Reviews (70)

impressive
Following the success of his thesis project "Who's that knocking at my door", Scorcese returned in 1973 with Mean Streets. Like a lot of other of Scorcese's films, Mean Streets explores the catholic guilt of the main character(Keitel) while drawing a contrast to another(DeNiro).
Keitel is near perfect in his role. In most other films, the audience would hardly consider Keitel a protagonist. He runs numbers, wacthes strippers, and does not "love" his girlfriend. However, when compared to Deniro's Johnny boy or some of the other characters in the film, one can't help but admire his altruism. In Mean Streets, Keitel plays the only role he is capable of playing well: A man stuck in two different worlds; In this case the world of clubs, dark alleys and violent street corners and the other more peaceful and disciplined world he strives for.
I don't care much for DeNiro's character, so I will not comment much on him, however it is only fitting that I reccomend some other films for Kietel fans on fans of this genre. Bad Lieutenant is the best place for any Keitel fan to start, but it is certainly not for the faint hearted. Taxi Driver also stars Keitel, but DeNiro is the main character. These films both tell the story of a man who is so fed up with the turmoil he observes every day on the streets, that he takes a road which eventually results in his own destruction.

the most influential independent film
"Mean Streets," simply put, is the greatest independent film ever made. At the very least, it pioneered what modern audiences have come to associate with the best of indie cinema, and what, by the late '90s, has become so essential to our perception of so-called "hip" movies that the once daring and exhilarating techniques are now mostly used as frustrating cliches. The picture itself, made in 1973, is most famous for kick-starting three major careers. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro later collaborated as a director/actor team on four more masterpieces: "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" "The King of Comedy" and "Goodfellas." Harvey Keitel, in the leading role, went on to play other memorable characters, like "Pulp Fiction"'s Mr. Wolf. Cast as Charlie , a small-time, young gangster in New York's Little Italy, Keitel struggles to make sense of his Catholic background and help his troubled friend (DeNiro) stay out of the powerful Mafia players' way. What seems to be a familiar scenario, used as far back as the classic Bogart/Cagney vehicles, gets an unusually complex treatment from Scorsese. A conventional, linear plot structure with big speeches and witty one-liners from main characters is abandoned for a grittier, naturalistic approach. The film consists of a series of telling episodes, related only through their participants. "Mean Streets" has much more in common with the works of Italian Neo-realism or French New Wave, rather than a typical gangster drama. Its unorthodox, original, yet unpretentious camera work gives the film an unprecedented vitality that young filmmakers have attempted to recreate for decades. Now commonplace shots, such as a subtitled introduction of a particular character, a fight sequence tracked through the four corners of a room in a single take, a swaying hand-held camera to create the sense of an alcohol-induced stupor, have all been popularized through this movie, a veritable Bible of dynamic cinematography. Another revolutionary aspect of "Mean Streets" is the virtual lack of a script. Most of the key scenes were almost fully improvised, thus sounding far more authentic than the old-style, theatrical delivery used in most American films up to that time. The actors' speech is so profanity-ridden that no screenwriter of the time could have possibly doctored anything even close. De Niro's flamboyant turn as a youth on the edge of sanity is unlike anything before. In fact,the swear-fests of later crime movies (and indie classics like "Clerks") owe a direct debt to his extraordinary performance as Johnny Boy. One of Scorcese's most groundbraking achievements was his incorporation of popular songs into the soundtrack. All of the icluded music originates elsewhere- Italian traditional recordings (Opera arias, Folk tunes) and for the most part, glorious, irresistable Rock'n'Roll of the early 60's (Motown, the Stones, Girl Groups, DooWop).The easily identifiable hits serve as atmospheric settings, adding an extra, personal dimension to any given scene. George Lucas' "American Graffiti", released in the same year, operated by the same principle, establishing a tradition that seems to expand with every coming year. As it is often the case with true independent cinema, "Mean Streets" was ignored at the box office, despite an underground acclaim which helped launch not only the great talents behind it, but an entire school of filmmaking.

Overlooked and underappreciated
This is a fantastic film, and I'm going to tell you why I think so, and by the time you finish reading this, you just might change your mind about it, or run out and have to see it.

The music is great. Perfectly fits the time period and setting, I dunno how much they had to pay in royalties for the songs in this film, but I love em'.

The camera work is fantastic. There's a scene where the camera gives you charlie's viewpoint, stumbling, wobbling across the bar, lights flashing, people dancing, music blaring, then zooms out to his smiling happy face. Then there's the filming of the street festival and the overall way which New York is captured so perfectly. It feels like you are really in the city, the movie has that gritty feeling to it.

The dialogue is great, many of it is ad libed by Deniro and Keitel. This is the beginning of ad libbed dialogue for deniro, the culmination being his speech in front of the mirror in taxi driver; "You talkin' to me"? There's a scene where Keitel confronts Deniro outside the bar to ask him about his debt, the exchange is perfect, it could never have been written and its executed beautifully.

The acting is also fantastic throughout.

So, great acting, great filmwork and great dialogue all come together to create a wonderfully realistic film.

Now, the end of the movie, maybe you didn't understand it, so I'll explain the film. I'll try not to spoil the ending.

Ok, so Charlie does some bad things, he works for the mob after all, and he wants to repent for his sins, so, after going to church and then later seeing jonny boy in a bar he thinks that God has asked him to repent for his sins on the streets, by helping out Jonny Boy. He doesn't believe that saying a few hail mary's or confessing washes away one's sins. So enter the walking train wreck that is Jonny Boy.

Now, what type of person is Jonny Boy? He has no sense of responsibility, he does not answer to anyone, he does not obey any rules, never does what is expected of him.

Hmm, so what type of person is Charlie? There are several scenes in the film that let you know what type of person charlie is. The statement Charlie loves everybody and everybody loves Charlie almost sums it up. Charlie wants to please everyone. But his life is full of conflict. You can't be in the mob and be religious, it just doesn't work that way. You can't hang out with guys who are racist and date an African American. These are just a few examples, but suffice to stay that Charlie wants everyone to like him, the local mob boss, his friends, his God, but he also wants to be happy and do the things he wants to do. There is conflict in all of this. Some of the other people that charlie wants to please, eg., God and the mob boss, have conflicting agendas. Some of the people that charlie wants to please conflict with what he personally wants to do with his life, eg. he is embarassed to be dating the epileptic because he thinks it shows weakness to his friends, but he loves her and she makes him happy.

You cannot please everyone. The irony of this film, and this is a little spoiler, is that while charlie is trying to save jonny boy, he should take a few lessons from him. Jonny Boy does whatever he wants without thinking about who he might upset, or disappoint. Charlie is the complete opposite. Yeah, Jonny Boy is destructive and his life is falling apart, but the point is that the two of them represent two opposite extremes. This is why the end of the film is tragic, its the lesson that you can't make everyone happy, that life is full of conflict, the conflict may be between different people in your life which you try to please, or between yourself and other people in your life. These basic conflicts and how we deal with them sum up who we are as human beings.

So there are many reasons why this film is great, I highly recommend giving it a second chance. I watch it every once in awhile and it really is one of my favorite films.

"Mean Streets" my @5$
Good god what a f*cking waste of time and money. When I was at work I was talkin' to my buddy Travis about the worst movies we'd ever seen and he mentioned a movie with DeNiro & Keitel but he couldn't remember the name. He said "Johnny Boy" and I was like, "Oh yeah, that's Mean Streets!" We agreed this is one of the top worst f*cking movies EVAR MADE!! That's right dude, do NOT watch this! You will be saying things like, "What's the point?" "What was the plot of that movie?" "It just ended, like THAT?" Seriously, you'd be better off just watching Goodfellas or Casino or Taxi Driver one more time.

Great movie about life on the street
This movie is great mainly because of the acting of Robert Deniro. He is explosive in his role as Johnny Boy a degenerate who owes bookies and shylocks. His friend Charlie, played by Harvey Keitel tries to save him. Movie shows little Italy in the seventies and has an authentic NY feel. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is one of those movies that works for all the wrong reasons--disgusting, lowbrow, base humor that we are all far too sophisticated to find amusing. So, just don't tell anyone you still think it's a riot to watch John Belushi as the brutish Bluto slurp Jell-O or terrorize his less-aggressive fellow students. This crude parody of college life in the '60s spawned many imitations, but none could match the fresh-faced talent or bad taste of this huge box office success. (Remember all those toga parties in the '80s?) The first of the National Lampoon movies, this was originally released as National Lampoon's Animal House. Keep an eye out for a very young Kevin Bacon in his first credited screen appearance. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

After Martin Scorsese went to Hollywood in 1972 to direct the low-budget Boxcar Bertha for B-movie mogul Roger Corman, the young director showed the film to maverick director John Cassavetes and got an instant earful of urgent advice. "It's crap," said Cassavetes in no uncertain terms, "now go out and make something that comes from your heart." Scorsese took the advice and focused his energy on Mean Streets, a riveting contemporary film about low-life gangsters in New York's Little Italy that critic Pauline Kael would later call "a true original, and a triumph of personal filmmaking." Starring Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel in roles that announced their talent to the world, it set the stage for Scorsese's emergence as one of the greatest American filmmakers. Introducing themes and character types that Scorsese would return to in Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, Casino, and other films, the loosely structured story is drawn directly from Scorsese's background in the Italian neighborhoods of New York, and it seethes with the raw vitality of a filmmaker who has found his creative groove. As the irresponsible and reckless Johnny Boy, De Niro offers striking contrast to Keitel's Charlie, who struggles to reconcile gang life with Catholic guilt.More of an episodic portrait than a plot-driven crime story, Mean Streets remains one of Scorsese's most direct and fascinating films--a masterful calling card for a director whose greatness was clearly apparent from that point forward. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (70)

impressive
Following the success of his thesis project "Who's that knocking at my door", Scorcese returned in 1973 with Mean Streets. Like a lot of other of Scorcese's films, Mean Streets explores the catholic guilt of the main character(Keitel) while drawing a contrast to another(DeNiro).
Keitel is near perfect in his role. In most other films, the audience would hardly consider Keitel a protagonist. He runs numbers, wacthes strippers, and does not "love" his girlfriend. However, when compared to Deniro's Johnny boy or some of the other characters in the film, one can't help but admire his altruism. In Mean Streets, Keitel plays the only role he is capable of playing well: A man stuck in two different worlds; In this case the world of clubs, dark alleys and violent street corners and the other more peaceful and disciplined world he strives for.
I don't care much for DeNiro's character, so I will not comment much on him, however it is only fitting that I reccomend some other films for Kietel fans on fans of this genre. Bad Lieutenant is the best place for any Keitel fan to start, but it is certainly not for the faint hearted. Taxi Driver also stars Keitel, but DeNiro is the main character. These films both tell the story of a man who is so fed up with the turmoil he observes every day on the streets, that he takes a road which eventually results in his own destruction.

the most influential independent film
"Mean Streets," simply put, is the greatest independent film ever made. At the very least, it pioneered what modern audiences have come to associate with the best of indie cinema, and what, by the late '90s, has become so essential to our perception of so-called "hip" movies that the once daring and exhilarating techniques are now mostly used as frustrating cliches. The picture itself, made in 1973, is most famous for kick-starting three major careers. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro later collaborated as a director/actor team on four more masterpieces: "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" "The King of Comedy" and "Goodfellas." Harvey Keitel, in the leading role, went on to play other memorable characters, like "Pulp Fiction"'s Mr. Wolf. Cast as Charlie , a small-time, young gangster in New York's Little Italy, Keitel struggles to make sense of his Catholic background and help his troubled friend (DeNiro) stay out of the powerful Mafia players' way. What seems to be a familiar scenario, used as far back as the classic Bogart/Cagney vehicles, gets an unusually complex treatment from Scorsese. A conventional, linear plot structure with big speeches and witty one-liners from main characters is abandoned for a grittier, naturalistic approach. The film consists of a series of telling episodes, related only through their participants. "Mean Streets" has much more in common with the works of Italian Neo-realism or French New Wave, rather than a typical gangster drama. Its unorthodox, original, yet unpretentious camera work gives the film an unprecedented vitality that young filmmakers have attempted to recreate for decades. Now commonplace shots, such as a subtitled introduction of a particular character, a fight sequence tracked through the four corners of a room in a single take, a swaying hand-held camera to create the sense of an alcohol-induced stupor, have all been popularized through this movie, a veritable Bible of dynamic cinematography. Another revolutionary aspect of "Mean Streets" is the virtual lack of a script. Most of the key scenes were almost fully improvised, thus sounding far more authentic than the old-style, theatrical delivery used in most American films up to that time. The actors' speech is so profanity-ridden that no screenwriter of the time could have possibly doctored anything even close. De Niro's flamboyant turn as a youth on the edge of sanity is unlike anything before. In fact,the swear-fests of later crime movies (and indie classics like "Clerks") owe a direct debt to his extraordinary performance as Johnny Boy. One of Scorcese's most groundbraking achievements was his incorporation of popular songs into the soundtrack. All of the icluded music originates elsewhere- Italian traditional recordings (Opera arias, Folk tunes) and for the most part, glorious, irresistable Rock'n'Roll of the early 60's (Motown, the Stones, Girl Groups, DooWop).The easily identifiable hits serve as atmospheric settings, adding an extra, personal dimension to any given scene. George Lucas' "American Graffiti", released in the same year, operated by the same principle, establishing a tradition that seems to expand with every coming year. As it is often the case with true independent cinema, "Mean Streets" was ignored at the box office, despite an underground acclaim which helped launch not only the great talents behind it, but an entire school of filmmaking.

Overlooked and underappreciated
This is a fantastic film, and I'm going to tell you why I think so, and by the time you finish reading this, you just might change your mind about it, or run out and have to see it.

The music is great. Perfectly fits the time period and setting, I dunno how much they had to pay in royalties for the songs in this film, but I love em'.

The camera work is fantastic. There's a scene where the camera gives you charlie's viewpoint, stumbling, wobbling across the bar, lights flashing, people dancing, music blaring, then zooms out to his smiling happy face. Then there's the filming of the street festival and the overall way which New York is captured so perfectly. It feels like you are really in the city, the movie has that gritty feeling to it.

The dialogue is great, many of it is ad libed by Deniro and Keitel. This is the beginning of ad libbed dialogue for deniro, the culmination being his speech in front of the mirror in taxi driver; "You talkin' to me"? There's a scene where Keitel confronts Deniro outside the bar to ask him about his debt, the exchange is perfect, it could never have been written and its executed beautifully.

The acting is also fantastic throughout.

So, great acting, great filmwork and great dialogue all come together to create a wonderfully realistic film.

Now, the end of the movie, maybe you didn't understand it, so I'll explain the film. I'll try not to spoil the ending.

Ok, so Charlie does some bad things, he works for the mob after all, and he wants to repent for his sins, so, after going to church and then later seeing jonny boy in a bar he thinks that God has asked him to repent for his sins on the streets, by helping out Jonny Boy. He doesn't believe that saying a few hail mary's or confessing washes away one's sins. So enter the walking train wreck that is Jonny Boy.

Now, what type of person is Jonny Boy? He has no sense of responsibility, he does not answer to anyone, he does not obey any rules, never does what is expected of him.

Hmm, so what type of person is Charlie? There are several scenes in the film that let you know what type of person charlie is. The statement Charlie loves everybody and everybody loves Charlie almost sums it up. Charlie wants to please everyone. But his life is full of conflict. You can't be in the mob and be religious, it just doesn't work that way. You can't hang out with guys who are racist and date an African American. These are just a few examples, but suffice to stay that Charlie wants everyone to like him, the local mob boss, his friends, his God, but he also wants to be happy and do the things he wants to do. There is conflict in all of this. Some of the other people that charlie wants to please, eg., God and the mob boss, have conflicting agendas. Some of the people that charlie wants to please conflict with what he personally wants to do with his life, eg. he is embarassed to be dating the epileptic because he thinks it shows weakness to his friends, but he loves her and she makes him happy.

You cannot please everyone. The irony of this film, and this is a little spoiler, is that while charlie is trying to save jonny boy, he should take a few lessons from him. Jonny Boy does whatever he wants without thinking about who he might upset, or disappoint. Charlie is the complete opposite. Yeah, Jonny Boy is destructive and his life is falling apart, but the point is that the two of them represent two opposite extremes. This is why the end of the film is tragic, its the lesson that you can't make everyone happy, that life is full of conflict, the conflict may be between different people in your life which you try to please, or between yourself and other people in your life. These basic conflicts and how we deal with them sum up who we are as human beings.

So there are many reasons why this film is great, I highly recommend giving it a second chance. I watch it every once in awhile and it really is one of my favorite films.

"Mean Streets" my @5$
Good god what a f*cking waste of time and money. When I was at work I was talkin' to my buddy Travis about the worst movies we'd ever seen and he mentioned a movie with DeNiro & Keitel but he couldn't remember the name. He said "Johnny Boy" and I was like, "Oh yeah, that's Mean Streets!" We agreed this is one of the top worst f*cking movies EVAR MADE!! That's right dude, do NOT watch this! You will be saying things like, "What's the point?" "What was the plot of that movie?" "It just ended, like THAT?" Seriously, you'd be better off just watching Goodfellas or Casino or Taxi Driver one more time.

Great movie about life on the street
This movie is great mainly because of the acting of Robert Deniro. He is explosive in his role as Johnny Boy a degenerate who owes bookies and shylocks. His friend Charlie, played by Harvey Keitel tries to save him. Movie shows little Italy in the seventies and has an authentic NY feel. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's pretty tough to beat Jailhouse Rock in terms of sheer entertainment, but Elvis lovers are particularly fond of this 1964 hit. The Big E plays race-car driver Lucky Jackson, who arrives in Las Vegas for an upcoming Grand Prix race.Lucky's car needs a new engine, so he gets a waiter job at a casino and starts working his crooning charms on Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). It's their on-screen chemistry that makes this flick a lot of fun; Presley never had a better costar than Ann-Margret, and their race-car romance is quintessential 1960s fluff. Then there are the songs, of course, including the snappy title tune, a rockin' rendition of Ray Charles's "What'd I Say?," and "The Yellow Rose of Texas." Viva Las Vegas is one of the Elvis movies that stands the test of time, when the legend was still at his peak. And if you're wondering if the King gets his car fixed in time to win the race, well, check out this digital video disc to find out.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Roll Over Wayne Newton, Tell Tom Jones The News!
Elvis was, is and always will be the king - especially the king of Las Vegas! The song "Viva Las Vegas" kicks off the movie as the camera pans down Fremont Street and the Vegas strip, ending as Elvis drives up to the Flamingo hotel. This gives the movie a dated look, since Vegas has changed so much since 1963, the year this movie was filmed. Elvis adds to this feeling of nostalgia, looking as we best remember him - strong, healthy and at the top of his form. Of all his leading ladies, only Ann-Margret can match his screen presence with her beauty, sex appeal and talent. The heat they give off in their scenes together almost melts the cameras! Say what you will about Elvis Presley's movies, they were always entertaining. This is the most thoroughly enjoyable of all of his films, and the one that bests stands up to the test of time.

Hats Off To Kitten And The Lip
Ann-Margret fairly scintillates in this above-average Elvis vehicle, coaxing a winning performance out of the normally wooden Presley, who surely realized his vivacious co-star had the necessary goods to steal the flick, which she very nearly does. Giddy with the success of 1963's "Bye Bye Birdie" and a hot commodity at the time, Ann-Margret could sing, dance, emote and effortlessly exude sex appeal, just like Presley. Feeding off chemistry in spades, the pair engages in a good-natured game of "anything you can do, I can do better" one-upmanship that is danged entertaining. Particularly amusing is "The Lady Loves Me," a very witty duet with Ann-Margret coquettishly issuing withering snubs to Presley's romantic overtures before shoving him into a swimming pool.

Besides the stars, "Viva Las Vegas" has going for it the always reliable Cesare Danova as a suave Italian racing champ and Presley's rival for Ann-Margret's affections, as well as plenty of Las Vegas eye candy and Grand Prix racing action. And lest I forget, there's the goofily great, pulse-pounding title song. I DARE you to resist singing along!

I should have been born 60 years ago...
I'm all about Elvis. I'm 24 and my room is covered in his pictures. I LOVE this movie. I think personally that it's one of his best. I could sit here and watch him sing and move and never get tired of him. My favorite scenes are 1. when he's singing "The Lady Loves Me". And 2. when he's on her dance stage singing "My Baby Loves Me". Of course also when he performs the title song. I hope all avid Elvis fans have this movie in their collection.

HECK YEAH!
Evis hits the screen-he sings-he loves- he dances- and he fights, what else could you ask for! In this story Elvis is a down and out car racer that needs to get a new engine. Low on dough he strikes up a budding romance with ann-margret. Soon the whole screen is being blown apart with Elvis tunes and his fists! He rolls in the new engine and kicks booty all across the racetrack as he streaks to victory. Ann is a waitin and the big song at the end will blow you doors off. Thank you.... Thank you very much.

Overhyped? You Decide.
As much of an Elvis fan as I am, I can't help but think this is overhyped.

It's an average type of musical, looks okay, songs average but take a deeper look and you will see cost cutting on a massive scale. Wobbly sets, a very sparse supporting cast, Elvis looks like Ken from Ken and Barbie with hair to match and Ann-Margret, who is not as popular or talented as she thinks she is, does a very average job - other actresses could have done a better job. After all, didn't he romance all of his leading women.

This is viewed by many Elvisites as one of his best - just shows how bad the others are then!

If you want to see what Elvis could really do on screen check out King Creole, Wild in the Country or even GI Blues if you want something more lighthearted. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

This movie is a funfest!
Title of film: National Lampoon's Animal House
Year Released: 1978
Running time: 109 minutes
Director/studio: John Landis/Universal Studios
Actors/Actresses: John Belushi......"Bluto"
Tim Matheson......"Otter"
John Vernon......."Dean Wormer"
Verna Bloom......."Marion Wormer"
Tom Hulce........."Pinto"
Cesare Danova....."The Mayor"
Peter Riegert....."Boon"
Mary Louise Weller...."Mandy Pepperidge
Stephen Furst........."Flounder" Dorfman
James Daughton........"Greg Marmalard"
Bruce McGill.........."D-Day"
Mark Metcalf.........."Douglas Neidermeyer"
Karen Allen..........."Katy Fuller"
James Widdoes........."Robert Hoover"
Martha Smith.........."Babs"
Lisa Baur............."Shelly Dubinsky"
Sarah Holcomb........."Clorette De Pasto"
Kevin Bacon..........."Chip Diller"
Donald Sutherland....."Professor Jennings"
Douglas Kenney........"Stork"
Chris Miller.........."Hardbar"
Bruce Bonnheim........"B.B."
Joshua Daniel........."Mothball"
Sunny Johnson........."Otters Co-ed"
Stacy Grooman........."Sissy"
Stephen Bishop........"Guy with guitar"
Eliza Roberts........."Brunella"
Aseneth Jurgenson....."Beth"
Katherine Denning....."Noreen"
Raymone Robinson......"Mean Dude"
Robert Elliott........"Meaner Dude"
Reginald Farmer......."Meanest Dude"
Jebidiah R. Dumas....."Gigantic Dude"
Priscilla Lauris......"Wormer's Secretary"
Rick Eby.............."Omega"
Nominations/Awards:
1979 Won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture
1979 Nominated WGS Screen Award Category/Recipients--Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller (III), Harold Ramis

Faber College during fall fraternity pledge season is the place all young men want to be regardless of societal ranking. The disparity between two of the fraternities is quickly evident when we see the wealthy white young men recruiting look-a-likes to join their fraternity and snubbing wannabe's who don't quite measure up. The wealthy frat house has the approval of the school's Dean Wormer and he despises with a passion the characters who choose Delta House fraternity. Dean Wormer wants Delta House off of his campus and he asks Omega House (the rich boys) to help him accomplish this task. This is where the fun begins.

It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that fun-loving, sloppy, middle-class guys inhabit Delta house and they live for pulling pranks on the Omega House fraternity and Dean Wormer.

This movie truly portrays college life on campuses during the 1970's. The underdog Delta House is only looking for acceptance and they won't stop at anything to achieve it! The pledge class consists of all the rejects from Omega House not only from this year but year's past. Together this group works together to undo Dean Wormer's wish to rid their house from his campus.

Flounder's experience with the horse is hysterical. The lunchroom scene with Bluto is classic. Otter's "happy-go-lucky" love interests including Dean Wormer's life are characteristic of a young man's college sexual escapades of the 70's. The closing of the Delta House and the road trip are comical. And finally the parade of all parades allows Delta House to get their revenge.

Scenes from this movie stay with you forever! Keep smiling as you relive quotes and replay scenes in your mind years after viewing this very funny film!

Life, Liberty, And Fraternity
Animal House is a rowdy and riotous look at college life in 1962. Faber College is home to the infamous Delta Fraternity. Known for its wild parties, peeping toms, food fights, and practical jokes at Dean Wormer's (John Vernon) expense.

Director John Landis assembled a great cast for this film. Aside from the late John Belushi as "Bluto", there's inspired lunacy from Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, a very young Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst as "Flounder", Mark Metcalf, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen, all have a memorable moment or two. The script, written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kennedy, and Chris Miller, gives us plenty of laughs. Anyone who watches this will identify with at least one character in the film. Many people that have seen Animal House has their favorite bit in the movie. As for me, it has to be the horse in the Dean's offce, I laugh every time--Belushi was born to play "Bluto"

To celebrate the film's 25th Anniversary, the Double Secret Probation DVD, boasts some solid extas. A somewhat funny "mock-u-mentary", catches up with the cast as their characters. Some of the jokes work better than others. But everyone gives it the "old college try" and has fun. Instead of an audio commentary, there's an animated anecdotes trivia mode that's fun. The cast and crew gather again for a retrospective documentary about the film. This 45 minute feature is filled with great stories about the production-ala the Caddyshack DVD. The song "Shout", sung by Otis And The Knights in the film, gets a video from MxPx. The theatrical trailer, additional production/cast+crew notes and DVD-ROM material tops off the disc.

Because Animal House is set in the past, it is timeless, and holds up quite well. It was the first of its kind and remains a comedy classic. If you have never seen this, do yourself a favor...if you already have seen the movie before...this is one reunion use should not miss.

Classic College Movie
This is one hilarous movie! My dad always used to tell me how good it was and how he watched it when he was in college, but I never believed him. When I got a DVD player as a gift from my boyfriend my freshman year of college, it was one of the first movies that I purchased. It is so funny and it's a great movie to watch with your friends while you're relaxing and having a few beers! I think that everyone who has ever experienced college parties should be buying this movie because you probably never experienced a party like the guys on Animal House throw! Enjoy!!

no more advertising!
enough!!!! i do not want to be forced to watch advertising on DVD's I buy. this DVD forces you to watch previews, even if you do not want to see them.

Bluto Lives!
ANIMAL HOUSE is one of the funniest, most subversive comedies ever made! It takes the college system apart, turning it into a playground for the outcasts on campus. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) has had just about enough of these delinquents. Delta Tau Chi is the worst frat in Faber College history, infamous for it's debauchery and total lack of respect for the traditions of the fraternity system. Delta house is more funhouse than fraternity house. It's members are a band of sex-obsessed alcoholics (hmmm, actually sounds pretty normal to me) with a knack for causing mayhem. Peter Riegert is "Boon" and Karen Allen is his girlfriend, Katy, who is just about fed up with the whole immature mess. Tim Matheson is "Otter", the Don Juan-type, set only on finding and fulfilling every woman's fantasy.... well, something like that. John Belushi is brilliant as "Bluto" Blutarski, a drunken lunatic with a heart of gold. His near silent performance steals every scene in a Chaplin / Keaton-esque way. This movie is the best thing the NATIONAL LAMPOON (the most irreverent, politically incorrect, spot-on hilarious humor magazine ever conceived) ever did. Written by Chris Miller, ANIMAL HOUSE is VERY loosely based on his own experiences at Dartmouth. He even has a small part as "HARDBAR". Doug Kenney (A national lampoon founding father) is "STORK", the guy who leads the Faber marching band astray in the legendary parade scene. If you like toga parties (aka: orgies), road trips, food fights, and anything else it takes to get through an otherwise dull existence, then ANIMAL HOUSE is for you! This movie was the first of it's kind, unfortunately giving birth to a stream of immitators and lesser phlegms.. er, films, like Porky's, Revenge Of The Nerds, etc. None have come remotely close to this masterpiece of hijinx gone terribly wrong! Highly recommended... ... Read more