Back in the ’70s and ’80s, National Lampoon was a household name. Unless you were a completely drunk frat boy, you’ve probably heard of it. In fact, if you were a completely drunk frat boy, you’re more likely to have heard of it.
Although it started as a magazine, National Lampoon‘s legendary twisted humor soon spawned into a multimedia empire in the late ’70s with albums like National Lampoon’s Lemmings and significant forays into film with the 1978 big screen comedy Animal House and the Vacation series.
But where, oh where, is the once-ubiquitous National Lampoon now?
Drunken frat boys will be pleased to hear that it’s headed swiftly for a theater near your college town. This week, National Lampoon will debut the R-rated teen comedy National Lampoon’s Van Wilder starring Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid.
The question is-and yes, you have to drink if you get it wrong–can the ’00s version of National Lampoon stack up to its predecessors? Let’s bounce all our quarters on the table and see what hits the shot glass, shall we?
Animal House
Set in 1962, Animal House follows the Deltas, a motley crew of misfits and sociopaths who are unable to gain acceptance at the snootier fraternities. Their disruptive behavior eventually causes them to be placed on “double-secret probation,” until they are finally kicked out of school and, as the dean reminds them, newly eligible for the Vietnam draft.
The film was not only a monster success at the box office, pulling in a hefty $62 million dollars (a lot of cash in ’78), but it also launched the careers of its director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Coming to America), and a handful of cast members: John Belushi, James Widdoes, Peter Riegert, Bruce McGill, Tim Matheson, Kevin Bacon, and DeWayne Jessie all went on to successful careers in the biz.
Animal House‘s soundtrack, which featured hits like “Twisting the Night Away” and “Louie Louie,” also made a small fortune for the record division of its studio, Universal Pictures.
Class Reunion
National Lampoon’s Class Reunion, about a high school class reunion that turns bloody after a former student seeks revenge on his classmates, was released four years after Animal House. The black comedy was the first of many for then first-time screenwriter John Hughes, who went on to pen a multitude of ’80s coming-of-age pictures, including Pretty in Pink, and the infamous National Lampoon Vacation series.
Vacation
National Lampoon’s Vacation in 1983, followed by National Lampoon’s European Vacation in 1985, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in 1989 and Vegas Vacation in 1997, follows the Griswold family on-you guessed it-vacation. Headed by Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, the series proved that the National Lampoon name could not only churn out riotous material, but also build a steady fan base that carried the franchise through the ’80s, despite the fact that the first installment was far superior those that followed it.
Loaded Weapon 1
Yeah, we thought the same thing, “Whaddina heckshts zat?” Apparently, it was National Lamp’s not-so-funny effort to break into the ’90s. Starring Emilio Estevez, Jon Lovitz and Samuel L. Jackson, Loaded Weapon had many wondering if the spoof had become passé. If the ’80s were National Lampoon’s prime, the ’90s were almost its demise.
Van Wilder
Now, almost 25 years after the release of Animal House, we’re about to find out whether or not the new and improved National Lampoon will be back up to spoof. When its latest movie effort, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, opens on Friday, the brand that won laughs for its capacity to push the envelope and shock will face stiff competition at the box office and a more jaded, comedy-savvy audience. Will it be up to the challenge? The company’s new owners are no doubt betting that it will be; they’re already planning to extend the brand into film, television, radio, DVD, CD-Rom, Web syndication and book publishing. But considering that the film is aimed at an audience that probably won’t remember the brand’s heyday, Van Wilder will either win a whole new rambunctious audience of frat boys over to National Lampoon, or finish off that particular case of Milwaukee’s Beast forever.
