It’s almost impossible to watch a movie like Wet Hot American Summer without wondering just how fun it was to shoot. Luckily, those who are curious can now find their answer in Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot, a new, hour-long behind-the-scenes doc—streaming now on Netflix!—that offers a close, candid look at what it was like for a bunch of comedians and then-rookie actors to spend their first summer at Camp Firewood.
Hurricane of Fun is like an extended home movie, distilled from 25 hours of on-set footage of interviews, shooting, and cast shenanigans. “We’re at a camp with no rules, and now we’re all in our thirties, so we really know how to party,” Amy Poehler says in one scene with a grin. Like many cast members, Wet Hot American Summer was her first major role in a feature film. Bradley Cooper’s interview, which is peppered throughout the doc, is perhaps the most endearing. “I just graduated two days before I came out here, so having the opportunity to work on a film was something I would jump at,” the 25-year-old actor, still wet behind the ears, says before gushing about some of his fellow cast members.
The cast actually lived at the camp, and weathered some surprisingly soggy conditions: It rained 23 of the 28 shooting days, and although the shots came out looking summery, often the cast was freezing cold. Camp life might have been a nostalgic throwback, but Poehler notes it also has its challenges—like sharing a bathroom with a hairy neighbor. “It’s utterly, utterly amazing how much pubic hair Zak has,” she marvels, presumably referring to fellow cast member Zak Orth.
Like Wet Hot itself, the doc is a bit of a hilarious, uneven hodgepodge. The cast members goof around, do impressions, attempt to figure out the old camp game Snaps, and show off some impressive fruit juggling skills. If you’re a superfan who craves a meandering tour through the making of this cult classic—or just wants to spend a few more minutes at Camp Firewood—Hurricane of Fun is well worth an hour of your time. For the rest, here’s a helpful summary from Poehler herself: “Basically, our day consists of, ‘Have you got beer yet? Where is it? Where are we gonna drink it? Do you wanna run lines?’ In that order.”
