Sunday, June 22, 2008

Ziskey Rates The Russians: "They're Pussies!"

Just caught the end of Caddyshack on VH1! Classic Harold Ramis - slacker underdog defies authority and wins some sort of victory amid a huge spectacle towards the movie's end. In this case, Danny Noonan chooses his mentor Ty Webb over the certain college scholarship that Judge Smails would provide, then Carl Spackler blows up the golf course and guarantees a Webb/Noonan win.

In Animal House, the victory was the spectacle: The Deltas brazenly ruined the Dean/Mayor propaganda/homecoming parade on Main Street.

In Stripes, John Winger and Russell Ziskey saved their comrades and routed Soviet troops though at film's end Winger made his peace with the mean authority figure. (Captain Stillman turned out to be the one deserving of comeuppance.)

Then there's Ghostbusters, Back To School ... and how did Meatballs end again? All I remember is the slacker mantra of "It Just Doesn't Matter!"

Update: Ramis was born in 1944 and hence is not a self-absorbed baby boomer. So instead of writing swill like The Big Chill, he taught a (my) generation how to slack and how to regard authority with high caution. This makes me appreciate his work all the more.