The Neighborhood Threat - Guy Movie Update....

Awhile back, hundreds of my dear readers were shocked to hear that I had never seen the movie Slap Shot. I am happy to say that I have finally seen it.

So, how was it?

To quote my old man, "You Bet!" This is a really good movie.

In fact, I was surprised at how good it was. It's brutal, tough and hilarious, totally a "guy movie." And it was written by a lady, Nancy Dowd. It's a great script that doesn't pull any punches, and lets guys be their nasty unflattering selves. This is 2 hours of dudes pissing with the seat down, farting in bed and belching after a beer.

George Roy Hill cast this movie with real Hockey players, mostly because the Hollywood types that wanted in it couldn't skate or play hockey. It was a brilliant move. This movie just feels right, from the gritty shots of the dying steel town the Chiefs call home, to weathered beaten down fans in the in the stands, to the gloriously depressing "victory" parade at the end.

What makes this a great guy movie is the fact that it's really an anti-guy movie. For all the juvenile fun these guys are having, I found myself increasingly repulsed by everything. These guys are mean bastards. Although I found myself yelling "Aw, Yeah!!!" a lot, inside I was saying "oh boy, that's kinda mean, he's gonna get in trouble for that."

Paul Newman has never been so sleazy. Throughout the movie he lies and manipulates his players, his fans, the media and the other team. All the while trying to reconcile things with his ex-wife. I kept rooting for her to stay away from him.

The Hanson Brothers are great. They play idiot-savant goons, Hell-bent on violence and toy race cars. They are oddly innocent as they attack fans, the other team and Coke machines. They are violent but not mean about it, they're simply playing the game the way they think it should be... dirty. Just look at this bizarre locker room scene. (Warning it's full of f-bombs.)