It's the campus comedy that defined a generation. For the first time, here's the inside story of the film's creation according to someone who was there (at his apartment while Animal House played on cable).
An Idea Comes To Life
Brad Turner (Guy Who Just Watched Animal House): A film like Animal House can only come together in one way–a bunch of hilarious dudes hanging out until one of them is like, "We gotta start writing this stuff down!"
Turner: As soon as I saw it was on TV, I settled in and ordered wings.
The Writing Process
Turner: I bet they just took all the funny stuff that happened to them in college and put it in the movie. Or they improvised most of it. That's probably what happened.
Putting The Cast Together
Turner: That main dude is funny as frick! Not the young guy, Fish or whatever his name is. The, like, head of the Animal House. Bluto.
Turner: They didn't even have auditions, cause they put all their friends in the movie. That's what I would do.
Turner: Dan Akroyd was supposed to be the crazy guy in the tank at the end but he was too busy making Ghostbusters.
The Filming
Turner: People always want to know, "Was the making of the movie like a big party the whole time?" In the case of Animal House, it definitely was. You can just tell.
Turner: Everyone was on cocaine. I assume.
That Famous Toga Party
Turner: I was in the bathroom during this part, which sucks, because it's the best part of the movie.
On John Belushi
Turner: Gone way too soon. He was a wild man. I bet he was totally unprofessional on set, but he's so funny, you just gotta put him the movie, anyway, you know?
Turner: I should get a sweatshirt that says "College" on it. That'd be dope.
The Film’s Release
Turner: You have to remember, they didn't make movies like this in the 1950s. Animal House was ahead of its time.
Turner: The movie wasn't a big hit when it came out. Because good movies never are. It was probably a flop.
The Film’s Legacy
Turner: A lot of people don't remember Animal House. Like, my sister's friend Taylor hadn't seen it. Crazy, right? We hooked up once.
Turner: If Animal House is on TV, I will watch it. And you can't say that about a lot of movies. Toga party, toga party, toga party!