“Who dumped a whole truck load of feces into the swim meet? Who delivered the medical school cadavers to the alumni dinner? Every fall the trees are filled with underwear. Ever Spring the toilets explode.” Why he is describing the Deltas! Dean Wormer has decided that he has had enough of the Delta’s shenanigans and puts them on probation. But they are already on probation so now. Well they are now on double secret probation! He enlists another Fraternity; the Omega’s to dig up more dirt on the already dirty deltas to hasten their expulsion.

Meanwhile a freshman, Larry Kroger tags along with his dorky roommate Kent Dorfman to rush some fraternities. They quickly end up at the Delta house where a drunk and stoic Bluto greets them. Before they know it, they are pledges being introduced to the wild world of the Deltas. There are several key members of the fraternity. Otter is the schemer and shameless lady’s man, who plans the greatest cons to get girls to let down their guard. He is currently pursueing the sorority girl who got away, Mandy Pepperidge, who is currently dating the evil Omega Greg. Boon is Otters best friend who is having trouble with long time girlfriend Katy who wants him to be more mature.

Meanwhile, the Omegas have planted a trap to ensnare the deltas. Will they and dean wormer be successful in ejecting the deltas from Faber college?

Animal House was the first of many National Lampoon movies. Like many films of it’s genre, its value and humor is derived from its stupidity. It is the short stories than run within the film’s plot that give it greatness. Writer Chris Miller found inspiration for the film from his own fraternity experiences at Dartmouth. When asked if he exaggerated any of his stories, he replied that he actually downplayed many of them since they were so crazy to be beyond belief. As someone who has lived in-between two fraternity houses for the past two years, this reviewer can vouch for that. Anyone who has been in the Greek system will be reminded of some of his or her own experiences as they watch animal house.

Animal House was filmed in 36 days on location in Cottage Grove, Oregon. The town and local university cooperated beautifully with the cast and crew of the film. A real frat house was filmed as the Omega house and many of the fraternity brothers in the film were the actual fraternity boys who lived there. An actual state corrections ‘halfway house’ was used for the exterior shots of the Delta house. The largest and most expensive scene in the film was the parade at the end. Landis filmed it as a tribute to all the wacky screwball comedies that he had admired growing up.

John Belushi is perfectly cast as party animal John ‘Bluto’ Blutarsky, and steals every scene that he is in.

Stephan Furst also does a good job as freshman loser Kent 'Founder’ Dorfman’ and his performance is reminiscent of the late Lou Costello, only not as energetic.

Donald Sutherland has a small part as the “hip” Prof. Jennings who introduces them to pot and philosophy.

Animal House was Karen Allen (Raiders of the lost ark) first movie and she plays Boon’s long suffering girlfriend, Katy who is tired of her boyfriend’s fraternity hijinks so she finds comfort in the ‘mature’ Prof. Jennings bed.

Actor Kevin Bacon has a small rule as one of the evil fraternity brothers from the Omega house. One of the highlights of the film is his incitation scene into the Omega house. Lets just say, Kevin Bacon in his underwear, can we say ‘thank you sir, can we have another’?

Great scenes...

One of the funniest scenes in the film is an incitation mission that Flounder is put up to. Flounder, Bluto and the others steal the odious Doug Neidermeyer’s prized horse and take it into Dean Wormer’s office. They tell the petrified Flounder that now he has to shoot and kill the horse. Little does flounder know that the gun is just filled with blanks. Chaos ensues when the horse dies from a heart attack.

The food fight scene is another golden moment. Otter is an unwelcome guest at the lunch table of Mandy Pepperidge and omega goons Greg (James Daughton) and chip (Kevin Bacon), when the gross Bluto joins them. Babs Jansen calls Bluto a ‘ P I G pig’ to which his reaction is to do his impression of a zit. A food fight breaks out.

Perhaps the most notorious scene in the whole movies is when John Belushi chugs a whole bottle of Jack Daniels. The official word is that it was filled with apple cider, but rumors still persist that it was indeed real jack Daniels in the bottle

Great quotes...

“Its time for a really futile and stupid gesture.”

“ TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!”

THE CAST...

John Belushi - John ‘Bluto’ Blutarsky
Tim Matheson - Eric ‘Otter’ Stratton
Peter Riegert – Donald ‘Boon’ Jennings
Tom Hulce - Larry ‘Pinto’ Kroger
Stephen Furst - Kent ‘Flounder’ Dorfman
John Vernon - Dean Wormer
Verna Bloom - Marion Wormer
Karen Allen – Katy
Mark Metcalf - Doug Neidermeyer
James Daughton – Greg Marmalard
Kevin Bacon – Chip Diller
Martha Smith - Babs Jansen
Mary Louise Weller - Mandy Pepperidge
James Widdoes – Robert Hoover
Donald Sutherland – Prof. Dave Jennings