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‘Animal House’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

May 26, 2026 · 1:31:04

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:42The cafeteria scene with Belushi eating from the food line, making the horse sound, and doing the 'imagine' (amazit) bit - he calls this possibly his most rewatchable scene
Chris Ryan▶ 33:27The Otis Day 'Shout' performance scene, cutting back and forth with the crowd - he says this is his most rewatchable scene

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 44:32They tried to get Chevy Chase for Otter, but he ended up doing Foul Play instead; Simmons wonders if he got 'market corrected' by Chevy Chase, noting the irony that Chase later appeared in Fletch with Tim Matheson (who played Otter), where Matheson plays the guy who hires Chase's character.
Chris Ryan▶ 44:49Agrees with the Chevy Chase/Fletch connection, noting it's funny that Matheson essentially plays a 'Chevy Chase type' in Animal House and then acts as Chase's straight man in Fletch, given they look alike.

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 48:48The cut JFK-assassination-parody gag with the car driving through the head/exit wound spot — thinks it would've aged 'pretty funnily' had they kept it in
Bill Simmons▶ 49:06Sarah Holcomb's bizarre IMDB filmography (Animal House to Caddyshack bookended by Happy Birthday Gemini and the wildly offensive Walk Proud)
Chris Ryan▶ 51:22Putting large farm animals (the horse) indoors as a comedic device

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:49The buffet scene from Animal House

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:56The movie's overall dated, slow feel/1962 setting being 64 years old and feeling like a lifetime ago (also notes the 13-year-old girl subplot as an obvious weak/troubling element)
Chris Ryan▶ 52:37The Greg/Mandy/Babs love triangle and its handjob-related scenes (roughly five scenes) as not germane to the movie

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:07Animal House caused more copycat damage than any movie ever made — it was the 'gasoline and match' that wrecked two generations of college kids, giving them a blueprint for frat/party chaos and killing more brain cells than any film in terms of its influence on kids' expectations of college.

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:46Offers multiple candidates: Donald Sutherland (two and a half scenes), Dean Wormer's wife, Otis Day, or Shelly (Flounder's roommate), without settling on one definitive pick
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:11Goes with Donald Sutherland as the classic Dion Waiters pick, noting Dean Wormer's wife as a close second

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:00A sequel could have worked if Belushi had died — a reunion-style continuation would have been funny
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:06This could have been a whole franchise, with new Animal House movies set throughout different decades

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:47The 'don't get mad, get even' line, comparing it to Mr. Miyagi's wisdom as the best life lesson from the movie

Who Won the Movie

Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:24:43Doesn't name a specific 'winner' but praises the movie overall as a great 'hang' film, well-acted across the board, and appreciates that studio guardrails on the raunchy script made it better

Movies Referenced (38)

Foul Play (1978)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Craig Horlbeck▶ 25:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neighbors (2014)

4 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Project X (2012)

4 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Borat (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Blues Brothers (1980)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wedding Crashers (2005)

3 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 33:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dazed and Confused (1993)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Craig Horlbeck▶ 25:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Happy Days (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lincoln (2012)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Slap Shot (1977)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 33:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

John Landis

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 12:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Roy Hill

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slap Shot▶ 1:08:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Schlesinger

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Midnight Cowboy, Darling, Marathon Man▶ 1:08:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Nichols

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Graduate▶ 1:08:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (23)

Tim Matheson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for National Lampoon's Animal House▶ 13:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Webb

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Sunset Boulevard▶ 1:07:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Vernon

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for National Lampoon's Animal House, Dirty Harry▶ 34:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Karen Allen

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Starman▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luke Wilson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 37:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Murray

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 1:05:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Walton

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Little Nicky, He Got Game, Forget Paris▶ 58:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Farley

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Tommy Boy, Black Sheep▶ 1:14:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dave Matthews

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Just Go with It▶ 43:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jamie Lee

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Cold Mountain▶ 1:09:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Bridges

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart, True Grit▶ 1:03:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Lee Lewis

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Grease, Dick Tracy▶ 1:20:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

Danny McBride

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Underworld▶ 19:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗