The 10 greatest homegrown semiclassics of all time, perfect for a rainy Canada Day. Or any other day.
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A whole bunch of firsts: The template for the summer camp comedy, the first leading role for Bill Murray and the launchpad for Ivan Reitman’s massive success as a comedy director in Hollywood (he directed Stripes and Ghostbusters). And you could see it this weekend, or wait until July 22 and check it at the alFresco filmFesto. YouTube clip Metaballs: -
An early entry in the crazy teen comedy genre, it’s rude, crude and also Canadian—though you wouldn’t know it given its Florida locale. Until Resident Evil: Afterlife shuffled into view, Porky’s was the highest grossing Canadian movie ever. But don’t expect any sophistication in this tale of a group of buddies looking to lose their virginity with a hooker. -
SCTV’s Bob & Doug McKenzie, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, satirize every Canadian hoser cliche and invent some new ones in this action comedy (that they both wrote and directed). The amazing Bergman veteran Max von Sydow appears as Brewmeister Smith, looking to take over the world in a bit of James Bond-esque villainy. This should be required viewing for all those new immigrants being sworn in down at Pier 21 this weekend. -
Sure, it’s supposed to be set in Aurora, Illinois, but we all know that writer/star Mike Myers based his Saturday Night Live character Wayne Campbell on his experiences growing up in Scarborough, Ontario. Still schwing-tastic, and the sequel Wayne’s World 2 is watchable as well, mostly for Christopher Walken’s kooky presence. -
An oddly gritty-but-hilarious mockumentary on the lives of two Alberta headbangers, Deaner (Paul Spence) and Terry (David Lawrence). It just got the jump on reality TV making stars of people who are actually like this, not just pretending, but FUBAR is surprisingly affecting, especially as it gets into Deaner’s “ball cancer.” -
“Full shitcircle, Randy,” as Jim Lahey might have said: This movie was produced by Ivan Reitman, who helped send Nova Scotia’s biggest cultural export since lobster around the planet. Essential, after the TV box sets. -
This film haunts many Canadians who were teenagers in the 1980s. It would come on late night cable and scare the pants off you with the little red ball bouncing down the stairs. It stars George C. Scott as a composer who moves from New York to the Pacific Northwest and is haunted by the restless ghost of a little girl. -
Shot in Sydney Mines, this is a solid, low-budget entry in the slasher genre, considered a classic by aficionados. For its local location filming alone it deserves a place in your Canada Day movie sked. -
Christopher Walken again, in maybe his most iconic role, as a man who loses five years of his life after an accident and wakes up with psychic powers and a growing sense that presidential candidate Jeff Stillson (Martin Sheen) is a bad man. Director David Cronenberg creeps where other filmmakers cannot reach. -
A lively werewolf movie that connects lycanthropy with the changes that come with puberty, it’s both dark and grimly comic, following two teenage sisters (Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle) as the elder, Ginger, gets attacked by a werewolf and then grows lots of hair in strange places.