Swim Team

Oh, MAN! I had forgotten that they made movies this bad in the 70's. Retarded plot. Retarded acting. Monumentally stupid love interests. Plus, some of the lamest attempts at humor I've ever seen. I lost count after about 50 or so of the number of scenes in which some dufus falling into water was supposed to get laughs. Seriously, I'm not kidding when I say that the level of sophistication of the comedy in this film insults 5-year-old's. Combine all this with a soundtrack to vomit to and, please, won't some nice shark out there eat all these twits?

I was enrolled in a film actors academy in Orinda California run by the director of Swim Team and his wife. After auditioning for several parts, I was given a non-speaking role as a guy sitting in a Jeep with several other extras drinking beer. This happens in a scene where the Stephen Furst (Flounder) character buys some beer at a store (it was filmed in a shopping center next to Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, CA). I'm just a blip in the film; the camera dollies past a row of parked cars where everyone is partying. The scene includes James Daughton in a van making lewd comments to passing girls, holding up a sign that says "Wanna Do It?" This experience was fun for a while and I did get to spend some time sitting with Stephen Furst between takes--he's a very polite and gracious man--but we sat in that Jeep for most of the night holding the same warm beer (I believe it was Coors) as they did take after take. I sort of knew this story was a rip-off of several equally bad movies and later found out that if you were in the director's circle of friends and relatives, you got big screen time and some lines.

I too was a student at Film Actors Academy, one of 3 schools at that time, at the time "Swim Team" was filmed. I remember the Owner and producer of the Film ask several of us from my beginners class to be extras as opposing team members. Having to go to a few locations to film the competition scenes, as well as participate as crowds cheering. Also a Baracuda on the opposing Team. Silly as it was it was a stepping stop for some...

Flounder, the late Steven Furst, was a character off screen as well as on screen, Jenny Newman was new in the screen and Cynthia Bain, "Pumpkinhead" fame was a member at the same location I went for classes.

They Both happen to be 1979 releases as well as that they do both happen to have a similar plot.As my Mom ,Mary E.(Garvey) & I do agree & we'd each happened to see it but @ different times when it was played on Cinemax during the Summer of 1981.Stephen Furst as much makes this Movie & as much as he does Animal House.Yes He's the big bright star shining so bright.How much more can one possibly say when the basic bottom line gist is that both MeatBalls & Swim Team each happen to have a losing team spotlighted in the film that each really do finally break free of their many year losing streaks.Camp North Star breaks a 12 year losing streak in MeatBalls while The Sharks break a 7 year losing streak in Swim Team.The Movie Critic Leonard Maltin in his review asks can the sharks break their 7 year losing streak,can you make it thru the movie to find out?Well of course you can if you're a fan of MeatBalls then you're a fan of SwimTeam too & you can.

Truthfully, Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a "Ste" of Framingham,MA.USA

In the late 1970's I attended "The Film Actor's Academy" in Orinda, CA. The owner of the company and his wife managed to get actress Shirley Jones to endorse the company. They actually gave me a "screen test" to see if I was WORTHY of attending. The classes were surprisingly interesting and helpful. At the end of the course there was a mock Academy Awards-type ceremony. I won for best Actor in my category. The kicker of my experience was when I got to audition for "Swim Team" which was directed by, none other than, the owner himself. My audition was held at a swimming pool (I don't remember the location.) There were tons of other kids there from a local high school swim team auditioning. One of them was even nice enough to give me a crash course (verbally) in diving. After my audition all I was able to recall was standing on the diving block and eventually getting out of the water. The swim across the pool was, at the time, a complete blur. Somehow I managed to make the swim team for the film. The entire day was spent frolicking around the pool in my brown Speedos. When I finally saw the film (years later a friend was able to find a copy at his local video store and surprised me with it) I was just a blip in one scene. The rest of the movie was just more of the same. Young people frolicking and doing ridiculous things. The film was very typical of other films of that time.