Plot
Bill Murray decides to be all that he can be -- and it ain't pretty -- in this hit comedy. John Winger (Murray) is a quick-witted but unambitious loser who comes home after getting fired to discover that his car has been repossessed and his girlfriend is leaving him. With no idea of what to do next, John and his best friend Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis) impulsively join the Army, more as a practical joke than a career goal. John and Russell find themselves in basic training under the hard-nosed and impatient Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates), who is stuck with an outfit of goofballs, including overweight Ox (John Candy), naive Cruiser (John Deihl), perpetually stoned Elmo (Judge Reinhold), and the appropriately-nicknamed Psycho (Conrad Dunn). The platoon succeeds in impressing the generals spite of themselves, and John and Russell even find time to romance two pretty female MPs, Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young). However, when John and Russell commandeer a high-tech military vehicle for a European weekend getaway with the girls, they happen into Soviet territory and stumble into an international incident. Remarkably, Stripes was made with the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, despite its less-than-rosy view of the all-volunteer armed forces. ~ Mark Deming, RoviReview
A satire of army service and authority figures in general, the ribald comedy Stripes is buoyed by the strength of its cast and its unrelentingly goofy charm. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Murray is at the heart of the film's affable, likable tone; his usual deadpan, laid-back self, Murray is perfectly suited to the meandering script and to Ivan Reitman's offbeat direction. Reitman also directed Murray in his first film role, 1979's Meatballs, and he surrounds the actor with experienced comic accompaniment, most notably from John Candy and Harold Ramis. The then little-known Bill Paxton, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, and Sean Young also make memorable appearances. ~ Brendon Hanley, RoviCast
- Bill Murray - John Winger
- Harold Ramis - Russell Ziskey
- Warren Oates - Sgt. Hulka
- P.J. Soles - Stella
- Sean Young - Louise
- John Candy - Dewey "Ox" Oxberger
Credit
Joe Medjuck - Associate Producer, Karen Rea - Casting, Ronn Forella - Choreography, Arthur Goldweit - Choreography, Richard Bruno - Costume Designer, Ivan Reitman - Director, Harry Keller - Editor, Michael Luciano - Editor, Eva Ruggiero - Editor, Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score), James Spencer - Production Designer, Bill Butler - Cinematographer, James Connell - Cinematographer, Russell Saunders - Production Manager, Daniel Goldberg - Producer, Ivan Reitman - Producer, Carl Biddiscombe - Set Designer, John Cade - Stunts, Len Blum - Screenwriter, Daniel Goldberg - Screenwriter, Harold Ramis - Screenwriter, Gene S. Cantamessa - Production Sound Mixer| Strip to It: Step by Step Exotic Striptease Dancing (2011 Film), Strip to It: Core Moves & Fantasies (2008 Film) | |
| Stripfight: Las Vegas (2004 Film), Stripped (2001 Film) |
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