The Jerky Boys

"They were just a couple of losers from Queens...until they dialed a wrong number and got the mob!"

1995 1h 22m EN

💀

4.4

SKIP

🥫

18%

ROTTEN

⭐

4.7

IMDB

★4.4TMDB · 35🥫18%Rotten Tomatoes★4.7IMDB · 2,866

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When two unemployed telephone pranksters decide to use their vocal "talents" to impersonate a Chicago mob boss and curry favor with organized crime in New York, the trouble begins. It isn't long before Johnny and Kamal (the "Jerky Boys" of crank call fame) are wanted by the local mafia, the police, and their neighbor.

“They were just a couple of losers from Queens...until they dialed a wrong number and got the mob!”

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Cast

John G. Brennan
Himself / Frank 'Rubberneck' Rizzo
Kamal Ahmed
Kamal
Alan Arkin
Ernie Lazarro
William Hickey
Don 'Uncle Freddy' Frederico
Vincent Pastore
Tony Scarboni
Alan North
Micky Crump
Suzanne Shepherd
Mrs. B
Ozzy Osbourne
Band Manager

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Melkonian
Writers: Rich Wilkes
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Melkonian, shot by Ueli Steiger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ira Newborn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dennis M. Hill shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John G. Brennan and Kamal Ahmed and Alan Arkin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They were just a couple of losers from Queens...until they dialed a wrong number and got the mob!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0110189 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Melkonian directs. Ueli Steiger behind the camera. Ira Newborn scores. Dennis M. Hill cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by James Melkonian, shot by Ueli Steiger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ira Newborn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Dennis M. Hill shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6John G. Brennan and Kamal Ahmed and Alan Arkin carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They were just a couple of losers from Queens...until they dialed a wrong number and got the mob!".
8IMDB entry: tt0110189 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 35 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.