I usually don't watch movies on television. chances are, I'm going to follow asleep. There was an exception the other day. "Stripes." I saw it in a theater in 1981. There have been all or partial viewings on television many, many times since then. If i stumble across it, I'm going to stay for a while, and I stayed for the whole thing on a recent showing.
A great movie? No. A darn fine one? Absolutely. Entertaining from beginning to end.
The movie works on many different levels. It's a great screwball comedy. Even more importantly, there's a story here. It has a beginning, middle and end. Plus, you get caught up in the characters. I have yet to meet the person who didn't like it.
So often, people look down their noses on basic comedies. "Stripes" is funnier than most.