Brian VanHooker
Brian VanHooker is a New York-based writer specializing in comedy, pop culture, food (especially pizza) and long-form oral histories. He is the Senior Staff Writer at CRACKED and was a staff writer at MEL Magazine. He has written for Inside Hook, Inverse, Maxim, Men's Health and more. He's the co-creator of the comic book/cartoon series 'Barnum & Elwood' and 'The Tramp,' an award-winning comedy pilot starring John O'Hurley. He also hosts a TMNT interview podcast called Turtle Tracks and was once called a "Good Guy" by Mr. T.
‘Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli’: Finding the Funny in ‘The Godfather’
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 mob epic might be a serious, sprawling look at organized crime, but it’s also not without its fair share of lulz
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- By Brian VanHooker
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We Asked a Very Smart Metallurgist All of Our Very Stupid Questions About the Vibranium in ‘Wakanda Forever’
Just like Spider-Man said, Captain America’s shield definitely does not obey the laws of physics
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Wild Ride of Richard’s GTX from ‘Tommy Boy’
Director Peter Segal destroyed the muscle car for the 1995 Chris Farley classic. But he’s recently tried to atone for his sins by tracking it down and attempting to restore it.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Soup for You: Seinfeld’s Infamous Soup Nazi Serves Up A Big Bowl of His Favorite Fall Soups
It turns out that actor Larry Thomas is a man of many talents, which, ironically, include soup-making
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Most Famous Monsters in ‘Saturday Night Live’ History, Ranked by Just How Monstrous They Really Are
Kellywise? The Merryville Brothers? Chevy Chase? Who is the most terrifying of them all?
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Orthopedic Surgeons Dissect the Medical Logic Behind ‘Rookie of the Year’
Is it even remotely possible that a 12-year-old’s broken arm could suddenly obtain the Howitzer-like ability to propel a baseball through the air at 103 miles per hour?
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- By Brian VanHooker
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An Oral History of the Conan O’Brien Sketch ‘Frankenstein Wastes a Minute of Our Time’
The late-night bit was completely inane — even when it included Tom Hanks. But as its creators gleefully explain, this version of Frankenstein’s monster was exactly as advertised.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Real Skinny Behind Borat’s Infamous Neon Green Mankini
Sacha Baron Cohen’s longtime costume designer, Jason Alper, lays bare everything that went into making the most impressive piece of cinematic swimwear since Bo Derek and ‘10’
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- By Brian VanHooker
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We Asked Vegas Oddsmakers Whether or Not ‘Halloween Ends’ is Really the End of the Franchise
Does anyone seriously think we’ll never see Michael Myers on the big screen again?
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Joe Rogan Replaced Me on ‘NewsRadio’
In the pilot episode of ‘NewsRadio,’ Joe Rogan’s eventual role was played by actor Greg Lee, which begs the question: Would we be better off in the timeline where ‘NewsRadio’ didn’t make Rogan famous?
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Three Things About ‘X-Men 3’ That Didn't Suck (Thank God This List Doesn't Go to Four)
To gear up for Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine, it’s time to revisit the Fox X-Men movies — yes, that includes ‘X-Men: The Last Stand.’
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Cracked Guide To Phil Hartman's Simpsons Characters: Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz, and More
You might remember them from such episodes as “A Fish Called Selma,” "Bart Gets Hit by a Car" and “Marge vs. the Monorail.”
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Kids In The Hall: Bruce McCulloch Reveals His Top Five Sketches
Selecting one sketch per cast member, McCulloch reflects on the making of his five personal favorites.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Making of ‘Sledge Hammer!’ with Creator Alan Spencer
How one of the most notorious cult comedies of all-time made it from a teenager’s brain to the heights of network television.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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The Simpsons: An Oral History of “Homer's Barbershop Quartet”
‘The Simpsons’ writer Jeff Martin on the making of one of the catchiest, most memorable episodes of the show’s golden era.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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An Oral History of “The Bizarro Jerry”: The Nerdiest ‘Seinfeld’ Episode Ever
Writer David Mandel and all three “Bizarro” actors look back at the episode which set the tone for the final two seasons of ‘Seinfeld’
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- By Brian VanHooker
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I Was That Little Jerk Kid At The Beginning Of 'Jurassic Park'
A conversation with actor Whit Hertford, the kid Alan Grant threatened with a raptor claw in the first ‘Jurassic Park.'
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- By Brian VanHooker
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Happy Gilmore: Behind The Scenes Of The Bob Barker/Adam Sandler Showdown
Director Dennis Dugan shares the story behind the most iconic scene in ‘Happy Gilmore.’
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- By Brian VanHooker
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All Glory To The Hypnotoad: An Oral History of Futurama’s Mind-Altering Amphibian
‘Futurama’ writers, animators and crew members share the history of the show’s most meme-able side character.
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- By Brian VanHooker
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