Utterly, Utterly

Rating: Null/10 (28 October 2000)

For some reason or another, I felt I had to rent the movie Slap Shot. I really don't know why but Saturday afternoon was spent watching it instead of doing other more important (?) things.
This film came out in the 70's at about the same time as the Philadelphia Fliers (more to the point the Broad Street Bullies) were using the same rough house tactics as was depicted in this movie
One of the big jokes that came out at this time was "I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out".
This movie comments on the life of a hockey player and what goes on behind the scenes in the front office as well as how hockey players are at the mercy of the owners. The owners can do just about anything to make a buck and the poor hockey player is just a piece of meat. Maybe the baseball players have the right ideas as far as being free agents after a specific period of time.
Some of the funniest scenes are with those Hansen brothers chewing up the rink, the opposing players and the opposing fans. I'd like to see the scene where they are coming into Hyannisport on the buses, being met by irate fans and the busloads of hockey players and the cheering sections pulling moons out the windows, happen in actual fact.
The piece de resistance is the final strip scene on the ice. It made about as much sense as all the fights that were and had been taking place in all of the games with the new Charleswood Chiefs. Simply amazing!!!!!
This movie is a must see for just about everyone--if you don't mind the swearing and brief nudity and explicit language and violence. It's just a comment on the reality of a hockey player's life.