Snowboard Academy (1996)

Director:

John Shepphird

Writers:

Rudy Rupak
James Salisko

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

The path to higher education is all downhill!

Plot:

A wacky free-for-all comedy about the riotous rivalry between snobby skiers and knuckle-dragging snowboarders. |

Plot Keywords:

Greed | Low Budget Film | Snowboarding | Money | Ski Resort

Cast

Jim Varney	...	Rudy James
Corey Haim	...	Chris Barry
Brigitte Nielsen	...	Mimi
Joe Flaherty	...	Mr. Barry
Andreas Apergis	...	Red Eagle
Paul Hopkins	...	Paul Barry
David DiSalvio	...	Slush
Erin Simms	...	Katy
George Spiridakis	...	Gordo
Russell Yuen	...	Sonjai
Daniela Akerblom	...	Jessica
James Salisko	...	Dennis
Polly Shannon	...	Tori
Al Vandecruys	...	Inspector
Don Jordan	...	Greenwold
Bronwen Booth	...	Snowbunny
James Rae	...	Hot Tub Stud
Jack Fisher	...	Old Timer
Lucie Laroche	...	Herself
John Ross	...	Himself
Steve Miller	...	Student
Alain Goulem	...	Bar Patron #1
Rudy Rupak	...	Bar Patron #2
Kathya Rue	...	Swedish Babe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
François Garcia	...	Picnic Skier (uncredited)

Directed by
John Shepphird

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rudy Rupak
James Salisko

Produced by
Claudio Castravelli	....	co-producer
Jean Guy Despres	....	associate producer
David Gil	....	executive producer
Stephen R. Greenwald	....	executive producer (as Stephen Greenwald)
Rudy Rupak	....	producer
Carole Vaillancourt	....	line producer

Original Music by
Ross Vannelli

Cinematography by
Bruno Philip

Film Editing by
Richard Comeau

Casting by
Rosina Bucci
Vera Miller
Nadia Rona

Production Design by
Patrice Vermette

Costume Design by
Trixi Rittenhouse		(as Beatrice Trixi Rittenhouse)

Makeup Department
Manon Parisien	....	makeup artist
Hanna Yee	....	hair stylist

Production Management
André Desrochers	....	unit manager
Michel Wachniuc	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kim Berlin	....	first assistant director
Caroline Béliveau	....	second assistant director
Mike Hatchett	....	second unit director
Chelsea McIsaac	....	third assistant director
Ivy K. Tolchinsky	....	third assistant director
Michel Wachniuc	....	additional unit director

Art Department
Emmanuel Cote	....	assistant props
Luc Daneau	....	set dresser
Blaise Lefebvre	....	props master
Stéphanie Robitaille	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Mark Battenberg	....	foley assistant
Paul Durand	....	dialogue editor
Melanie Johnson	....	production sound mixer
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist
Ron Malligers	....	foley recordist
George Novotny	....	sound re-recording mixer
Philip Racine	....	adr recordist
Mike Smith	....	boom operator
Gary Vaughan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel W. Victor Jr.	....	stereo sound consultant
Gren-Erich Zwicker	....	assistant audio editor

Special Effects by
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects

Stunts
Lyssa J. Caster	....	ski stunt double
Lyssa J. Caster	....	stunts
Peter Cox	....	stunt coordinator
Peter Cox	....	stunts
Marc Désourdy	....	stunts (as Marc Desourdy)
John Ross	....	stunt performer
Tiffany Wall	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Hélène Choquette	....	camera operator
Hélène Choquette	....	second assistant camera
Kristen Dolenko	....	first assistant camera
René Fréchette	....	first assistant camera
Eric Gaucher	....	electrician
Sylvain Hardy	....	best boy
Walter Klymkiw	....	gaffer
Bruno Martel	....	best boy
François Parent	....	first assistant camera
Geoffrey Patenaude	....	camera operator (as Geoff Patenaude)
Bruno Philip	....	camera operator
David Sanders	....	set photographer
Sebastian Shaw	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Linda Rona	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joceline Charette	....	set wardrobe (as Jocelyne Charette)
Brigitte Desroches	....	wardrobe
Lorense Della Nave	....	assistant wardrobe

Editorial Department
Julie Bouffard	....	assistant editor
Christian Gravel	....	assistant editor
Pierre Guérin	....	assistant editor
Rosana Roth	....	post-production assistant (as Rosana R. Roth)

Other crew
Smita Acharvya	....	production assistant
Johanne Bergeron	....	production accountant
Robert Boutin	....	production assistant
Michele D'Avril	....	production secretary
Bram Eisenthal	....	unit publicist
Esther Lacaille	....	production coordinator
Chelsea McIsaac	....	production secretary
Simon Paquin	....	production assistant
Michael Roban	....	second unit coordinator
Rosana Roth	....	assistant to producers (as Rosana R. Roth)
Christian Simard	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Allegro Films
• Millennium Multimedia
• Taurus 7 Film Corporation
• Vision International

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Video (1997) (Japan) (VHS)
• Videosonic Arts (1998) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantor

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for crude language, innuendos, and mild violence

Runtime:

88 min | Argentina:89 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | USA:PG | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Québec, Canada

Company:

Allegro Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Obscurus Lupa Presents: Fast Getaway (#2.20)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Leaving This Planet

I'm on the fence with this one

Yes, I did buy this on DVD solely because Jim Varney is in it and I'm a huge fan. Even though this movie falls flat most of the time, Varney is the only one I wanted to see. Bless him, he always gave 110% to a role regardless of how crappy the script might be. (So far, the only crappy script was in this movie.) I love him as Ernest because I believe 100% that that was Jim's true calling. His character, 'Rudy James' does pull some Ernest-esque type stunts but without the Ernest charm I love so much. However, when Rudy slipped and started sliding in the snow, screaming like Ernest, and ended up crashing head first into a tree, I accidentally blurted out "Poor Ernest" before I could stop myself. I don't like pigeon-holing a character and I never did until then. I've come to realize that movies with very little heart, no strong moral foundation, foul language and sexual content don't do well for Varney. He was a stunning and brilliant actor but deep down I don't think he was ever meant to be in these types of movies. When he played down-to-earth, genuine characters like Ernest or 'Carl Banks' from 'Treehouse Hostage', you can see a difference in him. I think because in real life it was because Varney was a really sweet, down-to-earth, unpretentious man. Varney is hilarious in this movie and he has a great singing voice when he was entertaining customers at the bar. I found myself just going back to that scene and listening over and over again. I was ticked, however, when they cut away to show a scene between the bartender and the son of the owner of the resort(Flaherty). I was quite content on listening to Jim sing. True Varney fans(like myself) might want this one, but if not, leave it.