National Lampoon's Animal House (2003) - Universal

Director : John Landis

Starring : John Belushi, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Tom Hulce, Donald Sutherland, Peter Riegert, Karen Allen, Tim Matheson.

Picture 1.85:1 Anamorphic, DD 5.1, Dual-Layer, Keep Case

Running Time : 132 mins

The story:

It was the Deltas against the rules... the rules lost!

Follow the adventures of 1960's college life in the Delta fraternity. Bluto (John Belushi), Otter (Tim Matheson), Pinto (Tom Hulce) and Flounder (Stephen Furst) lead the way with their outrageous behaviour in the ultimate campus comedy!

The summary:

The classic screwball comedy arrives back onto DVD in it's latest incarnation. Animal House is the influential film that created the format for todays teen-comedies and made a star of John Belushi. Back in '78 For anyone that isn't familiar with the film, it's an exaggerated spoof look at American college life. A simple story mixed with slapstick humour but a winning and timeless combination. The innocence of the story is a charming reminder of generations past and has made this one of most loved comedies of all time. Although Animal House is now regarded as one of the classics, it's success spawned so many copycats that you feel you've seen it all before. It's still a fun film to watch but it's lost a little of it's impact over the years, with the likes of American Pie more likely to appeal to the teen audience.

This special edition is almost identical to the region one "Double Secret Probation Edition" - the only difference being the absense of the mono soundtrack. The transfer is excellent when you consider the film's now 25-years old. For a self-titled "special edition" this isn't exactly blessed with extras, but there are a couple of quality new documentaries that were created exclusively for the DVD by Producer John Landis and co-producer Matty Simmons. Well worth buying if you missed out on the first DVD release and worth buying again if you're a huge fan!

Extras:

* Where Are They Now?: A Delta House Update - A spoof look at the Animal House characters 25 years on. 23 mins.

* Music Video - The MXPX 'Shout' music video.

* The Yearbook: An Animal House Reunion - An in-depth making-of documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage and newly filmed interviews with writers, producers and cast. 45 mins.

* Did You Know That? Universal's Anecdotes - A trivia track whereby odd trivia captions pop up throughout the film.

* Trailer - The theatrical trailer.

Our Verdict...

Classic screwball comedy that launched the teen comedy way back in '78. Virtually no plot but bucketloads of mindless fun! 8/10

For a film of this age, the picture looks fantastic. It lacks the depth and sharpness of todays films and the digital enhancement have left some artifacts, but overall it's an excellent transfer. 7/10

A 5.1 audio track? Well, sort of.. The rear channels rarely come into play, so it's not the most spectacular of tracks. Still, the music and dialogue is clears so it's more than enough for a comedy. 7/10

Not a great selection, but there's over an hours worth of documentaries created by John Landis and co-producer Matty Simmons. 5/10

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