Outrageously funny! Scandalously shocking! And…did we mention the stripper? National Lampoon, who brought you Animal House, Class Reunion, Vacation and Van Wilder, spoofs the hell out of life as we know it in three eye-widening, knee-slapping and mom-offending movies combined into one hysterical whole…National Lampoon’s Movie Madness! An arrogant corporate lawyer forces his wife to leave him so that he can find what’s been missing from his life…and the mania begins. A victimized stripper vows to take over the world…and mayhem sets in. Two mismatched cops search for a deranged serial killer…and madness completely takes over. Individually, each movie will shock your senses. But together…they’ll blow you away! The gut-busting cast includes Robby Benson, Richard Widmark, Diane Lane, Candy Clark, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Riegert, Ann Dusenberry, Elisha Cook Jr., Robert Culp, Olympia Dukakis, Teresa Ganzel, Julie Kavner, Dick Miller, Rhea Perlman, Trinidad Silva, Joe Spinell, Margaret Whitton, Fred Willard and Mary Woronov.
For thoughts on National Lampoon’s Movie Madness, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
National Lampoon’s Movie Madness comes to Blu-Ray from Kino Classics and Code Red with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that appears to be derived from an older master that is in great shape. The presentation is pleasing throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. Instances of print damage occasionally pop up very briefly, but overall clarity and detail is excellent. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit clumpy. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated in a visually pleasing way. Skin tones are natural with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels are pretty solid with very little in the way of crush. This presentation is excellent even without a fresh master. Given the quality of the film, any fans will probably be content with the fact this got an HD release at all.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the intention of the film well. The dialogue is strong, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the chatter at the strip club to speeding police cars in the final segment. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. All music maintains a pleasing fidelity as it comes through the room. This is a track that represents the film in a practically perfect manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Trailers: The minute-and-a-half trailer for National Lampoon’s Movie Madness is provided here. There are also trailers provided for C.H.O.M.P.S., The Nine Live Of Fritz The Cat, The Hound Of The Baskervilles and The Naked Ape.
Final Thoughts
National Lampoon’s Movie Madness is a wild swing in the other direction in terms of quality after the success of Animal House. The three stories that make up this feature have fleeting moments of amusement, but for the most part this effort is very dull and off putting in many respects. There are some really talented performers in here that do their best to capitalize on this material, but there is just not enough on the page to make this a worthy effort. Kino Classics and Code Red have released a new Blu-Ray featuring a pretty solid A/V presentation but next to nothing in the way of special features. If you are a completist for the National Lampoon brand, this is a technically pleasing release of the film.
National Lampoon’s Movie Madness is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics and Code Red have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
