Gorp

'80s camp comedy in the vein of Meatballs. I haven't seen Meatballs since I was a kid, but I have to imagine it's quite a bit better than this dud. There are a handful of young actors who would go on to be pretty big (notably Dennis Quaid, Fran Drescher and Rosanna Arquette), but that's about the only reason to watch. It's comprised of a bunch of semi-related sketches. There are several lazy plot lines, only like one of which gets resolved by the end. The main characters, played by Michael Lambeck and Philip Casnoff, are awful, loudmouth, Italian stereotypes, and you just want to smack them in the face in every scene. Really, all the males in the movie are pigs and borderline rapists. There are some very pretty girls in the film (yes, even Fran Drescher was quite hot when she was in her early 20s), but they hardly figure in it. It's all about the boys acting obnoxiously. Of the future stars, Dennis Quaid has the biggest role as a guy obsessed with guns, explosives and fireworks. He's damn annoying, too, although at least he has a bit of charisma, unlike Lambeck and Casnoff.

"Gorp" (1980) is a comedy film that's set mostly in a camp cafeteria, but it misses the mark on humor. It's really not that funny and it's actually pretty disgusting, especially with the way food is defiled. The film relies on outdated ideas that haven't aged well. Most of the jokes fall flat, and the setting doesn't help. It's not particularly risqué, except for a projector scene that's totally NC-17. Overall, "Gorp" feels very average and boring, not warranting much attention. While it has a few moments, it ultimately fails to deliver a memorable or enjoyable experience. Also, Dennis Quaid is in it.

Imagine someone right next to you jumping up and down while screaming non-stop into your ear, with plenty of vulgar words peppered in his speech, and you will have an idea of what it's like to watch GORP. You might think that with all that energy put forward there would at least be a few laughs, but think again - there's not one laugh here! There isn't even a jovial spirit on display, just a feeling of mean-spiritedness and even pure rage. Not only that, its sense of "humor" is downright offensive at times. The only bit of interest it offers is a display of yet-to-be-famous talent. (P.S. - For some reason, my original post of these comments was taken down since someone thought it was "abuse". It's not abuse - I'm simply telling it like it is.)

It's a good thing I was only 16 the summer this came out. Me and my buddies, all of us the same age, got such a kick out of this Animal House ripoff only because we were as horny and mischievous as the characters. It's interesting to see the subsequent accomplishments of some of the stars. I don't think I'd waste much time watching it again, even to reminisce. It is exactly what it was, a teen-target capitalizing on our adolescent urges: plenty of girl-spying and bragging about what you want your buddies to think you've done. I remember being excited that school was letting out soon for the summer, so we were all planning our own GORP adventure, which of course never happened (but told everyone it did). Fun, but absolute crap.

"GORP" is what it is. It came out at a time when movies that were capitalizing on the success of "Animal House" came out just like "Halloween" inspired plenty of successors in the slasher genre. The Party Animal, Teenage Sex comedy has another addition with this film that takes place in a Jewish summer camp that includes food fights, pranks played on nemises and the obligatory panty raids.

The film does have a certain atmosphere and the 2 lead protagonists are neither likeable nor interesting. They seem to get angry and shout all the time for no particular reason. It is also not clear if this film is supposed to take place in the '60s or in 1979-1980 when this film came out. Much of the film is carried by the madcap supporting characters including a younger Fran Drescher as a no apologies CIT who likes to chew and spit out men and Dennis Quaid in a rare turn as the gun obsessed "Mad Grossman." I have to say that it was interesting to see Quaid play a weirdo and it would be neat to see him play more roles like this now against his current leading man type.

The film doesn't have a real plot and is merely a bunch of unconnected scenes stuck together. "Animal House" had a coherent plot with developed characters that added a lot to the film. "Meatballs" also seemed to be more effective having a madcap counselor played by Bill Murray who also was likeable despite his delinquency. GORP meanders and even some of the pranks seem unjustified and mean spirited. I found myself wondering where the film was and where it was going and then it just eventually ended.

This is a rare film that seems to have disappeared from video distribution and has not seen a DVD release at this date. It's nothing special but it is a good example of the type of films that came out in the late '70s and early '80s in this genre and if nothing else interesting to see the earlier work of Dennis Quaid, Fran Drescher and Roseanna Arquette.