Meatballs 4 (1992)

Film Title: Meatballs 4
Also known as: Happy Campers, Summer Vacation (UK)
Released: March 6, 1992
Directed by: Bob Logan
Written by: Bob Logan
Starring: Corey Feldman, Jack Nance & Sarah Douglas

Plot: A struggling water ski camp lays it all on the line when the rival camp across the lake tries to take over.

IMDb: 2.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: No score
My Score: 1/5

The final film in the franchise, Meatballs 4 started life as a film called Happy Campers but the name was changed just before release to tie into the well known series. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Jack Nance is the owner of a summer ski camp in dire financial straits. To revive his sagging attendance, he hires the hottest ski instructor around, Corey Feldman. Sarah Douglas is the evil owner of the rival, more prestigious camp across the lake. Filled with incredibly unfunny jokes and a tired plot, the film removes the more fantastic elements of the last two Meatballs films (aliens and ghosts) and replaces them with more T&A than all the other films combined. Unfortunately, the rampant nudity is the only thing of any value in the whole mess. J. Trevor Edmond, professional figure skater Deborah Tucker and Playboy Playmates Christy Thom, Monique Noel and Neriah Davis co-star.

Meatballs III (1986)

Film Title: Meatballs III
Released: October 27, 1986
Directed by: George Mendeluk

Written by: Bradley Kresden, George Mendeluk & Michael Paseornek based on characters created by Janis Allen, Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg & Harold Ramis

Starring: Sally Kellerman & Patrick Dempsey

Plot: When a porn star dies but is refused admittance into heaven, she's given a second chance to earn her wings by coming back to earth as a ghost to help an awkward teenager with his love life.

IMDb: 3.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: No score
My Score: 1/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Keeping in line with the crazier aspects of the series perpetrated by it's predecessor (an alien at summer camp?), Meatballs III, subtitled Summer Job, stars Sally Kellerman as the ghost of porn star Roxy Dujour. She dies while filming a movie but isn't allowed into heaven because she hasn't done enough good deeds. She's given the chance to earn her way in by helping out a nerd with his love life. And not just any nerd, but Rudy, Chris Makepeace's character from the first Meatballs film, now an awkward, nerdy teenager. Rudy in this film is played by Patrick Dempsey in his first feature length starring role. Dempsey is the only one that can see Kellerman in her ghost form although she can still interact with her surrounding environment. When she gives him the requisite geek-to-chic makeover, there is a sequence of scenes where we see a row boat rowing itself as well as a number of floating objects including a pair of pants, condoms and shopping bags. There's even a mock sword fight inside of a barbershop between the barber and a floating comb. As if that wasn't bad enough, the jokes include a salami down the pants of Dempsey, a mop bucket full of urine, and such classic lines as, "...you're the only guy I know who could make love to a Cheerio and not break it." As the film progresses, Kellerman, doing her best impressions of famous blonde bombshells from the golden age of cinema, tries to get the romantically ignorant Dempsey to see what's really important in a relationship with a girl and, of course, succeeds by the end of the movie. The problem with the movie isn't so much the acting, which isn't that great, but the script full of unfunny jokes and cliches. Not even the copious amount of naked breasts displayed can save this drudge. Co-starring Shannon Tweed and Maury Chaykin, the movie also features uncredited roles for Caroline Rhea, in a so-quick-you-might-miss-it one-line part that is her first on-screen role, and legendary musician Ronnie Hawkins, as the singer in Mean Gene's bar.

Meatballs Part II (1984)

Film Title: Meatballs Part II
Released: July 27, 1984
Directed by: Ken Wiederhorn
Written by: Martin Kitrosser (story), Carol Watson (story) & Bruce Franklin Singer (screenplay)
Starring: Richard Mulligan, John Mengatti, Kim Richards, John Larroquette & Paul Reubens

Plot: The kids and counselors of Camp Sasquatch have to pull out all the stops if they're going to avert a hostile takeover by the military minded Camp Patton from across the lake!

IMDb: 3.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: No score
My Score: 1/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The sequel in-name-only Meatballs Part II has very little in common with the original except that it takes place in a summer camp and involves two rival camps fighting it out. The plot is thin, the jokes aren't funny and the characters range from ridiculous to offensive. An alcoholic French camp cook, a boy in an electric wheelchair who races the camp bus (and wins), the tough guy who becomes the nice guy to impress a girl, and a barely closeted stereotypical homosexual (complete with a full closet of women's clothing) are just a few of the characters we meet in this movie. Oh, and an alien. Really. An alien, whom no one notices throughout the whole film except a group of boys who find him in an outhouse. Here's a picture of him. They call him Meathead. Oh, and the big climactic final battle between the two camps? A boxing match where one of the contestants is in drag, literally flying through the air like Peter Pan in your mama's dress. I kinda wish I was making this up. John Mengatti from the White Shadow is the the tough guy, Kim Richards is the innocent girl he likes, Richard Mulligan is camp director Coach Giddy, Paul Reubens is the bus driving, deejaying, part time Hare Krishna boxing referee Albert, and John Laroquette is the cross dressing, hidden-in-plain-sight gay man, Lt. Foxglove. Child actors Jason Hervey and David Hollander co-star along with Archie Hahn, Donald Gibb and comedian Elayne Boosler (in a cameo as a camper's mother). And I almost forgot about Shock Waves! For the second time in as many of his films, director Ken Wiederhorn inserts portions of his freshman film for the characters here to watch. Can't say as I blame him as surely it stands as his strongest effort in his filmography. Here's a clip from the ridiculous final fight.

Meatballs (1979)

Film Title: Meatballs
Released: June 29, 1979
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Written by: Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg, Janis Allen & Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin & Chris Makepeace

Plot: The kids and counselors of the below average Camp North Star are going to make this a summer to remember, but not if their rivals at the prestigious Camp Mohawk have anything to say about it!

IMDb: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75/100
My score: 3/5

Meatballs is fun little romp through the now familiar comedy film territory of summer camp. Known mostly as the launching pad for the careers of Bill Murray (here in his first starring role) and Ivan Reitman, it also introduced child actor Chris Makepeace. Murray and Makepeace have a good chemistry as the head camp counselor and the kid he takes under his wing. The film spawned three sequels, only one of which has any thing to do with the original. The movie is also Matt Craven's first film appearance. The film won three Genie Awards (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Lynch; Best Original Screenplay: Len Blum, Janis Allen & Daniel Goldberg; Golden Reel Award: Ivan Reitman & Daniel Goldberg) and was nominated in another six categories.