Meatballs
Are you ready for the summer?
Before teaming up in Stripes and Ghostbusters, Director Ivan Reitman and Bill Murray bring you their first collaboration in Meatballs. The wackiest head counselor in North Star camp history, Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray) devotes his summer activities to cracking jokes, chasing female staffers, and plotting the demise of their evil rich rivals, the snotty young brats at nearby Camp Mohawk. Jam-packed with hysterical off-the-wall hjinks, drop-dead gorgeous babes in the woods and the riotous one-liners of the one-and-only Bill Murray, Meatballs is an "Animal House goes to summer camp" (Newsweek) comedy classic!
Member Reviews
Ontario's Great Summer Camps - Wolfmann
I guess it was having attended Red Pine Camp in the 50's, growing up in the 60's and 70's with a cottage not far from Haliburton (Meatballs was filmed there, at Camp White Pine), and then in the 80's going through the bus departure scene with my own son and visiting him at Camp Tawingo that did it.
Meatballs brings back a flood of memories of innocent times, when you could spy on the girls changing and play tricks on the dorky kids without recrimination, guilt, or concern about political correctness. Everything about the movie is a nostalgia trip. It's a little raunchy here and there, but the values are solid and it's still the kind of movie you can watch with your children--and now grandchildren--without feeling awkward.The original Superbad in a lot of ways.... - cathyottawa
....this may well have been the first raunch meets sweet/goofy comedy film (though this leans more heavily on the sweet comedy, with only a bit of raunch).
My four stars, however, is more for the special feature documentary, included on the DVD, than for the actual film. Unlike Hagen and blackstone, I didn't find this had aged all that well. It wasn't nearly as funny as I remembered, and the Bill Murray schtick got a bit tiresome for me.
But the documentary was very enjoyable. Broken into three parts, it includes interviews with director Ivan Reitman, and most of the key actors, including Spaz, Roxanne. Morty, Rudy, and Fink. The only one missing is Bill Murray himself - too bad.
They talk about the film, and what it meant to them. You appreciate Bill Murray more, and his improvisational style. And you just appreciate the film more, as they make it seem much deeper than the goofy comedy it is.
While I didn't love the actual movie, I do wholeheartedly agree with blackstone that it "got right every thing about growing up, about summertime, about going to camp, and about friendship." - that's the strength of the film to this day, is it's authenticity.
Anyone who's been to camp will recognize this one - from the types of councillors, to the types of kids (there's always a dork, there's always a fat kid...), to the activities, to the mess hall...it's all spot on, and gives you a warm nostalgic feeling for those days.THE BEST - blackstone
It's taken me a long time to figure out what to write in a review about Meatballs. For me personally- it's the funniest movie ever made- plain and simple. But to give the reason's why, that is the difficult part.
What I can say is that while at first glance it seems the movie hasn't aged that well, I'd dare anyone watching not to laugh out loud about every five minutes or so. As well, the feel good nature of the film is something that hasn't diminished with time.
The cheesy music, the sometimes god-awful acting, the practical jokes on Micky (as if he wouldn't wake up), that stuff just doesn't matter!! What does matter is that Meatballs got right every thing about growing up, about summertime, about going to camp, and about friendship.
It's the one movie I recommend for anybody wanting to watch a movie for the sole purpose of justing having fun!
Member Reviews
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Ontario's Great Summer Camps - Wolfmann
I guess it was having attended Red Pine Camp in the 50's, growing up in the 60's and 70's with a cottage not far from Haliburton (Meatballs was filmed there, at Camp White Pine), and then in the 80's going through the bus departure scene with my own son and ...The original Superbad in a lot of ways.... - cathyottawa
....this may well have been the first raunch meets sweet/goofy comedy film (though this leans more heavily on the sweet comedy, with only a bit of raunch).
My four stars, however, is more for the special feature documentary, included on the DVD, than ...THE BEST - blackstone
It's taken me a long time to figure out what to write in a review about Meatballs. For me personally- it's the funniest movie ever made- plain and simple. But to give the reason's why, that is the difficult part.
What I can say is that while at first ...