Animal House (1978)

"Animal House" is a comedy classic and there have already been a bunch of reviews for it. So, instead of discussing the specifics, I want to relate what happened when I re-watch the film a few years ago. Now I have always loved "Animal House" and the film never fails to make me laugh. Even now, if my wife says 'Fawn Liebowitz', I can't help but laugh. So, when my oldest daughter got old enough to watch the film (which is 30, but I watched it with her when she turned 18), we watched it together. I KNEW she'd laugh hysterically....and she never did. In fact, when the film was over, she said 'it's okay...' and I was shocked. How could she not love the film?! Well, I think a lot of it happens to have a lot to do with when you grew up. Back in the late 70s, it worked GREAT but now here in 2008, it fell a bit flat. Wow...what a shock.

So, I assume that the film will definitely work better if you grew up around the time the film was made...though it is possible that my oldest is just a weird!

Fmovies: It is funny. It is sarcastic. it is critical and boy will you laugh and laugh and laugh. Don't watch if you are a dean at a school.

This raunchy comedy was a major success at the time of its release (grossing well over $100 million in theaters alone) and still maintains a strong cult following on home video. It is the gross-out boys-only flick that launched a new wave of rude-n'-crude teen comedies, as well as immortalizing John Belushi as one of America's most beloved comedic icons.

It's the 1960s and the Delta fraternity is in trouble with the Faber College's Dean Wormer (John Vernon) yet again. The frat's crazy antics have gotten out of hand and the grades of its students have been steadily declining. Grabbing at the opportunity, Dean Wormer uses their poor grades and behavior as an excuse to kick them off the campus. However, the Deltas fight back – and give it all they've got.

"Animal House" is solely responsible for the surge of teen-styled comedies in the 1980s and '90s. There is no other film predating this, to speak of, which mixed sex, profanity, vulgarity, slapstick and rebellion all into one funny little bundle. "Animal House" truly is a revolutionary comedy, for better or worse. Yet in fact for all its offensive material, "Animal House" is joyously likable, infectious and agreeable. The writers – Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller – create a plethora of strong characters, which helps define and separate "Animal House" from many of its imitators (and indeed compares it to the equally-enjoyable "American Pie" series, which – like the "Animal" before it – took the time to study and care for its characters, rather than completely exploit them for "humor" – it's always harder to laugh at characters we don't care about, and much easier to laugh at those of whom we do).

Director John Landis (who would re-team with Belushi again in 1980 with "The Blues Brothers") not only understands his cast (mainly Belushi) but also his audience and paves a way for sibling genre entries through his realistic slapstick approach (this is not crazy in the same way as Airplane, Naked Gun or Police Academy is – in fact it's far more rooted in realism and only a few sequences really get out of hand and turn into classic dumb slapstick).

John Belushi as the alcoholic Bluto Blutarsky (on getting kicked out of college: "Seven years down the drain! I might as well join the Peace Corps!") remains the scene-stealer to this day, yet despite the film's close links with Belushi in general he is just a co-star, and when on-screen rarely speaks (a fact played to the film's comedic advantage – when Bluto gives his final rousing speech, it seems to mean something, even if…well…it doesn't.) Belushi demanded the largest paycheck of all the actors – including Donald Sutherland – but is hardly the "star" of "Animal House." Had he been, it may very well not have been as successful as it turned out to be – not because Bluto is annoying, but because introducing him in smaller portions – rather than focusing on him alone – constructs a fall-back mechanism of sorts; when the comedy is lagging too much, they bring in Bluto for support.

Bluto thrives on fun and partying – when he learns of a possible toga party, he begins a chant. One imagines he's so drunk and stoned he doesn't really understand much of what is going on. The film never identifies with him on a personal level. He's just sort of there. And we get the feeling perhaps he's only involved in the

Animal House fmovies. Controversial one in 3....2...1.

Animal House is one of those infamous household name cult classics, yet despite my movie obsession it's taken me this long to get around to it.

It's been in the IMDB's top 250 and isn't far off going in there again, but what did I think?

I think, it's very overrated. Don't get me wrong Animal House was an enjoyable film and provided me with laughs and that feel good warmth that few films deliver these days but is it THAT good? I really don't think so.

It tells that commonly used fraternity storyline where it's the party animals that don't conform vs the snooty frat house and the "Powers that be". We'd seen it before this and we've seen it plenty of time since, it's a classic concept and usually a fairly fun one.

What really helps the film is its cast, it has a host of familiar and talented faces from those you can name to those you'll just recognise as being prominent character actors for the past number of decades.

Notable names would be John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Donald Sutherland and one of my earliest "Celebrity" crushes Karen Allen. Seriously, what an outstandingly naturally beautiful girl she was!

Though not as funny as I expected Animal House does have laughs and I totally see the appeal. What I don't see however is why it was met with such critical acclaim, it's a fun movie but why is it considered THAT good?

Animal House is a harmless little comedy but hardly groundbreaking even in the 70's.

The Good:

Incredible cast

Karen Allen #drool

Feel good charm

The Bad:

Simply not THAT funny

Weirdly could have used a bit of extra time

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Knowledge is good

Real ladies use rubber gloves

Women commonly stand in front of windows in a state of undress

God delivers Playboy bunnies on demand.............now I get the appeal

Rape jokes are funny when they're about men

Yep, it must be Animal House!

The classic frat comedy of all time. A simple story of college life for a bunch of delinquents who seek solace with a an endless supply of beer, toga parties and loads of young girls.

It doesn't matter that the Delta House (the home of said delinquents), continually fail to pass their exams, for them sex & booze is all what life is about.

The movie is a perfect vehicle for Saturday Night Live star, John Belushi, who is allowed to show off his considerable talent as the biggest sicko of the Delta bunch - check out his impression of a Zit!!

But he is well supported by Tom Hulce, and surprisingly Donald Sutherland as the hippy professor with wayout theories.

Able actor, John Vernon, plays the Principle of the college and often the butt of the Delta House: finding a horse in his office is a classic piece of farce!

All in all, the film hangs together very well with a good script and superb visual jokes. John Landis must have a wild college life himself when he made this.

***/*****

you probably don't like teen sex comedies anyway. If you write more than 10 lines about this classic, you are taking it way too seriously. This is the King of Teen Sex Comedies, period. Anything that follows is/was a pretender or copycat. And I'll never understand why someone would spend so much time and space critiquing a film they don't like, from a genre they obviously don't appreciate. Virtually every actor plays his part realistically. I still get a huge kick out of Belushi's speech about the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor. Or "Do you mind if we dance with yo dates? Or "mine is bigger....my cucumber." Lots of classic lines. Just enjoy it!