ERNEST RIDES AGAIN (1994) *1/2 Of course when Ernest rides, it's on a giant Revolutionary War era cannon named Goliath which, without any observable means of locomotion including gravity, outruns Cadillacs, helicopters, the British secret service, and all comers for nearly an hour during which he makes efforts to get off, is caught by a fly-fishing RV driver cruising down the highway, livens up a children's party, etc. None of it is very funny, though the weak jabs at jokes come regularly enough, and you certainly can't say that it's good; but who among us leads such an important and intellectual existance that we don't have 90 minutes or so to watch this with our kids now and again? Only one of mine stayed for the entire thing, but it's the effort that counts. I lived in Baton Rouge when the Jim Varney (Ernest) phenomenon began to catch steam, splurted forth from the fountainhead of a hardware store commercial if I remember correctly. Within weeks hundreds of spectators in the student section of LSU sporting events wore Jim Varney masks, available for free at local convenience stores. I thought that it couldn't possibly catch on outside of town and I was partly right. Neither fertile nor barren ground for desperate young French Existentialism students, what with that cannon propelled by invisible means and the stoic and loyal heroism of a protagonist who's obviously been somehow condemned. Repeatedly, like Sissyphus.
back to Brilliant Observations on 2120 Films page, or Index
go back home, or send me email
Reviews won't do it any more! I need sustained brilliance! I want to buy your exciting new terrorist novel!
I've already read both of your novels. Thank you, they're amazing. Now I want to check out your weekly blog on everything