When the cameras aren’t rolling, cast members Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn reveal their true selves.
The private part-impaling, skateboard-tricking, constant-pranking mayhem is coming back to the big screen – this time in 3D. On Oct. 15, Bam Margera and his crew return with the release of the latest installment of the Jackass movie series.
The story of Jackass began in West Chester, Pa., with Margera and Ryan Dunn shooting the CKY series. These films consisted of Margera, Dunn and other friends performing skateboarding tricks and daring stunts, which sparked the idea for the show that is now “Jackass.” After the TV series, came “Jackass: The Movie,” “Jackass Number Two,” “Jackass 2.5” and the new release, “Jackass 3D.”
“It’s a lot more professional I’d say,” Margera told The Temple News. “Everything is timed out perfectly with the motions of the camera, so it was a lot more well-done. CKY [films] just had a camera, filming what we were doing, and it didn’t matter what angle we had.”
The transition from regular film to 3D hasn’t changed much, except for the equipment. It didn’t alter the production technique or the stunts that were performed. It did, however, take more time to get things done, which gave the cast plenty of down time as they waited to shoot the next stunt.
“We were doing a lot of d—ing around,” Dunn said
The cast members said that when they aren’t filming, they like to take a break from their crazy lives. Margera skateboards and golfs frequently. Dunn spends most of his time on the racetrack and the golf course as well. Relaxing is their biggest priority when it comes to taking time off.
“People go on vacation because their job is particularly boring, you know?” Dunn said. “I think my job is being crazy, so when I’m not filming, I’m usually pretty mellow. You know, I just want to be in a rocking chair or something, chilling out.”
Though Margera and Dunn enjoy the relaxation while vacationing, much of their experiences focus on shooting either the Jackass show or the previously released films.
In the process of filming, many extreme moments have caused permanent damage to members of the cast. After a motorcycle stunt that went horribly wrong, Johnny Knoxville spent a year of his life using a catheter and still has permanent damage to his groin area. Margera and Dunn both agreed that Knoxville is the most reckless one of the crew members.
Because almost all their work is in documentary form, most of the mayhem is caught on film. Margera said he believes the audience sees more of his personal life than the average celebrity’s because of this. Viewers get a glimpse into his life, his home and his family. Dunn, on the other hand, said he doesn’t see himself portraying his real personality when on camera.
“I don’t reveal too much,” Dunn said. “It may be documentary, but I do feel like I carry a different persona when I’m on camera. Most people think I’m crazy, but in real life, I’m pretty much very mellow.”
Bob Kaplan can be reached at bob.kaplan@temple.edu.
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