I saw the documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead_ The Story of The National Lampoon yesterday at the Cleveland International Film Fest. It had gotten some good press in it's debut at Sundance in January.
Like many guys who bought copies of the National Lampoon magazine back in the 70s (it was the rare girl who would do so) I came to it as a progression from Mad magazine. I collected the irreverent (to say the least) humor publication for a quite a few years, but as much as I thought I knew the story I found the documentary quite enlightening.
I stood in line discussing films, as one is want to do at a film fest, with a couple in their 30s next to me, in line for another movie. He had no idea National Lampoon ever was a magazine. For them this documentary could be an astonishing revelation. The fact that National Lampoon, which had spun off into a live performing group as well, would be the impetus for Saturday Night Live should alter anyone's perceived history of pop culture.
The documentary's generous use of images from the magazine had me in a very nostalgic mood, wishing I'd kept my collection. It's time to check out eBay to what these things are going for. The first search...the high school yearbook parody.
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