I love the movie "Animal House"!!! It brings me back to my college days. I took my girlfriend (now my wife of over 30 yrs.) to see a new movie that had allot of hype, which now I can't even remember the name of. As we were entering the theater we were told that we were going to see a second movie for free and be asked to comment on it, of course being poor college students we were thrilled to see a movie for free. Well, when we came out of the theater our sides were hurting so much from laughing so hard. In fact, I have never met anyone who hated this movie!!!
Here's a few things I think the movie has going for it. First, the movie pokes fun at a very nostalgic time of America. 1962 was the tail end of the "feel good" years of American society when everyone trusted the govt. and other institutions were well respected. In the movie, this America is epitomized by the stuck-up cardigan sweater wearing members of Omega house. The Delta house characters are the ones who are taking on this America; they epitomize the students who in just a few years will change American society forever by protesting the Vietnam War. This is a time (Pentagon Papers, secret bombing of Cambodia, Watergate, etc.) that American's wake up to the truth that their govt. is not clean and has lied to them.
Second, the Delta house brothers do what every college kid of the era wanted to do, they had a great time in college not worrying about grades or their future, and they lived in the moment. 1978 was a time when we college kids were having fun, but the gloom of life was on our minds. This was the Carter years of "malaise", interest rates at 18%, jobs were scarce for college grads, and inflation was high. We all wanted to be like "Bluto" who had seven years in college pre-med!!!
Third, the music was incredible!!! It exposed us to early rock'n roll with "Louie, Louie" and other greats. In the end, a very fun movie that showed college kids how much fun they could have.
By the way, for the next year, Sharon and I were going to "Toga" parties at least once every two weeks. In fact, I adopted one of the great lines in the movie. When "flounder" is blubbering about how his brother's car was destroyed on a recent "road trip", Bluto advises him to, "start drinking heavily." Whenever a friend of mine is in a "fix" I give them bluto's famous advice. All my friends know me for that quote!
Hey, I am a Univ. of Miami grad, need I say more why I love this movie!!!
