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Meatballs (Special Edition)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396143623
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Item Dimensions: 100
Label: Sony Pictures
Languages: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 StereoEnglish (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled),
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
MPN: 14362
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: June 05, 2007
Running Time: 94 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: June 29, 1979
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Editorial Review:
Set at a low-end summer camp and aimed squarely at a teen audience Meatballs is a light screwball comedy that turned its low-budget Canadian roots into a very profitable box-office run. The biggest reason for the film's success is Bill Murray who stars as Tripper the head counselor who runs things at Camp Northstar with the help of his love interest Roxanne (Kate Lynch) and the camp's director Morty (Harvey Atkins) who is affectionately known as Mickey. Camp opens with Tripper and Morty preparing the misfit counselors-in-training Spaz Fink Crockett A.L. Candace Wendy and Wheels among them for the arrival of their hyperactive little charges. After settling in kids and counselors begin their activities with a soccer game in which depressed 11-year-old Rudy (Chris Makepeace) accidentally loses the game. Cast out by the other children Rudy runs away only to come across Tripper who befriends the boy and makes him his running partner. Romance sexy fun and comic hijinx usually with the heavy-sleeping Morty as their target lead up to an annual Olympiad in which Camp Northstar battles the wealthier and athletically superior residents of Camp Mohawk. The challenging events include cup stacking potato-sack racing and a nauseating hot dog-eating contest in which the portly Fink devours his way to victory. With the two-day event tied up it comes down to the cross-country run in which Tripper enters Rudy. Meatballs was the first major directorial effort by multi-talented filmmaker Ivan Reitman whose name has since become synonymous with the comedy genre.SPECIAL FEATURES: Three-Part Making-of Documentary Commentary with Ivan Reitman and Writer/Producer Daniel GoldbergRun Time: 94Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG UPC: 043396143623 Manufacturer No: 14362
Decades before he was winning accolades for his work in Lost in Translation and Rushmore, Bill Murray was making moviegoers snicker with his breakthrough comedy Meatballs. This film--which was released theatrically in 1979--stars a 29-year-old Murray as a horny camp counselor named Tripper Harrison, who is just barely more mature than the kids he's looking after. Tripper seems like a screw up because he is, but the audience sees soon enough that he has that proverbial heart of gold, which is offset by an acerbic tongue. Looking over one of the unhappy children in his charge, Tripper says, "You must be the short, depressed kid we ordered." Camp North Star isn't the type of destination kids dream about during the school year. As envisioned by director Ivan Reitman (who would again collaborate with Murray in Ghostbusters), it's a place where kids do their time until their parents let them return home. But in his own way, Tripper makes it a fun place for the kids to learn about the opposite sex and get a feeing for competition. Unlike Little Darlings, the coming-of-age camping film starring Kristy McNichol and Tatum O'Neal that was released a year later, there really isn't a strong moral to this film. But there is a sense that thanks to Tripper's unorthodox madness, he makes Camp North Star a place that kids want to return to the following year. While not as self-assured as he would be in a smaller role in 1980's Caddyshack, Murray is highly likeable here as an overgrown doof.
On the DVD
In the special edition version of this DVD, the extra features include some insight into Murray, who is somewhat elusive about committing to film projects. Reitman reveals that he actually wasn't sure Murray (who wasn't a big name back then) was on board for Meatballs until he showed up for filming the first week. Interestingly enough, this comedy originally was supposed to focus its attention on several camp counselors, but Murray was so good in his role that the plot was adjusted to focus primarily on Tripper. Also included is a three-part "making of" featurette that includes insight into casting, the use of real campers because they didn't have enough money to pay for extras, and interviews with some of the cast members. --Jae-Ha Kim
Stills from Meatballs (click for larger image) Beyond Meatballs at Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Spaz, Spaz, Spaz, Spaz, Spaz, Spaz, Spaz, Spaz
This should be or perhaps it is a cult classic. This is one of my favorite older movies. Bill Murray while he's no super funny in Meatballs, his humor shines along with the cast of mostly non-stars. Harvey Atkins is the Camp Director Morty (Not Mickey!) Melnick who tries to keep order at Camp North Star while at the same time his counselors and counselors-in-training (CIT's for short) keep their hormones and hijinks in check. Naturally the leader of his counselors on the male side is Tripper Harris ... Read More
Rating:  - Great Memories of the '70's
The story of a summer camp and it's head counselor played by Bill Murray. Some really funny scenes regarding the camp director, they all call him Mickey, his name is Morty.
But the best part of all is that "It just doesn't matter " speech that Bill Murray improvises before the big contest between Murray's camp and the rich kids camp down the road. It's a moment on film when you could see the mind that developed his great characters on SNL.
I was in college and the University ... Read More
Rating: - Shenanigans at summer camp???
This is easily the best of the summer camp movies. In fact, few of the others are even fair, let alone anywhere near as entertaining as this one is.
The film is just simply out to have some good, clean, fun. Many people who went to summer camp as kids will see that it is presented here faithfully to the way it usually was, but with slapstick comedy mixed in. Bill Murray, as the chief counselor of the camp, Tripper, leads a fine ensemble cast, and is usually at the center of the riotous nonsense. ... Read More
Rating: - A true coming-of-age movie!
When I first saw this movie years ago, I used to work as an usher in the theatre it was playing in! I enjoyed it back then, and I still enjoy it now. Bill Murray and the supporting cast members are excellent. It is truly a funny, sensitive, and heart-warming movie.
Rating: - Good transfer with original music
A must have for all fans of summer camp. The extras are great! Finding out about the cast and where they are today is priceless. This DVD edition is so much better than the HBO version put out in 1999. This special edition features the original music just like it was on the laserdisc. The remastering is good and well worth the price. However, this edition does lack the original theatrical trailer which was featured on the HBO DVD, and some other minor things, so be sure to keep both copies if you want all ... Read More
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