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When people say, “Hollywood is a cult!”, it’s usually meant as hyperbole. But when Michelle Pfeiffer tried to make her name in Tinseltown, she found herself actually falling in with a cult, even if she didn’t realize it at the time.

Although Michelle Pfeiffer grew up in California, she knew to make it in movies she would have to move to Hollywood. Soon after she made her small screen debut on a 1978 episode of Fantasy Island, Pfeiffer landed the role of The Bombshell on Delta House, a terrible spin-off of Animal House. And it was that character name that Pfeiffer felt compelled to live up to, becoming close with a group that she thought was just trying to help her stay fit. “They worked with weights and put people on diets. Their thing was vegetarianism.” She added that this was far from being a standard weight loss group,...

Donald Sutherland, one of the greatest Canadian actors of his generation and a silver screen legend, has died. The actor, who famously starred in M*A*S*H*, Ordinary People, JFK, The Dirty Dozen, Klute, The Hunger Games, and so many more, was 88.

His son, Kiefer Sutherland, an iconic actor in his own right, broke the news on X:

With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more… pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT

— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 20, 2024

According to Deadline, the actor died in Miami after a long illness. This is an especially heavy blow for a Canadian such as myself. Growing up, he...

Michelle Pfeiffer is a three-time Oscar nominee who has starred in a variety of classics in her long career, excelling at everything from comedy to drama, romance and action. Take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Pfeiffer has had a 40+-year career on screen and has managed to overcome being known at first just for her looks. While her beauty was prominently on display in many of her first roles she quickly became more than just a pretty face and plunged herself into deeper and more complex roles. Pfeiffer’s first professional acting job was on a TV series version of the film “Animal House” called “Delta House.” Her character on the TV show was referred to simply as “The Bombshell.” This debut hardly signaled the arrival of an actress good enough to someday earn three Oscar nominations and seven Golden Globe nominations along with one win.

When your students are tanking their classes (if they attend at all) and dumping Fizzies tablets onto the varsity swim meet, you can't be a soft school administrator. That said, Dean Wormer would run Faber College more like Rikers if he had the opportunity. The gruff villain (played by John Vernon) is just one of the highlights of "National Lampoon's Animal House," John Landis' 1978 frat comedy, as the biggest authority standing in the way of Delta House's good time. The movie was penned by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller, pulling from their respective experiences in higher education. It was "National Lampoon Magazine" editor-in-chief and writer Kenney who came up with the Dean years before the movie, as the satirical "National Lampoon's High School Yearbook" featured Wormer as a civics teacher and coach. On the big screen, Wormer doesn't suffer fools or twerps, and he's as rigid about...

TV shows spun off from successful movies have a spotty history. Some become successes in their own right, such as classics like "Dr. Kildare," "Alice," and "M*A*S*H," and more recent efforts such as "Fargo," "Friday Night Lights," and "Westworld." However, for every spin-off show that emerges from the shadow of its cinematic forebear, there are dozens that remain not just failures, but obscurities.

One such show was 1979's "Delta House," a spin-off and semi-sequel to 1978's hit college comedy "National Lampoon's Animal House." Lasting just one half-season of 13 episodes, "Delta House" failed to please either fans of "Animal House" or general audiences, finding itself cancelled before the...

The post The Animal House TV Spinoff You Likely Forgot Existed appeared first on /Film.

In a 1991 essay, John Gregory Dunne said male stars are allowed to age gracefully onscreen, unlike females: “Men grow older; women grow old.” In general, he’s right: Acting has always been a difficult profession, especially for women over 35.

Dunne (1932-2003) unfortunately didn’t live long enough to see this year’s notable work by actresses over 50. That list includes Candice Bergen, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Gong Li, Laura Linney, Sophia Loren, Frances McDormand, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep.

The list also includes Michelle Pfeiffer, who looks more beautiful than ever and gives one of her best performances in Sony Classics’ “French Exit.” She has not grown old or older — she’s grown deeper.

Variety first mentioned her in January 1979, when she was 14th billed in ABC’s “Delta House,” an “Animal House” knockoff. She landed another short-lived series, “B.A.D. Cats,” and had guest roles in “CHiPs,” “Fantasy Island,” “Enos...

Media executive Matty Simmons, a producer of the influential “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” comedy movies, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 93.

His daughter, Kate Simmons, announced the news on her Instagram account on Thursday.

“Yesterday I lost my hero,” she wrote, in part. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona. What he did in a lifetime was legendary.”

Matty Simmons was a Brooklyn native and an executive VP at the Diners Club credit card company. He founded Twenty First Century Communications in 1967 with Len Mogel to publish countercultural magazine Cheetah, then went on to publish Weight Watchers and National Lampoon magazines.

The National Lampoon launched in 1970 as a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine, which led to the 1972 stage show “Lemmings” and “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” Performers included...

Matty Simmons, a founder of the Diners Club credit card and Weight Watchers magazine who found his highest profile success after co-founding National Lampoon magazine and producing film offshoots including Animal House and the Vacation franchise, died Wednesday in Los Angeles following a brief, non-coronavirus-related illness. He was 93.

Simmons death was announced by his daughter Kate Simmons.

More from DeadlineJun Maeda Dies Of Covid-19: Obie Award-Winning Theater Set Designer Was 79Veteran Casting Director Cis Corman Remembered By "Best Friend" Barbra StreisandPeter H. Hunt Dies: Tony Award-Winning '1776' Director, Uncle Of Actress Helen Hunt Was 81

“Yesterday I lost my hero,” Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona.”

An author of nine books including the 2012 memoir Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Making of Animal House (St. Martins Press), Simmons made...

Chicago – In 1973, director Norman Jewison fashioned a radical film version of the rock opera/Broadway show “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and the cinematic innovations plus stellar cast equaled a timeless movie musical classic. Josh Mostel portrayed King Herod and Barry Dennen was Pontius Pilate in the iconic film.

Jesus Christ Superstar (Jcs) began it’s life as a rock opera, a concept record released in 1969 with Ian Gillan of the rock group Deep Purple singing the part of Jesus. Two key members of the album’s cast went on to do the film … Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene and Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate. The Broadway show adaptation opened two years later, and the 1973 film followed with Ted Neeley as Jesus.

Josh Mostel as King Herod and Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

Photo credit: Universal Studios Home Video

In 2013, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com got the opportunity...

Michelle Pfeiffer’s new film “Where is Kyra” has been getting strong reviews for the actress and marks the first time in many years that she has had a leading role in an awards caliber feature film. Pfeiffer plays an unemployed woman desperately trying to survive while she cares for her sick mother.

Pfeiffer has had a nearly 40-year career on screen and has managed to overcome being known at first just for her looks. While her beauty was prominently on display in many of her first roles she quickly became more than just a pretty face and plunged herself into deeper and more complex roles. Pfeiffer’s first professional acting job was on a TV series version of the film “Animal House” called “Delta House.” Her character on the TV show was referred to simply as “The Bombshell.” This debut hardly signaled the arrival of an actress good enough...

Stephen Furst, the actor who portrayed "Flounder" in the classic comedy National Lampoon's Animal House, died Friday following complications from diabetes. He was 63.

Furst's sons Nathan and Griffith confirmed their father's death in a Facebook post. "Steve has a long list of earthly accomplishments. He was known to the world as a brilliant and prolific actor and filmmaker, but to his family and many dear friends he was also a beloved husband, father and kind friend whose memory will always be a blessing."

Furst is most remembered for playing bumbling...

Actor and comedian Stephen Furst, best known for his roles in Animal House and Babylon 5, died from complications related to diabetes on Friday. He was 62.

His sons, Nathan and Griff Furst, confirmed the news on their father's Facebook page on Saturday.

Related: ‘Rocky’ Director John G. Avildsen Dies at 81, Sylvester Stallone Pays Tribute

"Steve has a long list of earthly accomplishments," the actor's sons wrote. "He was known to the world as an brilliant and prolific actor and filmmaker, but to his family and many dear friends he was also a beloved husband, father and kind friend whose memory will always be a blessing."

"To truly honor him, do not cry for the loss of Stephen Furst. But rather, enjoy memories of all the times he made you snicker, laugh, or even snort to your own embarrassment," the message continued. "He intensely believed that laughter is the best therapy, and he would...

Stephen Furst, an actor whose career spanned from classic comedies like Animal House, to long-running TV series like St. Elsewhere and Babylon 5, has died. According to Deadline, Furst—who served for several years as a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association—died this week from complications related to the disease.

Furst got his first big break in 1978, when he wrangled a role for himself in the soon-to-be hit comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House. (Supposedly, he came to the attention of the film’s producers when he was working as a pizza delivery guy, slipping his headshot into every box he dropped off.) Furst played the lovable Delta pledge Flounder in the surprise hit comedy; he ended up reprising the role in the film’s short-lived TV adaptation, Delta House, the following year.

Furst continued to work on a steady basis over the next few years, popping up ...

Stephen Furst, best known to TV audiences for his role as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere, has died. He was 62.

Furst died Friday morning in his Ventura County, Calif. home, his son tells TMZ. His death was a result of complications from diabetes.

Furst initially rose to fame as Kent “Flounder” Dorfman in the 1978 film Animal House, a role he would reprise one year later in the short-lived TV series Delta House. He would eventually go on to find small-screen success on St. Elsewhere, joining the show in Season 2.

In 1994, Furst booked the part of...

“Sophomore dies in kiln explosion? Oh My God! I just talked to her last week… She was going to make me a pot.”

Animal House Screens Saturday Night, February 25th, at Midnight at The Hi-Pointe Theater ( 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117). Admission is only $5.

You know it makes you wanna Shout! Time to grab your toga and return to Faber College for the wildest frat party ever when Animal House (1978) screens at midnight at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater at midnight – one night only – February 25th

National Lampoon’s Animal House” stars comedy legend John Belushi and follows the uproarious escapades of the Delta House fraternity as they take on Dean Wormer (John Vernon), the sanctimonious Omegas, and the entire female student body. Directed by John Landis (“The Blues Brothers”), one of the most popular college comedies also stars Tim Matheson, Donald Sutherland, Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon, Tom Hulce and...

P F A N D O M  

Michelle Pfeiffer Retrospective. Episode 3 

by Nathaniel R 

Michelle Pfeiffer, Surrounded by the Male Gaze. That'd be a fitting title for the screen capture above and an apt description of her first major role. Her character on the 1979 sitcom Delta House wasn't even alloted a real name, but only referred to as 'The Bombshell'. Though Pfeiffer had, according to various sources always been wary with men and uncomfortable with her sex appeal, it will become one of the most fascinating things about her screen persona, this friction between how she looks and how cagey and sometimes even hostile she is about being looked at (but Scarface is a few weeks away!). Nevertheless she ran with the opportunity, despite her discomfort. A recurring role on a TV series is a big deal for young actors, financially and for the resume...

Confession: I have...

“Sophomore dies in kiln explosion? Oh My God! I just talked to her last week… She was going to make me a pot.”

You know it makes you wanna Shout! Time to grab your toga and return to Faber College for the wildest frat party ever when “National Lampoon’s Animal House” returns to movie theaters as part of Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies’ TCM Big Screen Classics series. The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time on August 14 and 17 only and includes specially-produced commentary from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz before and after the feature.

From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” stars comedy legend John Belushi and follows the uproarious escapades of the Delta House fraternity as they take on Dean Wormer (John Vernon), the sanctimonious Omegas, and the entire female student body. Directed by John Landis (“The Blues Brothers...

Universal

As she moves into what most actresses would consider the twilight of their career, photos from the set of new HBO film Wizard of Lies confirm that Michelle Pfeiffer continues to defy the laws of aging. The 57-year-old has been pictured in New York filming a solo scene as Ruth Madoff, wife of notorious Wall Street fraudster Bernard Madoff, and she looks ready to bring her particular brand of sexy to her starring role opposite Robert De Niro.

In a career spanning a whopping 35 years, Pfeiffer has taken on a variety of diverse roles across a number of different genres, receiving Oscar nominations for her efforts on three occasions. Her work today is a far cry from her initial career choice, however. After graduating from high school in 1976 Pfeiffer began training as a stenographer, though a court of law was never a suitable setting for such a bright and beautiful young woman.

Attention comedy geeks everywhere! To paraphrase a literary classic, this new documentary feature lets us all “look back in laughter” at one of the most influential humor magazines of the last fifty years. Actually its legacy reaches on past its newstand existence. Yes, it’s been absent from newsstands (there’s still a few of them left) for nearly twenty years. But, to paraphrase again, we’ve come “not to bury this magazine, but to praise it”. And to recall the chuckles and the mini-empire it spawned. Of course, this wasn’t the first humor publication. Puck paved the way decades before. Then Mad magazine shook up the staid 1950’s. But by 1970, that mag had somewhat settled into a (still entertaining) routine, poking fun at suburbia, and wasn’t connecting with the “counter-culture”. Younger “baby boomers” wanted their humor to have a sharper edge, to reflect the “hippie” spirit, and...

If Jon Stewart gets to be everybody’s favorite newsman, why can’t Katie Couric take a shot at being the next great comedy producer?

The former Today host (and current global news anchor for Yahoo) is teaming up with Murphy Brown creator Diane English to pitch to HBO, Showtime, AMC, Netflix and Amazon a morning-show comedy starring Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Minds, What Lies Beneath), according to Variety.

RelatedKeep or Cut? Vote on the Fate of Castle, Dixie, Mindy and Other ‘Bubble’ Shows

The potential series would not be a Roman à clef, per se, but one of Couric’s...

One of our favorite writers, Dennis Cozzalio, is with us again for today's Saturday Matinee. Dennis, not coincidentally, presides over one of our favorite film blogs, Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. The occasion is the premiere of Allan Arkush's commentary for John Landis' Animal House which will run this coming Monday. Dennis happened to be an extra on the film so we asked him to share his experiences. We're also pleased to present some rare production stills courtesy of Katherine Wilson, the movie's local casting director in Oregon. Enjoy! Eugene, Oregon, Fall 1977. I was a first-term freshman trying to squeak out at least a 3.0 Gpa my first time at bat at the University of Oregon. I had enrolled in the film studies department, officially proclaiming it my major, fully expecting to broaden my horizons by seeing a lot of films to which I had never had the opportunity to be exposed.

Happy birthday, Sixteen Candles, you’re really weird. Perhaps you’ve forgotten just how weird Sixteen Candles is, but rest assured, it’s weird. John Hughes’ directorial debut arrived in theaters on May 4, 1984 (Star Wars Day, as the Internet recognizes it), making it officially thirty-years-old today. At the time, Hughes had already penned Mr. Mom, National Lampoon’s Vacation and a bunch of episodes of Delta House, but Sixteen Candles marked his first foray behind the camera in a directorial capacity. The fact that the film is rarely referred to as a very, very weird little comedy is both a total shame and fairly understandable, if only because it’s much easier to forget the skewed nature of Hughes’ comedic sensibilities and instead focus on the important thing – it’s a teen romance starring Molly Ringwald – that defined a large section of Hughes’ career, for better or worse. Plenty of eighties films were just plain weird – consider...

Harold Ramis has passed away at the age of 69.

Tributes have poured in for the veteran writer-director and actor, whose credits spanned from early '80s classics Caddyshack and Stripes to recent comedies including Knocked Up and Year One.

Digital Spy takes a look back at six great comedies in which Ramis played a key role.

Animal House (1978)

Ramis's first feature writing credit turned out to be on one of the most influential (and profitable) comedies of all time. Working from a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine and using many of their own fraternity experiences as inspiration, Ramis, Douglas Kenney and original author Chris Miller dreamt up the ribald story of two freshmen who, having been rejected from the major college fraternity, defect to anti-establishment alternative Delta House.

Caddyshack (1980)

Ramis's directorial debut was a game-changer, launching Bill Murray into the big time on the big screen (all...

Today marks the 100th birthday of Universal Pictures and to celebrate the studio has released a list of 100 facts based on its first 100 years in existence. I have placed in bold some of the ones I found interesting as well as offered a selection of photo and video accompaniments here and there. 1. Universal Film Manufacturing Company was officially incorporated in New York on April 30, 1912. Company legend says Carl Laemmle was inspired to name his company Universal after seeing "Universal Pipe Fittings" written on a passing delivery wagon. 2. The only physical damage made during the filming of National Lampoon's Animal House was when John Belushi made a hole in the wall with a guitar. The actual Sigma Nu fraternity house (which subbed for the fictitious Delta House) never repaired it, and instead framed the hole in honor of the film. 3. The working title for Et: The Extra Terrestrial was "A Boy's Life.

On the anniversary of John Belushi's death, many fans are flying their Delta House flag at half staff. But now there's a sunnier reason to throw on your College tee: an "Animal House: The Musical" is on the way. Universal Stage Division announced that there's a "National Lampoon's Animal House" musical in the works. And if that's not enough to make you spit chewed-up hard-boiled eggs at everyone, the musical's score will be penned by the tongue-twisty fellas of the Barenaked Ladies. (Kind of amazing, right?) While there's no word on who will play Belushi's character, the booze-filled party animal known as John "Bluto" Blutarsky, the seminal debauchery fest is bringing about some top notch theater folk, with a libretto from Michael Mitnick ("Sex Lives of Our Parents"), and "The Book of Mormon's" Casey Nicholaw as the director/choreographer. [via NYTimes]...

This week's installment in The A.V. Club's always essential Inventory column is called "Of '30 Rock's and 'Studio 60's: 38 TV Doppelgängers;" television series that premiered alongside a nearly identical twin -- "ER" and "Chicago Hope," "Transformers" and "Challenge of the Go-Bots," and so on. It's a great list across the board, but the entry that really blew my mind was the one about "Delta House," the little-seen TV spinoff of "National Lampoon's Animal House," that aired on for one season on ABC.

"Delta House" is one of the most notoriously bad movie-to-tv adaptations of all time, but I'd never seen any of it until today. The Inventory piece included this embedded video clip which completely blew my mind. Why? There's John Vernon -- a.k.a. Dean Wormer -- sitting in his office, talking to some Rotc flunky, while from some distance plane of the space-time continuum,...

I’m just gonna say it… We Like To Party, but even we can’t party as hard as the Wolfpack! Alan, Stu and Phil are bringing the party back to theaters this Thursday with The Hangover Part II, so we thought, what better way to ring in the party than to count down our favorite party animals!

These are the cool kids that bring the party! They rage, they get down… heck, they might even get “jiggy wit it”! Sure, they might not be from the fluorescent box of crayons, but these folks can MacGyver a good time out of a paper clip, a broomstick and a Nelson cassette. (Yep, I said it!)

So, without further adeu…

Top Ten Party Animals Honorable Mention: Trent (Vince Vaughn) Swingers (1996)

Trent (Vince Vaughn) is an aspiring actor. He’s loud, flirtatious, and he’s living the swinging lifestyle. Vegas is this kings castle,...

Universal Studios Home Entertainment continues to tap its library of awesome comedies from the 1970s and 1980s with the premiere of 1978 ’s classic National Lampoon’s Animal House on Blu-ray on July 26.

"Toga, toga, toga," Belushi cried ... and comedy history was made in Animal House.

We don’t have to sit hear and tell you anything you haven’t already heard about the Delta House fraternity and its roster of animals, including such superstar frat boys as John Belushi (whose Blues Brothers comes to Blu-ray the same day), Tim Matheson (No Strings Attached), Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Stephen Furst (TV’s Bablyon 5) and Bruce McGill (TV’s Rizzoli & Isles). Throw in Donald Sutherland (The Mechanic), Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and John Vernon (Dirty Harry) as the evil Dean Wormer, and you’ve got one helluva toga party going on!

The new Blu-ray disc won’t have any new special features,...

In a story that is just breaking, director John Hughes has passed away at the age of 59. It's being reported that Hughes was out taking a walk around his Manhattan neighborhood this morning when he suffered a heart attack.

For those that came of age during the time like myself, John Hughes' movies were seminal moments that perfectly captured the pleasure and pain of growing up as a teenager in the 1980s. He wrote, directed and produced some of the decade's biggest comedies including Vacation, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Home Alone, films that when combined grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. He also directed or wrote a series of teenage dramas that spoke to the reality of growing up in the middle class suburbs such as The Breakfast Club, a drama examining five teenagers and their social...