Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant comedy stands the test of time
Review: First the downside to national Lampoon's Animal House: it spawned a seemingly never-ending series of raunchy, offensive, sophomoric not-so-funny attempts at comedy (most recently "Old School" and "Van Wilder"). That said, the real deal remains one of the great comedies of all time. John Belushi's performance leaves no doubt that had he lived he would be today among film's acknowledged comic geniuses. The rest of the ensemble is perfectly cast. John Landis' direction is superb (sadly he's never been able to duplicate it) and the writers (Harold Ramis and company) are the real heroes, having provided cast and director a perfect script. There is a wonderful absence of toilet humor and no over-reliance on sex for laughs that has pervaded not only today's films but TV as well.
The question is whether the recently released anniversary addition is worth the purchase price. The answer is an emphatic yes! The special features include a hilarious where are they now mockumentary and a Faber College "yearbook" which looks back on the production of the movie.
Animal House, still funny after all the years and destined to remain so.
Rating:
Summary: Animal House 25 Years On
Review: Animal House is the movie that made John Belusi as movie star. His turn as John "Bluto" Blutarsky showed all the physical comedic gifts that he possessed. He doesn't speak much in the film, but he elicits big laughs by simple facial gestures or actions such as climbing a ladder and spying on a girl's dorm room or by going through the food line in the cafeteria and loading up his tray, pockets and quickly munching on food as he goes along. The movie doesn't have much of a plot, it centers around a misfit, party happy fraternity being kicked off campus by the evil dean and supposedly high morals rival frat. What the movie does have is classic lowbrow humor in the form of food fights, sexual situations and the like. Tim Matheson is excellent as the womanizing Otter, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen are good as the on and off couple Boon & Katie, Stephen Furst is perfect as the bumbling Flounder, Mark Metcalf adds the right amount of slime and is absolutely hateable as Neidermayer, John Vernon is imposing as Dean Wormer and Tom Hulce brings the perfect amount nativity to Pinto. Kevin Bacon has a bit part as a member of the rival frat and Donald Sutherland has a cameo as an English professor who gets Katie, Boon & Pinto stoned. The movie was a mega-success and spawned many imitators, none of which could capture Animal House's humor and charm. This new double secret probation edition has some great extras including a Delta Alumi update which hilariously looks at where the characters of the film are today.
Rating: 
Summary: Cradle of Libertines
Review: This classic slob comedy, which was on par with the slightly more refined nostalgia piece, "Grease" in the summer of '78 , gives a frank look at fraternity life. There is a certain irony to the fact that the rowdy members of the Delta fraterinity become Society's leaders and the more straight-laced Omegas don't fare so well.But that's life, at least sometimes.
We are taken back to 1962 where two freshmen at Faber College, played by Tom Hulce and Stephen Furst, visit fraternity houses to decide whether or not they should pledge to one. They arrive first at the stately Omega House, where well-groomed name tag hostesses Bab Jansen and Mandy Pepperidge(played by Martha Smith and Mary Louise Weller), add a bit of warmth to the chilly formality of the evening. The two prospective pledges are made a bit more uncomfortable by the heads of the fraternity, Greg Marmalard(James Daughton)and the sadistic cadet Doug Neidermeyer (Matk Metcalfe) as they cool heels with the fraternities token minorities.
Then the encounter the more honestly repulsive beer guzzling Deltas whose ramshackle frat house could be taken down by a gust of wind. It is hard to imagine why they would be inspired to join the most disreputable fraternity on campus after viewing the behavior of the subhuman and frequently monosyllabic Bluto (John Belushi in his definitive role). But after a friendly chat with Katie(Karen Allen), Larry Kroger makes up his mind to become a Delta and legacy Kent Dorffman follows suit.
We follow the frat boys through many an illicit and illegal adventure, including whiffing pot with the English Professor(Donald Sutherland), stealing food from a local supermarket, affairs with the Dean's wife and the Mayor's underage daughter, their infamous drunken toga party, and acting as the bereaved boyfriend of a co-ed who died in a kiln explosion to gain sympathy and have flings with the dead student's roomate and her friends.Ickier scenes include watching Greg Marmalard on his dates.
The cast also includes the womanizing Eric Stratton, played by Tim Matheson, Pieter Riegert as Katie's on-again-off-again boyfriend Donald ("Boon") Schernstein, John Vernon as Dean Wormer, who remains comically unphased by many a fraternity prank that befalls him, Verna Bloom as his addictive wife, Cesare Danova as the extortionist Mayor, Sarah Holcolmb as his jailbait daughter who sneaks off with Larry Kroger, Douglass Kenny,a co-writer of the film as Stork, James Widdowes as Hoover, De Wayne Jessie as Otis Day, and Bruce McGuill as the outrageous D-Day. Kevin Bacon makes and early appearance as a new member of the Omegas.
The film fluctuates between comedy and crassness, as we alternately watch the frat boys either kiss up to or completely aliente authority figures, most of who are rather corrupt themselves, and ultimately ends in the chaos of a wrecked homecoming parade. But it is rather amusing to see how later in life, some of the Deltas would channel their energies and libidos into more constructive professions. Perhaps some of them completely leave certain decadent behaviors behind them. But we know most of these beer-guzzling, toga-partying lechers only as they are at this early stage in their adult lives--a cradle of libertines.
Rating: 
Summary: Reckless
Review: This "classic" both confuses and saddens me. I am one of the very few people in this world who feels like our nation's universities should be places of higher learning and striving to better oneself. Thanks to movies such as this and the horrific "Old School", colleges have become partying first, studying second. And it's heartbreaking.I can't tell you what to buy, but I can encourage you to consider what you're supporting. There are plenty of ways to view a schooling system that works, namely "Dead Poets Society". Don't contribute to the downfall of our schools. I'm just asking you to care.
Rating:
Summary: Many Thanks, Amazon Reviewers
Review: After reading reviews alerting me to Universal's obnoxious policy of prefacing its releases with commercials that CAN'T be skipped, I've decided not to purchase the Double Secret Probation release. I recently purchased their Monster Legacy Collection WITHOUT reading the reviews, only to have my worst fears realized (loose, scratched disks, mangled program sheets, bad transfers, etc.). This prompted me to send Universal a "tastefully outraged" e-mail detailing my complaints. My suggestion is that other purchasers do the same (please keep it clean), as well as boycotting their products. And please continue to keep future purchasers informed through your Amazon reviews by mentioning the technical details of your purchases. Commercials are appropriate ONLY when they can be skipped. It's a shame that a studio with such an illustrious history has descended to this level. Let the (presumed) Gen X-ers in charge know that profits accrue as the result of the LONG-TERM good will that results from providing quality and value, NOT as the impressive figures on this quarter's balance sheet that resulted from cutting corners. Unfortunately, they seem unable to even do a good job of resting on their laurels.
Rating:
Summary: Animal House 25 Years On
Review: Animal House is the movie that made John Belusi as movie star. His turn as John "Bluto" Blutarsky showed all the physical comedic gifts that he possessed. He doesn't speak much in the film, but he elicits big laughs by simple facial gestures or actions such as climbing a ladder and spying on a girl's dorm room or by going through the food line in the cafeteria and loading up his tray, pockets and quickly munching on food as he goes along. The movie doesn't have much of a plot, it centers around a misfit, party happy fraternity being kicked off campus by the evil dean and supposedly high morals rival frat. What the movie does have is classic lowbrow humor in the form of food fights, sexual situations and the like. Tim Matheson is excellent as the womanizing Otter, Peter Riegert and Karen Allen are good as the on and off couple Boon & Katie, Stephen Furst is perfect as the bumbling Flounder, Mark Metcalf adds the right amount of slime and is absolutely hateable as Neidermayer, John Vernon is imposing as Dean Wormer and Tom Hulce brings the perfect amount nativity to Pinto. Kevin Bacon has a bit part as a member of the rival frat and Donald Sutherland has a cameo as an English professor who gets Katie, Boon & Pinto stoned. The movie was a mega-success and spawned many imitators, none of which could capture Animal House's humor and charm. This new double secret probation edition has some great extras including a Delta Alumi update which hilariously looks at where the characters of the film are today.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Guy Movie.
Review: What a funny film. Animal House is the one movie that is completely lacking taste but is a masterpiece. All the acting is laugh out loud hilarous. Everything about it is funny. The script is brilliant. The plot is great. The moments it puts you in is unexpected. Everytime I watch it I laugh just as much as I did the first time I watched it. I highly reccomend this film.
Rating:
Summary: I Love This Movie. Watching it in Widescreen is a Plus!
Review: Animal House is a very funny movie, a hilarious spoof of college life. The haters of this movie try to blame it for college partying and drinking but drinking and partying was going on in college universities long before this movie was ever made. I have the DVD and the five minutes of commercials for other movies should have included a way to bypass them but I bought this DVD fully knowing about the commercials because I really wanted Animal House on a widescreen DVD and despite the FIVE minutes of commercials I have no complaints and getting rid of my old pan and scan video for this DVD was worth it just to watch the movie in widescreen!
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Listed as a source as the cult classic in movie history.This is a great roll by Belushi who does great here plus it is just crazy wild parties all the way through out.This was the motivation behind Porkys,Revenge of the Nerds,and Old School it was also the off shoot of the movie Mash this movie should not be missed if your a fan of Teenage trouble movie.Great experienc and plus there being know point at all in the movie was good this is a entertaining and fun movie for every one
Story 5 Acting 10 Direction 10 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall 45/50 this is 90% But definantly gets 5 stars
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, terrible edition ...
Review: You absolutely must refuse to buy this edition that is front-loaded with 10 minutes of unskippable commercials. And you must post horrible reviews here for that very reason, as well as complain in writing to Universal. Otherwise your apathy will allow Universal to continue putting this spam in front of all its releases, and the other studios will follow. (And while I'm on this subject, please don't be afraid to boo the commercials they show at the beginnings of movies in theatres. Let management know that you're outraged.) Animal House is definitely a classic, although I agree with those who've commented that it hasn't spawned anything particularly positive. Still, the movie on it's own terms is a riot, and I'd rate it about four and a half stars. So buy a used copy of the out-of-print original Collector's Edition (with the metallic blue cover) either here on Amazon or on eBay. But this particular version needs to be buried forever with the ground salted above it.
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