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)

House of Games

3

House of Games (1987)

Jawbreaker

3

Jawbreaker (1999)

American Fiction

3

American Fiction (2023)

Mister America

2

Mister America (2019)

Magic in the Moonlight

2

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Nine Queens

2

Nine Queens (2000)

Now You See Me

2

Now You See Me (2013)

The Truman Show

2

The Truman Show (1998)

No Hard Feelings

2

No Hard Feelings (2023)

Focus

2

Focus (2015)

The Prestige

2

The Prestige (2006)

Argylle

2

Argylle (2024)

April Fool's Day

2

April Fool's Day (1986)

Now You See Me 2

2

Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Joy Ride

2

Joy Ride (2001)

Catch Me If You Can

2

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

The Usual Suspects

2

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Porky's

1

Porky's (1981)

The Farewell

1

The Farewell (2019)

The Family Fang

1

The Family Fang (2016)

Brüno

1

Brüno (2009)

The Game

1

The Game (1997)

The House on Sorority Row

1

The House on Sorority Row (1983)

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)

Se7en

1

Se7en (1995)

Paper Moon

1

Paper Moon (1973)

Prom Night

1

Prom Night (1980)

Super Troopers

1

Super Troopers (2001)

Sharper

1

Sharper (2023)

Ocean's Twelve

1

Ocean's Twelve (2004)

The Origin of Evil

1

The Origin of Evil (2022)

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

1

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

Knock Off

1

Knock Off (1998)

Ocean's Eight

1

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Step Brothers

1

Step Brothers (2008)

Mädchen in Uniform

1

Mädchen in Uniform (1931)

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

1

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

It Takes Two

1

It Takes Two (1995)

American Hustle

1

American Hustle (2013)

Dumb and Dumber

1

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Audition

1

Audition (1999)

Red Eye

1

Red Eye (2005)

Colour Me Kubrick

1

Colour Me Kubrick (2005)

F for Fake

1

F for Fake (1973)

The Lady Eve

1

The Lady Eve (1941)

Carrie

1

Carrie (1976)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

1

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

1

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Heartbreakers

1

Heartbreakers (2001)

Sorority Row

1

Sorority Row (2009)

Drop Dead Fred

1

Drop Dead Fred (1991)

Con Air

1

Con Air (1997)

Screwballs

1

Screwballs (1983)

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)

The Sting

1

The Sting (1973)

The Parent Trap

1

The Parent Trap (1961)

Waiting...

1

Waiting... (2005)

Heathers

1

Heathers (1989)

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright

1

Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)

The Big Short

1

The Big Short (2015)

Ocean's Thirteen

1

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Anatomy of a Fall

1

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Hypnotic

1

Hypnotic (2023)

The Handmaiden

1

The Handmaiden (2016)

I Love You Phillip Morris

1

I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

The Servant

1

The Servant (1963)

King and the Clown

1

King and the Clown (2005)

Confidence

1

Confidence (2003)

The Hoax

1

The Hoax (2006)

The Hustler

1

The Hustler (1961)

Final Exam

1

Final Exam (1981)

Most watched actors

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt (5)

The Big Short (2015)
Se7en (1995)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Andy García

Andy García (4)

Confidence (2003)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
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)

Elliott Gould

Elliott Gould (4)

Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Matt Damon

Matt Damon (4)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Bob Stephenson

Bob Stephenson (4)

Con Air (1997)
Se7en (1995)
Bad Words (2013)
The Game (1997)

Shaobo Qin

Shaobo Qin (4)

Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eight (2018)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Justine Wachsberger

Justine Wachsberger (3)

Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Now You See Me (2013)
Sorority Row (2009)

Steve Witting

Steve Witting (3)

Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Bad Words (2013)
The Family Fang (2016)

Philip Baker Hall

Philip Baker Hall (3)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
The Truman Show (1998)
Bad Words (2013)