In the blink of an eye, Jeopardy! has added yet another name to its all-time leaderboard. With his more than $700,000 winnings, Cris Pannullo currently has the fifth-most winnings in the regular broadcast’s history. As with many Super Champions, fans are getting to know the former professional poker player more and more every game. On a recent episode, Pannullo revealed he has a surprising favorite movie.
Cris Pannullo Praises Popular 1987 Comedy
Since he first appeared on Jeopardy! on September 30, Pannullo has grown both his winnings and his fan base. Fans have slowly gotten to know Pannullo over his multiple weeks of dominating the Jeopardy! stage. So far, we know he’s a former professional poker player from Ocean City, New Jersey. We know he shares a pet rabbit named Lentils with his girlfriend of 10 years. Now, thanks to a recent episode of Jeopardy!, we also know Pannullo’s favorite movie.
On the November 30 episode of Jeopardy!, the first round included a “Movie Title Fun” category. After the show’s first break, Jennings asked Pannullo about his movie tastes. “[My] favorite movie is Spaceballs,” Pannullo admitted. Spaceballs is a popular 1987 comedy created by Mel Brooks that spoofs the classic Star Wars trilogy. However, according to Pannullo, he thinks Spaceballs surpasses the quality of the original Star Wars movies.
“I have seen it more than all of the actual Star Wars movies combined, and that makes sense because it’s better than all of the actual Star Wars movies combined,” Pannullo said with a smile, earning a big laugh from both Jennings and the audience.
Ken Jennings Joined In On The Fun
Pannullo is brave for his comments considering Star Wars certainly has one of the largest and most devoted fan bases of all time. However, plenty of Gen X comedy lovers will agree that Spaceballs is a bonafide classic on its own. So, it’s no surprise that Jennings seems to be a Spaceballs fan as well.
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In response, Jennings riffed off of Pannullo’s lighthearted confession, asking, “So, instead of using ‘The Force’ here on Jeopardy!…” the host began. “Using the Schwartz,” Pannullo confirmed, referencing the comedy’s spoof of “The Force” in Star Wars—a mystical power that allows Jedi to exert control over their surroundings.
Whether it’s “The Force,” “The Schwartz,” or just his brilliant gameplay, it’s clear Pannullo is doing something right. Pannullo ultimately won the game—his 18th in a row—with an impressive $27,579. Jeopardy!‘s latest Super Champion has yet to finish a game with less than $20,000, firmly securing his place as one of the biggest winners in the show’s history.