Stripes
Release: June 26, 1981

Bill Murray was heading toward a career peak on the back of comedies such as this one from 1981, the second film in his ongoing collaboration with director Ivan Reitman (the two went on to make Ghostbusters). Murray plays a chronic loser who joins the army and fails to find a fan for his ironic sensibilities in his by-the-book sergeant (Warren Oates). When push comes to shove, however, the smirking hero takes charge of his ragtag unit and turns them into fighting machines, albeit to the rhythm of hit songs by Manfred Mann and Sly Stone. The film is occasionally funny, but it mostly plays like any one of a dozen underachieving comedies featuring players from Saturday Night Live and SCTV.

Trailers
Posters
Quotes
John Winger: "C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin."
Sgt. Hulka: "Lighten up Frances. -Sgt. Hulka"
Soldiers: "(commander) and just what kind of training have you been doing? (soldiers) Army training Sir! (Commander) Is it true that you have been doing it without a Platoon Leader? (soldiers) That's The Fact Jack! -Soldiers"
Recruiting Officer: "Are either of you gay? (Reitman) No, but we're willing to try. -Recruiting Officer"
Base Commander: "Have that removed. -Base Commander"
Francis: "My name's Francis, but my friends call me Psycho. Any of you call me Francis, and I'll kill you. And any of you touch my stuff, and I'll kill you. And any of you "homo's" touch me, and I'll kill you. -Francis"
Jack Winger: "You ever had the Aunt Jemima treatment? -Jack Winger"
Jon winger: "Chicks dig me... because I rarely wear underwear. -Jon winger"
Ox and Winger: "A lean mean fighting machine -Ox and Winger"
John Winger: "That's a fact, Jack! -John Winger"
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