really good documentary on HBO about the history of the magazine and its evolution into radio, stage and movies.

That place was a talent incubator. Pretty much anyone who worked in any form of comedy from the 60-90s worked at the Lampoon.

Still, and I feel the same way about Mad, I don't find their magazine work all that funny. They showed and described some things some bits the considered brilliant that really didn't even make me crack a smile.

Weird that guys like John Hughes started there and was best known for his dark and perverted comedy given the work he is best known for.

Most of the writer/magazine guys were Ivy League educated, which seems strange as well for people whose lives revolved around snorting coke and making dick jokes. Then the radio guys came in with Chase, Murray, Murray, Belushi, Radner, Ramis, Guest and redefined the place. SNL came along and basically gutted the place.

Give it a watch, it's worth the effort.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I caught the last 20 minutes. Thought that was really good, so I recorded the next airing. Plan on watching it whenever I can find some time. That picture at the end where they pan over everyone was really cool. I never knew National Lampoon was a magazine.

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-- source

from what i remember it started as Harvard Lampoon and then became National Lampoon. Christopher Guest and Mike McKean were a part of that as well, with the "radio hour".

it sounds like it wouldn't teach me anything i don't know but that's ok--i love these kinds of documentaries.

you might not learn something new but they have lots of old clips of interest

I didn't know they had stage shows with elaborate production numbers. I guess it is funny to watch Belushi do a Joe Cocker impersonation for a minute but he did entire sets on the show. Who would pay for that?

They also provide more backround on Lampoon movies. That lead writer on Caddyshack considered it a failure, especially in comparison to Animal House and it sent him into a depression.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Goes to show drugs really do make good music and comedies and art

The newest vacation movie is a good example. Boring

And dumb and dumberer. Obviously no drugs involved.

Why was dave chapell show so funny even though it was produced in the modern era? DRUGS.

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

The lead writer was right.

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But the Lampoon people he left behind had a funny commentary on his possible suicide. Something to the effect that he was scouting out potential platforms for a suicide leap. But then his clumsy ass slipped and fell to his death.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.