How To Watch The Ernest Movies In Order

Hey, Vern! Do you have a hankering to spend a little time with your old pal, Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney)? Then it might be time to belly up to bar and order yourself a big helping of the best — and very worst — Ernest movies. Sure, they're light-hearted and sometimes light-brained, but they have a lot of heart, and for folks of a certain age they were a staple of their childhoods. Now they can pass that tradition on to the young people in their life — or just relive some happy memories from their younger years.

But what order should you rewatch the Ernest films in? If you're seeing them for the first time and want to dive in, here's the best way to see the entire series of outings. And if you're feeling extra ambitious, you can add to your fun by adding on some direct-to-video specials, a TV show, and even a set of commercials. 

Watching the Ernest series of movies is a cinch, because none of them have continuity between them. They have some commonalities — There's Ernest, a good-hearted guy who usually works a blue-collar job, and his unseen next-door neighbor, Vern, who is typically the point-of-view character — but the linear thought process stops there. Therefore, you can get away with watching the Ernest set of films in release order, without missing anything important. 

The movies are, in order of release: 

• "Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam" (1985)
• "Ernest Goes to Camp" (1987)
• "Ernest Saves Christmas" (1988)
• "Ernest Goes to Jail" (1990)
• "Ernest Scared Stupid" (1991)
• "Ernest Rides Again" (1993)
• "Ernest Goes to School" (1994)
• "Slam Dunk Ernest" (1995)
• "Ernest goes to Africa" (1997)
• "Ernest in the Army" (1998)

While the first five films made it into movie theaters, the last four did not, releasing exclusively to video or DVD. But why is this the best order in which to watch them?

As noted above, any order is a good order in which to watch the "Ernest" series. There's no need to start with the first film in the series and walk backwards; one may start in the middle, or only watch the films released theatrically instead of the ones that also came out on VHS or DVD. There's no wrong way to enjoy this classic cornpone comedy, and there's no specific order you need to follow.

It's the kind of film series where you can skip anything you like, as many times as you need to. If it's the holiday season and you just want to watch Christmas-themed Ernest outings, there are options for that. If you want to do fall-based movies, you can go in that direction. If there's an occasion, a mood, or a feeling — Ernest is there, willing to lift the viewer's spirits in movie form. It all starts with a simple indie feature that helped give fans of some fun commercials a deeper look into the Worrell mystique.

"Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam" is nothing like any other "Ernest" movie that would follow. Everyone's favorite neighbor only appears in two wraparound segments, but he still shows up, and it still counts as an Ernest-related endeavor — even if you can easily excise him from the film and lose nothing of its weirdly wonderful energy. This film has a more serious take on the "Ernest" milieu, and is also much less slapstick-driven.

The main meat of the movie focuses on the villainous Dr. Otto (Jim Varney), a mad scientist who lives with a third hand curled atop his head. Otto has invented the titular "Gloom Beam," with which he plans to take over the world and cause chaos. The only line of defense against this is Lance (Myke R. Mueller), born the same day and in the same hospital as Dr. Otto. 

The pair are polar opposites in every way, which leads to their earth-shattering confrontation. In the Ernest-related wraparounds, the character falls into a new device he's managed to get his hands on — a "changing-coffin" that becomes a major MacGuffin. He also pops up at the end of the movie to give Lance a hand with his car, but ends up getting his hands crushed for his troubles. He'll be okay.

"Ernest Goes to Camp" proved that Jim Varney had the talent and drive to transition from being a humble pitchman into a movie star. He would go on to turn Ernest into a cultural icon for countless kids of a certain age, thanks to his first (and arguably still most fun) movie.

In the film, Ernest works at a summer camp called Kamp Kikakee. His dream is to work as a counselor for the kids, but at the moment he's a lowly maintenance man who has made himself a useful asset around the camp. He's the only member of the staff who understands Plains Indian Sign Language, which means he's the only one around who can communicate with the head of the camp (Iron Eyes Cody). 

Trouble arrives in the form of a group of second-chance delinquents who promptly make a mess of the camp, pulling pranks and rioting. They provide Ernest with his chance to really make a go of being a counselor as he tries to get them to straighten up and fly right, but with a mining company doing its level worst to kill off the camp, will he ever get the chance to follow his dreams?

Call this one a Gen X Christmas classic. Out of all of the Ernest P. Worrell tales in existence, "Ernest Saves Christmas" is one of the two outings that have made the largest impression on its target audience. This oddball Christmas movie still holds up, providing a genuinely sweet tale that also features lovable supporting characters to help make the holidays a little brighter.

In this one, Ernest is a cab driver who has a chance encounter with Santa Claus (Douglas Seale). Santa is trying to locate gentle children's television show host Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), as it is time for Santa to retire and Joe is slated to be his replacement (six years before Tim Allen did it in "The Santa Clause," and with fewer weird things adults noticed, to boot). 

The jolly old man must talk Joe into taking up the mantle though — since no one can be forced into playing Santa, Joe will have to agree to give up his current life to become the jolly old elf. Santa accidentally leaves his magic sack in Ernest's cab, setting our lovable buffoon on a quest to reunite Santa and his toys. Since St. Nick lands in jail soon after landing in California to talk to Joe, a prison break is on the Nice list to make things right, meaning that it's a kind-hearted crime from a big-hearted bumbler that will save Christmas.

"Ernest Goes to Jail" is one of the less discussed big budget "Ernest" films, but it's still a fun romp of a movie that pits Ernest against the law — and the law nearly wins. Fortunately, he's got his natural instincts on his side, as well as good luck. Even when he's battling a formulaic prison plot.

Ernest is working as a custodian at a bank when he accidentally gains magnetic powers while working an overnight shift. They don't help him when he's kidnapped during jury duty. Death row inmate Ruben Bartlett (Barry Scott) swaps Ernest out for Felix Nash (Jim Varney in a dual role), a fellow con who's also on death row — and who looks exactly like Ernest. While Felix assumes Ernest's identity and begins to ruin a good dude's life, Ernest tries to get out of jail by fighting a crooked system, using his newfound powers. Will he die in the chair or make it out to right some big wrongs?

For many '90s' kids, "Ernest Scared Stupid" was the first Halloween related quasi-horror film they ever watched. It's a genuinely scary movie, but it's also still a kid's film. The trouble was that it was too scary for very young children and too silly for anyone under twelve. This dichotomy resulted in a decent but not exceptional performance at the box office. Touchstone Pictures would not produce another "Ernest" movie, and the rest of the franchise would be independently released and created. But as a grown-up — and with decades of cultural change behind it — revisiting "Scared Stupid" can be a wonderful experience. It's one movie "Hubie Halloween" fans should definitely try out.

Ernest is a garbage man who lives in Briarville, Missouri. Centuries ago Trantor, a wicked troll, stole the town's children and used them for their energy, transforming their husked bodies into dolls. Trantor has been sealed away under an enormous oak tree for centuries now — but leave it to Ernest to unleash him. Now the troll is running amok, and only Ernest — with the help of the town's children — can figure out how to repel the seemingly all-powerful creature.

"Ernest Rides Again" briefly made it into theaters, and it's the last franchise outing that feels like it has some real heft to it. Though the rest of the Ernest movies are generally fleetingly amusing, "Ernest Rides Again" still has a wonderfully innocent, juvenile punch to it.

Ernest is a janitor in this film, too, and he's doing his job at a small southern college when he stumbles onto some scrap metal. He brings the plate to Dr. Abner Melon (Ron K. James), who works at the university. Melon thinks that the fragment is part of a long-missing cannon from the Revolutionary War, called Goliath. The good doctor is also an adherent to the notion that the real crown jewels of England were stolen during the war (meaning some famous fakes have been on display) and hidden in the weapon, a notion his colleagues find ridiculous. 

Melon and Ernest team up to find the cannon, which leads to a merry chase in which everyone, from antique dealers to university authorities, gets involved in. Of course, Ernest somehow manages to find the jewels himself — and end up with a crown stuck upon his head.

"Ernest Goes to School" isn't the worst of the "Ernest" films, but it certainly isn't the best. It follows a lot of the same tropes and patterns established in all of the previous Ernest movies, but there's less of a sense of playfulness here. It's also fairly unimaginative compared to its predecessors. Still, it's fairly entertaining stuff, and fun for kids who might want to spend a little time with Mr. Worrell.

Ernest is again a janitor in this film, and this time he works at Chickasaw Falls High School. Ernest's job (and the school itself) may soon be no more, because the school board is plotting to combine Chickasaw's student body with another institution's. But it seems his employment has fallen under threat from another source — everyone who works at Chickasaw must be a high school graduate. Ernest never made it through the 12th grade, so he becomes a student. Cue madness and mayhem as Ernest works to save the school — and graduate on-time.

It's never a good sign when your franchise reminds people about more popular franchises. "Slam Dunk Ernest" came out a year before "Space Jam," but it's stuck in the shadows of "Jam" for those who watch it nearly 30 years after its release — or it's buried under memories of "Air Bud." The film even features a supporting role for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who throws his weight behind the film. It's not a great Ernest movie, but it is a fun one.

This time, Ernest is working for a cleaning service. Assigned to scrub a local mall, he hopes to fit in with his colleagues by joining their company basketball team. The problem is that Ernest is completely hopeless on the court. He begins to alienate people instead of winning them over. Enter an angel (Abdul-Jabbar) who gifts him with skill-enhancing magical shoes. Ernest's performance soon gets the team attention, and they're headed for glory in a game against the Charlotte Hornets. But what will happen when everyone finds out about Ernest's special helper?

Probably the most poorly-aged of the Ernest films, "Ernest in Africa" features our titular hero in brownface. That's incredibly hard to swallow decades later, and a lot of the humor surrounding this poorly-aged choice won't go down smoothly. It's mainly worth watching as a hard-cringe curio, and a time-capsule of Ernest's sometimes questionable charm.

Ernest is a now-unemployed mechanic after a disaster at his shop. He's hoping to convince Rene (Linda Kash) to go out with him, but she thinks he's not the interesting type. Ernest vows to show her just how interesting he is by getting her a nice gift. The present he picks up are the Eyes of Egoli, two gems that were stolen from the fictional Sinkatutu tribe. There's an overcomplicated dance of trying to get them back to the tribe for various reasons, and Ernest and Rene soon find themselves targets of a guy named Thompson (Jamie Bartlett). He's willing to do anything to get those valuable gems back, and keep Ernest quiet. Don't feel bad if you skip this one.

"Ernest in the Army" is end of the road for the Ernest franchise, and it's not a bad stopping point — nor is it the worst of the worst when it comes to Ernest flicks. It's another movie where some elements have aged poorly. But if you want a little more Ernest and are willing to put up with some dated flavor, then this might be one to watch. 

Working at a golf range, Ernest has fantasies of becoming a trucker behind the wheel of an enormous semi. He gets into the army, understanding he'll never see combat and will get to drive all of the trucks he wants to. Unfortunately, Ernest is soon scooped out of basic training and deployed to the fictional Karifistan, which is under threat of being invaded by the equally fictional Tufuti of Arisia. Along the way, Ernest helps a lost child, falls in love, and manage to earn his stripes in spite of his reluctant soldiering.

If you've finally caught up with all of the "Ernest" movies and are still craving more of the character's wit and wisdom, then you might want to try to seek out one of Jim Varney's more obscure productions. "Hey Vern, It's Ernest!" was a Saturday morning live action show that aired on CBS for a single season, but it was cancelled the following fall. The episodic sketch series aired in 1988, so you can easily slot it between "Ernest Goes to Camp" and "Ernest Saves Christmas" without missing a beat, creating a mini expanded Verniverse.

The sketch show features some recurring characters from Varney's history — like Dr. Otto from "Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam" and Auntie Nelda. Varney also plays Ernest in a variety of scenarios, and finds himself coping with a hard-of-hearing barber and the slings and arrows of his good buddy, Vern. 

Once you finish the series, you might want to try some of the direct-to-video specials and TV films Jim Varney created. Those include "Hey Vern, It's My Family Album," (1985)  "Hey Vern, Win $10,000...Or Just Count On Having Fun!," (1987) "Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain," (1989) and "Your World as I See It." (1994) 

"Hey Vern, It's My Family Album" has Varney play a variety of Ernest's ancestors and relatives in a set of sketches. "Hey Vern, Win $10,000...Or Just Count On Having Fun!" was launched as part of a sweepstakes which allows fans to win the titular amount if they can tally the number of times Ernest says "Hey Vern" and "Knowhutimean" — it's simply a compilation of commercials, which can be watched elsewhere. 

"Your World As I See It" is another sketch compilation, and plays much like an episode of "Hey Vern, It's Ernest!" "Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain" — part of a developing professional relationship between Disney and Varney that culminated in him voicing Slinky Dog for the "Toy Story" series before he died — sees Ernest become the first man to ride Splash Mountain. The specials may be woven into the running order of the Ernest films above in any order.

Last but not least, if you love Jim Varney's Ernest and are still craving more, you can always watch every single Ernest commercial in existence. These were released and compiled in several volumes called the "Ernest Film Festival," and they're still up and streaming to this day. 

The Ernest character was born as a local pitchman, and he shilled for ice cream brands, dairy brands, banks, television stations and other locales and objects. Eventually, his ads attained pre-Internet memetic status, resulting in him doing commercials for Mello Yello, Sprite, other Coca-Cola Brand Products, and Chex Cereal. Those commercials provided the building blocks for an acting career that would take Varney far. His death from lung cancer at the age of 50 in 2000ended Ernest's meteoric rise, but he remains iconic — and Ernest remains a famous movie character we never want to see recast. Good thing we still have Varney's rich legacy to enjoy, now and forever.