The Funniest Movie Ever

Slap Shot is my favorite movie. I love hockey, I love Paul Newman, and this movie has ALL of it. It is the story of a mill-town minor league hockey team and its hapless season after money-losing season, until aging player-coach Newman figures out what sells tickets.

The only complaint I have about Slap Shot is that the first time I saw it, in the movies, I laughed so hard I was on the floor, in serious pain, almost afraid I was going to hurt myself. Since then I know every line, every nuance, so I can control myself, unless and until I get into a line-sparring match with other fans, then it starts all over again.... Are you guys BROTHERS???????

Okay, you have to like and understand professional hockey. You have to laugh at really BAAAD language and a bit of gore (as well as a panoply of 70's fashion). That said, this is much more than a slap stick review of guys in short pants hitting each other with sticks. Paul Newman as Reggie Dunlap,is brilliant. Shame on anyone who refuses to acknowledge this as one of his best roles. It is from Reggie that he went to Harry and Son, The Verdict, Nobody's Fool, and so on and so on. I see Reggie in all these men - the bewildered "life is too much for me, I don't get it" sad little look he gets so frequently, only to shake his head and come out swinging is why Paul is so beloved by us all.

BEWARE - a second version of slap shot (the one pictured here, ironically) was released. It has a second-rate sound track, and is to be avoided. Look for the original. Settle for nothing less.

It used to be a ritual for my four kids to bring home prospective sweethearts and have them watch Slap Shot with us. Since it was well nigh impossible for any of us to refrain from crying out lines, telegraphing every bit of dialogue or yelling out, "You're gonna LOVE THIS PART!!!", we agreed that if any of them was ever going to get married, perhaps this ordeal by hilarity wasn't such a great idea.

A local radio station had a call-in contest looking for the 100 funniest movies. When I called in Slap Shot the deejay hollered, "Of course! Of course!!" and started to spout line after memorable line. If you like to laugh, if you like hockey, if you like Paul Newman, or Elton John, or Canadians, or the seventies, or ice, or big dogs, or...... oh, just watch the movie and join the club!!!!!