Third Entry: Review of "Slap Shot"

As promised in my last blog post, this entry will be about that quintessential hockey/comedy movie "Slap Shot." I just realized I like to use the word quintessential a lot... but it's legit. This movie really is quintessential.

It was released in 1977 (a year before my brother was born), and stars Paul Newman and the infamous Hanson Brothers.

I think that the first minute and a half of the movie sums up what it's about:

The movie centers around the Charlestown Chiefs, a minor league hockey team in a dying town. Paul Newman is the coach and a player on the team, and is struggling with the fact that he isn't cut out for the big time league anymore (he's kinda getting old). The town's factory is on the brink of closing down, and therefore they would lose all the business going into the team, and therefore would not have a team anymore. So, to go out with a bang and get some more people coming to the games, Paul Newman's character, Reggie Dunlap, decides that to get business, he has to make his team a bunch of goons. So, they become the most violent team in their minor league bracket, thanks in part to the Hanson brothers:

It's not just the Hanson brothers though. There is a HUGE cast of interesting characters, like the subject of the above movie: Denis Lemieux. He's the goalie for the Chiefs, and is French Canadian (hence the accent). 

I think my favorite character though was Ned Braden. He was a really smart dude that went to a really good school, but ended up playing minor league hockey. He's married, and he and his wife were having issues throughout the movie.

Here are some of the most memorable quotes (for me) from the movie:

"I'm listening to the f***king song!" ~ Steve Hanson

"You do dat you go to the box. Two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, and then you get free." ~ Denis Lemieux

"These guys are a f***king disgrace!" ~ Johnny Upton

As with all movies I review on here, you have to go out and see it. It's yet another American classic everyone needs to view at least once in their lifetime. It's got comedy, hockey, hockey brawls, and drama. It really captures the spirit of a man who is out of the prime of his life, but is trying to desperately find some way back into it. 

Well, that's it for now! Until next time! In the meantime, happy brawling everyone!