
, along with James Melkonian
and Rich Wilkes
, commenced writing a screenplay for a proposed Jerky Boys film for producers Joe Roth
and Roger Birnbaum
's production company Caravan Pictures
. The film was shot between April and June 1994 in New York City, under the direction of James Melkonian
. The project's distributor, Buena Vista
, originally planned to release the film in 1994 but the release was delayed until after the release of the second Jerky Boys album
. The film was released theatrically on February 3, 1995 by Buena Vista through its Touchstone Pictures
label. The copyright date of this movie is 1994 and the same date appears on the disc and back cover of the soundtrack
.
on VHS
on March 5, 1996. As VHS has been obsolete, it is currently out of print, although it can be found used in some retail stores.
Although The Jerky Boys has never been released on DVD properly in the United States and Canada, the first (and only) release was by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on the film's 9th anniversary in March 2004 in Europe and the United Kingdom. This DVD does not play on North American DVD players or those from most other countries outside of Europe. To play the DVD (outside of Europe), you need need a "multi-region" or "region-free" PAL compatible DVD player or computer.
As of 2010, Touchstone has not publicly disclosed any plans to release The Jerky Boys: The Movie on DVD
or Blu-ray.
. It has become a big part of the Jerky Boys career, becoming somewhat of a cult following
for Jerky Boys fans.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
/crime
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
and Kamal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed , usually called Kamal, is an American comedian and former member of the Jerky Boys prank phone calling group...
, best known as the comedy duo The Jerky Boys.
The film features two men, Johnny B. and Kamal, aka "the Jerky Boys", two self-described "low-lifes from Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
", who get into trouble with the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
when one of their prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
s leads them into a money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
business. The Jerky Boys discover that their long-loved hometown bar will be torn down unless they stop it.
Plot
Johnny and Kamal are taken into police custody and interrogated by two NYPD cops. They tell the cops about their lives. Johnny and Kamal were kids who made prank calls to Brett Weir's mother and gets him in trouble. The mother spanks Brett when the boys lied to her about her son stealing, cursing, and spitting. Mrs. B beats the boys for prank calling them. 20 years later, Mrs. B demands Johnny and Kamal to get a job, but the two keep on causing trouble and get fired from every job they had, including construction working and Burger Bob.Characters
The main characters are:- Johnny — (HimselfJohn G. BrennanJohn G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
) one of the two prank callers. - Kamal — (HimselfKamal AhmedKamal Ahmed , usually called Kamal, is an American comedian and former member of the Jerky Boys prank phone calling group...
) one of the two prank callers. - Ernie Lazarro — (Alan ArkinAlan ArkinAlan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
) a powerful mob boss who the prank callers get tangled up with. - Tony Scarboni — (Vincent PastoreVincent PastoreVincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
) Lazarro's right hand man. - Geno — (Brian Tarantina) Scarboni's bumbling underling.
- Sonny — (Peter Appel) Scarboni's bumbling underling.
- Robert Worzic — (Brad SullivanBrad SullivanBrad Sullivan was an American actor known for character roles in television and on film and stage.-Early life and career:...
) a detectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who is trying to bring a fictional "Frank Rizzo" down - Brett Weir — (James LorinzJames LorinzJames Lorinz is an American writer/director/actor whose most famous roles include Street Trash, Frankenhooker and The Jerky Boys. He has also had smaller parts in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Robocop 3 and King of New York....
) Johnny's weaselly mob-connected neighbor. A victim to the Jerky Boys. - Mrs. B — (Suzanne ShepherdSuzanne ShepherdSuzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
) Johnny's long-suffering mother. - Uncle Freddy - (William HickeyWilliam Hickey (actor)William Edward Hickey was an American actor. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor, as well as the voice of Dr...
) Johnny's Neighbor, seemingly a harmless old kook but really an old-time mob boss - Mickey — (Alan NorthAlan NorthAlan North was an American actor.North was born in the Bronx, New York and joined the United States Navy during the Second World War...
) Owns the bar Johnny B. and Kamal frequent. - Construction Foreman — (Joe LisiJoe LisiJoe Lisi , also credited as Joe Lissi, is an American television actor. He appeared in the NBC television show Third Watch as NYPD Lieutenant Swersky from 2000 to 2005...
) a construction worker, who fires Johnny and Kamal. - Burger Bob Customer — (Ron Ostrow) a customer ordering lunch at Burger Bob's drive through.
- Band Manager — (Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
) band manager for HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
. - Henry Bogdan — (HimselfHenry BogdanHenry Bogdan , is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as the original bass guitarist and a founding member of the alternative metal band, Helmet...
) one of the four members of HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
. - Rob Echeverria — (Himself) one of the four members of HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
. - Page Hamilton — (HimselfPage HamiltonPage Hamilton is a guitarist, singer and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet...
) one of the four members of HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
. - John Stanier — (HimselfJohn Stanier (drummer)John Stanier first came into the spotlight in 1989 as the drummer for the band Helmet. He is known for his speed, endurance, and precision as a performer....
) one of the four members of HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
.
Production and delay of release
After the 1993 release of the first Jerky Boys album, Johnny B.John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
, Kamal
Kamal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed , usually called Kamal, is an American comedian and former member of the Jerky Boys prank phone calling group...
, along with James Melkonian
James Melkonian
James Melkonian is an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote and directed the films The Stoned Age and Jerky Boys: The Movie.-Filmography :* The Stoned Age * Jerky Boys: The Movie...
and Rich Wilkes
Rich Wilkes
Rich Wilkes , attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, CA, and is an American filmmaker. His work to date is generally noted for its rooting in contemporary music and youth culture.- As screenwriter :...
, commenced writing a screenplay for a proposed Jerky Boys film for producers Joe Roth
Joe Roth
Joe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
and Roger Birnbaum
Roger Birnbaum
Roger Birnbaum is an American film producer who owns the company Spyglass Entertainment and is co-CEO and co-Chairman of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.Birnbaum was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he graduated from Teaneck High School...
's production company Caravan Pictures
Caravan Pictures
Caravan Pictures was a film production company arm of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group , formed by Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth....
. The film was shot between April and June 1994 in New York City, under the direction of James Melkonian
James Melkonian
James Melkonian is an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote and directed the films The Stoned Age and Jerky Boys: The Movie.-Filmography :* The Stoned Age * Jerky Boys: The Movie...
. The project's distributor, Buena Vista
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Company)
Buena Vista is a brand name frequently used for divisions of The Walt Disney Company, whose primary studios and offices are located on Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California. It was originally created by Walt Disney in 1953 after the release of Peter Pan to distribute his film and television...
, originally planned to release the film in 1994 but the release was delayed until after the release of the second Jerky Boys album
Jerky Boys 2
Jerky Boys 2 is the second comedy album released by prank call artists, the Jerky Boys. The album was released in 1994 and was the final Jerky Boys album released on the Select Records label, distributed by Atlantic Records. It went Platinum as well as the first album...
. The film was released theatrically on February 3, 1995 by Buena Vista through its Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
label. The copyright date of this movie is 1994 and the same date appears on the disc and back cover of the soundtrack
Jerky Boys: The Movie (soundtrack album)
The Jerky Boys is the original soundtrack album of the film of the same title, starring The Jerky Boys. It was released on January 24, 1995.The Jerky Boys had a busy year in 1995; they took the year off as far as recording an album, however...
.
Releases
The Jerky Boys was initially released by Touchstone PicturesTouchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
on March 5, 1996. As VHS has been obsolete, it is currently out of print, although it can be found used in some retail stores.
Although The Jerky Boys has never been released on DVD properly in the United States and Canada, the first (and only) release was by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on the film's 9th anniversary in March 2004 in Europe and the United Kingdom. This DVD does not play on North American DVD players or those from most other countries outside of Europe. To play the DVD (outside of Europe), you need need a "multi-region" or "region-free" PAL compatible DVD player or computer.
As of 2010, Touchstone has not publicly disclosed any plans to release The Jerky Boys: The Movie on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
or Blu-ray.
Reception
The film was featured with mostly negative reviews, receiving only a 10% from Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. It has become a big part of the Jerky Boys career, becoming somewhat of a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
for Jerky Boys fans.