| Stripes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Ivan Reitman |
| Produced by | Daniel Goldberg Ivan Reitman |
| Written by | Len Blum Harold Ramis Daniel Goldberg |
| Starring | Bill Murray Harold Ramis Warren Oates |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | Harry Keller Michael Luciano Eva Ruggiero |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 26, 1981 |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10,000,000 (estimated) |
| Gross revenue | $85,297,000 (USA) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, and P.J. Soles. Ivan Reitman (born October 27, 1946) is a Canadian film producer and director Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Warren Mercer Oates (July 5 1928 – April 3 1982 was a prolific American Character actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Elmer Bernstein ( April 4 1922 - 18 August 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Events January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Comedy film is a genre of Film in which the main emphasis is on humor. For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy Warren Mercer Oates (July 5 1928 – April 3 1982 was a prolific American Character actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam PJ Soles (born July 17, 1950) is an American Film and Television Actress. The director was Ivan Reitman. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Ivan Reitman (born October 27, 1946) is a Canadian film producer and director Stripes also featured several noted actors in their first significant movie roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, and Judge Reinhold. John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American film and television Actor. Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. Early life Young was born as Mary Sean Young in Judge Reinhold (born May 21 1957) is an American Actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop It was one of Canadian comedian John Candy's earliest film appearances. John Franklin Candy (October 31 1950 &ndash March 4 1994 was a Canadian Comedian and Actor. Dave Thomas, Bill Paxton and Timothy Busfield are also in one scene apiece. See the David Thomas disambiguation page for other people with this name William "Bill" Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is an American Actor and Film director. Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield (born June 12, 1957, in Lansing Michigan) is an American Actor and director The film was among Oates's last films, as he died of a sudden heart attack the year after it was released. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply
Contents |
Plot summary
John Winger (Bill Murray) is a cab driver in his late 20s who experiences the worst day of his life. For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride In the span of just a few hours, he loses his job, his car is repossessed, he drops his pizza on the street, and his girlfriend dumps him. Realizing that his life is a failure, he decides he needs a new direction. At that moment, a recruiting ad for the U.S. Army plays on the television, and he decides that is just what he needs to get in shape (and meet girls). The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Talking his best friend, Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis), whose own life is not doing too well either, into joining, they quickly drive to the nearest recruiting office and are soon off to basic training. Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy Recruit training is the initial Indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel
Upon arrival at basic training at "Fort Arnold" (filmed at Fort Knox), they meet their fellow recruits. Recruit training is the initial Indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. Moments after arriving, Winger has already offended their drill sergeant, Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates), and stands out as a misfit throughout basic training. A drill instructor (or Drill Sergeant) is a Non-commissioned officer in the Armed forces with specific duties that vary by country Warren Mercer Oates (July 5 1928 – April 3 1982 was a prolific American Character actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Their commanding officer is Captain Stillman (John Larroquette), a blowhard incompetent and suck-up. John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American film and television Actor. As basic training progresses, Ziskey and Winger become closer to a pair of attractive female MPs named Stella and Louise (P.J. Soles and Sean Young) on the base, and quickly become friends with the rest of their platoon. Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. PJ Soles (born July 17, 1950) is an American Film and Television Actress. Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. Early life Young was born as Mary Sean Young in However, not long before graduation, Sergeant Hulka is injured in a freak mortar accident caused by Captain Stillman's incompetence. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories
On their first leave, the men go out to a seamy mud wrestling bar. Mud wrestling is classically defined as physical confrontation ( Fighting, Wrestling, etc When the club is raided by MPs, Stella and Louise cover for Winger and Ziskey, while the rest of the platoon is hauled back to base to face Captain Stillman. Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or Squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers Stillman threatens to force them to repeat the entire course of Basic Training, as they are unlikely to pass muster at the graduation ceremony scheduled for the next day.
The situation looks bleak until Winger and Ziskey return (after having sex with their girlfriends in General Barnicke's home while he was away). Winger manages to motivate his platoon with a rousing speech, and begins to get them in shape for graduation. However, after a long night of drilling, they oversleep and almost miss the ceremony. Without time to even get dressed properly, they run to the parade grounds thoroughly out of uniform and give a highly unconventional, but nevertheless impressive, drill display led by Winger. When General Barnicke finds out that they had to complete training without a drill sergeant, he decides they are just the kind of "go-getters" he wants working on a secret project in Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
Once in Italy, their mission is to guard the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle (disguised to look like a large recreational vehicle, specifically, a late 70's GMC motorhome). In North American English the term recreational vehicle, and its acronym RV, are generally used to refer to an enclosed piece of equipment dually used as both This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. What would seem to be an easy assignment gets a little harsher when a recovered Sgt. Hulka arrives, but it remains fairly cushy. Bored with sitting around an empty hangar, John and Russell steal the top-secret EM-50 (by telling the MP guard they're taking it "to get it washed") to visit their MP girlfriends Stella and Louise, now stationed in West Germany. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( When Stillman finds the EM-50 missing (he was taking his date to show it off to her), he launches a questionable mission to get the vehicle back without his superiors knowing it was gone.
On a dark and stormy night, Stillman deliberately leads his platoon across the border into Communist Czechoslovakia (where the director was born). Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Sgt. Hulka, who accompanied Stillman and the platoon and repeatedly warned Stillman not to proceed, jumps out of their truck before it is captured, having realized where they are and what has happened. When Hulka makes a Mayday radio broadcast explaining the situation, Winger and Ziskey in the EM-50 realize that their platoon came looking for them and that the U.S. Department of Defense will deny everything — their buddies are in big trouble behind the Iron Curtain. Mayday is an emergency Code word used internationally as a Distress signal in Voice procedure radio communications The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government The " Iron Curtain " was the symbolic ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II until the end With no hope for rescue other than them, Winger, Ziskey, and their two MP girlfriends take the Urban Assault Vehicle and, with occasional help from the stealthy Sgt. Hulka, manage to break everyone out and trash the Soviet base (surprisingly, without killing anybody). The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 In the end, Winger, Ziskey, Stella, Louise, and Hulka are each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Sgt. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, awarded for extreme Hulka retires with honor and begins the HulkaBurger franchise, Stella appears on the cover of Penthouse and Captain Stillman is reassigned to a weather station near Nome, Alaska; a promise made him by commanding officer Colonel Glass if he screwed up the mission. Penthouse, a Men 's Magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and Soft-core pornographic pictorials Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea
Selected cast
- Bill Murray as John Winger
- Harold Ramis as Russell Ziskey
- Warren Oates as Sgt Hulka
- P.J. Soles as Stella Hansen
- Sean Young as Louise Cooper
- John Candy as Dewey "Ox" Oxburger
- John Larroquette as Capt. For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy Warren Mercer Oates (July 5 1928 – April 3 1982 was a prolific American Character actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam PJ Soles (born July 17, 1950) is an American Film and Television Actress. Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. Early life Young was born as Mary Sean Young in John Franklin Candy (October 31 1950 &ndash March 4 1994 was a Canadian Comedian and Actor. John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American film and television Actor. Stillman
- John Diehl as Cruiser
- Conrad Dunn as Francis "Psycho" Soyer
- Judge Reinhold as Elmo
- Lance LeGault as Colonel Glass
Production
On his way to the premiere of Meatballs, Ivan Reitman thought up the idea for a film: "Cheech and Chong join the army. John Diehl (born May 1, 1950) is an American character actor particularly known for his roles as Charles Kawalsky in the 1994 film Stargate Conrad Dunn (born Los Angeles) is an American Actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes Judge Reinhold (born May 21 1957) is an American Actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop Lance LeGault (b Henry Legault on May 2, 1935 in Chicago Illinois, U Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian Comedy film. It was the first film appearance of Bill Murray in a starring role and though not Cheech & Chong are a Comedy duo, consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their "[1] He pitched it to Paramount Pictures and they greenlit the film that day. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Len Blum and Dan Goldberg wrote the screenplay in Toronto and read it to Reitman, who was in Los Angeles, over the phone. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The director, in turn, would give the writers notes. Reitman gave Cheech and Chong's manager the script who read it and thought it was very funny. He gave it to the comedians but they wanted complete control. Reitman then suggested to Goldberg that they change the two main characters to ones suited for Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, figuring if they could get Ramis interested and let him tailor the script for the two of them, he could convince Murray to do it. [1]
Ramis had already co-written National Lampoon's Animal House and Meatballs but was unknown as an actor. He screen-tested for Columbia Pictures who hated his audition but Reitman told the studio that he was hiring the comedian anyway. [1] Judge Reinhold played Elmo who was a collection of all the best jokes from the Cheech and Chong version of the film. The casting agent picked Sean Young based on how she looked and Reitman felt that her "sweetness" would go well with Ramis. P. J. Soles tested with Ramis and they got along very well together. John Diehl had never auditioned before and this was his first paying job as an actor. Reitman was a fan of the westerns that Warren Oates had been in and wanted someone who was strong and that everyone respected to control the film's misfit platoon. [1] Goldberg knew John Candy from Toronto and told Reitman that he should be in the film. Candy did not have to audition.
Before filming started, Reinhold thought that he had a handle on his character but once filming started, he was "petrified" because this was his first big studio film. [1] Every scene had some element of improvisation and this was due in large part to Murray and Ramis who suggested things for him to say and this spread to other cast members. Reinhold said that during filming, Oates would tell everyone stories about working on films like The Wild Bunch and they would be enthralled. The Wild Bunch ( directed by Sam Peckinpah, is a Western film about an aging outlaw gang at the Texas-Mexico border trying to exist in the modern world Reitman wanted, "a little bit of weight in the center," and had a serious argument between Hulka and Winger. It was not played for laughs and allowed Murray to do something he had not done before. During filming one of the obstacle courses scenes, Reitman told the actors to grab Oates and drag him into the mud without telling the veteran actor about it to see what would happen and get a genuine reaction. Oates' front tooth got chipped in the process and he yelled at Reitman for what he did. [1]
Much of the mud wrestling scene was made up on the spot by Reitman. Candy felt uncomfortable during filming but Reitman talked him through it. The production was allowed to shoot the army base scenes in Fort Knox, the city scenes in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Czechoslovakia scenes in the Jim Beam distillery with a budget of $9-10 million in 42 days. Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. Jim Beam is the world's top selling brand of Bourbon whiskey. Reitman was amazed that they got the Department of Defense's cooperation. The spatula scene in the General's house was filmed at three in the morning after the cast and crew were up the entire day. Murray improvised the "Aunt Jemima Treatment" sequence and Soles reacted naturally to whatever he said and did. Aunt Jemima is a Trademark for Pancake Flour, Syrup, and other Breakfast foods currently owned by the Quaker Oats Company [1]
Reaction
Stripes was released on June 26, 1981 and made $6,130,197 in 1,074 theaters on its opening weekend. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 It eventually grossed $85 million in North America. [2]
Stripes currently holds a 91 % "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies. Roger Ebert in his Chicago Sun-Times review praised it as "an anarchic slob movie, a celebration of all that is irreverent, reckless, foolhardy, undisciplined, and occasionally scatological. Roger Joseph Ebert (iːbɝt born June 18, 1942) is an American film critic and Screenwriter. The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It's a lot of fun. "[3] Janet Maslin of the New York Times called it "a lazy but amiable comedy" and praised Murray for achieving "a sardonically exaggerated calm that can be very entertaining. Janet Maslin (born 1948 is an American Journalist. She is best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times "[4] Gary Arnold, in his review for the Washington Post, wrote, "Stripes squanders at least an hour belaboring situations contradicted from the outset by Murray's personality. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The premise and star remain out of whack until the rambling, diffuse screenplay finally struggles beyond basic training. "[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Gillis, Michael. "Stars and Stripes", Columbia Pictures, 2006. }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company
- ^ "Stripes", Box Office Mojo, December 11, 2007. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Retrieved on 2007-12-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office
- ^ Ebert, Roger. "Stripes", Chicago Sun-Times, January 1, 1981. The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Retrieved on 2007-10-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks.
- ^ Maslin, Janet. "Stripes and the Biggest Wise Guy in the Army", New York Times, June 26, 1981. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981
- ^ Arnold, Gary. "Low-Ranking Stripes", Washington Post, June 26, 1981. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981
External links
- Stripes at the Internet Movie Database
- Stripes at Allmovie
- Stripes at Rotten Tomatoes
- Stripes at the 80s Movie Gateway
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