– To build up attendance at their games, the management of a struggling minor-league hockey team signs up the Hanson Brothers, three hard-charging players whose job is to demolish the opposition. –
The gloves are off this week on Philosophy in Film as the gang faces off with George Roy Hill’s bruising classic, Slap Shot! Set in the fading mill town of Charlestown, the film follows player-coach Reggie Dunlop, played by Paul Newman, as he tries to save a failing hockey team by leaning into spectacle, violence, and the sudden popularity of the Hanson Brothers. What begins as a desperate bid for ticket sales spirals into a question about integrity, entertainment, and what happens when winning becomes secondary to drawing blood. At centre ice, Craig drops the puck with Producer’s Notes (), while Alain takes out some teeth with the Beauclair Synopsis (). In Philosopher’s Corner, Chris digs into the film’s storied history and stitches connections to our hometown. The gang heads to the penalty box for the Round Table () to consider the ethics of aggression, masculinity on ice, and the simmering class tensions bubbling beneath the boards. Reviews sound the final buzzer as we tally the hits, the heart, and whether Slap Shot earns its place in the hall.
As always, we explore the philosophical and non-philosophical aspects of the film, because when the crowd wants a fight, someone still has to decide what the game is really about.
With Special Guest: Megan Craig (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Art, Stony Brook University)
🍻 Featured Beer 🍻 – Cabin Beer Everyday Lager by Cabin Brewing Company (Calgary, AB)
Slap Shot
- Year 1977
- Country USA
- Director George Roy Hill
- Running Time 123 mins.
- Genre Comedy
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