Most unusual film from Hill, which follows a season in a failing ice hockey team led by Paul Newman, and their growing success the more unruly they become. Funny, joyously crude and violent, fast and amoral. Nancy Dowd is the writer, who gives us the comedic violence fleshed out with real characters. The actual hockey scenes, both within the rink and on the spectators, are just brilliantly edited - I couldn't keep up with what Dede's doing - and her importance is noted by the very early credit she's given (only behind Newman and Hill):
With Strother Martin, Michael Ontkean, Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse, Jerry Houser. M Emmett Walsh, Andrew Duncan, Melinda Dillon. Photographed by Vic Kemper. Universal.
During a 1983 interview with Rolling Stone, Newman admitted, “Ever since Slap Shot, I’ve been swearing more. You get a hangover from a character like [Reggie Dunlop], and you simply don’t get rid of it. I knew I had a problem when I turned to my daughter one day and said, ‘Please pass the f*ckng salt.’”
Despite this verbal side effect, the film quickly became one of Newman’s favorite projects. “I’m not usually happy with my work,” he once said, “but I loved that movie. It rates very high as something in which I took great personal satisfaction.”
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