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Kingpin

 Kingpin
type
TVTItem
 Kingpin
label
Kingpin
 Kingpin
page
Kingpin
 Kingpin
comment
Kingpin is a 1996 Slapstick comedy made by the Farrelly Brothers.It stars Woody Harrelson as Roy Munson, a former top bowler who lost his hand after an attempt to hustle some other bowlers went awry. In the present, Roy leads a pathetic life, forced to have sex with his repulsive landlady just to stay in his lousy apartment. When he discovers Ishmael (Randy Quaid), an Amish bowling prodigy, Roy sees his chance at getting out of the gutter. He offers to take Ishmael to the bowling championship in Reno, offering Ishmael the prize money to save his family's farm. Along the way, they pick up Claudia (Vanessa Angel), an attractive lady with her own goals.
 Kingpin
fetched
2023-09-30T09:29:56Z
 Kingpin
parsed
2023-09-30T09:29:56Z
 Kingpin
processingComment
Dropped link to Cheers: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Kingpin
processingComment
Dropped link to IndecentProposal: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Kingpin
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Kingpin / int_1122ec31
type
Farm Boy
 Kingpin / int_1122ec31
comment
Farm Boy: Ishmael comes from an Amish community.
 Kingpin / int_1122ec31
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_1122ec31
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_1122ec31
 Kingpin / int_1b65dfad
type
The Cameo
 Kingpin / int_1b65dfad
comment
The Cameo: Roger Clemens and John Popper (who turns up with his band Blues Traveler during the Dance Party Ending). In addition, professional bowlers Parker Bohn III, Randy Pedersen and Mark Roth appear as opponents that Roy defeats on his way to the final match in Reno against McCracken.
 Kingpin / int_1b65dfad
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1.0
 Kingpin / int_1b65dfad
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_1b65dfad
 Kingpin / int_1f137e42
type
Artificial Limbs
 Kingpin / int_1f137e42
comment
Artificial Limbs: Roy has a prosthetic rubber hand which he ends up bowling with in the big tournament. It ends up netting him a $500,000 endorsement deal with Trojan Condoms.
 Kingpin / int_1f137e42
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1.0
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_1f137e42
 Kingpin / int_2e285a8b
type
Person as Verb
 Kingpin / int_2e285a8b
comment
Person as Verb: To be "Munsoned" develops as an in-universe slang to describe a situation in which someone (anyone) failed to live up to their potential, got screwed over and is in deep shit as a result. Even the Amish are aware of (and use) it. When Roy introduces himself to the administrators at the bowling tournament, they snigger upon hearing his surname.
 Kingpin / int_2e285a8b
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1.0
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_2e285a8b
 Kingpin / int_316e9da2
type
Memetic Mutation
 Kingpin / int_316e9da2
comment
Memetic Mutation: In-Universe; Roy's last name Munson has unflatteringly become slang for getting screwed over in the worst way.
 Kingpin / int_316e9da2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_316e9da2
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_316e9da2
 Kingpin / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Kingpin / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: Or, as Roy puts it...
 Kingpin / int_319e4a2f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_319e4a2f
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_319e4a2f
 Kingpin / int_33f095a8
type
Jaded Washout
 Kingpin / int_33f095a8
comment
Jaded Washout: Roy was a promising young bowler before losing his hand. After that, he became a cynical alcoholic struggling to make ends meet.
 Kingpin / int_33f095a8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_33f095a8
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1.0
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Kingpin / int_33f095a8
 Kingpin / int_392372f9
type
Actor Allusion
 Kingpin / int_392372f9
comment
Actor Allusion: A couple for Woody Harrelson. Roy is offered a million dollars by a playboy gambler for a night with his partner, à la Indecent Proposal. Woody from Cheers was once stated to have been a talented bowler back in Indiana, although he gave up the sport after being involved in a bowling-related incident.
 Kingpin / int_392372f9
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1.0
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_392372f9
 Kingpin / int_4873d055
type
Use Your Head
 Kingpin / int_4873d055
comment
Use Your Head: Claudia does this to great effect against Roy in their fistfight.
 Kingpin / int_4873d055
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_4873d055
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_4873d055
 Kingpin / int_5a89975a
type
Breast Attack
 Kingpin / int_5a89975a
comment
Breast Attack: Roy does this after Claudia hits him between the legs.
 Kingpin / int_5a89975a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_5a89975a
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_5a89975a
 Kingpin / int_5e2e55e4
type
The Casanova
 Kingpin / int_5e2e55e4
comment
The Casanova: Ernie McCracken again, as he sponsors many fatherless boys in order to get with their single mothers, and is questioned by a reporter about his purported illegitimate child.
 Kingpin / int_5e2e55e4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_5e2e55e4
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1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_5e2e55e4
 Kingpin / int_5f4097ba
type
Not Distracted by the Sexy
 Kingpin / int_5f4097ba
comment
Not Distracted by the Sexy: Ismael is perhaps the only straight man in the entire film who is immune to Claudia's charms. At one point, Ishmael is bowling against a farmer who is immune to Claudia's charms. However, he isn't immune to being distracted by sheep.
 Kingpin / int_5f4097ba
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_5f4097ba
 Kingpin / int_6156eafa
type
So Last Season
 Kingpin / int_6156eafa
comment
So Last Season: Roy attempts to use Ernie's dictionary salesman hustle to find bowlers to bet against, only for the alley employee he tries it on to scoff that he hadn't heard that particular old trick for a while.
 Kingpin / int_6156eafa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_6156eafa
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_6156eafa
 Kingpin / int_6381b11
type
Game-Breaking Injury
 Kingpin / int_6381b11
comment
Game-Breaking Injury: Shortly after winning his first pro tournament, Roy loses his hand when the guys he and Ernie hustled beat him up and force said hand into the ball return machine.
 Kingpin / int_6381b11
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_6381b11
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_6381b11
 Kingpin / int_73f7e7e2
type
JerkassHero
 Kingpin / int_73f7e7e2
comment
Jerkass Hero: Roy certainly has his moments, most egregiously when he beats up Ishmael and rubs Tabasco sauce in his eyes in order to "save" him from a redneck whose girlfriend Ishmael had danced with in a bar, before having a round of drinks with said redneck and his friends.
 Kingpin / int_73f7e7e2
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_73f7e7e2
 Kingpin / int_7eebe99c
type
The Alcoholic
 Kingpin / int_7eebe99c
comment
The Alcoholic: Roy, big time. Following his Game-Breaking Injury, he turns to booze so hard that his kitchen cabinets are stocked with nothing except hard liquor.
 Kingpin / int_7eebe99c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_7eebe99c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_7eebe99c
 Kingpin / int_87bb6874
type
Villain with Good Publicity
 Kingpin / int_87bb6874
comment
Villain with Good Publicity: Despite what the announcers at the final tournament say, Ernie McCracken is not a nice guy.
 Kingpin / int_87bb6874
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_87bb6874
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_87bb6874
 Kingpin / int_9ba53911
type
Stranger in a Familiar Land
 Kingpin / int_9ba53911
comment
Stranger in a Familiar Land: Roy returns to his hometown while on the road, even going back to his now abandoned childhood home. He notes that he was too ashamed to return and never even attended his father's funeral.
 Kingpin / int_9ba53911
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_9ba53911
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1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_9ba53911
 Kingpin / int_a3c0c1df
type
Dance Party Ending
 Kingpin / int_a3c0c1df
comment
Dance Party Ending: With Blues Traveler performing "But Anyway" dressed as Amish people.
 Kingpin / int_a3c0c1df
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_a3c0c1df
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_a3c0c1df
 Kingpin / int_a70223
type
Karma Houdini
 Kingpin / int_a70223
comment
Karma Houdini: Zig-zagged. It was McCracken's idea to hustle the bowler who cut off Roy's hand. He fled before Roy was confronted, and went on to become an unbeatable (yet incredibly smug and obnoxious) pro bowler, even winning the tournament in the climax. However, Claudia's abusive boyfriend Stanley arrives soon after, accusing Roy of stealing his gambling winnings. Roy pins the blame on McCracken, whom Stanley vows to find and kill.
 Kingpin / int_a70223
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_a70223
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_a70223
 Kingpin / int_a7850fbf
type
Only Known by Their Nickname
 Kingpin / int_a7850fbf
comment
Only Known by Their Nickname: McCracken refuses to be addressed by anything but "Ernie" or "Big Ern".
 Kingpin / int_a7850fbf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_a7850fbf
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1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_a7850fbf
 Kingpin / int_abad35b4
type
Soundtrack Dissonance
 Kingpin / int_abad35b4
comment
Soundtrack Dissonance: A love song starts playing while Roy and Claudia have a no-holds-barred smackdown.
 Kingpin / int_abad35b4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_abad35b4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_abad35b4
 Kingpin / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 Kingpin / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: Claudia, which she uses extensively to help with hustling bowling games. As she herself says: "I'm every guy's type."
 Kingpin / int_b032e4ed
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_b032e4ed
 Kingpin / int_b5b4b077
type
The Ace
 Kingpin / int_b5b4b077
comment
The Ace: Roy in his prime during the 70's as well as his old rival, Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray)... at first. He later proves himself to be a Broken Ace.
 Kingpin / int_b5b4b077
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_b5b4b077
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_b5b4b077
 Kingpin / int_b707726f
type
Hypocritical Humor
 Kingpin / int_b707726f
comment
Hypocritical Humor:
 Kingpin / int_b707726f
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_b707726f
 Kingpin / int_bce728ca
type
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal
 Kingpin / int_bce728ca
comment
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Stanley hits Claudia after she mocks his bowling skills during his bet with Roy. Because of this, she helps Roy and Ishmael escape Stanley's wrath after he learns Roy was gambling using mostly Monopoly money. She even tells them as they escape that she will not stand for being hit.
 Kingpin / int_bce728ca
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_bce728ca
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_bce728ca
 Kingpin / int_c25bfd17
type
Hook Hand
 Kingpin / int_c25bfd17
comment
Hook Hand: Roy has one of these and, even after seventeen years, still keeps getting it caught in things. His rubber hand goes on over it to conceal it.
 Kingpin / int_c25bfd17
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_c25bfd17
 Kingpin / int_c4976d7c
type
Vehicular Sabotage
 Kingpin / int_c4976d7c
comment
Vehicular Sabotage: To get back at Roy for winning against him, McCraken sabotages his car by putting sugar in his gas tank, blowing the engine and causing $2,000 in damages.
 Kingpin / int_c4976d7c
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_c4976d7c
 Kingpin / int_c8c7fb4f
type
DomesticAbuser
 Kingpin / int_c8c7fb4f
comment
Domestic Abuser: Despite referring to her as "dear" Stanley is shown to be physically abusive to Claudia, at which point she decides to flee with Roy and Ishmael.
 Kingpin / int_c8c7fb4f
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_c8c7fb4f
 Kingpin / int_d1cedb73
type
Slap-Slap-Kiss
 Kingpin / int_d1cedb73
comment
Slap-Slap-Kiss: Roy and Claudia are at each other's throats throughout the film, even engaging in a fistfight. Guess what happens during the ending.
 Kingpin / int_d1cedb73
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_d1cedb73
 Kingpin / int_d80e9526
type
Sex for Services
 Kingpin / int_d80e9526
comment
Sex for Services: Roy ends up having sex with his elderly landlady just so she doesn't evict him. The act has him puking profusely afterwards.
 Kingpin / int_d80e9526
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_d80e9526
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_d80e9526
 Kingpin / int_e313bcdc
type
Ignore the Fanservice
 Kingpin / int_e313bcdc
comment
Ignore the Fanservice: Claudia's method of distracting Ishmael's opponents fails when he bowls against some farmers. It takes a sheep to grab their attention instead.
 Kingpin / int_e313bcdc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_e313bcdc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_e313bcdc
 Kingpin / int_e462893a
type
Artistic License – Sports
 Kingpin / int_e462893a
comment
Artistic License – Sports: Standing on the approach when another bowler is preparing to bowl in the neighboring lane is bad etiquette, to say the least. Most bowlers would refuse to throw until Claudia had moved. But given that she is Ms. Fanservice, the men don't complain as much as they should.
 Kingpin / int_e462893a
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_e462893a
 Kingpin / int_e73f6217
type
Feet-First Introduction
 Kingpin / int_e73f6217
comment
Feet-First Introduction: Roy's introduction in the 1979 sequence begins with a closeup of his bowling shoes as he walks down the alley to celebrate his victory in the State Amateur Championship.
 Kingpin / int_e73f6217
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_e73f6217
 Kingpin / int_eaf5a1ac
type
Groin Attack
 Kingpin / int_eaf5a1ac
comment
Groin Attack: Claudia does this to Roy.
 Kingpin / int_eaf5a1ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 Kingpin / int_eaf5a1ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_eaf5a1ac
 Kingpin / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 Kingpin / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: Ernie McCracken to an outrageous degree, and Roy to a lesser extent. McCraken takes pretty much every opportunity to rub his superior skill in people's faces. After losing to Roy in the prologue, he sabotages the guy's car and then takes advantage of his naivety to get him into hustling — which directly results in Roy's Game-Breaking Injury, and more.
 Kingpin / int_eb8ec7c8
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_eb8ec7c8
 Kingpin / int_f0926237
type
AllegedCar
 Kingpin / int_f0926237
comment
The Alleged Car: In many ways, Roy's car is a reflection of the man himself. It was pristine during the film's prologue in 1979. However, the intervening seventeen years have not been kind to it with the bodywork looking significantly worse, one of the panels is a mismatched colour, and its engine is clapped out.
 Kingpin / int_f0926237
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
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 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_f0926237
 Kingpin / int_f10d3363
type
Distracted by the Sexy
 Kingpin / int_f10d3363
comment
Distracted by the Sexy: This becomes the group's main strategy after Claudia joins them. They meet one farmer who is immune to her charms, but a winsome sheep does the trick.
 Kingpin / int_f10d3363
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_f10d3363
 Kingpin / int_f165cf2c
type
Last-Second Word Swap
 Kingpin / int_f165cf2c
comment
Last-Second Word Swap: Claudia shows up as Roy is trying to ditch her, which causes him to change the last word of the lie he is telling Ishmael.
 Kingpin / int_f165cf2c
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
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 Kingpin
hasFeature
Kingpin / int_f165cf2c
 Kingpin / int_f64a9cf7
type
Earn Your Happy Ending
 Kingpin / int_f64a9cf7
comment
Earn Your Happy Ending: Roy, big time. He even loses the tournament at the end ... but he still ends up with Claudia, gets to share the money she stole from Stanley (won as a result of betting against him, no less), has the satisfaction of knowing that Stanley thinks Ernie stole that money, and is offered $500,000 in an endorsement deal for Trojan Condoms.
 Kingpin / int_f64a9cf7
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
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 Kingpin
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Kingpin / int_f64a9cf7
 Kingpin / int_fbc54605
type
Riches to Rags
 Kingpin / int_fbc54605
comment
Riches to Rags: Thanks to Ernie's actions, Roy goes from a State Amateur Bowling Champion with a promising professional future to a crippled, alcoholic bowling supplies salesman trying to get by, who sometimes has to have sex with his disgusting landlady in order to make up for his inability to pay the rent.
 Kingpin / int_fbc54605
featureApplicability
1.0
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Kingpin / int_fbc54605
 Kingpin / int_fc45bac0
type
Wouldn't Hit a Girl
 Kingpin / int_fc45bac0
comment
Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Roy is this at first, until Claudia hits him a couple of times.
 Kingpin / int_fc45bac0
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Kingpin / int_fc45bac0
 Kingpin / int_name
type
ItemName
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 Kingpin / int_name
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Kingpin

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Kingpin
hasFeature
Arson, Murder, and Admiration / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Arson, Murder, and Lifesaving / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Bestiality Is Depraved / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Between My Legs / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Breast Attack / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Cranky Landlord / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Crying Indian / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Embarrassing Tattoo / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Films of 1995–1999 / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
I Ate WHAT?! / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
I Coulda Been a Contender! / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Ignore the Fanservice / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Improv / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Person as Verb / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Show Some Leg / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Underdogs Never Lose / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Vehicular Sabotage / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Barn Raising / int_e0f061e4
 Kingpin
hasFeature
Scarpia Ultimatum / int_e0f061e4