National Lampoon's Vacation | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Review | Commentary

Simone & George are reacting to National Lampoon's Vacation for the first time! Canadians React!
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00:00 - Intro
01:27 - National Lampoon's Vacation
28:48 - Discussion
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[@ianrastall]

The National Lampoon is the comedy paper put out by students at Harvard. It made a run at national recognition a la Mad Magazine. They're the ones with the cover of the puppy with a gun to his head and the caption, "Buy This Magazine Or The Dog Gets It".

[@bobbabai]

Pretty close. National Lampoon was a comedy magazine spun off from the Harvard Lampoon which was a student-run humor magazine at Harvard University. It was nastier and more adult than its major competition, Mad Magazine. The National Lampoon magazine publisher was actually owned by Harvard University. And remember, before the Internet, magazines were a big deal. Besides TV and movies, they were the big entertainment distraction. National Lampoon had some legs - we used to read it religiously together in the dorms in the mid to late '70s. Then they produced and wrote the movies, which were major events at the time. "Animal House" was the first one in '78 followed by "Class Reunion" in 1982. Vacation came along in '83. National Lampoon magazine ended publishing after 28 years in 1998.

[@Johnny_Socko]

To add to what @bobbabai said: This movie was based on the short story "Vacation '58", written by John Hughes and published in National Lampoon around 1979. In the original story, the family is traveling to Disneyland, and the dad ends up accidentally shooting Walt Disney in the leg.

[@mournblade1066]

National Lampoon leased the name from The Harvard Lampoon. National Lampoon was founded by Harvard Lampoon alumns.

[@bobbabai]

@@mournblade1066 The National Lampoon magazine was published by NL Communications, which was owned by Harvard University. I don't think the University had any stake in the movies.

[@douglassnyder214]

When I was about 13 years old, my best friend bought a National Lampoon magazine. In it was a sheet of stickers with pictures of a screws and spades. Back in those days, it was common to see bumper stickers that said, "I ❤my German Shephard". Being that age, we did as told. We went to mall, and placed screws and spade stickers over the hearts on every bumper sticker we could find.

[@raydurz]

National Lampoons was a satire/humor magazine back in the day. The blonde in the car is Christie Brinkley. She's still gorgeous over 40 years later. The next movie is European Vacation. Clark and Ellen are played by the same people, but the kids are different.

[@okeefe757]

Christie Brinkley was The Super Model of the early-mid 1980's.

[@BryanAlaspa]

^This

[@zu_1455]

Came to say this. Christmas Vacation is one of the all-time greats. would be perfect for our favorite Canadian movie reactors to cover in the holiday times.

[@LordVolkov]

The kids changing in every movie is my favorite running joke in the series.

[@donrichards271]

National Lampoon was created by 3 former members of the Harvard Lampoon which was and still is the longest continually published English language humor magazine.

[@McPh1741]

Chevy Chase’s physical humor and absent mindedness is on point. Did you notice in the kitchen scene where he and Ellen are doing the dishes that she is scraping the food off and he he wiping them off and putting them back in the cupboard instead of in the open dishwasher? It’s things like that you have to watch for.

[@chappie_nottherobot]

I really hope you’ll watch Christmas Vacation during the holiday season! It’s my favorite Christmas movie by a mile!

[@brandonmelling771]

One of the few comedy sequels that's even better than the original

[@jamesmyers1647]

It’s my families go to Christmas movie every year!

[@RobFMDetroit]

My tradition is watching it while I wrap presents 😊👍🏼

[@satyadasgumbyji8956]

Only if you saw it 1st & grew up on it! 2nd, European, was better than Christmas as someone there when all hit theaters! Christmas MAYBE a 7 outta 10 at the time!😅 You don't even get inside jokes or fall in love with silly af Clark AS AN ADULT if haven't seen this one! I understand, & would actually rate European a bit lower now & Christmas a bit higher, but everyone suggests Christmas because became a family holiday tradition! As far as GOAT Christmas flick, at least in last 40 yrs, that title would go to "A Christmas Story"!!!😅 But to each their own, especially considering state of movies today! SMGDMFH!😅 ✌🌎❤

[@SteelCityJW]

Elf, for me.

[@BatmanFan76]

Every time I think of this movie, I instantly get the song “Holiday Road” stuck in my head.

[@Uatu-the-Watcher]

Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. :-)

[@concertinamadrigals4058]

The song is my favourite part of the film...

[@MrZeek1519]

Simone: "They wouldn't kill off a dog AND an Aunt, would they?!' Viewers: (twiddling fingers and whistling) 😂

[@JohnSmith-qn3ob]

She doesn't know the 80's too well, does she?

[@LordVolkov]

Don't skip European Vacation. It's not the best of the series, but still very funny. The spiritual predecessor to Eurotrip.

[@AuspexAO]

Eurotrip is also excellent and very underrated.

[@thestingman2966]

Yes! And European Vacation was the second one, not Christmas.

[@Koofteh]

​@@AuspexAOHey, this isn't where I parked my car! I love that movie.

[@dan_hitchman007]

It's better than Vegas Vacation at least.

[@Koofteh]

@@dan_hitchman007 That's my favourite one!

[@harveybojangle475]

I appreciate that, unlike the other Vacation films, this one adheres more closely to the style of the National Lampoon magazine. They weren't afraid to include dark humor and not apologize for it, as so many current movies feel the need to do.

[@Harv72b]

Hamburger Helper is a boxed meal mix, usually containing some sort of pasta and a packet of assorted spices & seasonings. You typically add a pound of ground hamburger & end up with a meal which will allegedly feed a family of four. It was a very popular dinner option in the US before the days of microwaves & ubiquitous delivery options, and is still sold in pretty much every grocery store in the country.

[@stygggian]

I grew up on this and "shake and bake" 😂😂

[@grumble2501]

The joke being that cousin eddy is too poor for the hamburger!

[@shawnmiller4781]

Burger no. More like a skillet casserole seasoning mix. It was an option when I got tired of Mac and cheese in college and wanted and “upgrade”

[@Eidlones]

It's weird they don't know what it is. It's all over Canada

[@Johne.8250]

I actually tried it about two months ago, and it’s actually simple to do and tasty…💯

[@CinHotlanta]

"You think you hate it now... wait' til you drive it..." We love you, Gene Levy

[@grifirnyc]

This movie has a special place in my heart, because it came out while my family was on a four-week trip driving from Ohio to California and back. I went to see it with my sister and my mother and we just kept laughing thinking, "We just did this." Fortunately, in our case, Aunt Edna lived happily for another 10 years.

[@trentmacdonald6283]

What about her dog??

[@grifirnyc]

I think he died before he went on the trip

[@Jar0fMay0]

My dad had a similar experience when he had a family vacation with my grandparents. They had a terrible time and on their way back saw this movie. My grandma still remembers the day they saw this movie.

[@tremorsfan]

This was based on a short story that appeared in the magazine. The first line is "If my father hadn't shot Walt Disney in the leg it would have been the best vacation ever".

[@handfuloftrains4781]

"We're from out of town." "No shit." 40 years on and I still think that's one of the best lines.

[@professionaljackass]

As an EMT, I have to give George props for his "Staying Alive" joke.

[@trentmacdonald6283]

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...

[@Dr.Acula76]

@@trentmacdonald6283 You were in the parking lot earlier. That's how I know you.

[@brom00]

Simone, you nailed it right out of the gate with the movie poster. Boris Vallejo did a lot of work with the Conan comics back in the day, along with much more fantasy, sci-fi art. He was also well known or his movie one-sheet art like this one.

[@ranger-1214]

The food trays at the drive-in were meant to hook on the window glass and had an arm at the bottom that rested against the door. You rolled the window down to about 2" for it to hook. A&W and Sonic were two I used to frequent. On the order post beside the car was a flat place to set the tray when done. A&W had great mugs they served drinks in, and every guy had at least one in his room to hold his spare change...unless they caught you leaving with it. :-)

[@markwilliams6394]

We had a Sonic tray in our car. Lol.

[@shawnmiller4781]

Oddly enough that scene was filmed at a sonic

[@ranger-1214]

@@shawnmiller4781 Yeah - back in the day they had little plastic animals that slipped onto the edge of the styrofoam cups. My little nieces collected them and had dozens!

[@iKvetch558]

Sweet Simone...airplane travel was definitely much much more expensive in the 1980s, which is when this is set. It was before the time when airlines had been deregulated, and before the advent of low cost airlines like Southwest...both of which made air travel vastly more affordable.

[@douglascampbell9809]

Yeah this was back when gas was around $1.80 a gallon in the US.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Yes if flying was cheper no one would have driven great distances.

[@willsofer3679]

@@douglascampbell9809 Really? I was born in 1984, and the first time I filled up gas for my parents, it was $0.76 a gallon. Perhaps you lived on the east or west coasts? Because in the Midwest, it didn't get above $1 until the mid nineties.

[@iKvetch558]

@@Cheepchipsable Well...some nutty people almost surely still would make the drive...just for the experience...regardless of whether driving was cheaper or not. LOL Heck, even into the 2000s, my Dad and I would drive to Florida in early December just so his car would be down there with him for the winter, and then in the spring I would fly down and he and I would drive his car back north. 😁

[@shawnmiller4781]

The gas tank filler behind the license plate was a thing until the early 1980’s people started to notice a lot of rear ended collisions causing fire. I want to say Ralph Nader and his relationship with the Ford Pinto had something to do with it

[@agarven1]

The white shoes that Eddie gives to Clark in this movie Eddie wears the same shoes in Christmas Vacation. The actor who spits out the watermelon seeds at the cabins is Brian Doyle Murray who is Bill Murray’s brother in real life. Brian also was Clark’s boss in Christmas Vacation

[@shawnmiller4781]

And ran the caddies in Caddyshack “PICK THAT UP!!!!” And was the mayor in “groundhog day”

[@agarven1]

@@shawnmiller4781 I know all that lol

[@shawnmiller4781]

@@agarven1 The people who read these comments may not

[@agarven1]

@@shawnmiller4781 true didn’t think of that lol

[@claudiadarling9441]

National Lampoon was a comedy magazine that was at it's height of popularity in the '70s and early '80s. It ended up being very influential on comedy to come, including the writers of classic Simpsons. As far as the getting lost bit goes, I think now it would be the GPS misdirecting you.

[@joshuahenry1791]

The next movie is European Vacation, then Christmas Vacation, then Vegas Vacation. Clark and Ellen are always the same. The kids are always different. The children in Christmas Vacation are played by now well known actors. Audrey by Juliette Lewis and Rusty is played by a very young Johnny Galecki (a.k.a. Leonard Hofstadter)

[@tylerfoster6267]

The movie poster artist, Boris Vallejo, was famous for doing fantasy illustrations, including various paintings of Conan the Barbarian, so Simone is right on the money there. The entire ending was reshot. They originally went to Roy Walley's house for the resolution, but test audiences found it unfulfilling, so they came up with what you see now where they go to the park and ride the rides, and got John Candy involved as well. There *was* an entry made during the era of GPS, a reboot/sequel just called Vacation in 2015. I actually think it's a really funny movie, and it's by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmakers who did Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Between their two other directorial efforts, Vacation and Game Night, I'd have to say choose Game Night if you're only picking one, but I really think their Vacation is underrated. You're also doing what I'd recommend and editing out the actual second movie, which is National Lampoon's European Vacation, which nobody involved seems to like or think fondly of. (The beloved Christmas Vacation is actually the third movie in the series, and then the fourth, Vegas Vacation, is underrated. There are also technically some others, but they were either direct-to-video or made for TV and don't really count.)

[@jfreshmoney619]

Game night is underrated

[@roryotoole3279]

Please don't tell people not to watch a movie if it's part of a series. Even if you don't like it other people might and they might. It's really annoying, like when people tell reactors to skip Evil Dead and go directly to Evil Dead 2. Why would you want less reaction from them? You don't like it don't watch it, but don't make the decision for everyone else.

[@tylerfoster6267]

@@roryotoole3279 I didn't tell them not to watch it. They said in the video that they thought Christmas Vacation was the second movie, so I made a joke about them "editing it out" and then noted that most of the people involved with it (namely director Amy Heckerling and Chevy Chase) have gone on record that they hated making it. I didn't tell them or even recommend what to do.

[@zu_1455]

@@tylerfoster6267 Well said. Thanks for enlightening us about this fine American film.

[@zu_1455]

@@roryotoole3279 I agree with what you say about telling ppl what to watch. That being said, I think @tylerfoster6267 gives a solid rebuttal.

[@Devinthirteen]

Guys. National Lampoon was an adult magazine somewhat similar to MAD Magazine. They also produced National Lampoon's Animal House.

[@t.j.stabler9253]

I love the moment Simone sees the dinosaur roadside attraction and gets really excited and turns into Agnes from Despicable Me.

[@toodlescae]

The wife, Beverly D'Angelo is in another comedy called *High Spirits* I love that movie. Ot also stars Peter O'Toole, Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy), Darryl Hannah, Jennifer Tilly and Liam Neeson.

[@rickdeleon7386]

I loved that movie! I'd like to see some reactions to it. She was also in "Daddy's Dyin' . . . Who's Got the Will?" with Beau Bridges and Judge Reinhold.

[@mojoshivers]

I used to love Hamburger Helper. It’s a series of products that are designed to make it easy to feed a family. They’re all sauces you add with water and ground beef to make a pot of food. Some are cheesy, some are tomato-based, some creamy, &c… But the main thing is you don’t need a ton of other ingredients other than ground beef and water, but makes enough food for family of 4 for a low price.

[@LordVolkov]

"It's so Conan!" Boris Vallejo did the poster for NLV in his signature style, also used for A New Hope and Conan The Barbarian. It's wonderful.

[@calvinheslop2585]

Simone always reminds me of that little unicorn loving girl from Despicable me whenever she gets excited about stuff her reaction to seeing the dino statue at the beginning is a perfect example.I hope I find someone like that one day as I tend to be a bit of a miserable bugger.

[@88wildcat]

Now I have this mental image of Simone screaming "it's so fluffy" in my head.

[@calvinheslop2585]

@@88wildcat thats exactly what I had in my head too.

[@ugaladh]

I always do the "Grand canyon thing" at scenic places and if room is getting short in a vehicle, I'm always saying "Someone's going to have to ride on top like Aunt Edna".

[@davidmenchaca1063]

Simone” There not gonna kill off a dog and a old lady.” Us 🤭🤫😉

[@coldwhite4240]

Right! Oh, the cinematic innocence of those who didn't grow up in the 70s or 80s... 😂

[@JoeXTheXJuggalo1]

A worm farm is basically a garden composter. The worms eat and break down the food items you throw in it. it's actually faster than a regular composter. Also as the worms start to multiply in the worm farm you can use them for fishing bait.

[@Tr0nzoid]

The direct inspiration for the poster was the original "Star Wars" poster. While a lot of the references are unfamiliar to younger viewers, I have noticed in reactions to this movie that everyone knows the game Asteroids and gets that joke.

[@Cheepchipsable]

That kind of heroic pose on posters was pretty common, in fact cliched, which is why it was used.

[@thescott7539]

I don't think you need to know what Asteroids is to get the joke.

[@Mr_Incognito113]

It’s called the Frazetta triangle, the composition with the hero at the top and often the damsel below. Frank Frazetta was an artists who did art for Conan, John Carter and Buck Rogers, the Star Wars original poster was indeed inspired by his work, as was the first 2 vacation movie posters

[@Tr0nzoid]

I know the Star Wars poster was inspired by earlier posters, much like the movie's style. However, that was popularized with "Star Wars" and thus parodied often at the time "Vacation" came out.

[@buzbom1]

16:35 After WWII and throughout the 50's, 60's, 70's and even the 80's the "Drive-in" (not to be confused with Drive-in theaters) restaurant became a HUGE thing. My childhood was going to A & W drive--ins here in New Hampshire. Especially for their big mug rootbeers and burgers. You were supposed to do just what Clark did, the window glass was more than strong enough to hold a tray of food. These great parts of Americana are all gone in this area now. The one building in the next town still serves like a classic place, but it's a privately owned eatery. It's cool they are doing great after nearly 30yrs. Good food too. I miss the drive-in theaters and food places. Made for some great summer memories with the family and dates back then. Now what do we have?.......................eh? My family(mom, dad, and two younger sisters) had many camping trips during the late 60's, and then in 1976 during the bicentennial we all drove in a Dodge van my dad customized down to Disney World Florida. So, this movie was a had to see by all of us, and did we relate and LOL in the theater.....eh.....the new small seating cineplexes that were taking over the 1000 seat movie theaters. All the men and women in the theater were like, what's wrong with Clarks wife vs Christy Brinkley????? Beverly D'Angelo was stunning in this, and in all the others. Meh.....hollywood in the 80's. And lets face it....Clark was an absolute idiot. Still is........... 🤣

[@charlesbarnes6912]

I'll die a happy man if I never have to hear about George's rhythm again😂

[@ronnix23]

When I first saw your thumbnail I thought it said Canadian Vacation. My immediate thought was "Wow! There's a movie I don't know in the vacation franchise. Then I read it correctly. I bet Canadian Vacation would be a really funny movie though.

[@barrymoreblue]

Christmas Vacation is the best of all the Vacations. We’ve watched it almost every year for the last couple of decades, lol

[@kenny240]

Please do Christmas Vacation during the holiday season. It’s one of the best holiday movies ever made, IMO

[@jrobwoo688]

National Lampoon’s European Vacation is actually next in the series. It has one of my favorite gags with Eric Idle in a small but hilarious role.

[@JayM409]

The woman in the sports car is super model Christie Brinkley. She was married to Billy Joel for a while. She is featured in his music video for 'Uptown Girl.' In 1969, we drove to Disney Land. Dad got lost in LA and we ended in a bad part of town. He drove through stop signs and red lights to get out. Dad had a bladder of iron and both he and Mom chained smoked. We went in Aug, so it was hot as hell.

[@keithmartin4670]

I remember the vibrating beds very well. Usually the action was fast but smooth and not remotely violent, could actually be soothing. The joke there was that it was badly overdue for repair or replacement.

[@chuckshingledecker2216]

I will also add that flying was more expensive in 1980 but it was also far more comfortable and pleasurable. Much more room, more comfortable seats, better service etc.

[@chrisleebowers]

"National Lampoon" was a humor periodical, similar to Mad Magazine, that ran from 1970-1998. It was a spinoff of "The Harvard Lampoon," a campus paper started by seven Harvard undergraduates in *1876* During it's active period, National Lampoon spun off numerous productions in a wide variety of media, including books, audio recordings, movies and TV. "Vacation" is their most famous movie franchise, their first big hit was "Animal House" and their most recent successful franchise was the "Van Wilder" movies.

[@johnortmann3098]

There's a documentary of the NatLamp's early days, "Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead." And a fictionalized biopic of one of the founders, "A Futile and Stupid Gesture."

[@thekurt5781]

I love Roy Wally lol "Oh, they don't close Florida..." That actor also played Mr. Duncan from Duncan's Toy Chest in Home Alone 2

[@lowbridge7070]

I saw Vacation when it first came out in the theaters back in 1983. I was 14 years old. Saw it with my then best friend. We were both a couple of fanatics about the movies. We talked, read, ate, and drank the movies. And we went to the movies together once a week, every week, for a lot of years from the 1970s-1980s. My friend was the one who chose what movie we would go see. I didn't mind. I loved the moviegoing experience in itself. We tried to see every new movie that came out regardless of plot, genre (he loved horror movies, I preferred comedy), critics reviews, or who starred in it. So, there was no particular reason we went to see Vacation. It just happened to be a new movie that just came out. Both my friend and I enjoyed the movie immensely. I recall it was one of the big box office hits of the year. Going to the movies with my best friend back then is among my most fondest, happiest memories of my entire life.

[@TheCoreyd1086]

It was a spoof of Disneyland yes. Plane tickets were expensive back then but more expensive today. Also when Clark is driving off the exit that scene was used in the opening for Married with Children. You will enjoy European Vacation, Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation as well

[@Gavrev]

There are four that I know of.. This one, European Vacation, Xmas Vacation and Las Vegas. All have something good about them.

[@McPh1741]

Christie Brinkley is one of those beautiful women that don't seem to age very fast. Even now at 69, she's still gorgeous. She's aging like a fine wine while some of us are aging like a gallon of milk. She has passed those genes onto her daughter. Her genes were even strong enough to make Billy Joel's daughter attractive. Christie Brinkley is definitely in my top 5 of the 1980s. But, I still can't make up my mind who's hotter, her, Heather Locklear or Heather Thomas.

[@LordVolkov]

Christie Brinkley showing up as Mrs Gergitch in Parks & Rec was such a great cameo.

[@PuppyMonsters]

I really felt bad for Christie and Billy's daughter. She took a lot after her dad and people would often be mean about her not looking just like Christie. I mean who they hell COULD compare to her?

[@zmarko]

An absolute classic. I saw this for the first time, while on vacation (and yes we literally drove across the country), in Malibu visiting a friend of the family. Must have been the summer of 1984, watching it with my sisters and the son of my mom's friend. Good times.

[@comedyfox4018]

Did you all notice in the beginning of the movie when they're in the kitchen doing dishes that they never wash them she scrapes off the food he hits it with a towel and then puts it up.

[@BH-zc6hu]

The dead body scene was expanded to an entire movie with Weekend at Bernie's. I think you guys would like that one as well

[@OldRod99]

"I was hoping the dog was going to be fine" Tell me you've never been exposed to National Lampoon without telling me... :)

[@cbobwhite5768]

Hamburger Helper is a one box dish, just add ground beef. Not for making hamburgers. Cheese burger macaroni, chili macaroni, potato stroganoff, etc types of dishes. They were using a box of helper to make burgers, with no meat.

[@SunshineStereo]

Every Lampoon's movie has the same Dad and Mom actors but the kids Aubrey and Rusty are played by different actors. Also Cousin Eddie is the same actor and he's in every movie too!

[@3DJapan]

National Lampoon started at Harvard University as a satire radio show and magazine called The Harvard Lampoon. They got so popular they decided to start making movies.

[@Lifter999]

I always automatically get the cursor in position to skip the first minutes but Simone keeps me from clicking. Those random greetings and George´s confusion are so funny.

[@mistercard3599]

“Amen let’s go” was something my dad would like to say after church

[@blunt2416]

😀

[@mournblade1066]

Fun Fact: Cousin Vicki is played by Jane Krakowski, best known for 30 Rock, Alley McBeal, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

[@jmhaces]

Clark and Ellen are always played by Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, and cousin Eddie is always played by Randy Quaid, in all the Vacation movies. But since they were made at very different points in time, the kids Rusty and Audrey are played by different people in every and some of them went on to do a lot of other stuff when they grew up.

[@gishgali8354]

Hamburger Helper is basically noodles and a flavor packet that makes a stock. You cook it in a sauce pan with raw hamburger. Used to eat it as a kid and loved it.

[@grife3000]

Yeah, cheeseburger macaroni hamburger helper is delicious.

[@mage1439]

Nah, you brown the meat first before adding the HH. Otherwise you'll be eating mostly uncooked meat.

[@fuzzballzz36]

Guys, you need some history here. National Lampoon was an out-there humour magazine. It started at Harvard in the 1960s as the Harvard Lampoon. Founders Doug Kenney (author of Animal House) and Michael O'Donognue (SNL) decided to make it a commercial venture and founded the National (as opposed to local college) Lampoon in 1969. They were known for having the most insane, un-PC comedy ever created in the '70s. They branched out into making records and theatre in 1973 and starting with Animal House, branched out further into making films in 1978. Also Simone is correct, the poster is a parody of Frank Frazetta's Conan paintings from the 1960s. Also, the couples version of 'Mockingbird' was recorded by James Taylor and Carly Simon in 1972, It was a huge hit. Many NatLamp productions are written by Boomer comedians, and you're going to miss a lot of references. But that's no reason not to watch and enjoy!

[@firedoc5]

Aunt Edna was the legendary Imogene Coca. She was brilliant comedienne that was on early TV particularly Sid Cesear's Show of Shows. For each of the Vacation movies, the kids are always different, so don't be surprised with the change ups.

[@frogofbrass382]

Jane Krakowski plays Eddie's daughter Vicki ("Yeah, but Daddy says I'm the best"). She was 14 when the film was released.

[@SilentBob731]

That was a particularly excellent intro, Simone. 🤣 Christmas Vacation gets a lot of the accolades, but for my money (which is laughable), the first is the best in the series and an absolute 80's Classic.

[@aeneasfate]

Little Miss Sunshine was basically a modern version of this, and it's amazing.

[@pdottie212fu]

I laughed so hard when Simone said, "Well, there's something about 'respecting' a person," with the old lady on the car. She should have been up there the whole ride. 🤣

[@larindanomikos]

National Lampoon was a satire publication from the 70's, like the Harvard Lampoon. Many of their writers ended up working SNL. I loved it when I was in high school.

[@lurkerrekrul]

The girl in the red Ferrari is Christie Brinkley, I well-known supermodel of the time. Also, the music for those scenes was changed for copyright reasons. Originally it was "I'm so Excited". The music as they're running across the parking lot in slow motion is from the movie Chariots of Fire, which was about Olympic runners at the turn of the century. That music was used in all the ads for the film and came to be synonymous with it.

[@adnap]

Did you guys not recognize Jane Krakowski from the scene where they stop to see their relatives ? Still blows my mind that she’s in this and so young, every time I see this movie.

[@TheTerryGene]

The manager of the camp ground is played by Brian Doyle Murray, one of Bill’s brothers. He also appears in NL’s Christmas Vacation as Chevy’s boss.

[@gutz1981]

"DON'T TOUCH!!!" was perhaps my dad's favorite line from this movie. As a kid watching him laugh I didn't get why it was that funny. As an adult, now I get it. LOL

[@phillipsuttles1926]

The vibrating beds were a thing from the 50s thru the 70s they usually were broken, and when they did work, they didn't work well. The pipe for filling the gas tank was in different places on some cars. Behind the rear plate was common. One year Cadillac had the pipe behind the left tail light. there was a latch that you pushed on the light fixture, and it would swing open exposing the pipe. Before the internet people relied on paper maps. Most gas stations had maps for sale and many stations gave them away as perks. Also, restaurants and tourist attractions had deals with gas stations and paid a small fee to the stations for steering tourists their way.

[@johnwatson3948]

As noted below - when the college satire magazine “Harvard Lampoon” got big they changed it to “National Lampoon”. The movie poster is by famous sci-fi and fantasy artist Boris Vallejo. Skipped the best joke “I French kiss… yeah but daddy says I’m the best at it”.

[@MrLovegrove]

So here's one for you George. The very first time I went on a roller coaster was the one they are riding at the end with the loop. They use a different restraint system on it now, but at the time it was just the lap bar you see in the movie. Slince it was my first roller coaster I checked to make sure the bar was locked properly when we were climbing the hill out of the station. To my horror, the bar popped loose and wouldn't lock again. I screamed for help, but we were already underway and either they didn't hear me or there was nothing they could do. When I realized I was on my own, I suddenly remembered there was a loop up ahead. I was certain my first roller coaster ride was also going to be my last roller coaster ride. Fortunately, God, physics, or both were on the job and I lived to ride another day. But I don't know if I've ever been more terrified than I was then.

[@CharlesVanNoland]

Yeah, I've never had Hamburger Helper, but apparently it's something you mix into the ground beef to make something yummy, like a ground beef pasta plate or something? I guess you throw some ground beef into the mix in a pan and end up with something like that. For grilling burgers I just hand-form patties, put a thumb-sized depression into them, so they don't turn into footballs on the grill, then a coat of oil helps on there, and fresh ground black pepper, salt, and onion powder (that's the trick to a tasty burger) then slap those suckers on an oil-brushed grill. The trick to grilling them is letting the meat warm up a little bit from fridge temps (~30 min) before grilling, and grilling them on medium-high heat so you can sear the outside without totally browning the inside. You want the inside to have a bit of pink for the awesome textures - which doesn't mean raw, you can definitely fry the outside and have a raw center, don't do that. Just don't. That means your heat is too high or your beef is too cold to start with. Anyway, yeah, never messed with Hamburger Helper. Sometimes it's like Simone is George's older sister who is more worldly and experienced, which is fine, not knocking on George. I'd have George over for burgers with my fam any time! Show him the ropes on the grill, and I'm sure he could teach me a few things too, because he already has just following your guys' channel the last year or so. :) I just realized that maybe George already knows how to grill a good burger and I've extrapolated like a sleep-deprived ding-dong again, doh!

[@tranya327]

One of the factors making this movie as good as it is: The Director was Harold Ramis. Uh, THE Harold Ramis? Co-Writer and Director of Groundhog Day? Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters films (as well as co-writer of the first film)? The person to whom the "For Harold" caption is seen, at the end of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (where that film's creative team spent a ton of money to have a GOOD CGI sequence that looked like Ramis/Egon was actually there, 7 years after Ramis's tragic death?) Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and a couple of others, made a whole career out of taking America's semi-sacred icons (Sleepaway Camp, in "Meatballs," the U.S. Army, in "Stripes," the classic Family-on-a-roadtrip, in "Vacation,") etc, and taking them in unusually funny, bizarre directions, with an unsafe, edgy humor that still resonates today. When you wouldn't expect a 1983 film to go 'there' - with a dead dog, dead aunt, recurring Christie-Brinkley-in-a-red-Ferrari, to taunt the main character with wisps of unfulfilled dreams... Yeah, that has Harold Ramis written all over it.

[@AI_Image_Master]

National Lampoon also had Radio and Stage shows. Many of that generations comedy stars came through National Lampoon shows. Chevy Chase, Belushi, Murray Brothers, Gilda Radner etc.

[@carladavis1473]

The next one is not Christmas Vacation, which is the European Vaction, but yes, most people like Christmas Vacation or this one the best. Simone, lighten up. 😂 comedy in the 80s was EXTREME! A lot of things that people would get upset about today was made fun of back then. Nobody was hurt😂😂😂 Aunt Emma dying and being put on the roof was the funniest thing in the movie. It's relatable. No phones, your in the desert, no one wants to ride with a corpse, especially kids and especially a corpse that you didn't like. So the roof is the only answer. 😂😂😂

[@heyheyjk-la]

Even though Chevy Chase is supposed to be a pompous asshole, he made some funny movies and was, of course, great on SNL, and he's really good on "Community" too (even though his pompousness was a big issue for the rest of the cast and crew). The one thing that shocked me seeing this again was that quick shot of downtown Los Angeles. You could actually see patches of grass here and there! Now it's all skyscrapers and development.

[@manutgop]

Fun fact - from the 1940s to the early 1950s, there were a number of cars that had the gas filler cap hidden behind one of the taillights.

[@porgyt7177]

The Vacation movie order: -Vacation (1983) -European Vacation (1985) -Christmas Vacation (1989) -Vegas Vacation (1997)

[@gorndd]

National Lampoon was a popular American humorist/satirist magazine in the 1970s & 80s. The screenplay was written by John Hughes on the basis of his short story "Vacation '58," which appeared in the magazine.

[@benschultz1784]

National Lampoon was a satire/comedy magazine back in the 70s-90s. John Hughes was one of the big contributors. Christmas Vacation (1989) is the best of the whole series.

[@k333rl]

when they get to chicago and she says that it's the wrong exit, it's actually the right exit, he just takes the wrong fork after. the shaking beds were supposed to be for massages but ended up being more explitive. if you ever think about going to dodge city, think again, it's a major cow town and the whole area smells like poo. that car probably had somthing like a 440 in it and even though it was probably 8000 lbs of steel, once it got up to speed you could easily cruise at over 100 and never feel a bump in the road. hamburger helper is basically a spice packet and some form of pasta that you add to hamburger. those sandwiches would be spices and noodles. you wouldn't need a credit card to cash a check but you would need a valid ID. and wally is also the guy who runs the toy store in home alone 2

[@stevend.bennett427]

Chevy trying to be serious while holding back laughter in the dead dog scene is hilarious. I know these are fragile times, but no dogs were killed...etc.

[@logankerlee]

Super enjoyed watching the full reaction over on Patreon! Such a fun time. :)

[@zzzkoszzz]

23:23 The guy playing the Piano is Don Lorenzo Salviati who at the time was married to Beverly D'Angelo(Ellen Griswold). Obscure trivia.

[@StandUpComedyFan28m]

Hamburger Helper is a boxed dinner, like Strogonoff, Spaghetti, etc. but you add Ground Beef to the dinner to make it a meal. But yeah, Simone pretty much nailed it.

[@shawnmiller4781]

One of the classic dinners for college students along with Top Ramen, Cup o Noodles, Mac and Cheese and Armour hot dogs

[@RandomNonsense1985]

They’re Canadian, the main boxes meal they would probably know is Kraft Dinner (Dijon Ketchup goes well with that stuff, lol).

[@StandUpComedyFan28m]

@@RandomNonsense1985 "Got me tickets for my favorite recording artist, Salon Dijon! Just a mustard rinse of a performer."

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

You're supposed to put ground beef in it?

[@cbobwhite5768]

A place I worked at, had a company picknick at a amusement park. Free food and rides for the day. One group of our people got on the biggest rollercoaster they had. It got stuck, at the highest spot, about 120 ft. in the air.

[@thekurt5781]

I also love that if you listen in the background to one of the off screen police officers, it's Harold Ramis

[@NotData]

The last picture in the photo montage during the closing credits shows that the Griswolds flew home wearing Wally World hats.

[@guitarman8462]

The actor with the watermelon who rents them the tents , is Bill Murrays brother. He was in many movies like : Caddyshack

[@jameshenner5831]

Uncle Eddie's place in "Kansas" was actually just a few miles out from Pueblo, Colorado, with a view of the mountains.

[@coreyhendricks9490]

One of my favorite comedies of all time, cool reaction as always Simone & George, you both have a great weekend

[@tjchesney4997]

Mr Walley played the childrens' store owner in Home Alone 2. Nice to see him again...

[@goldenager59]

Eddie Bracken had a long comedic roster to his credit before this (my personal recommendation is *The Girl from Jones Beach* from 1949, when he co-starred opposite a trim young Ronald Reagan and the luscious Virginia Mayo). 😎

[@TYoung023]

I’ve never noticed that they have a Volvo 240 parked in the garage in the beginning. Yes, take the green Scheissewagon, not the most reliable safest car of the time. Oh Sparky! 😂

[@KanWoo76]

Forever in my Top 10 All Time Favorite movies!! After seeing this in the theater my father and I planned to drive cross-country. . . unfortunately he passed before we could do it. I was finally able to do it (CT - CA) with my wife back in 2017. Even though she laughed when I first did it, she got pissed that every time we got in the car to continue I would play *Holiday Road* and when we got home I wouldn't let her get out of the car until *We Went Dancin'* finished playing 😂🤣! I plan on doing it again with my son next year.

[@asterix7842]

National Lampoon was a popular humor magazine. It started as the Harvard Lampoon.

[@1938superman]

30:35 CORRECTION. The next one is European Vacation. Vacation (1983) European Vacation (1985) Christmas Vacation (1989) Vegas Vacation (1997) Also, the kids are played by different people each time. They're always supposed to be teenagers, except for Christmas Vacation where Audrey is older than Rusty for some reason and they're both pretty young. It's also Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki playing Audrey and Rusty in that movie.

[@7Rendar]

I really like the European vacation one (the second movie) too. We had both on VHS growing up and I can't say how many times I've seen the both! Those tapes were worn out!

[@ink-cow]

Oh, about that poster! That was painted by the famed Boris Vallejo, known for his amazing fantasy paintings, including Conan the barbarian! Back in the 70's/80's, probably the biggest name in fantasy paperback covers apart from Frank Frazetta.