Tuesday, March 6, 2012

My 50 Greatest Movies: No 50. Animal House

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son"

With the help of a spreadsheet and an arbitrary rating system, I have calculated my 50 greatest movies of all time. Here, is number 50, the legendary. Animal House


Comedies are fickle things. Humor, or the idea of humor is always evolving. Luckily, there are movies like Animal House, a movie that stands the test of time with its perfect blend of tomfoolery, drunken debauchery and anarchy. 
If you haven't seen Animal House, its about the members of a Delta's, who do not study, attend class or act in accordance with fraternity regulations. The Dean of Faber University is determined to close down the fraternity with the help of a rival fraternity. Comedy ensues.

Thanks to the kind people at TBS and TNT, I've seen this movie many times. The characters Bluto, Pinto, Boone, D-Day and the great Flounder compile one of my favorite collection of characters in any movie. Sure, its raunchy, profane, the premise of some of the scenes, like an angel and a devil sitting on Pinto's shoulder while he contemplates what to do with a passed out girl on his bedroom floor wouldn't work if it weren't written so well. I raise a beer, or a fifth, and sway drunkenly to Louie Louie in honor of this great flick.

Here are its ratings:

Music: 3/5: Animal House contains a solid collection of classic songs, most memorably Louie Louie and Twist and Shout. But otherwise, nothing special.
Cinematography: 4/5: Don't know why I gave this a 4, this movie looks as grimy as the floor of the Delta House. But ratings don't lie.
Entertainment Value: 7/10: This movie would get a 9 or 10 if the ending didn't fall a little flat. Running gags from start to finish.
Rewatchability: 7/10: One of those movies you can start watching at virtually any point. I'm still not tired of this movie.
Acting: 7/10: John Belushi and the rest of the cast nail it. And Donald Sutherland perfectly plays the stoned, disengaged teacher.
Great Scenes: 8/10: Whether its Otter's speech to the fraternity board, Bluto peeping through a sorority window or Bluto's great speech about the German's bombing Pearl Harbor. There are too many great scenes to list.
Overall 36/50.


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