Most of us probably know a National Lampoon movie or two, whether it’s the college cult classic ‘Animal House’ or Chevy Chase’s series of ‘Vacation’ films, because they’ve survived the test of time.
Millennials and onward likely won’t remember the magazine that spawned those films, as well as a slew of other radio, theater, and print products: National Lampoon.
“Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon” is a documentary that takes a look back at the magazine’s impact on American society and comedy. From each issue’s ‘Foto Funnies’ to the iconic ‘Death’ issue from January of 1973, National Lampoon pushed the boundaries of parody, humor, and surrealism.
A spinoff of the ‘Harvard Lampoon,’ National Lampoon’s popularity took off during the 1970s and early 80s. However, it began to decline through the mid and late 80s, and stopped publishing in 1998.
Today on AirTalk, Larry will sit down with director Douglas Tirola and producer Janis Hirsch to talk about making the film, the message they wanted to get across, and what they learned in the process.
Guests:
Douglas Tirola, director of “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon”
Janis Hirsch, former National Lampoon writer, former writer on Square Pegs, writer and producer for TV shows including Frasier, Will & Grace