Written by James M. Tate / 2/24/2014 / 1 Comment / army , bill murray , comedy , eighties , harold ramis , interview , ivan reitman , john candy , pj soles , warren oates
BILL MURRAY & HAROLD RAMIS WITH PJ SOLES IN STRIPES
Harold Ramis as Zitsky |
Bill Murray as Winger |
In STRIPES, when Bill Murray’s John Winger, attempting to prove to his best friend Russell Ziskey, played by Harold Ramis, that he isn’t too old and/or out of shape to join the military, after completing only several trudging sit-ups, Ramis quips: "I think you're ready for the Special Olympics!” Well if not that, the Army, where Winger decides to go after having enough of a nowhere existence, and being dumped by his hot blonde girlfriend, who feels John’s antics just aren’t “cute anymore.” One of the funniest scenes (embedded below) involves the two friends in the recruitment office, awkwardly answering a particular question long before the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era… "We're not homosexual... But we are willing to learn."
Damn we love PJ |
PJ Soles recalls STRIPES with Bill Murray |
Our scene that ended up being in the kitchen was outside, on a hill, looking at fireworks, and we were supposed to be going into the big kiss but instead, it was three o’ clock in the morning…
We were in Westwood. It was getting late. They shot Harold and Sean’s scene… their little love scene. And Ivan was, “Uh, I don’t know, we have to show somehow that you guys like each other. We’re gonna have to do something inside because we can’t go outside now, it’s too late. We can’t have lights outside. It’s a neighborhood.”
We were talking in the kitchen… And Bill opens the refrigerator and takes out a carrot. And I just looked at him and said, “What are you gonna do with that?” And Ivan just said, “Bring the camera in here. Let’s roll it.” And we shot that in literally twenty minutes. With coverage and everything. And I love that. It’s one of my favorite all-time scenes and because of the fact it just happened so automatically.
Conrad Dunn at Psycho |
HulkaMania! |
Murray and Ramis are quite funny together, but they can get down and dirty too. There’s a real edge to their chemistry here... And in films before and after, Ramis wrote many of the characters that made Bill Murray an icon.
This should be real! |
RIP for Harold Ramis on 2/24/2014 |
StripesScore: **** |
Like ANIMAL HOUSE, Elmer Bernstein's music plays for theme more than laughs. The piano bar riff embodying Winger's lazy countenance aside, a triumphant score blares throughout, as if part of a genuine gung ho war feature (yet also reminiscent of Berstein's patriotic marching romp from Steven Spielberg's zany 1941)...
This allows the humor to subtly intrude upon the gritty location, which is a character in itself: Harboring two buddies (and real life creative partners continuing in GHOSTBUSTERS and GROUNDHOG DAY) who will always be remembered within the high ranks of cinematic glory.
Labels:
army,
bill murray,
comedy,
eighties,
harold ramis,
interview,
ivan reitman,
john candy,
pj soles,
warren oates
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What the??????? Ramis is dead? I didn't hear or know about it until I saw the obligatory year born/death under his picture in this post. All those early movies ARE HUGE big glowing EDIFICES of my youth. Damn.
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