Susan's Blog: Blutarsky for President

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Blutarsky for President

If you are in your early 40's, it is very likely that you think National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) is one of the funniest movies ever made. (My all-time favorite movies are at the end of this post.) Think about it: the John Belushi (Bluto) scenes alone make it an all-time classic. The part where he is staring in the windows of the girls' dorm and he falls off the ladder; the part where he is sneaking across the lawns of the college green; the part where he hits the beer bottle over his head and breaks it, smiling, trying to cheer up Flounder; the part where he grabs the sissy guy's guitar and smashes it up ("I gave my love a cherry, that had no stone..."); and of course, the Food Fight and cafeteria scene ("See if you can guess what I am now." (Inserts ball of cottage cheese into mouth, puffs out cheeks, squirts out cottage cheese right into frat boy bully Greg Marmalard's face) "I'm a zit, get it?" He leaves the cafeteria after snorting like a horse at Niedermeyer, a real bad guy, ROTC instructor, whose horse had been accidentally killed. Animal House came out right when I was finishing high school and I had never seen anything so funny. My sister does a fantastic imitation of the horse twisting its huge head and dying. I guess I have not grown up much.

Last night I saw a commercial for Aqua Fina water, made with Animal House footage, some real, some fake. The real Otis Day was there, singing "Shout" at the toga party. Fake Belushi in a toga. The cops show up. Guess who the cops are played by? Niedermeyer and Marmalard! Old but still recognizable.

Thank you, Sir, may I have another?

Favorite Movies (not in any special order) and why:
1) Shawshank Redemption -- perfect, fascinating tale of revenge
2) Ordinary People -- beautiful story of healing; Mary Tyler Moore -- a villain!
3) Gone With The Wind -- Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, need I say more?
4) Animal House -- see above
5) All the President's Men -- perfect suspense, acting, dialog, mouthwatering men, great political moment in history
6) The Sting -- Redford and Newman! Fantastic plot that took me many times viewing to completely understand
7) Jaws -- oh, that shark! The scary stuff, the agonizing suspense on the boat!
8) The Graduate -- coming of age movie, classic.
9) Annie Hall -- all-time best relationship, New York Jewish culture movie
10) Bull Durham -- Kevin Costner at his hottest, great story about baseball and sex
posted at 9:32 PM  # permalink

If you haven't seen the "Double Secret Probation" version on DVD, you've been missing out! There's a great mockumentary.
— added by Anonymous Lisa at 5:27 PM, June 02, 2006  
I'd add to that list, if you love a good romantic movie with a happy ending, "Cousins" with Isabella Rossalini and Ted Danson. I don't know anyone but my husband and I who've seen it but it has the happiest ending and who doesn't love that??
— added by Blogger Sam's mom at 5:18 PM, June 03, 2006  
We're obviously of the same generation - you included most of my favorites in that list!
— added by Blogger Susan at 2:19 AM, June 04, 2006  
Re: #7. Thirty plus years later, I still jump when that head comes out of the hole in the boat!
— added by Blogger The Guy You Thought Was Rude at 10:17 AM, June 04, 2006  
I'm a little younger than "early 40s" (37) but I love that movie! I watched it on video many, many times in college, and several times since then. :)

I came up with a "party lineup" of movies once (never actually executed the plan) of Spinal Tap, Blues Brothers and Animal House. I think it would have worked.
— added by Blogger Julia at 9:23 AM, June 06, 2006  

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