Filmmaker reacts to National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) for the FIRST TIME!

[@robertbunting3117]

"Was it over...when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" "The Germans???" "Forget it, he's rolling."

[@sca88]

Most young people now wouldn't even get that joke because they literally don't know who bombed Pearl Harbor.

[@JimmyMcTrill]

@@sca88 boomer moment

[@brucechmiel7964]

“And it ain’t over now! Cause when the goin gets tough, the tough get goin.”

[@Baelzar]

I was disappointed that he left that out.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

That's OK. I'm pre law. I thought you were pre med. What's the difference? .....Pledge Pin!!!!!...... .....Food Fight!!!!.......

[@chaost4544]

Tom Hulce had a short film career but everything I've seen him in he's really damn good in the role. His portrayal of Mozart was extraordinary.

[@jameskirschling7887]

I read Mickey Rooney's autobiography and in it he says something to the effect of: If Tom Hulce had been around during the studio system he would have been a major star because of his talent. Mickey Rooney was impressed with Tom Hulce's acting ability is what I'm trying to say.

[@conureron3792]

Amadeus is a must!

[@chrispittman8854]

"Parenthood" (1989.) He's perfectly cast and plays a part that could have been very forgetful, but he gives you a guy you can REALLY hate. Brilliant.

[@conureron3792]

@@chrispittman8854 - great choice for a comedy review. Haven’t seen a reviewer react to this one yet. I remember, They shut down a portion of UF campus for a weekend to film the graduation and “alternate” scene from the bell tower.

[@chrispittman8854]

@@conureron3792 "YOU'RE DOING GREAT SON!!!"

[@scottmessenger8639]

You wouldn't think it now but when this film was released it was a huge hit! I was in highschool and everyone was talking about it! John Belushi was one of the most popular comic actors in the world at that point! Thanks for the reaction!

[@auerstadt06]

John Belushi was on the cover of Newsweek in Toga dress. A big deal before the internet.

[@hollytooker507]

Why wouldn’t we think it now? It’s funny.

[@JamesClark-lw6sw]

Lame Woke appologists don't think its funny now.

[@gmunden1]

The guy on the stairs is singer Stephen Bishop, who sang the song "It Might Be You" from the film "Tootsie". The song was nominated for an Oscar. D-Day, the guy with the motorcycle played the sheriff in "My Cousin Vinny "

[@stephenkehl7158]

Bruce McGill was D-Day, one of the most versatile character actors to come down the pike. He was also Secretary of War Stanton in “Lincoln”, had memorable roles in “Quantum Leap” and “Star Trek: Voyager” just to name some.

[@thomasglynn2282]

I think he was in mcgiver TV show

[@Baelzar]

He was the FBI guy in Collateral. "Freeze Vincent! FBI!"

[@laudanum669]

Stephen Bishop had a couple of big hits in the 70's. "Save It for a Rainy Day" and "On and On" .Bruce McGill "D-Day" was also on the TV show "Rizzoli & Isles" as Detective Vince Korsak.

[@gregghelmberger]

"I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!" is one of the greatest cinema lines ever. I love this movie, primarily because it's anarchic and transgressive comedy. That's always been my favorite kind of comedy, one that doesn't give a flying F about anything except making you laugh. You can catch the same spirit in more modern films like "The Hangover" but it's rare these days.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Brilliant example using The Hangover

[@gregghelmberger]

@@JamesVSCinema I'm not sure you've ever gone this far back, but the Marx Brothers brought the same sense of anarchy and transgression back in the 1930s. "Duck Soup" is their apotheosis. All their prewar stuff is really good, but two standouts are "A Day At The Races" and "A Night At The Opera."

[@howardbalaban7051]

@@gregghelmberger DUCK SOUP!!!! YES! The ongoing gag with the peanut stand and "His Excellency's car!" The trial of Chicolini. And, in a bit on the short list for "greatest ever," the MIRROR SCENE! Duck Soup is an elite comedy. (I'm also a fan of Horse Feathers, if only because it called out the crookedness of college sports even then.)

[@gregghelmberger]

@@howardbalaban7051 The peanut stand bit is probably the best example of the slow burn ever captured on camera. You *feel* the guy's rage building every second he's on screen.

[@GeneralZodFDNY77]

@@gregghelmberger Duck Soup is absolutely awesome.

[@tejoe13]

John Belushi (Bluto) brought a level of unpredictable danger to every performance. In his SNL days there were skits where he would pause to lift one of his eyebrows, and the whole audience would be on the edge of their seats for what was about to happen. Belushi and Andy Kaufman were the only two comedians who brought that energy to all their work.

[@samanthanickson6478]

because he WAS unpredictable. while filming blues brothers he would disappear and dan ackroyd had to go find him. one time dan followed clues and knocked on doors of random houses until he found john, who had crashed these peoples houses looking for food and somewhere to watch tv and hangout. he was asleep when dan got there. at least that’s the story.

[@kenperkins7921]

JOHN BELLlushi29:21 MADE DES TROY,ING ING Hotels., a write and musicians were quick to join in the CRAZZ !😅

[@kenperkins7921]

John BELLLUSHI

[@leosarmiento4823]

A comedy classic. Culturally iconic. A good number of careers were started with this film (or elevated). This was the film to watch for the next decade or so after its release for kids and young adults thru college. Great reaction.

[@jimtatro6550]

I was 11 years old when this movie came out and I was spending the night at my friends house when his mom made his older sister take us to the movies. This was the first R-rated movie I ever saw and to this day it is my favorite movie of all time.😂

[@kellifranklin4432]

Same! I was 11 and my mom and her brother took my cousin and me to see this in the theater. I'll never forget that as long as I live!

[@richard_n]

This is the OG of college comedies. Every college movie that came after this references it in some way. This movie gets funnier the more you watch it, there is so much going on throughout.

[@artbagley1406]

I can think of at least one earlier, college-related comedy: "Horsefeathers" with the Marx Brothers, but I'm pretty sure there are more, and earlier, college-oriented movies.

[@celeboria]

This was the movie that changed comedy forever and boy was everybody ripping it off during the 80s.

[@RandomNonsense1985]

And again in the late 90s and 00s after American Pie blew up.

[@howardbalaban7051]

At 20:00: "I want war mentality!" Those of us who've seen this movie: "Just you wait!"

[@JamesVSCinema]

😂🤘🏽

[@theofficialqueenofthebling]

Facts 😂😂😂😂

[@wheelz8763]

You should look into the history of National Lampoons. Will show you where a lot of the later reference points you mentioned came from, like adult swim creators' inspiration. Loved watching you react for the first time to this! They took real college stories from the 60s and 70s as inspiration for alot of what is portrayed in the film.

[@howardbalaban7051]

This movie is absolutely hysterical on so many different levels. RIP John Belushi...what a comedic genius!

[@LordVolkov]

John's physical comedy here is so good, and that speech!

[@Harv72b]

The toughest part of filming was convincing Belushi to tone things down a bit so he could get into character. 😁

[@howardbalaban7051]

@@LordVolkov In one of the "making of" things I watched a while back, someone said the scene when they break into the dean's office started off with a blooper but the director kept it in the movie. When Belushi runs on screen and falls, well, he wasn't supposed to. The leaves outside were wet and he lost his balance. The way he got up immediately, though, made the bit funnier, so Landis made the right call.

[@sntxrrr]

"That dude" was John Belushi, one of the original SNL members. He died too early at the age of 33 and is most remembered for starring with Dan Aykroyd in The Blues Brothers, one of the best comedies of that era and heartly recommended. I am personally not that fond of Animal House, it is basically just a set for some sketches. The Blues Brothers, as the title suggests, was made from a love for music and has some truly legendary cameos. And the biggest car pile up ever shot on film.

[@light9999]

The movie that broke James and drove him to repeatedly curse. Animal House now qualifies as one of the all-time greatest film and cultural experiences. Well deserved, well deserved indeed.

[@VernonJacksonSmith-kh5mv]

Hey James, glad you watched this as it is one of my favorites. This was filmed at the University of Oregon and inspired a few football traditions. If you're ever in Oregon during the fall, check out one of the Ducks' home games and you'll see a couple of them. Anyways, have a good day and Go Ducks!

[@oregonchick76]

In 2018, Cottage Grove, Oregon set a record for the largest toga party to honor the 40th anniversary of the movie (the ending scenes of the parade were filmed in their downtown).

[@finnshanks510]

i think this film makes a lot more sense when you look into the history of national lampoon, it was stupid, uncensored fun, definitely early inspirations for stuff like adult swim

[@konowd]

Dumb humor created by very smart people

[@bradsullivan2495]

"Shaggy" aka the college professor is the father of Kiefer Sutherland. Also this was Kevin Bacon's first film and his two memorable lines ("Thank you sir. May I have another" during tha initiation; and the frantic "ALL IS CALM" during the parade chaos) have become iconic movie quotes that still get referenced.

[@tejoe13]

Donald Sutherland stole most every scene he was in during the two times he co-stared with Clint Eastwood; Kelly's Heroes and Space Cowboys.

[@danielchavez4403]

John Belushi was a National Treasure.

[@michaelriddick7116]

Gone waaay too soon 😢😢

[@gmunden1]

Original cast member of "Saturday Night Live"

[@Cindrbell]

Not Ready for Prime time Players.

[@sofa_king_kool]

Wish National Treasure was a John Belushi movie.

[@konowd]

My favorite comedian, the eye and the hurricane of SNL

[@connieleighton4375]

The incredibly talented John Belushi is the insane guy, and this movie would not be the same without him great choice love this movie...♡

[@jefferickson5833]

Love this. It makes me feel so damn old when you said you have never heard anything about this movie. It is such a classic.

[@gregthebaritone]

I think that movies like this are important to watch, especially when you consider the aspects of context and perspective. This is a late 70's movie about college life during the early 60s. Up until the early 70s, a lot of truths were suppressed from being told in entertainment. You had shows with married couples sleeping in separate twin beds, Carlin and Lenny Bruce were arrested for stand-up performances because they used swear words, and TV stations in the south refused to show the Star Trek episode where Kirk and Uhura kiss. The writers are the first of the cusp boomer generation who became the college protest generation during the 60s and then started to gain success as entertainment writers in the late 70s. The film is supposed to take place in 1962, and the writers refer to it as the last year of innocence, being before the Kennedy assassination and the escalated US involvement in Vietnam. Looking back at this period, they were able to talk about things the way they "really were" in a way that people could not during that time in the 60s. Of course, in the post sexual revolution world, people were less uptight about the subject, but then this led to a much more sophomoric attitude, with shows like Charlie's Angels and Three's Company, as the sexual taboos were broken. One of the writers, Douglas Kenney, went from graduating from Harvard, while working there on the Harvard Lampoon, to forming the National Lampoon. The result, though, was far from intellectual comedy. Although many of their projects were very funny, they were also pretty low-brow. This movie was very edgy in its day. It's also interesting to watch a story made by people in the late 70s, talking about the early 60s, in the 2020s. It makes you wonder, if you judge these people, how you might be judged in 40 years.

[@kaitlinsullivan3134]

Great summation of the time.

[@TheRedStateBlue]

throughout my life, I've quoted this movie far more than any other... my personal favorite line from the whole thing is "you fucked up. you trusted us!"

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

Ding ding ding ding ding ding !!!!..... A personal favorite for me as well.

[@gregthebaritone]

To get the full Belushi experience, you need to watch The Blues Brothers. The movie also contains many celebrity cameos as well as some of the best musicians of the time.

[@leosarmiento4823]

Don't forget 1941, and his final and finest, Continental Divide.

[@tenchraven]

And it has one of the grim-funniest bits of behind the scenes trivia. When John Belushi tells you you've got a drinking problem, you probably do.

[@jayconant3816]

Classic comedy never gets old ,70s and 80s were the best years of comedy films

[@bethk1979]

Back when this was released we could still drink at 18. I went to a state school in a southern state and while it wasn’t that crazy this movie was reflects the time perfectly. John belushi was a big deal and I think just off of SNL. it was great seeing it in theaters. Loved your reaction!

[@horseshoe2blah201]

Belushi was flying back on Wednesdays to New York to do SNL and returning to the set on Sunday. He burning the candle at both ends.

[@kevinconrad6156]

My experience as well, lots of very wild parties. We fund raised for clubs by holding sanctioned keg parties.

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

A classic with great dialogue and a big influence on comedy, fun to see someone go in to this one not knowing that already. The guy who played the dean also played the bad guy in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka which was the first big hit by the Wayans brothers. I wish I saw him in more movies, he's hilarious and his voice is great

[@leonardshevlin7260]

A movie is the result of a huge number of choices, many compromises, some happy accidents, and, in some cases, brilliant inspiration and perfect timing.

[@andrewkelley434]

Stephen Bishop is the guitar player singing to the girls, he's actually a very talented singer/songwriter. He sang the song at the end of the movie. He loved filming that scene with Belushi and he still has that busted guitar!!

[@jamesdamiano8894]

Also the guy getting spanked saying thank you sir may I have another is Kevin Bacon who of course went on to be a big star. This movie also inspired the Twist Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It". And the characters were inspired by real people the writers knew in college.

[@emsleywyatt3400]

Funny, I thought they were inspired by real people that I knew in college.

[@gmunden1]

The National Lampoon's print satire publications are available as collectable. I have the "Yearbook" for which the film is based. The series of publication features lots of topics and is hilarious, some which can't be published today without social backlash. Also , the pronunciation of Mozart is "MotZ-art" 😊

[@RexFuturi]

Actually, the Z is pronounced TS, not TZ.

[@jamesalexander5623]

@@RexFuturi Jawhol, das ist richtig!

[@RexFuturi]

@@jamesalexander5623 Ich weiss das schon.

[@rhonda8900]

It was very interesting to see someone watch this movie who had no idea what it's place was/is in the history of comedy. I was 15 and a freshman in high school when this came out and it was a part of the cultural zeitgeist of my generations moving away from our parents 50's background and from younger cutting edge comedians moving away from the comedians in their 50's and older. Mad Magazine and National Lampoon comedy magazines were cutting edge and had readership in the millions. Saturday night live had just launched in October of 1975 and was must see TV for people in high school and college. John Belushi ("Senator" John Blutarsky) was a founding cast member of SNL and was probably one of the most famous comedians in the world but no one really knew what to do with him so they just let him be himself in the movie. The movie was shot for $3 million and went on to make $141 million and is the highest grossing movie of its time. Most importantly, National Lampoon and SNL did to comedy what the Kurt Cobain and the band Nirvana did for rock music in the nineties but instead of killing off "hair bands" it killed off old vaudeville comedians and paved the way that later would be taken by guys you know like Conan O'Brian who went from Lampoon to the Simpsons to well being Conan. There would be no "adult swim" without this mid-seventies generation of comedians. Yes, the movie is gross, silly and irreverent but it and National Lampoon were/are a big deal and a part of history. Also, if i am not mistaken I think this was one of those rare movies that was so popular that it was later re-released in theaters in a watered down PG rating like the movie Saturday Night Fever had been in 1977 to capture audiences that could not get into R rated movies. I was lucky and I had a cool Dad so he always took me to see the R rated movies but this was kind of the lead up to PG-13 movies which would happen around 1984.

[@christiandivine3807]

The biggest box office comedy of all time for years. And very political with that savage Lampoon humor. The film overall has a sweet nature.

[@jamesdamiano8894]

D Day played by Bruce McGill was the sheriff in "My Cousin Vinnie" among many other things. The Dean, not the principal-lol, always played a jerk and was so good at it. A classic comedy that's so funny, but not everyones cup of tea. But when it was released we all loved it.

[@ksepton]

This movie holds a special place for me. It was filmed at the University of Oregon while I was a student there. So, all the locations are as I remember them when I was attending there. Plus I remember watching some of the filming too. Some trivia: This was Kevin Bacon's first film. ("Thank you sir, may I have another.") He was right out of film school, and was selected due to his somewhat "snooty" appearance. For the night club scene, they had to go to the Portland area to cast extras, as--at that time (the late '70s)--there weren't enough African Americans in Eugene to cast as extras. John Belushi got part of his idea for "the Blues Brothers" after seeing an act at a night club while staying in Eugene during filming.

[@scottknode898]

Tim Matheson who played Otter was in tv and movies before Animal House and played one of the rookie bad guy motorcycle cops in the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry sequel in 1973. He appeared in numerous films and tv shows after wards like Blvk sheep with Chris Farley. John Vernon was in the original Dirty Harry film in 1971 as the tough Mayor and was in Clint Eastwoods The Outlaw Josey Wales when says one of the best lines in movie “ Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.”

[@generalzar0ff]

I’m glad D-Day was also your favorite character. While he has barely any lines, his energy always draws you into something in the background that would otherwise go unnoticed. Plus, he’s really just chaotic.

[@NOxSPLOOSHxPLANE]

Honestly surprised being a film buff you've never seen this one before it's the movie I think it a lot of people coming into the movie business has seen it is such a classic

[@sarahenley613]

This was filmed at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, OR which is where I grew up and went to school. My dad was actually an extra in the parade scene when he was younger. They definitely took some liberties but most of the scenes were filmed around campus and the Eugene area, so this wasn't too far off from real life! You can still see some of the same buildings on campus...it's a trip. U of O is quite different from this in 2023 though.

[@tomdowling638]

The actor on the motorcycle also played the the sheriff in "My Cousin Vinny" and many other roles.

[@CrocodilePile]

I once lived in the apartment that Donald Sutherland occupies in the movie. Still had the claw foot bathtub.

[@lyletuck]

This film cost about $3 million to make (they spent more than that to promote it, actually) and it made over $120 million on initial release in America. It was the highest grossing comedy of all time until Ghostbusters came out. Huge hit. HUGE. It was a different era. Belushi was one of the most notorious coke fiends in show business. (It literally killed him eventually.) He was probably the biggest break out star from the first cast of SNL, too. Some of the top Hollywood comedy talent of all time was involved in writing, producing, directing, and starring in this film: Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman, and John Belushi in particular. It's a landmark work in American cinema. Also, it was Kevin Bacon's first film. And the guy that played D-Day (Bruce McGill) was also the sheriff in "My Cousin Vinny".

[@conniegaylord5206]

FYI to get this movie made they had to get a famous name so they got Donald Sutherland to perform. He accepted a flat fee thus has never received any residuals for this role.

[@IggyStardust1967]

Animal House is part of the reason (well, okay, the MAIN reason) I wanted to go to college. Edit: The guy who played Neidermier would go on to reprise that role in multiple Twisted Sister music videos. Edit 2: Another great "college" movie is one I think you'll like, James....... "Real Genius", it stars Val Kilmer in one of his first roles, as well as William Atherton. Great comedy movie! I highly recommend!

[@kathyastrom1315]

James has to watch Real Genius-it’s a moral imperative!

[@IggyStardust1967]

@@kathyastrom1315 YES! Yes it is!

[@americanfreedomlogistics9984]

In highschool band we marched in a college homecoming parade … the parade was in warrensburg Mo. yes the parade was pretty much like how the one in this film started

[@konowd]

Animal House was also ahead of its time and broke a lot of ground. It has serious actors and a serious score that made it even funnier, a lot of people didn’t get that at the time

[@billsharonhooper70]

I think about everybody got it at the time. It's considered one of the 10 funniest movies every and dominated the box office.

[@eyesofblue86]

Ryan O'Neil played Barry Lyndon; and yes, both him and Tom Hulce gave amazing performances respectively.

[@richiehunt5097]

Fun review. I was in a fraternity, but it wasn't in a small town. But my sister was in a sorority at a college that was in a small town. People often ask me what it was like being in a fraternity and I tell them it was very much like Animal House or Old School. It was a lot of fun and a lot of drinking along with establishing friendships that I have to this day, 25 years later. Scenes like the horse scene or the rope scene in Old School were what often happened...you had pledges that you tested to see how they would react to something that you thought would have no way possible of harming anybody and then Murphy's Law kicks in and now you have a dead horse in the Dean's office. It was also very true about where Neidermyer was messing with Flounder....nobody messes with your pledges except for the fraternity itself. Messing with one of the pledges is basically declaring war. The only thing we didn't have that you see in fraternities is that rival rich, preppy fraternity. We had rival frats, but none of them were exclusively wealthy and preppy. If they were a rival it was because they did something to us and vice versa. It could be as simple as brother's gf cheating on him with a rival frat member. That can spill over into years of bad blood between the fraternities. At worse, there was always one fraternity that really kissed the school admin's ass. They weren't rivals, but they weren't liked by the other fraternities because the schools looked at frats as necessary evils and were always messing with us. For a fraternity to kiss the school's ass made them come off as bootlickers. As far as the homoerotic hazing stuff...we never had any of that. But I had heard that was very prevalent in frats in the northeast where they go crazy with hazing. I'm from NY, but went to school in SC and it took me a year before I pledged because I thought if frats in SC were anything like frats in the Northeast, I didn't want anything to do with them. As far as small towns go, yeah this is a pretty accurate portrayal. Those towns are 'college towns' that revolve around the college. Law enforcement and on-campus security is very lax because the town makes so much of its money on the college and you don't want to be known as this ultra-strict, have no fun campus. You would also get local yokels that hated the college kids and would try and start fights with them. These fraternity movies usually miss out on intramurals and how important they are to the fraternities. And how fraternities may not like each other, but they are essentially fighting against the school. And how you'll get independents that rail against fraternities and often don't have a clue what they're talking about while they're begging to get into every frat party. For those guys, they secretly want to be in a fraternity they just don't have the balls to pledge (I'm not saying every frat critic or independent is like that, but there's a large amount of them that are like that). In the end, it's a hilarious all time classic movie largely due to the subject matter being an easy one to make a comedy out of.

[@garybrockie6327]

The writers basically made up the script from every funny drunk story from college they could think of.

[@lanagorgeous9485]

I saw it when it first came out. Kids in 78. 79 esp college kids at the time absolutely loved this movie. It was one of those movies kids watched 2, 3 or 4 times esp boys, LMAO!

[@mblackwl]

For folks in the 80s and 90s, this film is basically responsible for how most college students expected fraternities to be, and a lot of them did try to live up to this level of debauchery.

[@robinbellamy]

This movie was outrageous for the time period. This of it as the Tropic Thunder of the era. In the 1980s, high school kids and college kids had togo parties because of this movie.

[@frankcastle9991]

The college movie that started it all. Iconic bro

[@kellifranklin4432]

This movie is the original "slob comedy." Every comedy that came after was a pale imitation of this film. This movie is a classic! Thanks for reacting to this movie!

[@CertifiedSunset]

A lot if not all of this movie was filmed in Oregon (my home state), and one of the locations (Dexter Lake Club Diner) is in this movie, it's like 5 minutes away from the house I grew up in.

[@jeanine6328]

This movie is so very awesome. Thanks for reviewing. So few have done this one. I hope you take a look at the full cast list, you won’t believe how many stars are in this that were just too young for you to recognize. You did notice Donald Sutherland, yes?

[@Wizardofgosz]

My favorite quote so far: "I forgot who he (Tom Hulce) was in Amadeus..."

[@fiddiehacked]

I drove taxi for over a decade in a Midwestern college town. Animal house basically squeezes 4 years of shenanigans into a few weeks, but otherwise is fairly accurate in how frat brats might remember their glory days. Until the 1990s, there was a guidebook printed for the Greek Houses at college. One of the things it detailed (drinking age was 19) was that it was a bad idea to have multiple kegs tapped on the same floor. Just have 1 keg on each floor (most had 3 levels) & swap out empties with full ones from the basement as needed - and that was generally adhered to through the week! Yeah- post WWII GI Bill students probably did a lot to change behaviors. One of my favorite true stories is that a certain Frat House overlooking the river, with a steep driveway, was originally an asylum before the 1960s. The students said that explained the unique floor plan.😅 Halloween was always interesting in that town.

[@michaelbastraw1493]

"I forgot who he was in Amadeus." Spit-take on that one... Best. Mike.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

The ending where they type out the characters' futures is reminiscent of the ending of American Graffiti.

[@mattsmith7490]

Yeah, back in the 70's we all had a great time. That was when Sat. Night Live was actually funny. It's a shame as a filmmaker you are not aware of legends like Harold Ramis and John Belushi, but they are way before your time. You need to check out more of their movies.

[@stevedavis5704]

This was the movie we went to the night I proposed to my wife. It was just a silly little movie that you could enjoy. Another movie that is a lot like this one is the movie “Blazing Saddles.” The movie is more complex but still hilarious. The guy who played Neidemeir was also in a couple of Twisted Sister videos,and I think the guy who did Flounder was in one also. Very cool videos worth watching when you can.

[@OrderOfTheGash]

That firm stoic "No" to the dad with the kid is always an instant laugh 😂

[@rickalexander2801]

Well, of course I love it James! It was filmed inside my fraternity while I was there. Interior shots of Delta house were shot inside Sigma Nu. The toga party was filmed in my basement. Met John Belushi; cool guy. RIP. I see a lot of my frat brothers as extras.

[@janna2245]

About the bar scene: OOOH, IT WAS SO DANGEROUS! Not one patron hurt those girls. They got home unscathed. They probably turned down a ride or two

[@jainthorne4136]

I went to so many toga parties after this film came out. Such a fun movie. Such a fun time.

[@richardmeyer1007]

When I saw this when it first came out, it reminded me of my freshman dorm wing. We all had nicknames. (Mine was “Beard”.) I’m 69 now, and my tastes in humor have changed over the years. Still, this movie has a special place in my heart.

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

RIP Flounder, the man was a legend.

[@toochangz]

This was filmed at university of oregon. They had to fix that frat house up for the movie. The football team plays Shout before the 4th quarter of every home game

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

This came out when I was a Junior in college. This film and SNL made everything work for me.

[@2dashville]

If you want to see Niedermyer killed by his own troops then you’ll have to see the 1983 movie The Twilight Zone. Also, the freeze frame at the end to let us know what the future held for each character was used by Van Halen in their video Hot For Teacher.

[@paulpeterson4216]

It always amazes me (and I am 65) is the movies that were huge hits "back in the day" that younger people who actually know movies have never seen. It would be like me, born in 1957, never having seen Gone with the Wind, or The Wizard of Oz.

[@TylerD288]

Well, some people say they "know" movies but don't.

[@maineman9447]

I'm always amazed that, with so much information at their fingertips, reactors (especially ones who have been to film school or other training), haven't even heard of this movie, which was a huge hit and a precursor to an entire genre of teenage/college raunchy comedies, as well as several other National Lampoon movies, including the Vacation series with Chevy Chase. This was also the movie debut of the absolute biggest comedy star at the time, the legendary John Belushi. When you did the reaction to The French Connection, I posted in the comments a list of the awards it had won, along with it's impressive ratings in the greatest movies of all time. I don't mean this as a negative towards you, as with the incredible amount of content available to us today it's easy for things to get lost in the shuffle. It happens to me all the time. Thank you for reacting to both of these legendary films. I thoroughly enjoyed them!

[@carriemilito2851]

That pledge getting spanked in the initiation ceremony is a young Kevin Bacon. The actress playing Katy is also Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. So many familiar faces in this movie!

[@bobschenkel7921]

To me, one of the best lines in the movie, and even in movie history, which you edited out on the You Tube presentation for obvious reasons, is "Do you mind iff we dance wiff yo' dates?" It is intimidating, without real malice, but the point i easily seen. This movie was shot at The University Of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, including in the real office of the President Of the University, with the horse kidnapping. The real star was John Belushi, Blutarski, who also stars in "The Blues Brothers", and who met an untimely end at the Chateau Marmot in Hollywood, Ca. RIP John.

[@rikkilleen3169]

Fun Fact: Mark Metcalf played ROTC cadet Niedermeyer. He effectively reprised his role as the father in the Twisted Sister videos, "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." There is also a reference to this character in Twilight Zone: the Movie (1983). When Vic Morrow's character is first transported to Vietnam, we see a squad of American soldiers making their way through a rice paddy. One of them says, "You see, you guys! I told you we shouldn't have killed Lieutenant Niedermeyer!" This is a reference to the end of Animal House where a closing caption states Niedermeyer was killed in Vietnam by his own troops. That Twilight Zone segment was directed by Animal House director John Landis. Not Fun Fact: Unfortunately, the TZ segment resulted in the horrific deaths of Vic Morrow and 2 children when they were killed by helicopter rotors after on-set pyrotechnics knocked the helicopter out of the air.

[@1805movie]

John Belushi. What a legend. Such a great talent that was taken WAY too soon. I recommend you check out _The Blues Brothers_ (which also starred Belushi, and directed by John Landis). Practically a lightning in a bottle in terms of comedy and musical talent.

[@Strange_Camel]

I was too young to see this movie in theatres when it first came out. My dad went with his brother. They thought it was so funny that when it was over they stayed and watched the next showing.

[@magicknight13]

Love this movie always!! Thank you for covering this one and creating such a chill relaxed atmosphere !

[@alonzocoyethea6148]

7:02 "D-Day" was played by Bruce McGill, Who went on to a great career playing aurhority figures in movies like The Insider Cinderlla Man, Time Cop, My Cousin Vinny, Collateral, etc. And yep, since I got a muscular bod, Sure I'll go to a Toga party--especially one thrown by those guys!!

[@purpleelephantdebh]

this film was epic in the 70's. John Belushi was a physical comedy genius. great reaction.

[@Caglecardscollectibles21]

One of the funniest of all time imo…the ladder falling back always gets me lol

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

‘Vir Cotto’, Kevin Bacon, the dad from the Twisted Sister video… this film has it all. How can anyone go through college without seeing Animal House? 👍

[@scottknode898]

Sadly Stephen Furst who played Flounder died in 2017 due to complications from diabetes, Douglas Kenney (Stork) died in 1980 at age 33 after a fall and of course John Belushi who played Bluto died of a drug overdose from speedball a mixture of cocaine and heroin in 1982 at age 33 and was found in his apartment.

[@mikematusek4233]

It was shot on an Oregon Collage campus in 30 days. It took place in the early 1960's.

[@jmuraidajr]

When I was in college the fraternity I was in in the late sixties and early seventies was kind of like the animal house. We had a brother whose father owns the Bud beer distributorship in town. When we had a frat party at the house he would send the Bud truck with Bud Man for the parties. The truck had tappers on both sides of the truck, those days were so COOL!

[@annewoodard6803]

The Animal House “house” is located on the backlot at Universal in Los Angeles. Wisteria Lane, the Beaver House, Animal House all on the same “street”. We had toga parties in college because of this film. 😁

[@ArtofFreeSpeech]

To many of us, especially those who grew up during those times, this is one of the funniest movies ever made. BTW, not a frat dude myself. I, too, always found them stupid.

[@BossNerd]

I went to college in the south in the 1980s. I lived in a cheap dorm w/o AC - this fact brought everyone closer together. We would get together on Friday afternoons and watch Animal House and plan the weekend. I have to say this movie inspired some interesting adventures. I moved out after living there 1 year(I would have been a peripheral character in the movie - like the guy with the guitar). Eventually everyone was kicked out of the dorm and were forbidden to live on campus. All I can say is that in one way or another those guys copied or out did everything you see in this movie - luckily no one died but the memories are great.

[@theofficialqueenofthebling]

“Shaggy” was the legendary actor Donald Sutherland…Kiefer Sutherland from Dark City Father.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

The character of D-Day is based on Dan Ackroyd. In his Second City days he rode a Harley, had a handlebar mustache and was already a bit of a gearhead.

[@MrTech226]

James John Belushi was in his short and sudden life one of the best comedians from TV and movies. John was one of the original cast members on Saturday Night Live. Between SNL, John starred with his buddy, Dan Akroyd in Blues Brothers and Neighbors. Fact is John was supposed to be in Ghostbusters before his drug related death in 1982. John's brother is James (Jim) Belushi.

[@loydingle7088]

D -Day was in My cousin Vinny, he was the sheriff

[@kathyastrom1315]

My experiences in college in the 1980s led me to see frats and sororities as just a way to drink while underaged. I went to college in Milwaukee as Wisconsin became the last state to change the drinking age back to 21, but they had the grandfather clause, so those of us whose birthdays were before July 1, 1966 were legal. The rest of my freshman class was technically screwed. The drinking culture on campus changed a lot over the next four years-college-sponsored on-campus parties were phased out and the Greeks started to finally appear, they had been nonexistent before then. Drinking continued on in the row houses and the upper grad dorm where I lived the last two years. In my junior year, the guys who lived directly below my room opened an unofficial bar in their room with flexible serving times. When the floor started to vibrate from the music they played, we knew The Monkey Bar was open.

[@joehartmann9353]

One of the best comedies of all time!

[@ShivasIrons22]

This film was part of the cultural zeitgeist for a generation. It was hugely quotable in the 70's and 80's and into the 90's. A big hit and had a large impact on comedies for a number of years. If you were a child of the 70's, you've seen Animal House a trillion times.

[@alberthaust4542]

The guy with the mustache and the motorcycle played the sheriff on "My Cousin Vinny."

[@elikenyon8589]

He was also in a golf movie with Matt Damon.

[@alberthaust4542]

​@@elikenyon8589 I didn't see that movie.

[@TheRequiemOfficialReal]

This goes back to my childhood. I was 2yrs old when this came out. Mark Metcalf continued to embodied Niedermayer in the 1980s for Twisted Sister music videos.

[@kathyastrom1315]

Mark Metcalf played The Master in season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There were occasional words he said that just screamed Niedermayer to me!

[@billsharonhooper70]

He was also "The Maestro" on "Seinfeld."

[@timbrady3090]

John Belushi in the same year had number one movie "Animal House ", number one tv show "Saturday Night Live" and number one album "The Blues Brothers ".

[@davidsilver6687]

This movie came out the summer before I went to college. My entire freshman year was filled with Toga Parties and food fights in the cafeteria. You have no idea what influence this movie had and how huge John Belushi was.

[@johnnieangel99]

This is where the term "Slob Humor" came into our lexicon. "Thank you Sir may I have another" was Kevin Bacon