‘Animal House' a success

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 12

‘Animal House' a success

■‘National Lampoon's Animal House’’ (Savoy) is an unexpectedly well-made film showing the hilarious side of American college life. The film also manages to put paid to the popular idea -that the Americans just are Jnot capable of making a Ifunny movie. Indeed, this crazy look at the on-campus life of the scruffy members of a college’s most disreputable fraternity may even be likened to the work of that recent American comic genius. Mel Brooks, when he is at his best in something like “Blazing Saddles.” Written and produced by staff members of an American satirical publication. “National Lampoon,” this first effort at film making has the same air of irreverence, anarchy and schoolboy humour as the magazine. At its best, “Animal House” nicely expresses the various aspects of college life during the 60s, while at other times the film slips down to various levels of silliness. But what is the matter with riding a motorcycle through the fraternity house or holding a rather degenerate toga party just to upset the dean of the college? The jokes and sight gags usually come so thick and fast that it is difficult to remember them all after the first viewing, although the loose plot comes to a suitable climax when the students wreck a homecoming parade.

Although mainly unknown, the cast is large and talented, with a relative newcomer, John Belushi, deserving and receiving most of the credit for his performance as a huge slob of a man who could be called the mangiest animal of them all. Belushi was seen in Christchurch for the first time last week as a deputy sheriff in “Goin’ South.”

One cannot help but wonder what this fellow is doing as a member of a college fraternity, although he shows a lot of brotherly spirit when leading the other members in drunken choruses of questionable songs. Belushi also takes the cake in a cafeteria scene in which he manages to stuff himself with an unbelievable quantity of food and start a food fight as well. He has already been described as the funniest fat comic actor since Jackie Gleason and time will tell whether this is so. The best-known actors would be Donald Sutherland — in only short appearances as a pot-smoking professor of English —and John Verdon, who plays a suitably unpleasant dean Karen Allen makes several welcome appearances in some of the most tastefully and pleasantly presented sex scenes made in a long time, culminating with her losing a dress during the chaos at the parade

Earlier, one of the "animals” hoists a ladder up the side of a sorority house and; spies at the gorgeous girl students while they are hav-i ing a pillow fight. This kind of voyeurism is usually highly questionable, but is so well done here that it pays off for the peeping Tom and the audience as well. After a while things get so exciting that he and ladder cannot help butj tumble over backwards. 1