The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh

I really didn't know what to expect but this movie was cheesy fun. I'm a 70's child so it was cool to relive some of that. Of course I bought this because Branscombe was in it. You can see how young he was. Loved the entrance he made...

I haven't seen this movie in almost 2 decades. I saw it as a young adolescent growing up in Pennsylvania. Nonetheless its still one of my favorites. I can't tell ya why....its simply a story of magic and a boy who has smartz and more importantly a belief in others and all. I'll wait for the DVD to see it again....even if i have to wait a couple more decades.

The movie is goofy and campy with a bad script but I liked it. When I first saw this on TV I was picking out all the NBA stars from the various teams. This was filmed the year before Magic joined the Lakers who still had a few of their old castoffs like Hudson and Ford. A young Mychal Thompson knocks "Set Shot" into the scorers table.

Another commented on the short shorts players wore. Yes, this is how they wore them in those days. Unlike these ugly long skirts Michael Jordan brought into the league that players now wear.

The thing that bugs me most about this and other movies where a sport is being played is why the hell is the play-by-play guy heard throughout the arena????? I HATE when they do this. The sports stadium announcer only announces lineups, fouls, and substitutions - HE DOES NOT ANNOUNCE PLAYER ANALYSIS, STRATEGIES OR PERSONAL POINTS OF VIEW TO THE CROWD OVER THE LOUDSPEAKERS!!!!

Not the greatest movie ever made and I love it. There is something easy, cheesy, and sweet about this mostly typical root-for-the-underdog story.

Watch the movie, with some friends if possible, and be willing and able to talk, laugh, eat, intake, and maybe dance along with it. perfect for a rainy weekend, college dorm, missed flight kinda day.

The Fish also makes for a good combo movie day with: carwash, caddyshack, badnews bears, and if you wanna see it like I did the first time, rent "Love at First Bite" and watch them back to back, now there's a freaky 70s time capsule.

I think this movie is fun and just a great exit into silliness with a simple heartwarming chunk of cheese. What also added to my enjoyment of the films is that I watched this movie first as a seven year old, in Brooklyn in the now non-existent Duffield theater, (or was it the Metropolitian, eh- they're both gone now anyway) and that the great Dr. J (who was Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron before such types existed) made his motion picture debut in it and was the closest thing to serious in the film. Which to me worked well because this flick needed a straight man and he was it.

I would say the film itself deserves credit for being a picture postcard of the late seventies, over blown with the not quite released 60s psychedelia that never really left through the 70s decade, and full of garish, tackiness, thats fun to watch and laugh at. Its a bonus if you are interested in the period or lived it and haven't seen how over the top Hollywood presented everything.

I first saw this film on HBO in the Spring of 1981, and watched it every time it was on, I loved it. When I bought my first VCR in 1984, it was one of the first films I wanted to get on tape, finally in the end of 1984 it was on regular TV, so at least i got it in some kind of way (even though it was edited and with commercials). In 1988 Cinemax finally showed it uncut so I got it that way. Finally I bought the commercial release in 1997 on Warner Home video. However the Home Video version has several lines edited in it, or from it, so I was very disappointed, luckily I kept my Cinemax version (it has one thing edited in it).All it was, was a announcer voice over introducing the Sylvers. (see below)

Regarding the Soundtrack: Yes there is a vinyl ST, I searched for it for 22 years, and finally found it in January of 2003, of all places, a used record store six blocks away from my apartment. The ST is awesome and was my Holy Grail for awhile.

Here's the examples of the edits: Cinemax version: Edited out is the Voice over announcing: "Here are the SYLVERS". The scene is there but the voice over is missing, it is on the Home Video version though.

HV version: Here are a list of edits:

1. The two girls that show up in the arena, checking out the NEW team, mention that with a name like Bullet he better know how to shoot!" with a suggestive body movement

2. When Jonathon Winters (as the mean brother) is getting massaged and mimicking his brother he mentions about he can "just see his brother now taking a big "Dump" in his diapers"

3. When the whole NEW team is gathered in the locker room being introduced to each other. Running Hawk tells Harry that "with a face like yours, you ought to take a tip from the Lone Ranger and wear a mask" The line is their but he's also making a lewd gesture as he's saying it, that's what's cut.

4. When Luscious Tucker is being interviewed in the locker room (after joining LA), he says he's gonna stick on Moses Guthrie like "Stink on Sh**"

5. When Moses Guthrie (Erving) is rallying his team at the end with a pep talk, his dialog is edited out saying "Taking sh***y bounce after sh***y bounce", and that's what I'm going to take back out with me on the GD court" These are just five examples, it's been awhile but I'm sure there's more.

I don't know why these are edited, the movie was already PG, and I've seen a lot worse.