National Lampoon's Animal House

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National Lampoon's Animal House

R

1978

1h 49m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When they arrive at college, socially inept freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) attempt to pledge the snooty Omega Theta Pi House, but are summarily rejected. Lowering their standards, they try at the notoriously rowdy Delta Tau Chi House, and get in. The trouble is, the college dean (John Vernon) has it in for the Deltas. He has put them on "Double Secret Probation" and secretly assigned Omega's president (James Daughton) the task of having their charter revoked.

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Critics Consensus

The talents of director John Landis and Saturday Night Live's irrepressible John Belushi conspired to create a rambunctious, subversive college comedy that continues to resonate.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/18/2023

In its own half-flubbed way, it has a style. And you don’t go to a film like Animal House for cinema, you go for roughhousing disreputability; it makes you laugh by restoring you to the slobby infant in yourself.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

02/07/2020

The film has swept through the American box office like a whirlwind, precipitating a rash of incipient college romps. One waits with trepidation: but at least the trailblazer has vitality and charm.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

07/31/2015

You may not care to take up permanent spiritual residence at Animal House, but it's funny place to visit.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 18

3/4

a rude, misogynist film that offered the bare-breasted slapstick that audiences craved in 1978, but now seems dated in assumptions rather than nostalgic.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

11/08/2023

4/4

It's endlessly quotable (“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son”), packed with excellent performances and unique characters, and blessed with a great score that mixes Elmer Bernstein’s orchestral maneuvers with catchy oldies.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

09/22/2022

6/10

By the hilariously rampageous finale – despite individual moments routinely outshining the production as a whole – this picture clearly demonstrates its inspirational and influential qualities.

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Christian K

@ckacar 2d

Distracted by Karen Allen and getting mad at the guy who wasn't doing everything she said and choosing to frat party instead of hang out with her.

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randall F

@RT35881948 May 6

For the times it was great, and its held up-can watch it anytime and laugh out load

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thecoorslightking ..

@thecoorslightking Mar 17

Was one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen I'm a gen xer so this movie fits right in it shows how much fun life was before cell phones and Wi-Fi and all the other nonsense that we're so depending on now it's just about friends having a good time and just living life something we need to get back to

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 17

It's an old movie, but a good movie. It's called "animal house" for a reason... and college kids today do not shy away from this label unfortunately.

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Dave S

@RT68722908 Oct 5

Back in the summer of ’78, Animal House was all the rage, inspiring cafeteria food fights when school resumed in September and toga party after toga party throughout the fall. Rewatching it almost 50 years later, you’ve really got to wonder what all of the fuss was about. There are a couple of laughs and a soundtrack that’s kind of fun but, otherwise, it pretty much falls flat thanks to a plot that is nonexistent and humour that hasn’t aged well. John Belushi does his best to mug his way through scene after scene and it’s nice to see young versions of Kevin Bacon and Tom Hulce but, beyond that, there’s not much worth seeing here.

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Doubleboy T

@Kalax Sep 24

Truly one of the best movies ever made. Top 10 all time for me

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John Landis

Director

John Belushi

John "Bluto" Blutarsky

Kevin Bacon

Chip Diller

Donald Sutherland

Prof. Dave Jennings

Karen Allen

Katy

Tim Matheson

Eric "Otter" Stratton

Animal House: Official Clip - Flounder Gets Even

2:57

Animal House: Official Clip - Only We Can Do That to Our Pledges

2:59

Animal House: Official Clip - Finished at Faber

2:00

Animal House: Official Clip - New Pledges

2:19

Animal House: Official Clip - Bluto's a Zit

2:39

Animal House: Official Clip - Enter the Deathmobile

3:00

Animal House: Official Clip - Double Secret Probation

1:47

Animal House: Official Clip - Toga! Toga!

3:00

Animal House: Official Clip - Bluto's Big Speech

2:46

Animal House: Official Clip - Deltas on Trial

2:49

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Synopsis

When they arrive at college, socially inept freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) attempt to pledge the snooty Omega Theta Pi House, but are summarily rejected. Lowering their standards, they try at the notoriously rowdy Delta Tau Chi House, and get in. The trouble is, the college dean (John Vernon) has it in for the Deltas. He has put them on "Double Secret Probation" and secretly assigned Omega's president (James Daughton) the task of having their charter revoked.

Director: John Landis
Producer: Ivan Reitman, Matty Simmons
Screenwriter: Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 1, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Runtime: 1h 49m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)