Product Description: The setting is camp firewood the year 1981. Its the last day before everyone goes back to the real world but theres still a summers worth of unfinished business to resolve. At the center of the action is camp director beth who struggles to keep order while she falls in love with a local professor. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: David Hyde Pierce Molly Shannon Run time: 97 minutes Rating: R Director: David Wain
Amazon.com: Tasty and nutrition-free as a snow cone on a hot summer day, Wet Hot American Summer is a silly, hilarious throwback to those mildly smutty early-'80s teen comedies. It takes place on the last day of Camp Firewood's 1981 season, and it's everyone's last chance for romance, self-realization, and of course the Big Talent show. The movie is filled with brilliant comic performances; it looks like the cast just took over a summer camp and had a great time. Writers Michael Showalter and David Wain have captured the essence of parody: absolutely nailing the conventions of their subject, kidding the hell out of it, and all the while showing a real fondness for the genre. People unfamiliar with Meatballs and its many imitators may well be left cold by Wet Hot American Summer, but anyone born between 1965 and 1980 will love it. --Ali Davis
What a waste of talent. ^ After seeing "Role Models" I opted to check out David Wain's(director) earlier work. Great cast but what is this supposed to be? A parody? I mean really, WTF? It's just not funny! Maybe a couple laughs but there's no continuity, no story, it goes nowhere. They did accomplish making it look like a 1981 movie (the year it is supposed to be set in) but whoever edited this thing should find another line of work. What a waste of great talent too. The deleted scenes on the DVD were more entertaining than the whole movie.
A No-Holds-Barred Cult Classic ^ A gay marriage in the woods, the confessions of canned vegetables, a drug-induced day-trip to a local town, multiple children drowning and a talent show are just some of the events that make up the day-in-the-life of 2001's "Wet Hot American Summer." Written and directed by alumni of MTV's mid-90's sketch comedy show "The State," the film is host to one of the best ensemble casts a comedy has seen in at least a decade and an off-beat sense of humor that has solidified its status as a cult classic.
The film takes place at a fictional summer camp in Maine in 1981. It's the last day of camp, and everyone is scrambling to find love and lust. Throughout the film, we follow an array of wacky and zany characters, brought to life by such talent as David Hyde Pierce, Christopher Meloni, Janeane Garofalo, Bradley Cooper, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black and Marguerite Moreau. Meloni plays against his "Law & Order" type and gets some of the biggest laughs of the show, but Rudd isn't far behind with his apathetic and child-like performance. The writing is as off-the-wall as expected, with the plot taking left-turns at unexpected points, giving way to gigantic laughs from bizarre situations and ridiculous sight-gags.
The film wasn't very successful upon its release, and most critics hated it, but over time, it has earned its spot as one of best comedies of the decade and is a testament to the power of comedy when it is without restraint or reservation. In short, it's a coming of age movie that can double as a stoner flick. Watch it without any pretentions and just enjoy the wild day that you'll want to re-live again and again.
I enjoyed it, but it's okay at best. ^ Anyone who would give a movie like this 5 stars obviously hasn't seen very many movies. I doubt that any of the major actors in the film would think of giving it that high of a score. It's making fun of great movies (like Meatballs) and lesser movies of the 80's. It's just a parody. Even a great movie like Meatballs (with superior acting, directing and production) doesn't deserve 5 stars. There are some funny scenes in the film, but that's about it. I'd rather watch Meatballs, or the State.
hot ^ No surprise this film had me laughing with no end. The cast is almost identical to that of Role Models but with other additives like Michael Ian Black and now the ever so popular Bradley Cooper. An instant classic in my book, easy to relate to and you can't help but to smile at Amy Poehler's hairstyle and sea shell sweatshirt.
Ok ^ I grew up loving the "Meatballs" series and other 80s teen-camp movies. But I didn't go through adolescence in the 80s. And thats where most of the humor comes from in this overrated movie.
Its not dull or totally unfunny. But no moment warrants anything better than a smile. Horny Jewish kids at a camp. Most of the characters and storylines aren't that funny. And the actors playing them add most of the life to the movie. The only reasons to watch this movie are the funny characters who are in the background. David Hyde Pierce, the one-note funny of Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and Christopher Meloni all play funny cliche bit parts, usually found in other camp movies. But its the unfunny original characters who get the most screen time. Garofalo, Showalter and the rest are just boring and unlikable. And I'm sure they can be funny in other roles.
Watch it once. You won't remember much because its not a great comedy. Not even that good.
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