Slap Shot
Year: 1977
Film Studio: Universal Pictures, Pan Arts, Kings Road Productions
Genre: Comedy, Sports
Length: 123 Min.
DirectorGeorge Roy Hill (1921)
WritingNancy Dowd (1945)...Writer
ProducerRobert Crawford Jr. (1944)
Stephen J. Friedman (1937)
Robert J. Wunsch
CinematographerVictor J. Kemper (1927)
StarsPaul Newman (1925) as Reggie 'Reg' Dunlop
Strother Martin (1919) as Joe McGrath
Michael Ontkean (1946) as Ned Braden
Jennifer Warren (1941) as Francine Dunlop
Lindsay Crouse (1948) as Lily Braden
Jerry Houser (1952) as Dave 'Killer' Carlson
Andrew Duncan as Jim Carr
Jeff Carlson (1953) as Jeff Hanson
Review I grew up in Massachusetts in the late sixties and early seventies, and at that time, hockey was more popular than pro football. We had the Boston Bruins winning 2 Stanley Cups in 3 years and they were lead by the greatest hockey player of all time Bobby Orr. This was hockey before the mandatory use of helmets and pre-Wayne Gretzky, when the game itself was wide open and fast. It was an anything goes kind of atmosphere and the players would frequently drop gloves and mix it up with their opposition. The owners realized that the fans liked this fighting and did nothing to curb it. A few teams had goons (Keith Magnussen & Dave Schmidt) whose sole purpose was to cause fights. There use to be a saying associated with hockey that, “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out”.
In 1977 George Roy Hill would make
Slap Shot, an irreverent comedy about the Charlestown Chiefs, a semi-pro hockey team that is down on its luck, and on the verge of collapse. The Chiefs aren’t very good and haven’t been for a long time. Their fan base is comprised of mostly mill workers who are about to be un-employed as the local plant is shutting down permanently. The future is not looking too bright for the Chiefs or for their veteran leader Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman). Dunlop is an aging journeyman with the league and is on the verge of retirement, yet he can’t come to the realization of life without hockey. Instead of fading quietly into retirement, he cooks up a scheme to renew interest in the Chiefs. He lets it slip to a reporter, that a retirement community in Florida is interested in purchasing the Chiefs. With a newfound sense of determination, the Chiefs start to win on a regular basis. Thrown into this mix is the addition of three new players acquired at bargain basement price by GM Joe McGrath (Strother Martin). Never in film history has there been a more uproarious or bizarre group of characters as the Hanson Brothers (Jeff & Steve Carlson, Dave Hanson). These three lovable thugs are just one step short of the four horseman of the apocalypse when they set foot on the ice. From the moment they arrive on screen the film transcends itself from sports movie to comedy classic. These three characters would prove so popular that the actors, who played them, have never really stopped portraying them in their real lives.
If you’re looking for 2 hours of pure comedic diversion then this is the perfect movie for you. So sit back, put on the foil, grab a bowl of popcorn and remember,
“none of that stinkin' root beer”.
Review Criterion5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
4 ½ Stars - Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.
3 ½ Stars - An entertaining film that’s fun or engaging to watch.3 Stars – A good film that’s worth a Netflix venture.
2 ½ Stars - Borderline viewable.
2 Stars – A bad film that may have a moment of interest.
1 ½ Stars – Insipid, trite and sophomoric, and that's its good points.
1 Star – A film so vacuous, it will suck 2 hours from the remainder of your life.
½ Star - A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.
