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National Lampoon's Animal House

  • 1978
  • R
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
134K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
841
212
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Home Video Trailer from Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:53
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyRaunchy ComedySlapstickTeen ComedyComedy

At a 1962 college, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.At a 1962 college, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.At a 1962 college, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.

  • Director
    • John Landis
  • Writers
    • Harold Ramis
    • Douglas Kenney
    • Chris Miller
  • Stars
    • John Belushi
    • Karen Allen
    • Tom Hulce
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    134K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    841
    212
    • Director
      • John Landis
    • Writers
      • Harold Ramis
      • Douglas Kenney
      • Chris Miller
    • Stars
      • John Belushi
      • Karen Allen
      • Tom Hulce
    • 355User reviews
    • 87Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos2

    National Lampoon's Animal House
    Trailer 0:53
    National Lampoon's Animal House
    'Animal House' Anniversary Mashup
    Video 1:11
    'Animal House' Anniversary Mashup
    'Animal House' Anniversary Mashup
    Video 1:11
    'Animal House' Anniversary Mashup

    Photos414

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    Top cast52

    Edit
    John Belushi
    John Belushi
    • John Blutarsky
    Karen Allen
    Karen Allen
    • Katy
    Tom Hulce
    Tom Hulce
    • Larry Kroger
    • (as Thomas Hulce)
    Stephen Furst
    Stephen Furst
    • Kent Dorfman
    Mark Metcalf
    Mark Metcalf
    • Doug Neidermeyer
    Mary Louise Weller
    Mary Louise Weller
    • Mandy Pepperidge
    Martha Smith
    Martha Smith
    • Babs Jansen
    James Daughton
    James Daughton
    • Greg Marmalard
    Kevin Bacon
    Kevin Bacon
    • Chip Diller
    Douglas Kenney
    Douglas Kenney
    • Stork
    Chris Miller
    • Hardbar
    • (as Christian Miller)
    Bruce Bonnheim
    • B.B.
    James Widdoes
    James Widdoes
    • Robert Hoover
    Tim Matheson
    Tim Matheson
    • Eric Stratton
    Peter Riegert
    Peter Riegert
    • Donald Schoenstein
    Bruce McGill
    Bruce McGill
    • Daniel Simpson Day
    Joshua Daniel
    • Mothball
    Donald Sutherland
    Donald Sutherland
    • Dave Jennings
    • Director
      • John Landis
    • Writers
      • Harold Ramis
      • Douglas Kenney
      • Chris Miller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews355

    7.4134.1K
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    Featured reviews

    torcha46703

    toga! toga! toga!

    My favorite comedy and one of the all-time greats.Perhaps more memorable one-liners than any other movie.My fave lines were by Dean Wormer concerning "double secret probation" and his verbal chastisement of John "Bluto" Blutarski.... "Mr. Blu....MISTER BLU-TARSKI!!! ZERO POINT ZERO!!!!!" My regards for the late comic genuis with the 0.0 GPA.
    8uncatema

    The Poor Boorish Reviewers

    One of the most entertaining aspects about NLAH is reading the naysayer reviews. Reviews are certainly subjective, but unfortunately the hilariously bad reviews come from viewers who simply don't get it. Especially the viewers who saw it on TV. They probably are not a lot of fun at parties, either.

    This reviewer gives the film an eight for comic relief and for hurting some feelings.
    pattersonsmith

    Maybe Can't Really Be Appreciated Anymore

    If you have only seen this movie on TV, you have not really seen this movie. One of the best movie experiences of my life was seeing this movie in the theater with a full house of college students. I have never heard an audience laugh so hard, and I was laughing with them. That experience can never be recaptured. I don't know why this movie doesn't make the midnight movie tour in college towns. That way it might have some of the same impact. Also when it came out in 1978 it is hard to explain how big John Belushi was unless you were there and saw it first hand. It's still funny on the small screen, but only if you see it uncut. Never watch it on a network, they cut out most of the jokes!
    10Quinoa1984

    What started it all- and still the best

    This is the best college comedy ever made. Nothing has ever come close to comedic perfection, and never will again. The early bird director John Landis directs this film into greatness bringing stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Tom Hulce, Mark Metcalf and Donald Sutherland to the screen in brilliance. True, this film is just about a bunch of misfits defying authority in a campus of 1962, but that's what makes it so good, and original. Belushi, Metcalf, and others bring many of the laughs here, but it is mainly it's reputation that brings this film into hilarity. A landmark in cinema comedy. By the way, screenwriters Harold Ramis and Chris Miller originally were going to make this a film about Charles Manson called Laser Orgy Girls, so thank god Douglas Kenney came in and straightened this out to the right part.
    8Sonatine97

    Sick, depraved, juvenile, disgusting, lewd, perverted......

    Yep, it must be Animal House!

    The classic frat comedy of all time. A simple story of college life for a bunch of delinquents who seek solace with a an endless supply of beer, toga parties and loads of young girls.

    It doesn't matter that the Delta House (the home of said delinquents), continually fail to pass their exams, for them sex & booze is all what life is about.

    The movie is a perfect vehicle for Saturday Night Live star, John Belushi, who is allowed to show off his considerable talent as the biggest sicko of the Delta bunch - check out his impression of a Zit!!

    But he is well supported by Tom Hulce, and surprisingly Donald Sutherland as the hippy professor with wayout theories.

    Able actor, John Vernon, plays the Principle of the college and often the butt of the Delta House: finding a horse in his office is a classic piece of farce!

    All in all, the film hangs together very well with a good script and superb visual jokes. John Landis must have a wild college life himself when he made this.

    ***/*****

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    Related interests

    Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford in Fleabag (2016)
    Dark Comedy
    Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane in Ted 2 (2015)
    Raunchy Comedy
    Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
    Slapstick
    Lacey Chabert, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried in Mean Girls (2004)
    Teen Comedy
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    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Belushi's performance in the cafeteria scene was entirely improvised. When he began piling food on his tray, director John Landis urged the camera operator to "stay with him." The infamous "I'm a zit" gag was also improvised, and the reaction from the cast is completely genuine.
    • Goofs
      At the ROTC inspection, Neidermeyer salutes Chip Diller and Diller returns the salute. Since Chip Diller is the lower ranking officer, he should have saluted Neidermeyer, and Neidermeyer should have returned the salute.
    • Quotes

      [the Deltas have been expelled]

      Bluto: Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the fucking Peace Corps.

    • Crazy credits
      Four of the listings in the cast are "mean dude," "meaner dude," "meanest dude," and "gigantic dude."
    • Alternate versions
      The Australian R4 'The Full Story' DVD release features the version with the alternate 80's background music.
    • Connections
      Edited into Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Animal House
      Composed and Performed by Stephen Bishop

      Supervised by Kenny Vance

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    FAQ20

    • How long is National Lampoon's Animal House?Powered by Alexa
    • What does John 'Bluto' Blutarsky (John Belushi) yell during the Otis Day and the Knights song "Shout"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 28, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Colegio de animales
    • Filming locations
      • 751 East 11th Street, Eugene, Oregon, USA(Delta House, demolished)
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Oregon Film Factory
      • Stage III Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $141,600,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $276,538
      • Jul 30, 1978
    • Gross worldwide
      • $141,607,219
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49m(109 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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