Arts ©Entertainment
Tuesday, November 22,1994 Page 12
Jerky Boys prank their way to fame
ByJocI Struct!
Senior Reporter
The Jerky Boys have prank-called their
way to fame.
Battling bad impersonators and beating
the odds, die offensive duo’s second album
(appropriately named “The Jerky Boys 2”)
debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top 200
Albums Chart, higher than any other com
edy album in history.
The prankish pair will also be starring in
their own feature film.
So I was a little leery about getting a
phone interview with two guys who made it
big by defaming the people that they called.
But they were nice, sort of.
I answered the phone, and the first thing
that Kamal said was, “You’re from Ne
braska? Aren’t you guys the cornstalks or
something? Cook me a piece of com.”
Johnny B. pondered about famous people
who had come from Nebraska.
“That’s the home of Johnny Carson, isn’t
it?” he asked. “And that book, ‘My Little
Antonia.’”
After they had finished simultaneously
demeaning me, impressing me with their
knowledge of Nebraska and yelling out ran
dom phrases (“One coconut custard cream
pie,” Kamal screamed), these guys were
really nice.
Kamal said that their success stemmed
from Johnny B. emulating everything that
he did.
The eccentric characters that the pair use
when pranking their unsuspecting victims
are based on members of both of their fami
lies.
“Frank Rizzo is a lot me, but he’s also a
great portrayal of my father,” Johnny B.
said.
“Sol Rosenberg is my mother and uncle
combined, and Jack Tors is my Uncle Tho
mas,” he said. “Pico is just a friend of the
family.”
Kamal explained his characters’ origins.
“My father is from Bangladesh,” Kamal
said. “So the Indian character is based on
him and his friends.
“Kissel is one of those old World-War-II
type of New Yorkers that’s always com
plaining.”
The Jerky Boys’ movie will be coming
out Feb. 10.
“We’ve thought about a title for several
months, and we finally decided on ‘The
Jerky Boys,’” Johnny B. said. “What else are
we gonna call it?”
The basic premise of the movie is Frank
Rizzo calling the mob and getting the Jerky
Boys in trouble; then the Jerky Boys have to
use their characters to get out of it, Johnny B.
said.
The movie promises to have the ultimate
soundtrack of the year, Johnny B. said.
“It’s got Ozzy, Helmet, Green Day, Col
lective Soul,The Breeders, the Beastie Boys,
Coolio and House of Pain,” he said.
The movie, like their phone calls, is very
slapstick-oriented, Kamal said.
“It’s got a real Three Stooges, Abbott and
Costello feel to it,” Johnny B. said. “It's
about time somebody brought this form of
comedy team back.
“It’s a lot similar to the old comedy
routines, but we put a modem twist on it.”
The Jerky Boys said that they had been *
treating their success pretty lightly.
"The main thing we have to remember is
our fans and our fernilies,” Johnny B. said.
"The success is great, but you have to take it
with a grain of salt. You gotta have peace of
mind.”
The comics said that they had no specific
goal in mind when they made their prank
calls.
"We just try tomakea funny call," Kama!
iiiRM MMhllna/DN
said. “It’s all spontaneous."
“We think while we run ,” Johnny B. said.
“We only have about 95 calls to date for both
albums and the bootleg. It's just a silly gift
that we have.
“We get together about once a year and
do eight or 10 rails," he raid. “We like doing
it, but sometimes we’ll do something else
like throw the ball around."
The Jerky Boys said that their plans for
the future involved a third album.
“Our fans dictate what we do," Johnny B.
said. “I just want to say hello and thank* to .
all the fans. They are people who can take it
for what it is — it’s a joke."
Keanu good, Mac bad
in new video releases
By OurryMtz
Staff Reporter
This week’s new video releases present
three choices—drama, bad romantic com
edy, and yet another Culkin-clunker. The
pick-of-the-week is a decent helicopter
adventure flick.
“Little Buddha1* (PG) — This one was
released to the theaters the same weekend
as “Speed.” Both star Keanu Reeves. Guess
which flick more people went to see?
“Little Buddha is a good film that got
trampled over by the glut of summer re
leases. In it, Buddhists track down a grade
school kid, claiming that he is the reincar
nation of a lama (a Buddhist monk). The
story is told in flashback, and Reeves is
perfect in his role.
Bridget Fonda and Chris Isaak also show
up as the kid’s parents, and the film works
well, despite some slow pacing.
“The Favor** (PG) — One of those
foiled romantic comedies that leaves your
VCR feeling used and discarded. “The
Favor” is such a film.
Nebraska-grown Harley Jane Kozak stars
as a married woman who wants her best
friend (Elizabeth McGovern) to go to a
high school reunion to meet and sleep with
Kozak’s old boyfriend (Ken Wahl).
Other stars of the film include Bill Pull
man and Brad Pitt. There are a few funny
moments, but overall, “The Favor" is a sex
comedy that leaves the viewer ultimately
unsatisfied.
“Getting Even With Dad** (PG) —
Macaulay Culkin has two flicks coming to
the movie theaters before the year is out, so
don’t spend your money renting his other
movies!
This one has Mac playing the neglected
son of his small-time felon father (Ted
Dan son, who looks cosmically stupid with
a ponytail). However, Mac outsmarts the
adults (Gan>!) and blackmails his dad and
his two buddies to take him out to do fun
things.
Mac, here’s a piece of advice. Fire your
father and hire a real manager, and talk to
Elijah Wood about being a young actor
without ego or typecasting.
PICK-OF-THE-WEEK — John
Badham (“The Breakfast Club") did a great
job with the action-adventure flick "Blue
Thunder" back in the early ’80s.
See NEWVID on 13
Those who can’t make it
to Mom’s can still get
some Thanksgiving fare
Prowi twfT Ksyrti
Students unable to go home for a juicy
Thanksgiving tuikey, Mom’s pumpkin pie
and homemade stuffing can dine out at
Lincoln restaurants offering Thanksgiving
Day specials.
Very few restaurants are open on Thanks
giving Day, but those that are will offer
traditional Thanksgiving fore.
The Haymarket Restaurant, MIN. Ninth
St., will oner a brunch buffet from lla.m.
to 3 p.m. The buffet will feature roast
turkey, ham, dressing, chicken, vegetable
quiche, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes
and a variety of siUads for $8.93 for adults.
Reservations are required.
Lincoln Bonanza restaurants will offer
a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that in
cludes tuikey, dressing, mashed potatoes
and pumpkin pie for $5.99 from 10:30 a.m.
to 3 p.m.
Spike A Oily’s, 52nd and O streets, will
be open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a
buffet featuring turkey, ham, mashed pota
toes, cranberry sauce and a variety of sal
ads, pies and cakes. The buffet is $10.95
for adults and includes a beverage. Reser
vations are required.
Bishop Buffet at Gateway Shopping
Mall will offer a traditional all-you-can
eat turkey buffet with a variety of desserts
and salads from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $6.99.
The Cafe at the Comhusker Hotel, 333
S. 13th St., will offer a buffet from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. that features roast turkey with
pavy and a sausage pecan stuffing, cured
ham with honey mustard, candied yams
and a variety of salads, desserts and bever
ages for $10.95 for adults.
The Garden Cafe at 70th and A streets
will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but
will offer a Thanksgiving dinner special on
Friday that includes roast turkey, dressing,
mashed potatoes, a vegetable and dinner
roll for $5.99. A slice of pumpkin pie is
$2.69.