Formation | 2002 |
---|---|
Type | Motorcycle/ automobile stunt team |
Location | |
Founder | Kenny Kelley |
Website | www |
Formerly called | Adrenalin Crew |
Adrenaline Crew (originally spelled Adrenalin Crew, also known as "AC") is an American stunt team that started in Los Angeles, California. The team was originally formed to do film stunts but also created their own series of stunt, skit and prank DVDs featuring riders performing various dangerous motorcycle stunt riding and automobile stunts on public roadways.
Adrenaline Crew was formed in 2002 by Kenny Kelley in Hollywood, CA. The main focus of the company was to provide actual motorcycle stunt riders to the movie industry. (1) Their first stunt work was in an indie movie titled In The Wrong Hands. (2)
One of the original members of Adrenaline Crew was Vivid Video's only male contracted adult film star Dale DaBone. Adrenaline Crew performed stunts in the movies Biker Boyz , Fear of Speed, In The Wrong Hands and Torque. They have also done stunt work for numerous independent films as well as some higher budget adult themed films. These movies earned a combined gross of over 80 million US dollars. After the need for motorcycle stunt work had subsided, Dale left Adrenaline Crew.
In 2004, Adrenaline Crew changed their direction. Instead of doing the stunt work for other films, they began filming 'guerilla' style videos themselves (meaning without a valid permit on public roads). Which followed suit to the popular Jackass television show. This got many of the riders into legal trouble, which just helped to build the new 'outlaw' reputation the company was now going after. Other members of the crew have had their licenses revoked several times. (4)
Adrenaline Crew eventually became one of the best known motorcycle organizations in the world and released their first mainstream movie, a Pay Per View special which aired in June 2004. The special was aired on DirecTV and EchoStar and was watched by over 10,000,000 domestic and international viewers. (5)
After the success of the PPV special, Adrenaline Crew was able to secure worldwide distribution for a movie series. Several companies distributed the Adrenaline Crew DVD series overseas including Revolver Entertainment in Europe and Warner Music Group in the United States of America. The crew toured on the Van's Warped Tour to promote the DVDs and brand. (6)
The Adrenaline Crew's rising popularity attracted attention. The television show Inside Edition aired a special investigation citing the dangers surrounding the crew's method of filming and riding calling it 'careless' and 'dangerous' to the general public. Senior Investigative Correspondent Matt Meagher commented in the piece, "It's motorcycle mayhem! They drive on the wrong side of the road, do wheelies, weave in and out of traffic, perform dangerous stunts and terrify people on the road around them. These stunt bikers risk their lives while also putting everyone else on the road in danger." (7) This upset Kenny Kelley, who had agreed to release some footage for the show so that they could share their side. Inside Edition did not air the scenes where Kenny and the crew stated that they wanted a legal place to do the stunts as well as sanctioned competitions such as the X Games. This portion of the interview was later leaked on the Internet. [1]
Following the Inside Edition investigation, many magazines also focused on the team and their extreme stunt riding. One crew member is quoted saying "Most normal people pull over when they see lights or hear sirens, we immediately drop a gear and hammer it. There isn’t a police car out there that can keep up with these bikes, so it’s a no-brainier. You have to constantly scan for police. If you see one, run the other way regardless – don’t wait for them to find a reason to pull you over. The police are here to f--k you over, so why give them the chance?” (8)
The 2012 smartphone video game series Race Stunt Fight has the characters from Adrenaline Crew's movie series doing tricks while racing and running from the police.
Easy Rider is a 1969 American independent road drama film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda, and directed by Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South, carrying the proceeds from a cocaine deal. The success of Easy Rider helped spark the New Hollywood era of filmmaking during the early 1970s.
Wildboyz is an American television series which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. It is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass. The show starred Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Preston Lacy, Ehren McGhehey and Dave England who would perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained.
Dirty Sanchez is a British stunt and prank TV series featuring a group of three Welshmen and one Englishman harming themselves, and each other, through dangerous stunts, which ran from 2003 until 2007. It was known as Sanchez Boys and Team Sanchez in the U.S. The performers are the Welshmen Mathew Pritchard, Lee Dainton, Michael "Pancho" Locke and the Englishman Dan Joyce and was originally based in Newport, Wales, but later series of the show took place elsewhere in the United Kingdom and the world. Pritchard and Locke also starred as the "Pain Men" in Channel 4's Balls of Steel. The series is similar to the American series Jackass and the Finnish series The Dudesons. The show aired on MTV in the United Kingdom and on MTV2 in the United States.
Jackass is an American reality comedy TV series and franchise created by Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville. It originally aired as a TV show of three short seasons on MTV between October 2000 and August 2001, with reruns extending into 2002. The show featured a cast of nine friends carrying out stunts and pranks on each other and the public. The cast included Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, and Preston Lacy.
The Dudesons are a Finnish entertainment group. They are best known for their TV shows and live performances, which are a combination of stunts and comedy. Their early TV shows were similar to Jackass. Starting their television career in the early 2000s, they gained international fame and had a show on the American television channel MTV in 2010. After The Dudesons in America, the group started to shift from the stunts to more multidimensional careers.
Jackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is a continuation of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its run. It was produced by Lynch Siderow Productions and Dickhouse Productions. The film features most of the original Jackass cast, including leader Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Dave England, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Preston Lacy and Ehren McGhehey. MTV Films and Paramount Pictures released the film to theaters on October 25, 2002. It grossed over $79 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics. It was followed by a sequel, Jackass Number Two (2006).
The CKY video series is a series of videos produced by Bam Margera and Brandon DiCamillo and other residents of West Chester, Pennsylvania. "CKY" stands for "Camp Kill Yourself". The series was part of the basis for what eventually became Jackass.
Ryan Matthew Dunn was an American stunt performer, television personality, and actor. He was one of the stars of the MTV reality stunt show Jackass and its film franchise.
Torque is a 2004 American action film directed by Joseph Kahn, written by Matt Johnson and produced by Neal H. Moritz. The film stars Adam Scott, Martin Henderson, Ice Cube, Monet Mazur, Jaime Pressly, Will Yun Lee, Jay Hernandez, Matt Schulze, Max Beesley, Fredro Starr and Christina Milian. The film tells the story of biker Cary Ford and how he discovers some motorcycles filled with crystal meth, he stows them away. But it turns out that villainous gangster Henry James has plans to recover his drugs. James frames Ford for the murder of Junior, the brother of Trey, who heads the Reapers, a notoriously malicious biker gang. Ford goes on the run in an attempt to clear his name, while the FBI and multiple groups of motorcycle-mounted marauders chase after him.
Street Hawk is an American action television series that aired for 14 episodes on ABC in 1985. The series is a Limekiln and Templar Production in association with Universal Television. Its central characters were created by Paul M. Belous and Robert Wolterstorff, and its core format was developed by Bruce Lansbury, who had initially commissioned the program's creation. This series was originally planned for the fall of 1984, Mondays at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central; however, ABC executives changed their minds when the summer series Call to Glory did well, and Street Hawk was pushed to mid-season. Street Hawk made its debut on January 4, 1985, on ABC at 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central and ran until May 16, 1985.
Jackass Number Two is a 2006 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine, and produced by Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and Johnny Knoxville. It is the sequel to Jackass: The Movie (2002), both based upon the MTV series Jackass. Like its predecessor and the original television show, the film is a compilation of stunts, pranks and skits, starring the regular Jackass cast of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Dave England, Ryan Dunn, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Steve-O, Preston Lacy, and Ehren McGhehey.
Jackass: The Game is a party video game based on the MTV reality stunt show of the same name. It was developed by Sidhe for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, while the Nintendo DS version was developed by Sensory Sweep Studios. The game was published by Red Mile Entertainment.
Intruder is a 1989 American slasher film written and directed by Scott Spiegel, and co-written and produced by Lawrence Bender. It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise given for its unique setting of a grocery store for a slasher film.
Stephen Gilchrist Glover, known professionally as Steve-O, is an American entertainer. His career is mostly centered on his shocking and pain-inducing stunts in the reality comedy television series Jackass (2000–2001) and its related films Jackass: The Movie (2002), Jackass Number Two (2006), Jackass 3D (2010), and Jackass Forever (2022), as well as its spin-off series Wildboyz (2003–2006) and Dr. Steve-O (2007).
Nitro Circus is an "action sport collective" led by Travis Pastrana, featuring his friends and him traveling around the world riding dirtbikes, BASE jumping, and performing stunts. Co-founded in 2003 by Pastrana, Nitro Circus has become a media company that produces television programming, documentaries and the Nitro Circus Live tour. In 2016, the company introduced the Nitro World Games, an action sports competition designed around pushing progression in core action sports disciplines like FMX, BMX, skate and scooter.
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D reality comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the third installment in the Jackass film series, and the sequel to Jackass Number Two (2006). The film stars the regular Jackass cast of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, "Danger Ehren" McGhehey, Dave England, Preston Lacy, Wee Man, and Chris Pontius. This is the last Jackass film to feature Dunn before his death in 2011 and Margera as a primary cast member before his departure in 2020. This is also the last Jackass film to feature a guest appearance by Rip Taylor, who died in October 2019.
Joseph Frantz is an American producer, cinematographer, director, and former member of Bam Margera's CKY crew. His body of works includes the CKY video series, Haggard: The Movie, reality television shows such as Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 2.5, Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover, Jackass 3D, and Jackass 3.5, and music videos for bands such as HIM, CKY, Clutch, and the 69 Eyes.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is a 2013 American hidden camera comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine and written by Tremaine, Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville. It is the second film to use the title "Jackass Presents" of the Jackass franchise. The film stars Johnny Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll and it was produced by MTV Films and Dickhouse Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was released on October 25, 2013. Bad Grandpa has a loose narrative that connects the stunts and pranks together, as opposed to the three original Jackass films which did not have a story.
Jackass Forever is a 2022 American reality slapstick comedy film directed and produced by Jeff Tremaine, along with producers Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville, and was released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth main installment in the Jackass film series, following Jackass 3D (2010). The film stars original Jackass members Knoxville, Steve-O, Dave England, Wee Man, Danger Ehren, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, as well as newcomers Sean "Poopies" McInerney, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, Eric Manaka, Rachel Wolfson, the Jackass film crew, and celebrity guests. This is the first Jackass film not to feature Ryan Dunn following his death in 2011 and the first without Bam Margera being a primary cast member as he was fired during production, appearing in only one skit.