National Lampoon's Animal House review

 Number 651 on the top 1000 films of all time is John Landis' comedy Animal House.

National Lampoon's Animal House follows the antics of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity as they cause chaos at Faber university. Their members include freshmen Lawrence "Larry" Kroger (Thomas Hulce) Kent Dorfman (Stephen Furst) lothario Eric Stratton (Tim Matheson) president Robert Hoover (James Widdoes) and drunken idiot John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi.)

This was quite possibly one of the worse comedies I've seen in a while. During the 109 minute runtime, I think I only smiled once or twice. There was no laughing in the aisles for me. Rather I was rolling my eyes so far back into my skull that you would think I was possessed. Christ, it was tedious rubbish.

It didn't help that the characters were all insufferable and indistinguishable from one another. I couldn't tell them apart. Not that I really cared. They were all so annoying from the new pledges to the experienced members and even the teachers were annoying. It reminded me of The Breakfast Club where I didn't have one memorable character to root for.

Maybe it's because I'm a damn limey, but I've never understood the American obsession with fraternities. They just seem like an excuse to get drunk and act like little dickheads all while being hidden under the bullshit facade of brotherhood. At least that was the case here.

Yet it wasn't even funny. So much of the humour seemed to be that typical, crude American rubbish. This was especially true of John Belushi whose performance here was a thousand miles away from his winning performance in the The Blues Brothers.

I just hated this film so much and it's best that we leave it there.

The Blues Brothers review

 Number 360 on the top 1000 films of all time is John Landis' musical-comedy drama - 'The Blues Brothers.'

Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd) and Jake Blues (John Belushi) are brothers, petty crooks and blues musicians. After Jake Blues is released from jail, the brothers find out their Roman Catholic childhood orphanage will be demolished after failing to pay their property taxes. They reform their old blues band to raise money to save their old orphanage. The film features many musical cameos from massive soul singers like James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. Carrie Fisher also co-stars.

John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd were titans of the American comedy world. Both of them were prominent members of SNL - with this film and their characters growing out of an SNL skit  and Ackroyd going onto star in the legendary Ghostbuster's franchise. They brought their comedy flair to what was a funny if ridiculous film. But it was ridiculous in all the best ways.

The brother's misadventures include larger-than-life car chases, irritating a vengeful country music band and running neo-Nazi's off a bridge. It was completely bonkers, but that all added to the spectacle. And it all fitted the film's less-than-serious tone. It's a comedy. You're supposed to take things lightly. If you don't, you'll be in trouble.

About as much trouble as Jake and Elwood find themselves in when they return to their orphanage unable to stop cursing or taking the lord's name in vein, Sister Mary Stigmata beats them out of the building in one of the film's funniest if silliest scenes.

And the action scenes also looked great from the aforementioned car chase scenes to Carrie Fisher's increasingly outlandish attempts to kill the two brothers. Granted, this all led to the film going drastically over-budget - with much of that fuelling John Belushi's coke addiction, but it looked great on-screen.

True, the musical cameos were all pretty shoe-horned in, but they only added to the spectacle of the film. And when the cameos included singing legends like James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, who's complaining?

The Blues Brothers was a great film. Yes, it's silly and larger than life, but you need to remember not to take it too seriously.