One of the things that differentiates the author of this review from most of the world's film critics is the opinion of John Landis. Many of Landis's films, often lauded by critics, were disappointments for me. That is especially the case in the latter part of his career, and it is hard to imagine why or how he reached cult status. But earlier, while he was starting his career in the 1970s, he used to make quite nice films. One of the most legendary is Animal House, a 1978 comedy that was overshadowed by his greatest success – Blues Brothers, shot two years later.
This film actually doesn't have much plot. It is set in fictional Faber College in 1962 and chronicles the struggle between two student fraternities – Omegas, nice, by-the-book, rich, arrogant and powerful students; and Deltas, nonconformist losers who, instead of studying, spend all their time on alcohol, drugs, sex and various kinds of orgies. Their activities become a thorn in the side of the college administration, which decides to expel them all. But the brave Deltas refuse to give up without a fight, culminating in the apocalyptic parade at the end.
Some may think that Animal House represents a sort of autobiography for its writer Chris Miller, who based the plot on his own experiences as a Dartmouth College student in 1962. Others may argue that Landis in this film, by portraying the rivalry between Omegas and Deltas, offers his own commentary on the great struggle between the forces of Old and New in 1960s America. But the real motive behind Animal House was most likely nothing more than an excuse for a series of jokes, many of them so tasteless that they really challenged the standards of its rather liberal times. Yes, some of these jokes are rather tasteless – many of them involving Bluto (brilliantly played by the late John Belushi) – and his repetitive use of bodily fluids becomes boring after a while. Some other jokes aren't so funny either. But guess what? The film as a whole works as an excellent guilty pleasure. It is made without any redeeming values or high artistic standards, but it makes other, more noble and ambitious works pale in comparison simply by entertaining viewers. Most of the jokes are funny, and the characters are well played by excellent actors (Donald Sutherland, John Vernon and young Kevin Bacon among others), and the soundtrack is very good. The only real reason to bash Animal House is the fact that it spawned an entire sub-genre of imitations in the decade to come – movies with the words 'soft', 'hard' and 'body' in the title, all of them sharing this film's low standards, but not the talent of its creators. But we shouldn't be too harsh towards Animal House – today, as it did two decades ago, it serves its purpose by making us laugh.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 10th 1999)
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