TOGA! TOGA! ANIMAL HOUSE! (1978)

Wanting to get another John Belushi movie under my belt, I decided to watch Animal House today. I'll be honest that I was a little concerned going into this one. So many people have told me this movie is HILARIOUS and they stress that fact quite a lot. I haven't had a lot of successes with comedies on this blog, and I think it might mainly be because I'm watching them on my own and you don't get that group atmosphere going like when you watch a movie with your friends. Anyways, hit the jump to see if Animal House has what it takes to break the pattern.


As is with most films of this era, the story is thin to say the least. The most I could glean here is that Delta House likes having a good time, and to Hell with grades, they're going to have a good time and no one is going to tell them otherwise! Also, one of the guys is having some communication troubles with his girlfriend, and hopefully they can work it out in a hollow, unsatisfying way by the end of the movie.

So there you have it. Without going into detail, I've told you EVERYTHING that happens in Animal House. There's a party under the guise of getting pledges. There's a party because they got in trouble. There's some pranks, some making out, some peeking through girl's windows, and that guy occasionally talks with his girlfriend, but it's barely a plot point.

John Belushi breaks the 4th wall just before that girl gets topless.

To be honest, I could barely get into this movie, as everything that happens just seems pointless and random. I'm sure that's the point, but a bunch of slapstick humour rarely works for me unless I'm with a group, and unfortunately that wasn't the case here. I'm not sure what to make of the whole thing, as I just didn't find it that funny. Sure, it's wild and crazy, but that doesn't always equal funny. If I think about it, I think I generally like my comedy to come from clever word play, or unusual and awkward situations, not just a guy downing a nearly full bottle of Jack Daniel's in one go.

I'd have to say it's primarily a factor of the times. This movie is now 33 years old, and just like Caddyshack, comedies back then were just made to be silly and goofy for no reason, with a bunch of topless girls just to get ticket sales from 70's teens. I think a lot of the hype this movie has is due only to nostalgia either directly for this film, or just for wild drunken college days. I wouldn't say Animal House is bad, I just don't think it suited me. Give it a shot, but if you don't find it to be everything you've been told it would be, don't say I didn't warn you.