Animal House

Here lately, I’ve been in one of those “whatever’s on” kind of moods. I needed a good laugh on Thursday night, having endured a severe virus attack my computer and losing my review for Stepfather 2 in the process, not to mention, a week where you are placed in a bind at work that isn’t of your making. Animal House just always seems to be on these days, and while I never exactly burst aloud laughing, it has these moments that hits the spot nicely. The characters of the Delta House are a rowdy, randy bunch of “let’s party all the time and put up with school shit later”, worried more about getting laid, stoned, or wasted rather than decent, passing grades at the college in Faber. I have to admit that I think these boys bring a lot of the pain inflicted upon them on themselves. Concerning yourself with everything but passing college and what the future holds, “living in the now” can only take you so far. I was amused at how much Bluto smashes throughout the movie. There’s even one scene where he breaks a bottle of Jack across his skull just to get a laugh! I think there was one point during the infamous Toga party where a beer keg takes a header out one of the Delta house’s windows! Yes, obviously the notorious “popped zit” that instigates the food fight by Bluto is of the “slob humor” variety so beloved that Animal House maintains a spirited following. Also Bluto’s peeping on the local sorority girls, getting an eyeful of one particular honey who disrobes while looking out the window (Is this common practice? It seems to happen all the time in the movies…). I think there might be plenty of “Really, these guys are heroes? Why?” from those who might not exactly embrace the characters of the Delta. The finale, with all the destruction to the town of Faber out of retaliation for how Dean Worner and the Class President of the Council have supposedly treated them (unfairly, the heroes believe), leaving a town with locals running for their lives, parade floats crashing into buildings, and a set of bleacher seats decimated (along with band members and the police becoming part of the eventual thundering herd and chaotic mob), the question of why the anarchists who caused it might be considered worthy of our applause might just be reasonable. Let’s face it: those who shirk the responsibilities that seem to be expected of the college youth and don’t abide by the rules set forth by the authoritarians are heroic to those who want to give the middle finger to “becoming part of society and the norm” (whatever that is). The Delta House--to folks like in Faber--are expected to act as model citizens, who study hard, behave themselves in public, respect their elders and authority, uphold the standards set before them, and have some moral obligation to present themselves in a positive light that Faber and the Dean can appreciate. To the Delta boys, they say, “Fuck all that, let’s get some kegs, some girls, and some tunes, and party hearty.” Some hold both philosophies dear to their hearts. I imagine whichever side of the fence you are on will determine the enjoyment of this movie. I did get a bit uncomfortable with the “preteen” girl (gnawing away on gum) getting involved with Tom Hulce, with us expecting to laugh. That and the whole deal with Tim Matheson porking Dean Worner’s wife might seem a bit “haha, he got even with that guy, didn’t he?” but did positively nothing for me. There’s the whole drama with Peter Riegert and Karen Allen (she gets sexually involved with a professor played by Donald Sutherland) that is a subplot, as well as, how scumbag Mark Metcalf constantly torments and humiliates Stephen Furst (Furst was my favorite character of the Deltas) gets plenty of traction in the film. Animal House is so wild and frenetic, I can’t help but find it irresistible, but I can’t necessarily sit here and say a lot of the problems compassing the Delta boys about wasn’t of their own making. Reckless, lazy, unconcerned, and gung-ho-for-pretty-much-anything, these guys epitomize the slacker. The slacker comedy owes a great debt to them, actually.