Meatballs (1979, Ivan Reitman)
Meatballs II (1981, Ken Wiederhorn)
Changing it up slightly, I revisited the first and entertained the second for the first time.
Ahem.
As part of my endless quest to watch every film from '79, I reappraised Meatballs after decades. More sporty than I remembered, and a darn sight more wholesome to boot
, what with the Murray tutoring a young lad in good clean fun. There is an underdeveloped "rivalry" with a snootier camp across the lake, which seemed like an afterthought, and as I say the finale is "team based" ahem. I hated it.
The second ... was something else. Seeming to have moved (new neighbours
cough), we now have the dad from Soap! as camp director, Paul Reubens as handyman ... and a few other guests besides
Aside from the more formulaic nature, there was just something endearing about its barefacedness. Then .... well, let's just say it's not something you see every day.
