Old Time Hockey, like Eddie Shore

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2004)

I remember when Slap Shot came out; all my friends saw it and said it was great, but mom wouldnt let me see it due to the amount of profanity and other unsavory parts of the film.
So, I had to wait until I was much older to see it, some 20 years after release. What strikes me first about the film is how how low budget it looks - very much in keeping with team and the town it is set in. Its the gloomy 1970's in factory town, and like in a Bruce Springsteen song, the factory is closing down, with rumors of the team moving to Florida. Newman's own (ha) character, Reg Dunlop, is too old to be playing but doesn't have a great record to make him a desirable coaching candidate. So, changes are made...
It's a fun movie, but also very much about the human condition - limited success in life, bad relationships, bad choices. Throw in the Hanson Brothers, a nutty Quebecois Goalie, a profane pervert and a college boy and you have a colorful cast of characters.
Oh, and if you think the violence is a bit overrated, a couple of years ago I was treated to a minor league hockey brawl in Jacksonville, Florida where the Orlando Defenseman actually BIT a Jacksonville player and was suspended for 5 games.