Meatballs (Special Edition)

Amazon.com

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

More Films by Bill Murray
Get Ready for Camp
Comedies about Underdogs

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Bill Murray!.......2007-07-05

Just an awesome movie that need to be digitally remastered. I love special edition movies. Bill Murray is just at the top of his game. The rest of the cast was great. Nobody went on to have careers like Bill, except for Kristin DeBell who did some...well...some other movies that I believe got her blackballed from Hollywood.

Great Memory.......2007-07-05

The movie itself was much as I remembered. Fun, nothing groundbreaking. It was fun to see Bill Murray's comedy character in its formative stages, with a sweetness that rarely returned thereafter. Generally innocuous enough to watch with young kids, especially those to young to grasp the concept of voyeurism.

Extras were much above the norm. Very good memories, especially from Ivan Reitman and his production crew. Well worth the expense.

Murray is the one..........2007-07-02

Meatballs is the sincere story of a group of plucky, rebellious "Counselors in Training" (or CITs, as they are known) at Camp North Star who live and learn, and learn to live with each other and the Head Counselor known as "Tripper". Unfortunately for them, "Tripper" is played by Bill Murray in his first starring role and he dominates the picture from the get-go.

For those who didn't grow up watching this film, it can be broken down into two equations;

Murray = Funny
No Murray = Not So Funny

Murray is turned loose in several scenes, such as the campfire story, the "wrestling" with Roxanne, and most insanely the "It Just Doesn't Matter" speech. To the point were you can see other actors crack up when Murray takes off. He simply takes the reigns of the movie and makes it a classic.

The CITs who are the "heart" of the film are a likable lot, though none of them really stands out. They spend little time with the kiddies it seems and lots of time horsing around, so it must be a great life they have.

Chris Makepeace is a real find as he's sympathetic without a trace of cuteness, which I thought was impossible for any young actor who's name is not Ron Howard. He went on to star in "My Bodyguard".

As for the "Special Edition" of the DVD itself, I was disappointed. The movie is presented in faux-widescreen, which is to say full screen with the top & bottom chopped off with a black band to give the illusion of widescreen. And the transfer itself is not half as good as the version I DVRed' on Showtime recently. And the audio commentary by director Ivan Reitman & screenwriter Daneil Goldberg is pretty bad when they go off-track and can't remember simple details. But the three documentary shorts are informative and well made. While I expected Bill Murray to pass, it was nice to see "Roxanne" (Kelly Lynch), "Spaz" (Jack Blum), "Fink" (Keith Knight), & "Rudy" (Chris Makepeace) talk about the film.

I dock this classic one star for the poor presentation and another star for the faux-widescreen of the film. Given that, I expect the "30th Anniversary Edition" (no doubt set for 2009) to be superior in every way, too bad we have to wait a while for it.

Tidbits:

- The comic Chris Makepeace is reading when Tripper prepares for the overnight is the Marvel Two-In-One #50: Thing vs. Thing. I know, I used to own it.

- I understand where the nickname "Hardware" comes from, but what about "Wheels"? And speaking of "Wheels", he's played by Todd Hoffman, the younger bother of Dustin Hoffman.

- When Tripper burps out, "Oh, really...really" and puts his hand to his face, it's an homage to Jack Benny.

- During the basketball game "Fink" takes a basketball to the back of his head and drops something which remains on the court. Can't be a cell phone, probably a candy bar.

- Tripper & Roxanne singing in the canoe is taken straight from a scene in the Marx Brothers' "Horsefeathers", although the song they sing is different.

- Other than the CITs, we see three male counselors, but where are the female counselors?

Plenty of truly funny moments, plus it has some heart.......2007-06-19

Although neither Jason Alexander nor Holly Hunter appeared, this movie is still an extreme camp classic enjoyable at nearly any age.

Also, did I see a young Will Ferrell in there during the hot dog eating contest?

Great camp.......2007-06-08

Wild! Camp humor, Murrey is the best head couselor! About time it was made on dvd, thank you.

Average customer rating:

I'm definitely in the minority, here
I want this movie on DVD
HELLO? Why Is This Not on DVD?
Haskell Wexler and Anganette Comer!!!
It's only forgotten....

Meatballs 4
Starring: Corey Feldman , Jack Nance , Sarah Douglas , Bojesse Christopher , and Brad Grunberg
Director: Bob Logan
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 630169175X
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Amazon.com

Wild parties, outrageous water stunts and beautiful girls are all on the line unless Ricky Wade can coach Lakeside Water Ski Camp to victory over Twin Oaks, the flashy rival camp across the lake in the most outrageous water ski competition either camp has ever seen.

Customer Reviews:

I'm definitely in the minority, here.......2006-03-07

I liked the book, and have always been a great fan of Jonathan Winters, and of humor of all kinds. Nothing in the film offended me - it just didn't amuse me, and it seemed amateurish - the editing, the acting, and the overacting of Winters. I just looked up the Bosley Crowther review from the N.Y. Times of 1965. You can find it on the "Rotten Tomatoes" website. He liked the satire in the first part of the film, but thought that Winters was just too unsubtle, and he wrote that the things the writers added to the Waugh book resulted at the end of the film in - Bosley Crowther's words - "witless inanity." I just saw the film on Turner Classic Movies, and am glad I didn't buy it. I just thought it was unclever & unfunny. But lots of people love it, so what do I know? :-)

I want this movie on DVD.......2006-02-21

I saw this movie 40 years ago and have never forgotten it. I loved Winters as the Blessed Reverend, with his helicopter painted like a clergyman's collar. It is a dark film, with little in the way of a happy ending. But there are a lot of great laughs along the way. Sort of reminds me of Vonnegut.

HELLO? Why Is This Not on DVD?.......2005-12-12

Everyone else has made a good case, and I want to add my voice so that the suits who are asleep on this deal will come to understand their mistake.

I was advised by Mr. Shagam, our most serious teacher, that I should seek out this film as I left high school. That was in 1968.

I found it, was totally blown away by it, and have been checking every DVD bin for it for years.

Therre is no excuse for this languishing in the VHS world. In fact, a VHS that I got was actually a copy, and the quality was so awful it was unwatchable. Beware of a seller in Florida who claims these are commercial tapes.

Please release this on DVD! Our numbers are going to swell, and pretty soon, we'll be knocking on your doors!

Haskell Wexler and Anganette Comer!!!.......2005-10-13

Safe Bet-if you didn't get "Dr. Strangelove" you won't get "The Loved One", which tries to be "Dr. Strangelove" by being a strange story about love. It offers an interesting love triangle. Rod Steiger reprises his Judd character from "Oklahoma" (only weirder and less threatening), Robert Morse plays a British version of his "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" character, and Anjanette Comer gives us a pretty good take on what a twenty-something "Wednesday Addams" would be like. You will find considerable subject and style similarity to "Undertaking Betty".

Add to this mix a bunch of hilarious supporting performances from Jonathan Winters, John Gielgud, Liberace, and a host of other familiar people including "Get Smart's Bernie Koppel. This is a very funny film if you enjoy subtle humor and social/political satire. Like the meeting room for the Anglo club where a portrait of the U.S. President is hastily replaced in mid-speech with a portrait of the queen (left hanging askew in back of the speaker).

Inspired if not exactly adapted from the Evelyn Waugh novel, the film has almost perfect dialogue but lacks unity as anything but a social/political satire of mid 1960's western culture, Hollywood, and the funeral industry. The disjointed whole results from MGM's desire to clone "Dr. Strangelove" by adding mainstream elements to Waugh's novel. They forged ahead with an aggressive promotional campaign but the "The Loved One" never took off and immediately became a staple of the college film club circuit where it continues to be popular.

"The Loved One" has a lot going for it but its two real strengths are the performance of Anjanette Comer (as "Aimee Thanatogenous") and the cinematography of Haskell Wexler. Both deserved academy nominations. Ms. Thanatogenous has become a cult heroine and Wexler's ability to move the look of a black and white film back and forth between realism and expressionism is amazing. Comer's reactions to the revelations at the end of the film and Wexler's ability to showcase this are really something special.

"The Loved One" is a must see for fans of black comedy and those who enjoy fine acting for the camera and unparalleled cinematography and production design.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

It's only forgotten...........2005-09-25

... by those who never saw it, and sure would deserve to be released on DVD (and not in fool-screen, please). Casting only would be worth the watch even if this movie was not so good; as are most of other Richardson's movies (his masterpiece, for me being 'Tom Jones'). But, of course, studio's utmost concern being to plague the market with serial crap that any dimwit could watch yesterday on his/her T(otal) V(ulgarity) set. And, since this movie was (in 1965) advertised to have "something to offend everyone", it's not likely to be released soon. Especially when you see that 'Politikally Korrekt' addicts' main concern is to be offended whenever they get a chance.

Average customer rating:

Classic Bill Murray!
Great Memory
Murray is the one...
Plenty of truly funny moments, plus it has some heart
Great camp

Meatballs
Starring: Bill Murray , Harvey Atkin , Kate Lynch , Russ Banham , and Kristine DeBell
Director: Ivan Reitman
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00002E20I
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

Bill Murray plays a hip camp counselor at a summer facility for geeky kids and assorted losers. Murray's brand of ironic comedy feels grafted onto this banal and sentimental 1979 celebration of misfits. The comedian's frequent director, Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), was still finding his sea legs with this one, and he nearly convinced everyone at the time that Murray's film career was never going to happen. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Classic Bill Murray!.......2007-07-05

Great Memory.......2007-07-05

Murray is the one..........2007-07-02

Plenty of truly funny moments, plus it has some heart.......2007-06-19

Great camp.......2007-06-08

Wild! Camp humor, Murrey is the best head couselor! About time it was made on dvd, thank you.

Average customer rating:

Just great
Strange & I Love It!
Japanese sci-fi with gore and a story

Meatball Machine
Starring: Taro Suwa , Issei Takahashi , Aoba Kawai , Ayano Yamamoto , and Kenichi Kawasaki
Director: Yudai Yamaguchi , and Junichi Yamamoto
Manufacturer: TLA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NA278K
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Product Description

Meatball Machine is a wild, splatterific, experimental sci-fi/horror rollercoaster that will have your entire brain and body shaken and stirred. Capable of making biomechanical weapons out of human flesh, alien parasites grotesquely invade the Earth, turning their hosts into maniacal killers who seek and destroy each other to the bloody death! And yes, it s also a human love story, even though the budding romantics are infested with slimy, tumor-like globules. Codirectors Junichi Yamamoto and Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball) pull out all the stops and don t let up until the final epic battle. It s a touching testament to young love, blood, and alien ooze that leaves you screaming for more!

Customer Reviews:

Just great.......2007-08-04

If you like Bad Horror Movies because there funny and the director is obviously out of his mind, get this! It's like Dead Alive but 50x better. It's gory as all hell and is a great watch!

Strange & I Love It!.......2007-07-26

Meatball Machine is an awesome flick...at least for people who are into bizarre and gory movies such as myself. We need to have more movies like this. It would be great to see a sequel.

Japanese sci-fi with gore and a story .......2007-06-16

Director Jun'ichi Yamamoto makes an interesting film on the take with aliens and humans battling each other. Here we have a couple of aliens that battle with each other. Then the aliens also have hosts that attached themselves to humans and morph them into warriors.

There is a side story about a nerd, Muraishi, who is in love with a girl named Misawa. The two share a lot of things in common including the fact that they are both lonely and shy. Muraishi finds a dead alien creature (or so he thinks back to his place). By chance he meets Misawa on a date with a jerk. The two go back to his place and tell their feelings toward one another much to his surprise. However, Muraishi has made the mistake of still keeping the creature at his place. The alien hosts becomes alive and attaches himself into Misawa and makes her vicious alien like ther rest of his race.

The special effects for this flick are very well done and the creature effects too. There is a long scene of where we see the alien host invading themselves to the human's body in graphic fashion. It's graphic, realistic and very bizaree. There are other surprises into how the hosts operate but I'am not going to spoil it.

If you want a decent alien sci-fi movie and you are sick of the low budget badly directed and acting Hollywood stuff you definitely will want to give "Meatball Machine" a try.

This movie was definitel unlike anything I've ever seen and it has everything that a lot of sci-fi and horror fans will like. The acting was decent too. If you're into an entertaining sci-film with lots of gore you'll love this movie.

Lots of action and gore so be prepared this movie very much uses the in your face type of camera action that makes this Japanese flicks really noticable.

Lidia's Family Table - More Meatballs By Any Other Meat

Average customer rating:

Lidia's Family Table - More Meatballs By Any Other Meat

Manufacturer: Tavola Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O77QNS
Release Date: 2007-03-09

Description

Here is a twist to classic meatballs--turkey meatballs with pine nuts and raisins! These exquisite treasures are served with spaghetti. Then Lidia prepares a baked ziti with leftover "sugo" and meatballs.

Average customer rating:

Not exactly ...
Who you fool'in ?
RIP-OFF
An Interesting Mix
You can get these much cheaper...

Dozen DVD Deal - Comedy

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Customer Reviews:

Not exactly ..........2006-07-10

While most of these movies are in the bargain bin, Meatballs is very hard to come by. If you find it in a bargain bin, buy it. Buy all they have. Run the search on here, or E-Bay or Half and see what those are going for. It's crazy. It's a great movie, but $30-$75 for Meatballs! Well, I guess ... It just doesn't matter ... It just doesn't matter ... It just doesn't matter ... Dan

Who you fool'in ?.......2006-03-12

All these titles are in the $5.99 ben at walmart,,I could buy all of 'em new at walmart for around $75.00 dollars or less.

RIP-OFF.......2004-09-19

If you were to buy all of these titles from Amazon.com SEPERATELY, you'd only pay $135.22 (look 'em up, I just did). Save yourself some money, and your sanity, don't buy this compilation!

An Interesting Mix.......2003-11-06

This is an interesting collection. There are some very good movies in this set.

Doc Hollywood - This is a "pass" for me. I thought it was very unfunny, and tries much too hard to play off any bit of charm Michael J Fox might possess. Bridget Fonda appears as well.

Singles - This is an okay movie. Its enjoyable and watchable. Matt Dillon and Eric Stoltz star. As does Bridget Fonda once again. Directed by Cameron Crowe (of "Almost Famous" fame), its worth a viewing.

Drop Dead Gorgeous - This film has a very strong female cast. Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin and Allison Janney (CJ Cregg of "West Wing" fame) star.

Don Juan DeMarco - This film is notable only because of a fun performance by the talented Johnny Depp. The script is weak, and to be honest, its not terribly funny.

The Man Who Knew Too Little - A misstep by the usually very funny Bill Murray.

Meatballs - Well, to be honest, this movie is very funny. Its classic Bill Murray in his prime SNL years. Its full of goofy one liners and Chris Makepeace carries a sweet character.

My Blue Heaven - This is a very seldom seen movie and VERY funny. Its one of Steve Martin's best performances. A strong supporting cast of Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack ensure frequent laughs.

My Fellow Americans - Another "pass" in my book. Misused Jack Lemmon and James Garner. Just not very funny.

Diner - A classic film (though I would not necessarily call it a comedy) directed by Barry Levinson. A very strong cast including Kevin Bacon.

Night Shift - A hysterically funny movie starring Michael Keaton (his best role), Henry (the Fonz) Winkler and Shelly Long.

Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time - A 75 minute stand up special. You've likely seen the material many times already.

10 - Famous for its beach scene and introducing Bo Derek, the star here is a very funny Dudley Moore.

There are some real funny and well made films here; Of their own merit, I would recommend "My Blue Heaven", "Diner" and "Night Shift".

You can get these much cheaper..........2003-09-11

I've found most of these movies in the six dollar bin at Wal Mart over the past few months. Pick the ones you want and buy them. Save your money on the others.

Customer Reviews:

Meatballs 4.......2005-02-05

Meatballs 4 with Corey Feldman is a very funny movie. I've just been told that it is FINALLY..........FINALLY going to be REreleased as a DVD in AMERICA!!!!! So look for it on August 28th. Hopefully once IT becomes a DVD whoever is releasing it, ought to RErelease the other two. I think they ought to call it "THE MEATBALLS MEATPACK" where ALL four Meatball movies are contained in the collection. This particular Meatballs movie is the best Corey Feldman is great in it.

finally a great meatballs seaqual.......2004-07-12

the greatest meatballs movie ever.After you see this movie you will forget about the first three.

meat balls 4 is a winner........2004-07-12

Now I know meatballs 2 and 3 were a little ridiculous but this one takes the cake. Pretty good characters and does a triple flip over all the other meatball movies.

Underappreciated Meatballs Movie!.......2001-04-18

As a fan of the Meatballs movies I believe that this is an underappreciated movie. I thought it was a relatively funny show. I also thought that that Corey Feldman did a good job portraying Ricky Wade, the camps expert water skier. The show is basically about a camp(Lakeside) that is going through financial problems and enlists their old friend Ricky Wade(Feldman)to help in hopes that he'll attract more campers to Lakeside. But a snobby, rich owner of a camp across the lake(Twin Oaks)wants the land that Lakeside is on, so in an attempt to save the camp they have a Ski Meet but Monica(Twin Oaks owner)and her goons try to sabotage the event! And in between all the Ski Meet practices there are relatively funny things that the campers go through! And the fat camper Victor(Johnny Cocktails) that always ruins everything is a very funny addition to the movie!! At the very end of the show there is a funny part when Feldman and Paige French(the actor who plays Ricky Wade's love interest Jennifer) step outta character and are making out. Then French goes "Why am I wasting my time on you? You're not even a movie star!" then Feldman turns to the camera and says " Hey! I was in 'Goonies'!!!!" Overall I feel that if you were a true fan of the previous 3 Meatballs shows this one should not disappoint you at all! I reccommend that you at least go to your local video store and rent it to see why I love it so much, You won't regret it!! :)

burn it! along with meatballs 2,3,5,6,7,26?.......2000-07-26

I almost lost my lunch (pizza and vodka) when I saw this movie with the great name MEAT BALLS in it.

Trust Nipsey folks, The first Meatballs with MR. BILL MURRAY is the only one you need.

These spin offs are as bad as the pizza and vodka mix I had for lunch.

Don't waste your time!

I think I will be sick now after all.

DVD:

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