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Wet Hot American Summer: The Movie

Kromm

By Kromm
in Wet Hot American Summer [V]

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

I decided to watch the movie before the episodes. Makes sense right? 

 

For those who'd never seen it before (like me), or who are rewatching it before digging into the series, here's a place to discuss it from that perspective.

 

I think it's safe to say that the SAME spoiler rules apply here as with the episodes. Consider this "Episode 0" and proceed from that perspective. The relative timeframes of the movie and the series make that rule a little more interesting (the series is a prequel to the movie, and the movie was produced first), but ultimately I think we're all smart enough to distinguish the chronology within the series from the viewing order (in other words, you can discuss something that happened LATER if it was contained in something that was produced/aired earlier).

Edited by Kromm
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Kromm

Kromm

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About half-way through it now as I type this.  It's interesting viewing in the sense that we know all of these people so well now, but back in 2001 this cast didn't have quite the same impact publicity-wise (actually, despite not having seen the movie back then, I can say for sure that I bet I DID know MOST of these people back in 2001--but even among those only a few of them, like David-Hyde Pierce, were already well known stars).

 

I'm enjoying it, and can see all the obvious nods to "Meatballs", but can also see why it probably wasn't a hit back then (the flow is a bit strange--one moment it's totally in parody mode, the next it's taking itself seriously, and the next it's more like a very broad farce).  Well, more later...

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Brn2bwild

Brn2bwild

(edited)

I never understood whether

that gust of wind at the end came from Steve, or whether it came from the falling NASA equipment and Steve just happened to benefit.

Edited by Brn2bwild
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Eegah

Eegah

One of my favorite aspects is that for the first half hour or so you could pretty much buy it as a genuine summer camp movie, and then the filmmakers play their ace in the hole with the trip into town, revealing it's actually a ZAZ style spoof film.

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Kromm

Kromm

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One of my favorite aspects is that for the first half hour or so you could pretty much buy it as a genuine summer camp movie, and then the filmmakers play their ace in the hole with the trip into town, revealing it's actually a ZAZ style spoof film.

It really IS a goddamn strange movie. Because those break points where it jumps from serious to spoof/parody to flat out farce are just woven throughout.  Mostly with "serious" at the beginning, "spoof" in the middle, and "flat out farce" near the end, but not completely (for example, the "you're my best friends" scene with the kids near the end can totally be taken seriously, while the girl going back to the loser handsome guy is total parody, but just a few scenes before either of those, during the talent show/Skylab stuff, it was totally in farce mode).

 

In a way that kind of mess with the forms makes the movie a bit challenging, but if you take it on a joke by joke and character by character level, it works well.

 

For me there's always the headscratcher that someone wanted to parody a type of movie that's ALREADY a comedy, but maybe that too is part of the reason it comes out such a mish-mash.

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Princess Sparkle

Princess Sparkle

(edited)

Well, while there is the clear influence of Meatballs, it's also definitely spoofing Sleepaway Camp - you can see it in the outfits, and especially in Ken Marino's character.

But the movie also has that strong surrealism-type quality that was prevalent in a lot of The State sketches, and that you could see later in Michael and Michael Have Issues.

Edited by Princess Sparkle
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ganesh

ganesh

It's interesting because at the time the movie was made, the "meta culture" wasn't really there, but now, obviously the movie and the series works.The fact that there's the series on Netflix and everyone who hasn't seen the movie is taking it in now speaks to it's relevance to where we are now. 

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ganesh

ganesh

I just watched the doc. Bradley Cooper was *dialed in*. I didn't know JG was attached to the movie for 3 years, and given my adoration of her, this didn't diminish it. So I was pleased when DHP said, "when I heard JG was in it, I knew it was going to be good."

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Kromm

Kromm

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(edited)

JG who?

 

I feel like it's something I'm supposed to know but don't.

 

 

 

EDIT - okay, process of elimination, you've GOT to mean Janeane Garofalo, right?  Lets go easy on tossing around two letter abbreviations though. It's morning and some of us don't want to have to think too hard!!!

Edited by Kromm
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fliptopbox

fliptopbox

There is a documentary of sorts about the making of the movie. It's on Netflix if you want to check it out.

The highlight for me was Paul and Chris dancing in the middle of the road. WHAS seemed like it was a really fun movie to make. And they all looked so young!!!! I think everyone except Showalter is looking awesome even 15 years later...poor Showalter basically ballooned. He doesn't even have a neck anymore!

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