Rustler's Rhapsody - 1985

Paramount Pictures, Impala, Tesauro S.A.

Written and Directed by Hugh Wilson

Cast:

• Rex O'Herlihan – Tom Berenger
• Peter – G. W. Bailey
• Miss Tracy – Marilu Henner
• Colonel Ticonderoga – Andy Griffith
• Railroad Colonel – Fernando Rey
• Colonel's Daughter – Sela Ward
• Bob Barber – Patrick Wayne

Story: A tribute to the serial westerns of the silver screen. Sort of. Rex O'Herlihan is the Singing Cowboy who rides into town to save the day from the evil cattle baron and his henchmen. He's not psychic, but he seems to know exactly what will happen in every town he rides into. Peter, the town drunk, is enthralled by Rex's smooth manners and fast draw, not to mention his exceptional wardrobe. He soon signs on with Rex as his sidekick, and together they fight for the rights of the townspeople and the sheepherders against Colonel Ticonderoga and the Railroad Colonel. All the thrills and suspense of the Saturday morning matinees of the late 1930's and 1940's, without the bloodshed or death.

Review: I was born in 1952, so I must have been about 10 years old when my brother and I were dropped off at the local theater in Waukegan along with a couple of hundred other kids to watch the Saturday morning matinees. In our days it was Flash Gordon, Sky King, and Commander Cody, all legendary “cliff hangers”, which meant they would always end the episode with the hero in danger and you would have to come back next week to see what happened. In the 1930's and '40's, the theme was the American West, and the heroes all rode stallions of white or gold, had two guns, sang and played guitar, and wore white hats. Tom Mix was the silent movie hero, then came Gene Autry, Randolf Scott, and later Roy Rogers. This well written parody takes all those memories and rolls them up in a pleasingly benign story that incorporates the old and the new. Language and sexuality are not an issue, so the kids can watch without worry. While there is a lot of innuendo, nothing is explicit enough to warrant anything more than a PG rating, and I think that is a little excessive. Not necessarily a collectible, but worth a viewing on a Saturday morning with the kids, just before they head out to play.

National Lampoon's Animal House - 1978

Universal Pictures, Matty Simmons – Ivan Reitman

Directed by John Landis

Cast:

• Larry Kroger – Tom Hulce
• Kent Dorfman – Stephen Furst
• Doug Neidermeyer – Mark Metcalf
• Mandy Pepperidge – Mary Louise Weller
• Babs Jensen – Martha Smith
• Greg Marmalard – James Daughton
• Chip Diller – Kevin Bacon
• John Blutarsky – John Belushi
• Stork – Douglas Kenney
• Hardbar – Chris Miller
• B. B. - Bruce Bonnheim
• Katy – Karen Allen
• Robert Hoover – James Widdoes
• Eric Stratton – Tim Matheson
• Donald Schoenstein – Peter Reigert
• Daniel Simpson Day – Bruce McGill
• Professor Jennings – Donald Sutherland
• Dean Vernon Wormer – John Vernon

Story: College in the 60's. The sweet memories of hard work and study, of reaching forward to succeed. At Faber College, there seems to be a very different agenda. ”Every Halloween the trees are filled with underwear, every spring the toilets explode!” Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman are two freshmen just entering, and being ambitious young men, they want to pledge a fraternity. But which one? Omega house seems a bit stand offish, but the men at Delta house are more down to earth. Which is to say that's where they end up every evening after soaking their brains in alcohol, face down in the dirt. The Dean wants Delta house off campus, the men of Omega Theta Pi want women to return to the days of being barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen, and the men of Delta Tau Kappa just want to have fun and get laid.

Review: Written by Harold Ramis, Doug Kenney, and Chris Miller (the latter two also appear in the film), this is a classic farce in a deeply American tradition of sarcasm, social criticism, and outright contempt for the establishment. The film is outrageous, with non-stop laughs and bare bones comedy that runs from start to finish, making use of nudity, language, and impossible situations to bring together a comedy that has yet to be conquered. The ensemble cast is incredible, the plot nonsensical, and the stereotypes abound. The Omega's are the final stronghold of exclusivity and class separation. They control the student government, the ROTC, the Greek Council, and anything else they can get their hands on. The Deltas are the wretched refuse, the ones who will not be controlled. But is there some deep social meaning in all this? Not on your life. This film is meant to keep you on the floor in stitches, and that is exactly what it does. Not a film for the kids, and definitely not the film to show your kids the night before they head off to college, unless its to say “Don't do this!”. Put this one in the player, make sure you have a six pack handy, by all means have a copy in your collection.