Ivan Reitman’s follow-up to the hugely successful National Lampoon’s Animal House (which he co-produced) is less frantic and more sentimental but definitely in the same mold. Relying on juvenile, bawdy humour and the hip, anti-establishment attitude of Animal House, Meatballs is set in a summer camp for misfits overseen by head counsellor Bill Murray in his first starring role. His motivational rallying cry to his team of losers as they take on an opposing team from a rich kid’s camp is: ‘It just doesn’t matter!’ Despite its critical drubbing, Meatballs remains one of the most popular Canadian films of all time and spawned two dreadful sequels. – Essential Guide to Canadian Film The production still and poster were scanned from originals in the Northernstars Collection.