Comfort Films 79: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

In this second week of School's Out for Summer month, we're going to summer camp with our guest Etta Goodridge! Directed by David Wain, written by Wain and Michael Showalter, and featuring many other members of MTV's The State sketch comedy series, Wet Hot American Summer has become a cult classic, with a huge cast of actors that have gone on to become major stars, including Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, and Elizabeth Banks. We discuss our own experiences with camp, the hilarious screenplay which employs mounting absurdity as it builds toward the thrillingly improbable climax, how we relate to the dual protagonists Cooper and Beth (played by Showalter and Janeane Garofalo, respectively), the magical alchemy that results in doing comedy with friends, and the importance of a good montage. Grab your bug spray and hike up to Camp Firewood with us!