The best bingo themes in films
Like many other fun casino games, bingo has made an appearance in films — and tv — many times before. Whether you’re a fan of bingo yourself at places like 888ladies bingo site, or you’re a movie buff that loves the excitement bingo brings to a scene, here are some of the top films that feature this exciting game.
Hotel Transylvania
Fans of animation will love Hotel Transylvania. This film featuring voice acting from Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi and Ceelo Green is one of the classics, as well as being a bingo drama with skull-shaped bingo balls and all. The monsters in the film competitively play to overtake the best bingo games.
If only we could visit Hotel Transylvania in real life! It’s a 2013 classic that’s stood the test of time; and a great family film too! There are now three other films as part of the franchise including Hotel Transylvania 2, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.
Bad Grandpa
For those who are fans of the classic Jackass films, Bad Grandpa is for you. A Jackass production, you can expect this film to contain all the hilarity and silliness that the franchise has become known for. The lead character is played by Johnny Knoxville, who spends most of the 2013 film creating a lot of chaos.
In one of the most funny scenes in the film, the main character takes time out to play some bingo – and ends up drinking the marker fluid (of course, that’s not advisable). This leads to some fun antics that test the other bingo players.
Better Call Saul
A spinoff series from the critically acclaimed tv show Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul has gained its own fanbase. The show takes viewers back in time before the era of Breaking Bad to explain how Saul became the lawyer he played in the show.
Bingo features in this show as a scene that defines Saul’s character arc. One of the last efforts he attempted to become a good person and lawyer was to organise a bingo game for the elderly in order to try and make clients. It was a failed attempt to do so, but a really great scene to watch if you’re a bingo lover! Better Call Saul has stayed incredibly popular, and has gone onto do six seasons, with the last one set to premiere on in April 2022. It’s received critical acclaim like Breaking Bad and was ranked by The Guardian at No. 48 on a list of the best 100 TV shows of the 21st century.
Big Momma’s House 2
This is one of those comedy franchises that almost everyone has heard of. The premise of the film is straightforward. Martin Lawrence is an undercover agent for the FBI tasked to watch over a household that are allegedly involved in a plot which could compromise national security.
The bingo scene definitely stands out in this film. Starting off as a normal bingo game, it gets disrupted when one of the players shouts “bingo” – even though they haven’t won. If you’re a fan of the franchise this is definitely a classic and not one to be missed.
Beach Blanket Bingo
This is another great comedy, albeit a few years older than Big Momma’s House 2. A 1965 American beach party film, this is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series directed by William Asher.
While the game doesn’t play too much of a role in the film, it inspired a song. And with a name like Beach Blanket Bingo, it has to feature somewhere on this list!
The Simpsons
Of course The Simpson’s hold one of the iconic bingo scenes too.
The Simpsons has been around for so long that it’s no surprise they’ve featured bingo at least once. In this particular scene, Lisa visits the Springfield Retirement Castle where she befriends Jasper. She’s invited by Jasper to play bingo with him, which leads to some pretty hilarious moments. Lisa actually becomes very excited about the idea of winning the jackpot prize. The Simpsons will always remain one of those classic animated shows that is beloved by generations and the bingo scene definitely contributes to it.
Cocoon
This film had its release in 1985 and follows three seniors who discover aliens in their retirement community. Wild, right? This film features actors like Wilford Brimley, Don Ameche and Steve Guttenberg. As it’s set in a retirement community there’s no real surprise that there’s a bingo scene.
The film received a mostly positive critical reception, and was a box office hit. It mad $76 million in North America, and also became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1985.
Grandma’s Boy
This Comedy Central cult classic directed by Ron Howard stars Allen Covert (also the film’s scriptwriter) as a 35-year-old video game developer. The plot revolves Covert’s character getting kicked out of his house and having to move in with his grandmother. He’s sitting at home one day when his grandmother, a bingo-lover, suggest they go play at the local community centre. This turns into a bit of a life-changing experience for Covert who manages an astonishing $18,000 as a result of calling out every number!
