Director John Landis made a film that will probably remain fresh and fun for as long as kids go to college.
Tools:
Recommend review to a friend »
Note: Tim Raynor and John J. Puccio wrote the film review portions of the article, with John doing the audio and video sections, Tim and John writing up the extras, and John doing the parting thoughts.
The Film According to Tim:
There are many of us who try to give our interpretations of what a "classic" film is. The one thing we can probably all agree on is that a classic is one that stands the test of time. In that regard, "National Lampoon's Animal House" has certainly earned the right to be recognized as a classic. Even at the time of its release in 1978, it was dubbed by many critics and fans as an instant classic. However, the real question is, Does it still stand the test of time close to thirty years later? The answer to that is a definite yes!
"Animal House" not only reshaped the way we would see outrageous gags and sexually charged college humor, but it also paved the way for future comedies for years to come. "Animal House" gave us a whole new outlook on the raunchy party lifestyle of college fraternities. Even after its reign on the big screen, it managed to influence college-style comedies for years to come, things like "Back to School," "Road Trip," "Van Wilder," and "Old School." It isn't that any of the aforementioned films didn't have humorous moments, they certainly did, but they don't compare to the original monster that spawned them all. Not to mention, it was a miracle "Animal House" ever got made. Back in 1977 director John Landis and writers Harold Ramis, the late Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller were fairly young guys who didn't have the utmost trust or respect of Universal Studios at the time. Luckily, producer Ivan Reitman gave them the big break they needed. Even then, it was difficult to hire top actors because many of them found the script too coarse.
Now, I think it would be safe to assume most all of us have seen "Animal House," if not once, several times. I find no need to explain the details of the film, but instead I'd like to reminisce about some of the film's characters and highlights. In all honesty, there really is no main lead in the film, unless you consider the Delta House itself a character. The film is basically about a bunch of frat boys in the early 1960's who attend Faber University and live in a fraternity known as the Delta House. It just so happens to be the worst frat house on campus because of its reputation for loud parties and its lowest grade-point average in Faber history. Sounds like my kind of place. From the start of the film, we are introduced to a home that is more likely to be condemned than any other house found on skid row. The boys' antics are so notorious that Dean Vernon Wormer (John Vernon) places them on 'double secret probation" (one of my favorite scenes of the film). It is reputed that Dean Wormer was loosely based on Richard Nixon.
Let me touch base on some of the most memorable characters in the film. First off is John Belushi as an overweight, drunken, seventh-year failure student slob named Bluto Blutarsky. Belushi, in many ways, is the one guy who steals the show. He had such a great talent for being animated, the role almost fit him perfectly. Next, we have Kent "Flounder" Dorfman (Stephen Furst), an overly nice, overweight freshman whom nobody wants in their fraternity. However, Delta House takes him in, reluctantly. Next is Larry "Pinto" Kroger (Tom Hulce), a young, innocent lad who is looking to get laid, even if it's with the town mayor's thirteen-year-old daughter. Then we have the loving couple of Donald "Boon" Schoenstein (Peter Riegert) and Katy (Karen Allen), who find their relationship fading due to Boon's excessive nightly drinking. And there's the in-house biker known as D-Day (Bruce McGill) and the Delta House President, Robert Hover (James Widdoes), who both have little time on screen but share a vital part in the fabric of the film. Lastly is Eric "Otter" Stratton (Tim Matheson), who really acts as the intellectual brains of the group, especially when it comes to delightfully ingenious antics.
Then, let us not forget the snobs of Faber, who give the film much of its purpose. First is the most memorable snob, and probably second-in-line for stealing the show, Doug Neidermeyer (Mark Metcalf): "Is that a pledge pin…on your uniform!" Doug is an ROTC drill sergeant who packs a temper that rivals even R. Lee Ermey's in "Full Metal Jacket." Metcalf's role as Neidermeyer would be revisited in "Twisted Sister" music videos of the mid 80's. And if you've ever seen "Twilight Zone: The Movie," there's even a reference to his own troops in Vietnam killing him. Next is Greg Marmalard (James Daughton), who plays Dean Wormers' rich-brat, rat-fink assistant to the disciplinary school board. Then there's Chip Diller, played by Kevin Bacon in his debut role on the big screen. Bacon has quite a memorable part during his initiation, as many of you might remember: "Thank you, sir. May I have another?" And we have Mandy Pepperidge (Mary Louis Weller) and Barbara "Babs" Jansen (Martha Smith), two airheaded blondes bent on keeping their image as upper-class snobs and cheerleaders.
Let me also mention Professor Dave Jennings (Donald Sutherland). Sutherland was the one man who made the film possible to produce. Universal had been growing weary of the cast choices and was considering pulling the plug on the film if they couldn't find an icon actor of the time. Sutherland agreed to play Jennings, the erotic, pot-smoking professor, for the sum of $50,000. Sutherland's small part was shot in only two days, and if he had agreed to take a percentage of the film's profits, which he was offered, he would have grossed about $17,000,000.
Even with all the memorable characters, there are the far more memorable gags and antics in the film. Some memorable moments are Bluto, Flounder, and D-Day hiding, and killing, Neidermeyer's horse in Dean Wormer's office, and then, the next day, the horse lying dead in the office as Wormer and the town mayor are meeting about the spring Faber parade. Let's also not forget Bluto strolling down the cafeteria's food line, stuffing his face and filling his tray with just about every item available. In the same scene we get to see Bluto's impression of a zit, as well as a major food fight. I should mention that many fans of "Animal House" remember the food fight as a big scene; ironically, it only lasts for three seconds. Another fine moment is the quite memorable "toga party," where Otter makes advances on Dean Wormer's wife (Verna Bloom), and Pinto tries to get lucky with the mayor's thirteen-year-old daughter. Then there's the ever-so-memorable road trip where Otter, Boon, Flounder, and Pinto scheme up a clever way to pick up girls and end up in a bar, only to discover they're the only white folks in the place. The final gag is probably the one that takes the cake. After being kicked out of college, and out of the Faber spring parade, the Delta House seeks revenge. They take Flounder's wrecked black bomb of a car and revamp it as the "Death Mobile." The pranksters cleverly cover it as a float, which looks like a giant cake that says "eat me" on the sides, and the rest is history as they wreak havoc on the small-town parade.
There are plenty more gags that I haven't mentioned, but that's the beauty of this film, as there is never a dull moment. Some jokes I just can't mention because DVDTOWN tries its best to run a family site, and besides, it is an R-rated movie.
The Film According to John:
At present count, this is the fifth home version I've owned of "National Lampoon's Animal House." First, it was Betamax, then VHS, followed by two standard-definition DVDs. Happily, with each upgrade, I've found the picture and sound improved. Now, it's the HD-DVD and DVD Combo that Universal Studios give us, and, needless to say, the audio and video are better than ever. What's more, you get the high-definition version on one side of the disc, the standard-definition version on the other side, and a slew of extras; so, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]19255[/release]