The 1970s – an era that helped redefine comedy, and some of the greatest comedy films made today owe it to those made in the 1970s for allowing them to exist. A combination of the end of Vietnam, hippie subculture becoming even more popular, and an increased political landscape allowed for more edgy comedy. The fact that indecency lawsuits against films were becoming less common allowed for filmmakers to stretch the limits as to what was acceptable, and people like Mel Brooks and Woody Allen made comedy films like Young Frankenstein and Annie Hall, which served as bedrocks for the smart spoofs and intelligent romantic comedies we often see today. However, the most profitable comedy subgenre today is that of gross-out, raucous humour, and there is one film that served to turn that subgenre into one of the most popular kinds of comedy films, and that is Animal House.
With a true ensemble cast led by a quartet of well-meaning young students, and anchored by comedy titan John Belushi, Animal House assembles a gaggle of quirky, strange young characters making their way in the world of college. Our protagonists live in Delta Tau Chi, the worst fraternity on the campus, known for the bad behaviour and outrageous pranks of the fraternity brothers who reside there. The biggest culprit is John Belushi’s now iconic Bluto, a deplorable, disgusting human being who is also one of the most endearing, lovable characters in the film. Belushi is not the sole focus of the film, having about equal screen time as the rest of the cast of relative unknowns. However, he lets his comedy genius shine through, showing us the fireball of talent he was and makes us feel a little nostalgic when we realize that his incredible comedic abilities were cut short when he was only 33-years-old.
In the supporting cast, there are some considerable standouts. The best supporting performance comes from Donald Sutherland as the ultra-liberal pothead English professor. John Vernon is also gloriously evil as the grumpy and maniacal Dead Wormer. In the ensemble cast of students, there hide some young actors who would go on to greater fame, including Karen Allen and Kevin Bacon.
Animal House leads the way for outrageous, inappropriate comedy. Up until that point, mainstream comedies were basically slapstick humour and family fare. Animal House brought biting social commentary, pairing it with a wonderfully hilarious story that has a lot of heart and realism to it (mostly because it is loosely based on the screenwriter’s own college experience).
Animal House is a legendary comedy – the toga party, the epic one-liners and the beautifully choreographed final sequence that is a ballet of chaos. An incredibly insane, but bitingly hilarious and deservedly iconic comedy that will go down as one of the greatest of all time.
The Postmodern Pelican 
Fraternities are unique living arrangements where insular houses of men spend four years living together in brotherhood. National Lampoon takes the horror tales of fraternities and attempts to make them endearing. Pledges are shamed. Members drink to the brink of alcohol poisoning. Women are debased to objects of sexual leering.
Here college is not for education. According to Animal House, the undergraduate experience is an opportunity for years of debauchery. The filmmaking is sloppy. Little is engaging. The film appeals to men who long for that period of life and those men who were denied the opportunity and seek a voyeuristic experience.
The actual results of such a life – functional alcoholism, rape, accidental death – make such a film that celebrates this lifestyle irresponsible.