January 29, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 23 Grumpy senior highlighted in hidden camera gags by Dennis Seiling “Jackass Presents Bad Grampa” (Para- mount) is the latest incarnation of the hidden camera comedy with R-rated sensibil- ity. Eighty-plus-year-old Irving Zisman (a heavily made up Johnny Knoxville), is on a journey across America with his eight-year- old grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll). Along the way, Irving shows a dark, often very funny side of child rearing as he introduces Billy to unsavory types and goes out of his way to intrude on ordinary people with his cantankerous, obnoxious ways. The point, of course, is to register the reactions of real, unsuspecting folks who are appalled by old Gramps’ unsavory activities with innocent little Billy in tow. Knoxville is virtually unrecognizable under tons of makeup, and that is the point. Because of his supposed age, old Irv gets away with a lot as he pushes the ever-expand- ing envelope of propriety. The results of the setups vary. Sometimes an elaborate stunt, like a coin-operated pony that propels Irv through a plate glass window, doesn’t get the intended guffaw. The movie is at its best when Knoxville is improvising Irv’s impa- tience or lack of decency. Two highlights are Irv out-stripping male strippers at a club and Billy in drag with Shirley Temple curls as a contestant in a “Miss Cutie Pageant,” much to the shock and dismay of mothers and fellow competitors. Bonuses on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include deleted scenes, alternate real- life reactions (some as good as or better than those in the film), and behind-the- scenes antics. “The Nicholas Sparks Limited Edition DVD Collection” (Warner Home Video) is a five-disc box set containing seven films based on the best-selling author’s novels, including “Safe Haven” (Juli- anne Hough, Josh Duhamel), “The Lucky One” (Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling), “Dear John” (Channing Tatum, Amanda Sey- fried), “Nights in Rodanthe” (Richard Gere, Diane Lane), “A Walk to Remember” (Shane West, Mandy Moore), “Message in a Bottle” (Kevin Costner, Robin Wright), and “The Notebook” (Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling). Sparks is one of the most popular of contemporary storytellers. All 17 of his novels have been New York Times best-sellers, published in more than 50 lan- Johnny Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll share an unorthodox road trip. guages. Special features are generous and include deleted scenes, alternate endings, outtakes, actor biographies, interviews with cast and crew, audio commentaries, a music video, screen tests, special effects scenes, making-of featurettes, and a postcard set with images from each film and a letter from Sparks. “Plus One” (MPI Home Video) is a thriller about three college buddies who head out for the biggest party of the year, each seeking something different: sex, love, or a simple human connection. When a mysterious electrical surge disrupts the proceedings and has a cloning effect on the partygoers, causing them to wonder what caused the phenomenon and how it can be stopped, the party descends into bloody chaos. The three friends must struggle to (continued on Crossword page)