Slap Shot (1977)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Just an awful movie. it's very long and drawn out with a poor climax. really one of the stupidest movies i have ever seen. there's no need to get into details as to why, but it's just very vapid, there's not much to it. they must've gone through several cases of fake blood, was so ridiculous. glad i didn't see it when i was a kid and everyone in school was talking about it. sometimes we romanticize the past, but if this was they type of humor people had a very simple sense of humor. paul newman was 51 at the time and playing an active hockey player. his character was all over the map, i was very unimpressed with him. looking at this i'd say he was a very overrated actor.

This profane comedy sport classic, is really a slap in the face, if you happen to be in the warring path of the Charleston Chiefs, a loser ice hockey team. Newman again owns the movie as Reggie Dunlop, the coach of the team, a true supporters who'd back any of his players, if in a rut. Only out there on the cold rink, there's more pucks hitting the skin of faces of the opposing team, instead of disks. Newman loves to provoke the opposing players with personal insults, one of them, involving doing one of the player's wives. The chiefs will use any violent or under the belt tactic to win. One of them, Brandon (Michael Ontkeon) Newman's right hand man, isn't comfortable with this play either, describing one of their shots as "A bulls..t win". Yes, it's dirty out there on the playing field, more blood, than victory. Slapshot is a lot of fun, but also the film, has a really good script working for it. The opening scene with a nervous Iranian player, being interviewed, yes one of the chiefs, will crack you up, for starters. The real stealers of the film come later, a twin brother trio, who you don't want to judge by the electric car set they bring, giving an angry Newman some great lines. Basically this team is being sold down the river. They're on the way out, hey but the bad news bears quit. No. Same moral applies here. I loved the scene with Newman confronting a woman sponsor, who has a change of heart, telling him, the games too violent. You should see how Newman responds, which makes for one of the great savoring moments of the film. Newman even has a player on his team, named killer, (Jerry Houser) a lot of fun. Incidentally Houser played Marsha Brady's husband in The Brady's Comeback Reunion, only here, he's another player, you don't want to rub up the wrong way. We also have two young twin groupies with big, you know, an older randy player, another of the chiefs eating them up with his eyes, behind stinking beer breath. Another player that's a plus here, was Ontkeon's wife, who's pi...d off at hubby, cause he's sticking his, you know what, in every woman. You should see her in a rage, especially when she's behind the wheel. Her and her bigger shaggy dog, end up crashing at Newman's. One thing certain, I could see a mile off, was that Ontkeon was eventually gonna slug mate, Newman, who ends up smiling, glad he took the initiative. Another Mitchell confession: Slapshot is my favorite sport movie. Why they brought a sequel out over thirty years later I'll never know, even though I've never seen it. It even marks the return of that same deadly trio. Believe it. This film was just so enjoyable for some reason. Newman, as well as being such a fine actor, has one of the most killer handsome smiles, I've ever seen, a smile that launched such an acting great, who like many other greats, are no longer with us. Highly recommended for any sport movie fan. Almost a must see.

"Slap Shot" is a very, very adult sports film. It features LOTS of profanity, lots of politically incorrect language, references to masturbation, nudity and LOTS and LOTS of violence. Even by today's standards (which, admittedly are pretty low), it's a very adult film. But, it also is very funny and, like a terrible traffic accident, it's something you may not want to watch...but you keep on watching! The Charlestown Chiefs are a lousy minor league hockey team in a lousy city. Their fans don't care and the team seems imminently in danger of either being sold or folding completely. However, the player-manager of the club (Paul Newman) is a bit crazy and has come up with a plan to POSSIBLY save the team and his career--get his players to play as dirty as possible to create fan spirit. And, after playing like a squad of nothing but goons, the team starts to win and fans come pouring into the stadium. And, to further excite his team, he begins spreading false rumors about a buyer for the team. It all culminates in an incredibly stupid finale at the championship game. Unfortunately, it's no longer a sport--just a punch of thugs hittin' folks!The bottom line is that "Slap Shot" is a funny and distasteful film. My wife even enjoyed it--and she normally doesn't like sports films. It's also pretty wild seeing Newman and some of the other actors on skates--as well as those Hanson brothers...who are kind of like Napoleon Dynamite combined with three Tasmanian Devils! Crazy fun.

Despite getting up in years, foul-mouthed ice hockey coach Paul Newman (as Reggie "Reg" Dunlop) still plays with his young team. Unfortunately, the "Charlestown Chiefs" are big losers. Then, they start to play rough. Violent antics end their losing streak and Mr. Newman's brawling icemen are suddenly bruising for the championship. They're also filling the stands with blood-thirsty fans...With outrageous comedy, writer Nancy Dowd and director George Roy Hill capture the sport well; there is a lot of truth here, satirical and otherwise. Newman receives his main support (more or less) from closet exhibitionist Michael Ontkean (as Ned Braden) and their possibly gay manager Strother Martin (as Joe McGrath). As a boozing neglected wife, Lindsay Crouse (as Lily) is a stand out. Especially noteworthy are the hilarious "Hansons" (Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson & David Hanson).******** Slap Shot (2/25/77) George Roy Hill ~ Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin, Lindsay Crouse