CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Twins65 I just watched this documentary about the rise & fall of National Lampoon magazine, a periodical I wasn't really supposed to be looking at when I was 14 in 1973, yet I did anyway (when I could find one). Despite average to good reviews here on IMDb, I found it quite enjoyable. I especially liked the parts where we caught video of a pre-fame Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and of course John Belushi. Those guys WERE FUNNY! And it also allowed me to travel back in time to the mid-70's, a time when there was and actual "underground" comedy scene. And it seemed to poke fun of everybody (whites/blacks, Dems/Repubs, Jews/Gentiles) and you could laugh and not worry about "politically incorrect repercussions". Sadly, that time is long gone. Also, I saw a sh*t-load of 1970's era natural breasts, in both black and white and color! Say what you will about that long-lost magazine, they sure did know how to make funny visual jokes around naked women.I'm recommending this for anyone who'd like to take a nice 40+ year rewind.

Michael_Elliott DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: The Story of the National Lampoon (2015)*** 1/2 (out of 4)If you're a fan of the National Lampoon's magazine then you're certainly going to want to check this documentary out. The rise and fall of the magazine is discussed in this highly entertaining documentary that features interviews with surviving members of the magazine as well as those who got their start in the movies like NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE, CADDYSHACK and NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION.There's some really good material to have here but the documentary works the best for those who are unfamiliar with the magazine or just don't know the complete history behind it. We get some great stories about the early days as well as how the magazine finally took off, which of course led to Hollywood calling. There's some discussion of Saturday Night Live who stole a lot of their talent as well as some of the darker stories including the death of one of the founding members.There are some great stories throughout this and there are some great interviews as well. I must say that the interview with Chevy Chase was probably my favorite because we really see a different side of him including a rather painful side as he talks about losing his best friend.

Mark Turner For many of us our first introduction to off kilter and subversive humor came in the form of a magazine that was on newsstands everywhere. For pre-teens it was less the humor that was involved that got our attention but the fact there was nudity in it and it wasn't hidden under the counter. But for those who loved a good laugh it was the premier source of humor to find at the time, our own generations humor as opposed to that of what was popular at the time. There is a huge difference between Henny Youngman cracking wise about his wife and a magazine cover that pictured a dog with a gun to its head that read "Buy this magazine or we'll shoot this dog".This movie takes a look at NATIONAL LAMPOON from its inception to its demise, covering all bases good and bad. A spin off of the HARVARD LAMPOON, the magazine was started by Doug Kenney, Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman. It was a humor filled magazine that parodied and focused on what was happening in the country, sort of like MAD magazine but from a more adult perspective. What the three of them did was bring in many of the most thought provoking comedy writers of the time to work for the magazine and in return its success skyrocketed.You have to remember that these were the days before comedy clubs dotted the country and skit based comedy took over the airwaves. As a matter of fact it was from National Lampoon that many of those who went on to take over the airwaves began. As the magazine grew in popularity things happened that altered what was to come. Kenney left for a time leaving the magazine in the hands of Beard alone. A workaholic who helped create the tone of every issue, his disappearance had an effect on all involved.But what helped move the downfall of the magazine as well was the departure of many of the staff members. As the magazine grew it evolved into a number of albums, weekly radio shows and stage productions involving those writers. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LEMMINGS was a record and stage show featuring both John Belushi and Chevy Chase. As those writers and performers left for shows like Saturday NIGHT LIVE, the magazine suffered. Many other noted writers stepped in and did well but they too left.The magazine got involved in movies in 1978 with the release of NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE but by then the magazine sales were dwindling. More successful movies followed but the magazine had lost its punch, relegating itself to special issues, rehashes of old issues and more nudity rather than humor. Eventually it ended publication.This documentary takes a look at all of that. Using a stills, filmed footage and numerous interviews with those involved it blends them together to take us through the magazine as it was and as it ended. It talks about the good and the bad, never whitewashing facts to suit those who loved it non-stop. In so doing it also reflects the evolution of comedy from that time period. Nearly every major comedy writer or humorist at the time had some connection to the magazine be it SNL writer Michael O'Donoghue, political satirist P.J. O'Rourke or screenwriter John Hughes.In some ways it was the success of the magazine that led to its demise years later. Coupled with a generation that relies solely on visual media and ignores printed matter there was little hope that the magazine could go on. Watching this movie makes that a sad realization that so much was lost when the magazine folded. But with this film many who weren't aware of the contribution to comedy that came from the magazine will be realized. Perhaps enough so that people will go back in search of old issues, maybe one fan will be inspired to create his own LAMPOON someday. We can hope.Until then we can watch and learn from some of the most creative comic minds of the past century on screen here. It serves as a reminder that creativity and humor can walk hand in hand and inspire one another. And it lets others know that there was something funny long before they were born, something this generation seems to not realize yet. With this movie the proof is there. An interesting and delightful documentary that captures the time and the laughs in only 98 far too short minutes.

george.schmidt DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD : THE STORY OF NATIONAL LAMPOON (2015) ***1/2 Documentarian Douglas Triola engages with a thorough look at the 1970s landmark magazine in humor that unleashed a generation of genius lunacy with its iconoclastic writers, publishers and editors which became a media empire with its successful forays into improvised comedy, radio, TV & film with a Who's Who of Contemporary Comedy that included many of the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players on SNL. Talking head segments include collaborators and fans including filmmakers John Landis, Judd Apatow, Chevy Chase and Kevin Bacon among others recalling the zany antics involved with various productions including Animal House & Vacation. For those connoisseurs of low-brow and high-brow comedy - and everything in between -this is required viewing for historical humor at its greatest.