Week 14

Pranks and tricks

With today being April First, aka April Fools Day, we were inspired with this week’s challenge of watching a movie about pulling the wool over someone’s eyes. Whether that’s playing a harmless prank, or conning them out of money.

You could watch a movie with a whole plot around this subject, a few of which we’ll look at now, or a movie which simply contains a prank between characters. Because you’ll never know whether a movie contains a simple prank without having seen it, let us know, without spoilers, your favourite movies that feature a simple prank. Your suggestions may just help someone choose what to watch this week.

To start with, you could watch a reality movie, in which the actors are playing a prank on the public for your entrainment such as the Jackass movie "Bad Grandpa", or "Impractical Jokers" movie. In fact, the Jackass movies themselves have the cast playing pranks on each other.

Movies about pranks include "Big Fat Liar", in which a student performs a series of pranks on a hollywood producer who stole his school essay. "Jawbreaker" is a blank comedy about a prank that leads to the accidental death of a high school girl - and sticking along the same lines, there are an abundance of horror movies about pranks that have gone wrong like "Prom Night"

Looking at Con artist movies: There's the excellent "The Sting", set in the 1930’s about a grifter, who asks for help of a retired grifter to get revenge for a murdered friend. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with Michael Caine and Steve Martin, in a comedy is about two competing con men living on the French Riviera. "Oceans Eleven", Steven Soderbergh’s stylish reimaging of the original 60’s heist movie. "The Brothers Bloom", is about two con artist brothers, played by Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo, who decide to take on one last job before retiring. Finally "American Hustle", inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s

Challenge Stats

Completed the Challenge
62
Total Movies Watched
107
Different Movies Watched
79
Hours Watched
197
The Talented Mr. Ripley
6
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Ricky Stanicky
4
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
American Fiction
3
American Fiction (2023)
Jawbreaker
3
Jawbreaker (1999)
House of Games
3
House of Games (1987)
No Hard Feelings
2
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Now You See Me
2
Now You See Me (2013)
The Usual Suspects
2
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Prestige
2
The Prestige (2006)
Argylle
2
Argylle (2024)
Now You See Me 2
2
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Joy Ride
2
Joy Ride (2001)
The Truman Show
2
The Truman Show (1998)
Magic in the Moonlight
2
Magic in the Moonlight (2014)
Nine Queens
2
Nine Queens (2000)
Mister America
2
Mister America (2019)
April Fool's Day
2
April Fool's Day (1986)
Focus
2
Focus (2015)
Catch Me If You Can
2
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Ocean's Twelve
1
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
The Parent Trap
1
The Parent Trap (1998)
She's the Man
1
She's the Man (2006)
The Batman
1
The Batman (2022)
LaRoy, Texas
1
LaRoy, Texas (2024)
Irresistible
1
Irresistible (2020)
Step Brothers
1
Step Brothers (2008)
Screwballs
1
Screwballs (1983)
Mädchen in Uniform
1
Mädchen in Uniform (1931)
The Big Short
1
The Big Short (2015)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
1
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Ocean's Thirteen
1
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Anatomy of a Fall
1
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Hypnotic
1
Hypnotic (2023)
The Sting
1
The Sting (1973)
Con Air
1
Con Air (1997)
Red Eye
1
Red Eye (2005)
Sorority Row
1
Sorority Row (2009)
Ocean's Eight
1
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Heartbreakers
1
Heartbreakers (2001)
Knock Off
1
Knock Off (1998)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
1
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Carrie
1
Carrie (1976)
Drop Dead Fred
1
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
The Lady Eve
1
The Lady Eve (1941)
F for Fake
1
F for Fake (1973)
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
1
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
Colour Me Kubrick
1
Colour Me Kubrick (2005)
Prom Night
1
Prom Night (1980)
Waiting...
1
Waiting... (2005)
The Parent Trap
1
The Parent Trap (1961)
The Handmaiden
1
The Handmaiden (2016)
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright
1
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)
The House on Sorority Row
1
The House on Sorority Row (1983)
The Game
1
The Game (1997)
Porky's
1
Porky's (1981)
The Family Fang
1
The Family Fang (2016)
The Farewell
1
The Farewell (2019)
Brüno
1
Brüno (2009)
Ocean's Eleven
1
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Bad Words
1
Bad Words (2013)
All Dogs Go to Heaven
1
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Audition
1
Audition (1999)
Paper Moon
1
Paper Moon (1973)
Heathers
1
Heathers (1989)
Super Troopers
1
Super Troopers (2001)
Sharper
1
Sharper (2023)
Se7en
1
Se7en (1995)
Dumb and Dumber
1
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Final Exam
1
Final Exam (1981)
American Hustle
1
American Hustle (2013)
It Takes Two
1
It Takes Two (1995)
The Hustler
1
The Hustler (1961)
The Origin of Evil
1
The Origin of Evil (2022)
The Hoax
1
The Hoax (2006)
Confidence
1
Confidence (2003)
King and the Clown
1
King and the Clown (2005)
The Servant
1
The Servant (1963)
I Love You Phillip Morris
1
I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

Most watched actors

Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt (5)
The Big Short (2015)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Se7en (1995)
Andy García
Andy García (4)
Confidence (2003)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Matt Damon
Matt Damon (4)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Joe Chrest
Joe Chrest (4)
Now You See Me (2013)
Focus (2015)
I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Shaobo Qin
Shaobo Qin (4)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould (4)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Bob Stephenson
Bob Stephenson (4)
Con Air (1997)
Bad Words (2013)
Se7en (1995)
The Game (1997)
Thomas Rosales Jr.
Thomas Rosales Jr. (3)
Con Air (1997)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Brüno (2009)
Scott Caan
Scott Caan (3)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay (3)
House of Games (1987)
The Prestige (2006)
Heartbreakers (2001)