Movies - Stripes

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	Movies - Stripes

Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Warren Oates. The director was Ivan Reitman.

Stripes also featured several noted actors in their first significant movie roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, and Judge Reinhold. It was one of John Candy's earliest appearances. Bill Paxton was also in one scene. It was also among Oates' last films, as he died of a sudden heart attack the year after it was released.

The movie is "dated" in some ways, as it is set in Cold War Europe, but the humor is generally based on broader concepts that are still amusing.

Plot summary

After losing jobs they were never really interested in, John Winger (Murray) convinces his friend Russel Ziskey (Ramis) to join with him in the army, as they have nothing better to do with their lives, and enlisting will help them get in shape - and thus allow them to pick up young girls.

Once they get to boot camp, however, their drill sergeant Hulka (Owens) makes life miserable for them. However, it's not all bad at the boot camp - they are able to hook up with a couple of female M.P.s, Stella and Louise, and make friends with the rest of their company. However, Captain Stillman (Larroquette) manages to catch most of the men after they snuck out to spend a night in a female mud-wrestling bar and theatens to hold them back from graduation. Without the help of Sgt. Hulka (who was injured after a pride-tower he was standing on was accidentally bombed - unknowingly caused by Captain Stillman), all seems lost... until Winger manages to get everyone in shape in time for their graduation ceremony, where they wind up pleasing the visiting General (who likes the 'spunk' of these 'go-getters') and get a special mission in Germany.

Once in Germany, their mission is to guard the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle (which looks from the outside like a large motorhome). Bored with sitting around an empty hangar, John and Russel take the EM-50 (they tell the MPs they're taking it "to get it washed") to visit Stella and Louise, who are stationed in Austria. However, when Captain Stillman finds the EM-50 missing, he launches a secret mission to get the vehicle back (not wanting to make the mission official, for fear of how it'd look to his superiors). Along the way, Stillman accidentally steers them into Russian led Czechoslovakia (Sgt. Hulka, who accompanied Stillman and the company, jumped out of the truck before it was captured, realizing they were going the wrong way). When Hulka makes a radio broadcast explaining what happened, John and Russel realize that their company came looking for them and that the U.S. State Dept. will deny having any troops there - thus, they'll be trapped behind the Iron Curtain. John and Russel use the EM-50 to make their way to their friends, and with some unseen help from Sgt. Hulka manage to break everyone out. In the end, John and Russel become decorated heroes, Sgt. Hulka retires with honor, and Captain Stillman is relegated to a weather station near the North Pole.

Trivia

The movie was filmed in Fort Knox and Louisville, Kentucky.
The film's military-march instrumental theme was used in a TV commercial for Nissan trucks in December 2005 - January 2006.

Quote

Winger parks his car in an alley:

:Pedestrian: You can't park that car there! :Winger: I'm not parking it. I'm abandoning it!

Stillman and Hulka observing the platoon arriving at the barracks for the first time:

:Capt. Stillman: It looks like a fine group of men, Sergeant. :Ox: I sure hope this is the mess hall! ::(to Stillman, observing his Captain insignia): How's it goin', Eisenhower?! :Sgt. Hulka: Yes, sir, a fine group of men.

During the platoon's getting-acquainted session in the barracks:

:Psycho: My name's Francis Sawyer... but everyone calls me "Psycho". Call me Francis... I'll kill ya! Any 'a you...HOMOS...touch me, or my stuff...an' I'll kill 'ya. :Sgt. Hulka: Lighten up, Francis!

Winger, introducing himself to the rest of the platoon:

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Stripes (film) ]

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Movies - Stripes

Plot summary

Trivia

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