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My Great Eight Camp Lists |
announcing the mycampfriends.com
GREAT EIGHT
(*also known as our fancy-shmancy way of making a "best of"camp list)
#8-SALUTE YOUR SHORTS
There are so many reasons to love this early 1990's Nickelodeon show. First of all, though it only ran for two years, it felt like it was ALWAYS on. (Well, that and "Double Dare".) Second, it gave a much needed acting platform for former Diff'rent Strokes icon Danny Cooksey. But most importantly, anyone of a certain age knows exactly what you're talking about if ever "Camp Anawanna" is mentioned. Just make sure you avoid the "Awful Waffle" at all costs...
#7 - THIS AMERICAN LIFE (NPR) PODCAST: NOTES ON CAMP
Let it be said that your two, humble co-directors of MyCampFriends.com have a lot to brag about being from Chicago. The '85 Bears, for example. Or Art Norman. But especially the WBEZ produced "This American Life". Episode 109, which aired in June, focuses on two great Michigan camps, Lake of the Woods (for girls) and Greenwoods (for boys). It culminates with an intense look at camp "Color Days" (a.k.a. "Color Wars", or "Colour Wars" if you went to camp in England). A fun, authentic, and highly recommended listen.
#6-ANY CHEESY 1980'S MOVIE SHOWN ON A RAINY DAY
So it's raining at camp, huh? You can keep "Old School", "American Pie" and "Wedding Crashers".
We'll take "16 Candles", "Top Gun", or "The Breakfast Club" any rainy day.
It's tough to quantify without a lot of free time and perhaps some Jamison
(only if you're over 21, kids), but something about watching an 80's movie just goes hand in hand
with a rainy day activity. (Notable exceptions would be "Mannequin", "Dream A Little Dream",
and "Caddyshack 2" - better known as the single worst comedy of all time.
Chevy, what happened to you?) Our point is this: who cares if the volleyball game
got rained out? You get to eat popcorn and watch "The Goonies".
Lucky.
#5-THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME
We're certain that nowadays, every camper has their iPod, portable
DVD player, and live, streaming video on their cell phone all by their
side at camp. But way, way back in the day, there was only one TV
show that was allowed at most camps: the mid-summer classic,
Major League Baseball's All-Star game. Each summer, thousands of
campers would sit in front of a TV to watch the heroics of Steve Garvey, or
Bo Jackson, or even Barry Bonds before his body
"mysteriously" blew-up to 80 times its' normal size.
#4 - INDIAN SUMMER
I distinctly remember not "getting" this movie when it was released back in 1993. As much as I loved camp, I was a sophomore in college at the time and couldn't fathom what it felt like to be an adult returning to camp. I was more concerned with which new grunge would last longer, Pearl Jam or Nirvana. Nevermind. But now, of course, I get it - and it's become one of my favorite camp movies. Granted, the same thing applies to "Heavyweights", but I won't get into that here. This movie actually seems somewhat underrated in the grand scheme of camp movies, but I'd strongly suggest checking out the adventures of a group of camp friends who return to camp 20 years later. Damn, I think I need some tissues right about now...
#3 - WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER
This 2001 flick about camp life in the early 80's has already become a classic. Created by David Wain and Michael Showalter, with a ridiculously great cast (including David Hyde-Pierce, Amy Poehler, and a star turn from Christopher Meloni as "Gene", the creepy kitchen guy - come on, every camp has one), Newsweek's David Ansen wrote that the flick "made me laugh harder than any other movie this summer...Make that this year". If it weren't for our #1 choice (keep reading), this would contend for greatest camp movie of all time - and not just because it includes a touching rendition of "Day By Day", an absolutely beautiful Marguerite Moreau, and the most realistic look ever at what really happens when counselors go into town.
#2 - JAMES TAYLOR'S GREATEST HITS (Volume One)
Go ahead, hate on James Taylor if you want to. But at least admit it: it doesn't seem to matter when you went to camp, you know every one of these tunes backwards and forwards. Campfires, talent shows, on the beach; wherever you were, someone was surely playing or singing "You've Got A Friend", "Fire and Rain", or any of the other camp-perfect tunes on this album. There are other James Taylor compilations with around 137 more songs, most of which sound like they were written specifically as background music to be played at ShopKo. (I love ya, Sweet Baby James, but was "Never Die Young" really necessary?) But when the sun is setting on the last night of camp, pull out your iPod and dial up some hot James Taylor action. No album better captures the spirit and feel of camp than this does.
AND COMING IN AT #1 - MEATBALLS
The granddaddy of all camp media. Young Bill Murray entering his comedic prime? As a wise-ass head camp counselor? Are you KIDDING me? Sure, it looks like it was shot with your dad's Super 8 camera, and I dare you to name one other actor in the cast - OK, not including the kid who was in My Bodyguard. (The dude who played "Spaz", the hot-dog eating champ, who did indeed beat his stomach, was in a few movies, right?) But line for line, scene for scene, this movie has the goods. Great characters (camp director Morty comes to mind), a catchy soundtrack (who didn't have "Are You Ready For The Summer" stuck in their head the first time they saw this movie, or "I'm Makin' It", for that matter), and one of the single most brilliant & quotable Bill Murray scenes ever filmed ("It just doesn't matter!")...you name it, it's in here. Meatballs is more than the greatest ever camp media, way too many hours watching the VHS tape as a kid is, without question, the reason this website exists. Period.
GREAT EIGHT
(*also known as our fancy-shmancy way of making a "best of"camp list)
Every so often, your friends at MyCampFriends.com will assemble a list of Eight Great things about the camp experience; inspired by the traditional, eight weeks of summer camp.
Our inaugural list concerns something we all love: camp media, as in movies, music, books, and other sources of entertainment that instantly take you back to camp.
So without further ado, here's MyCampFriends.com's Great Eight List #1: Our Favorite Camp Media.
Our inaugural list concerns something we all love: camp media, as in movies, music, books, and other sources of entertainment that instantly take you back to camp.
So without further ado, here's MyCampFriends.com's Great Eight List #1: Our Favorite Camp Media.
#8-SALUTE YOUR SHORTSThere are so many reasons to love this early 1990's Nickelodeon show. First of all, though it only ran for two years, it felt like it was ALWAYS on. (Well, that and "Double Dare".) Second, it gave a much needed acting platform for former Diff'rent Strokes icon Danny Cooksey. But most importantly, anyone of a certain age knows exactly what you're talking about if ever "Camp Anawanna" is mentioned. Just make sure you avoid the "Awful Waffle" at all costs...
#7 - THIS AMERICAN LIFE (NPR) PODCAST: NOTES ON CAMP
Let it be said that your two, humble co-directors of MyCampFriends.com have a lot to brag about being from Chicago. The '85 Bears, for example. Or Art Norman. But especially the WBEZ produced "This American Life". Episode 109, which aired in June, focuses on two great Michigan camps, Lake of the Woods (for girls) and Greenwoods (for boys). It culminates with an intense look at camp "Color Days" (a.k.a. "Color Wars", or "Colour Wars" if you went to camp in England). A fun, authentic, and highly recommended listen.
#6-ANY CHEESY 1980'S MOVIE SHOWN ON A RAINY DAYSo it's raining at camp, huh? You can keep "Old School", "American Pie" and "Wedding Crashers".
We'll take "16 Candles", "Top Gun", or "The Breakfast Club" any rainy day.
It's tough to quantify without a lot of free time and perhaps some Jamison
(only if you're over 21, kids), but something about watching an 80's movie just goes hand in hand
with a rainy day activity. (Notable exceptions would be "Mannequin", "Dream A Little Dream",
and "Caddyshack 2" - better known as the single worst comedy of all time.
Chevy, what happened to you?) Our point is this: who cares if the volleyball game
got rained out? You get to eat popcorn and watch "The Goonies".
Lucky.
#5-THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAMEWe're certain that nowadays, every camper has their iPod, portable
DVD player, and live, streaming video on their cell phone all by their
side at camp. But way, way back in the day, there was only one TV
show that was allowed at most camps: the mid-summer classic,
Major League Baseball's All-Star game. Each summer, thousands of
campers would sit in front of a TV to watch the heroics of Steve Garvey, or
Bo Jackson, or even Barry Bonds before his body
"mysteriously" blew-up to 80 times its' normal size.
#4 - INDIAN SUMMERI distinctly remember not "getting" this movie when it was released back in 1993. As much as I loved camp, I was a sophomore in college at the time and couldn't fathom what it felt like to be an adult returning to camp. I was more concerned with which new grunge would last longer, Pearl Jam or Nirvana. Nevermind. But now, of course, I get it - and it's become one of my favorite camp movies. Granted, the same thing applies to "Heavyweights", but I won't get into that here. This movie actually seems somewhat underrated in the grand scheme of camp movies, but I'd strongly suggest checking out the adventures of a group of camp friends who return to camp 20 years later. Damn, I think I need some tissues right about now...
#3 - WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMERThis 2001 flick about camp life in the early 80's has already become a classic. Created by David Wain and Michael Showalter, with a ridiculously great cast (including David Hyde-Pierce, Amy Poehler, and a star turn from Christopher Meloni as "Gene", the creepy kitchen guy - come on, every camp has one), Newsweek's David Ansen wrote that the flick "made me laugh harder than any other movie this summer...Make that this year". If it weren't for our #1 choice (keep reading), this would contend for greatest camp movie of all time - and not just because it includes a touching rendition of "Day By Day", an absolutely beautiful Marguerite Moreau, and the most realistic look ever at what really happens when counselors go into town.
#2 - JAMES TAYLOR'S GREATEST HITS (Volume One)
Go ahead, hate on James Taylor if you want to. But at least admit it: it doesn't seem to matter when you went to camp, you know every one of these tunes backwards and forwards. Campfires, talent shows, on the beach; wherever you were, someone was surely playing or singing "You've Got A Friend", "Fire and Rain", or any of the other camp-perfect tunes on this album. There are other James Taylor compilations with around 137 more songs, most of which sound like they were written specifically as background music to be played at ShopKo. (I love ya, Sweet Baby James, but was "Never Die Young" really necessary?) But when the sun is setting on the last night of camp, pull out your iPod and dial up some hot James Taylor action. No album better captures the spirit and feel of camp than this does.
AND COMING IN AT #1 - MEATBALLSThe granddaddy of all camp media. Young Bill Murray entering his comedic prime? As a wise-ass head camp counselor? Are you KIDDING me? Sure, it looks like it was shot with your dad's Super 8 camera, and I dare you to name one other actor in the cast - OK, not including the kid who was in My Bodyguard. (The dude who played "Spaz", the hot-dog eating champ, who did indeed beat his stomach, was in a few movies, right?) But line for line, scene for scene, this movie has the goods. Great characters (camp director Morty comes to mind), a catchy soundtrack (who didn't have "Are You Ready For The Summer" stuck in their head the first time they saw this movie, or "I'm Makin' It", for that matter), and one of the single most brilliant & quotable Bill Murray scenes ever filmed ("It just doesn't matter!")...you name it, it's in here. Meatballs is more than the greatest ever camp media, way too many hours watching the VHS tape as a kid is, without question, the reason this website exists. Period.
