The Jackass jesters know how to elicit a reaction.
Shock, confusion, fear, anxiety: these are just a few of the dozens of emotions viewers can experience while watching any of the franchise’s films, all of which feature increasingly dangerous stunts extreme enough to cause broken collarbones and ruptured testicles. But one feeling in particular seems to be responsible for the franchise’s enduring success over the past two decades: nostalgia.
As throngs of fans rushed to the theater to see the stuntmen’s newest film “Jackass: Forever,” they were just as excited to be reunited with their old friends on screen, led by the crew’s ringleader Johnny Knoxville as they were curious to see how (in the world!) they could up the ante. But this sense of nostalgia has also been a driving force for the “Jackass” crew themselves, and it’s partly why Knoxville and “Jackass” co-creator Jeff Tremaine were so excited about a new way to highlight their most memorable stunts over the years.
