August 23rd, 2010
After the box office success of Ernest‘s first holiday movie Ernest Saves Christmas, it wasn’t long before Ernest P. Worrell found himself in the midst of a spooky Halloween tale. While, as always, Ernest is the star of the film, this story dates back to Ernest’s early ancestor Phineas Worrell in 19th century Briarville, Missouri (a fictional town). Briarville is plagued by a troll who turns little boys and girls into wooden dolls, in turn, harvesting them for energy. The town enlists the help of their village elder, Phineas, to rid them of the horrible monster before the troll takes all their children. Led by Phineas, the Briarvillians band together to capture the troll and seal him beneath a giant oak tree, but before the seal is complete, the troll places a curse on Phineas, dictating that his descendants would become progressively less intelligent with every passing generation. The troll delivers a prophecy that some day one of Phineas’ own flesh and blood will be dumb enough to release the troll from its deeply rooted cell, at which point he will have his revenge. (more…)
Filed under Movie Recap/Preview.
August 23rd, 2010
In Ernest‘s first holiday feature, the do-gooder protagonist finds himself as a cab driver in Orlando when he encounters a portly, grey-bearded passenger claiming to be none other than Santa Claus. When Ernest inquires what brings Santa so far south of the North Pole, he finds out that Santa is in town to inform Joe Carruthers, an Orlando based Mr. Rogers clone, he has been chosen as the heir apparent to the jolliest job on the planet, the role of Santa Claus. While riding with Santa, the pair offer a lift to a young teenage girl who claims her name is Harmony Star. (more…)
Filed under Movie Recap/Preview.
August 23rd, 2010
In this classic camp tale, Ernest begins the summer not as a highly revered counselor ready to teach young campers about life in the wilderness, but as a lowly handyman with menial tasks to fix this and tighten that. Of course, Ernest has his sights set on earning a counselor position and, never lacking the courage to give something a good natured try, sets out to do just that. Through showing off his hard work, plus taking on additional tasks, such as learning to translate for camp owner Indian Chief St. Cloud, Ernest is eventually rewarded with the counselor position he has long desired. In a twist, however, Ernest is assigned to a group of juvenile delinquents who try to get under his skin through a series of pranks. Though initially they do not respect him, Ernest is earnest in his attempts to take the boys under his wing, and stands up for them when mocked by more well-to-do campers and counselors. (more…)
Filed under Movie Recap/Preview.
August 23rd, 2010
Ernest himself may have never struck oil or taken up karate or managed a traveling carnival, but dedicated Ernest fans have probably noticed a whole lot of characters over the years that sure look or sound a lot like Ernest. Actor Jim Varney carried the Ernest franchise for well over a decade, but during the long spanning era of Ernest success, Varney tackled a variety of other roles, resulting in ranging success. Though no character ever garnered nearly the same widespread following or longevity Varney experienced as Ernest, the B-side of his career was very productive as well. Here’s a look at a few of Varney’s most prominent performances that are in no way connected to his most popular role.
- Slinky Dog Toy Story (1995): While Varney didn’t play protagonist Woody or second lead Buzz Lightyear, Varney’s character Slinky Dog became one of the most beloved background characters the successful movie franchise has seen. Slinky Dog’s southern accent plays right into Varner’s wheelhouse as he portrays Woody’s checkers opponent, trusted ally and one of the few toys to believe Woody knocking Buzz out the window was truly an accident.
- Slinky Dog Toy Story 2 (1999): Varney reprises his role as Slinky Dog in Toy Story’s equally successful sequel. Slinky Dog remains one of the most prominently featured toys, again using his unique design to help the group out of pending trouble or danger. Slinky Dog appears in all three Toy Story films, though unfortunately Varney was not around to take part in the final film.
- Jed Clampett Beverly Hillbillies (1993): When the popular TV series transitioned to the silver screen, Varney was a natural choice for Jed Clampett due to his southern roots and undisputed success masquerading as a lovable backwoods character. (more…)
Filed under Jim Varney, Outside of Ernest.
August 23rd, 2010
Before donning his signature denim vest and baseball cap, famously turning into the caricature of a character Ernest P. Worrell, Jim Varney was just another actor looking for his big break. Well, Varney was just another actor as far as numbers go, but when it came down to natural aptitude for acting, the ability to elicit a laugh or smile out of even the most strait-laced onlooker and the naturally endearing quality essential towards building a relationship with an audience, Varney was anything but “just another.” Taking Ernest across a wide spectrum of places a person could wind up, from camp to school to jail, Varney experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. And to think, the most successful bit of his career began as a mere TV commercial gig, but Varney’s portrayal of Ernest proved to be too iconic for a mere 30-second spot. The unexpected success Varney experienced was only a shock to those who didn’t know the man, as his talents had long been evident to those close to him. (more…)
Filed under Jim Varney, Pre-Ernest.