Frat Pack

Filipinos have a term "barkada", which just means a group of close friends. It can be a gang or a group. You do know the delineation of those words, right?

In the '50s-'60s, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and Sammy Davis, Jr. were collectively known as the Rat Pack. They appeared together in numerous films and all had influences not just in the entertainment industry but politically as well (Lawford was a brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy, Sinatra had connections with the Mafia). Their group certainly had an upbeat entertainment style and their musical and comedic routines did not lack in smoothness. In fact, because of their performances in Las Vegas, they were instrumental in the making it a popular entertainment destination.

From the mid-'90s, USA Today has christened the group of Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Luke and Owen Wilson as The Frat Pack. The name is also a reference to the group's popular film, Old School.

I love Frat Pack movies. For barkada nights at my pad, just put in a Frat Pack movie and you'll end up laughing your heart out. It doesn't require a perverted sense of reality, nor a pyschological degree to appreciate the movie. I love their comedic stylings, their outrageous dance or skits, the ability of any one member to potray anybody and banter off each other.

If you ever wondered why Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have lots of movies together, you should just accept that the movie you just watched was a Frat Pack project. There are lots, and for a movie to be considered a Frat Pack movie, at least two members should be involved. Here is the list, if you're interested:

Bottle Rocket (1996)
The Cable Guy (1996)
Bongwater (1997)
Permanent Midnight (1998)
Heat Vision and Jack (Unaired pilot) (1999)
The Suburbans (1999)
Meet the Parents (2000)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Zoolander (2001)
Orange County (2002)
Old School (2003)
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
Envy (2004)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004)
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Melinda and Melinda (2004)
Bewitched (2005)
Wedding Crashers (2005)
The Wendell Baker Story (2005)
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Blades of Glory (2007)
Knocked Up (2007)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Year One (2009)

Secondary Films (just one Frat Pack member involved)
The Third Wheel (2002)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
The Break-Up (2006)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
You, Me and Dupree (2006)
Idiocracy (2006)
Walk Hard (2007)
Drillbit Taylor (2008)
Semi-Pro (2008)
Get Smart (2008)
Step Brothers (2008)
Ye Olde Times (2008)


What are you waiting for? Watch one now!