Ski School

Animal House (1978) and Caddyshack (1980) pretty much perfected the “slobs vs snobs” comedy to the point where nothing more need be said.  But with cheap production values and a horny teenage demographic, the sub-genre cluttered movie screens and video store shelves throughout the 1980s with too many titles to mention.  Ski Patrol (1990) was very late to the game and, with a PG rating, looked to reach youngsters who loved fart jokes and groin shots, but weren’t quite of age to enjoy bad language and T & A.

Snowy Peaks resort is a local institution run by Pops (Ray Walston) and his fun-loving ski patrol, a gaggle of multi-cultural misfits who take nothing seriously except their jobs.  But when a real estate developer (Martin Mull) frames them for several safety violations, the gang is put on the chopping block.  Can they save their jobs and the resort while still pulling pranks, winning talents shows and doing bad Rodney Dangerfield impressions?  You bet your *ss they can!

 

Ski Patrol is cringey from beginning to end.  Producer Paul Maslansky’s desperate attempt to replicate his Police Academy success is painfully obvious, especially when actors like T.K. Carter are forced to copy Michael Winslow’s motor-mouthed sound effects gag.  As hard as it is to watch, it’s even more difficult with the talent at the film’s disposal.  Ski Patrol is full of future sitcom standouts like George Lopez, Steve Hynter (Kenny Bania on Seinfeld) and the late Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) who rises above all the short jokes to deliver a fun performance.

 

But even the worst of these sort of films – and Ski Patrol is far from the bottom of the barrel – deliver that goofball sense of male camaraderie that appeals to our baser instincts.  It’s the friends we want to have, the pranks we want to pull, the comebacks we wish we could have said.  Mixed with some admittedly impressive ski footage and a hefty dose of nostalgia, that might just be enough to add this to your guilty pleasure collection.

 

Part of MVD’s Rewind Collection, the Blu-ray is packaged in clever videocassette-style packaging with reversible artwork and the original theatrical trailer.

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