In case you've never seen this film before or just forgot, that stands for "Special reconnaissance tactical parachute command" according to the Walter Matthau character in this fun film that so many love to trash. I saw this film in 1969 when it was released (though I suspect that it was actually 68 before I joined the Air Force) and still remember gags like the restaurant Candy steps into and orders a Coke. The words on the window say, "Sicilian cooking our specialty" and the bartender, a surly looking guy if memory serves, busts the neck of the Coke bottle off the end of the bar and pours it into a glass for the heroine to her surprise. Being half Sicilian, I howled at this hysterically funny bit.
Now mind you, I won't tell you this is any sort of masterpiece comic or otherwise, but pay attention particularly to the dual performance of John Astin, vastly underrated comic actor and former husband to Patty Duke and father of Sean. His seedy uncle and prissy conservative dad are well worth the price of a rental at least, but for the music, you MUST buy the DVD if you love awesome 60's rock, since the album is almost impossible to find now.
Brando as a phony guru chewing on a salami and washing it down with a cold beer saying. "You must go beyond hunger - beyond thirst" while the hungry and HOT Ewa Aulin complains of hunger is a gem of a scene, along with Burton's WAYYYYY over the top Dylan Thomas type poet.
Mark here that a scene in the overrated "American Pie" of sex on a pool table was done better here where you actually SAW the act, and not just heard about it while characters were supposed to be seeing it.
All in all, those who choose to hate this film, get a sense of humor. It was never meant to be more than mindless entertainment, and on that level succeeds above and beyond. I could care less if it followed the book or not. I found IT disappointing.
