Meatballswas a blockbuster hitwhen it first appearedin the summer of 1979. It's now out as a specially re-mastered DVD
under the supervision of Reitman.The extrasinclude a bonus "making of" documentary, titled "Summer Camp: The Making of Meatballs," as well as the director's commentary.
Filmed on location at an actual summer camp, Camp White Pine, located just north of Toronto, and using many of the camp's actual enrollees and counselors as extras, Reitman says Meatballs was a great platform for Murray.
"Bill worked with me before he worked on Saturday Night Live. I had a show off Broadway called The National Lampoon Show that starred Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Brian-Doyle Murray, Joe Flaherty, and Harold Ramis."
"I worked with them for about a year and then Lorne Michaels basically came and picked up most of the cast and put them on Saturday Night Live. I worked with Harold after that because he didn't get chosen for Saturday Night Live. We wrote a script based on that show that eventually became Animal House. Then when I decided to get into directing myself I called Bill for Meatballs and of course called him again on Stripes."
Reitmancalls Murray an "extraordinary great comic actor"who has the gift of "topspin."
"I mean he could take an ordinary line and just by turning it slowly with his voice and with his inflections or shifting some of the verbiage in the line and make it seem three times as funny as it was when it was originally written. He's a very good actor and he's just starting to get credit for what a good actor he is today because he did a couple of more serious roles. But frankly I think his comedic roles are as effective as anything."
Meatballs catapulted Oscar-nominated Murray, who later starred in "Ghostbusters," the biggest grossing comedy of all time, to comedy film legend. Murray went on to headline a succession of big screen hits, including "Lost in Translation", "Stripes" and "Caddyshack."
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