M*A*S*H* (1970)

Robert Altman directed this slapstick war movie that launched the overly (I think) loved television show (Chris Rock on the OJ verdict: “I haven’t seen White people that mad since they cancelled MASH…”), yeah, I’ve been known to enjoy it myself, but that shit was on forever. Maybe it was different before syndication…..

Back to the movie, it’s an odd duck, slapstick humor amidst the heartbreaking fallout of a Korean War hospital. This side of war hadn’t really ever been shown on screen, and instead of being played as the horrific experience that it obviously was, it’s played for laughs. Sometimes this works to great effect, though sometimes I was left wishing it was more serious. Forcing me to feel like the squares in the movie that are so often thwarted.

Pretty much all of the time though you are rooting for the Freaks, its funny to see how much of it’s drunk anitestablishment attitude of “Weirdos versus Squares” set the template for “Animal House” and all of its ripoffs (Porky’s, and the like….) seriously, watch it again if you doubt me.

It deals with homosexuality poorly (just a nervous breakdown), and racism is pushed aside because it’s in the way of more jokes. Gender? Whatever, like I said it set the stage for Animal House.

Uneven and imperfect, but a comedy that I actually thought about after it was over. I guess thats something.