Welcome to Movie Mondays, a weekly blog series that takes you on a cinematic odyssey through the world of film! Each week, we’ll dive into a list of my 100 least favorite movies, exploring what makes them fall short and discussing the lessons we can learn from their missteps. Remember that these low-ranking films are only that way based on my personal opinion. Something I hate may be something you love and no offense is intended. Wherever these movies fall for you, I invite you to grab some popcorn and join in on the debate over these films’ merits!

Ernest Goes to Jail

1990

Directed by John Cherry

Ah, Ernest Goes to Jail. The third installment in the storied Ernest P. Worrell cinematic universe. Where do I even begin with this 1990 comedy directed by John Cherry?

Let’s start with the plot, shall we? Ernest, played once again by the inimitable Jim Varney, is a night janitor at a bank who gets into all sorts of hijinks involving floor polishers and electromagnetism. Through a series of convoluted events, Ernest ends up swapping places with a hardened criminal named Nash and finds himself on death row. Hilarity ensues. Or at least, it’s supposed to.

The cast is rounded out by a bunch of forgettable characters, except for Randall “Tex” Cobb as the hulking, mostly silent henchman Lyle. I’ll give credit where it’s due – Cobb’s performance is a bright spot in an otherwise dismal affair.

Behind the scenes, the crew went all out, converting a former manufacturing plant in Nashville into a 100,000-square-foot studio to build sets for the bank, jail cells, an electrocution room, and Ernest’s house. They even shot at the Tennessee State Prison for three days. All that effort, and for what?

Look, I’ve never been a fan of the Ernest movies. Ernest Goes to Camp was tolerable, but each subsequent film was a downward spiral into the abyss of bad cinema. I know Jim Varney was a talented actor, but the Ernest shtick wore thin for me real quick. The slapstick, the mugging for the camera, the tired catchphrases – it’s just not my cup of tea.

Critics at the time were a bit more forgiving, with some even calling Ernest Goes to Jail an improvement over its predecessors. Roger Hurlburt of the Sun-Sentinel praised Varney’s physical comedy chops, while Caryn James of The New York Times said the film’s focus on slapstick would appeal to its young target audience. I guess I wasn’t the target demographic.

At the end of the day, Ernest Goes to Jail grossed over $25 million at the box office. Not too shabby for a film that, in my humble opinion, is a steaming pile of cinematic refuse. I hope Jim Varney made bank off this franchise because Lord knows he deserved it for having to endure playing Ernest for so long.

But hey, that’s just my take. I’m sure there are plenty of Ernest die-hards out there who will vehemently disagree with me. So have at it in the comments, folks. Tell me why I’m wrong about Ernest Goes to Jail. I can take it. I’ve sat through all these movies, after all. My pain threshold is pretty high at this point.