Animal House

Before National Lampoon’s name was sullied by wrongheaded sequels and endless cheaper versions of its few classics, there was 1978’s Animal House, the timelessly trashy campus romp that solidified the all-too-short career of funnyman John Belushi. TheSNL all-star here plays the crude frat antihero John “Bluto” Blutarsky, whose astounding 0.0 GPA is surpassed only by his ability to trash anything and anybody that falls within his drunken aim (urinary or otherwise). Although it’s a true ensemble comedy with other terrific performances (particularly Stephen Furst as the hapless Flounder), Belushi owns most of the most memorable scenes, from smashing an irritating folksinger’s guitar to the drunken inspirational exhortation “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” 

Updated 03/30/2010