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The Rewatchables · May 26, 2026

Animal House

host Bill Simmons host Chris Ryan producer Craig Horlbeck

Casting what-if: The original SNL-heavy casting wish list and alternate directors
Weakest link: The Greg–Mandy–Babs triangle
What aged worst: The underage storyline, racial material, flat direction, and some missing consequences

All 30 categories

Who won the movie John Belushi
Cruise or Hanks Tom Hanks as Otter
Dion Waiters Award Donald Sutherland
“That Guy” Award John Vernon

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:01:07

Belushi playing Flounder

Chris Ryan: The possibility that Belushi’s career changes if he plays Flounder instead of Bluto is debated

Bill Simmons: The film is blamed for inspiring two generations of destructive college imitation

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:20:56

“Don’t get mad, get even” and “You’re only young once”

Bill Simmons: “Don’t get mad, get even” is proposed

The film

Animal House (1978)

Directed by John Landis · Comedy

109 minutes

IMDb Find on JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

John Belushi John Blutarsky ("Bluto")

Tim Matheson Eric Stratton ("Otter")

Thomas Hulce Lawrence "Larry" Kroger ("Pinto")

Peter Riegert Donald Schoenstein ("Boon"), Otter's best friend

Stephen Furst Kent Dorfman ("Flounder"), Pinto's best friend and fellow freshman whose older brother Fred was a member of the Delta fraternity

Bruce McGill Daniel Simpson Day ("D-Day")

Karen Allen Katy, Boon's girlfriend

James Widdoes Robert Hoover ("Hoov")

Douglas Kenney Dwayne Storkman ("Stork")

Christian Miller Curtis Wayne Fuller ("Hardbar")

James Daughton Gregory Marmalard

Mark Metcalf Douglas C. Neidermeyer

Kevin Bacon Chip Diller

Mary Louise Weller Mandy Pepperidge, Marmalard's original girlfriend and Bluto's love interest

Martha Smith Barbara Sue "Babs" Jansen, Mandy's fellow Pi house member who also likes Marmalard

John Vernon Dean Vernon Wormer

Verna Bloom Mrs. Marion Wormer

Donald Sutherland Dave Jennings

Cesare Danova Carmine DePasto

Sarah Holcomb Clorette DePasto

Lisa Baur Shelly Dubinsky, Otter's date from Emily Dickinson college and Fawn's roommate

DeWayne Jessie Otis Day

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

1:03:23

Casting What-Ifs

The original SNL-heavy casting wish list and alternate directors

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:03:23Read transcript

The reported initial wish list included Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and John Belushi — Bill Simmons
Harold Ramis reportedly wrote Boone for himself but was judged too old — Bill Simmons
Jack Webb and Kim Novak were reportedly sought as the Wormers — Bill Simmons

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1:06:39

Recasting Couch

Ivan Reitman as alternate director

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:39Read transcript

John Schlesinger, Alan J. Pakula, Mike Nichols, George Roy Hill, and Bob Raffleson are reported as directors approached — Chris Ryan
Ivan Reitman is selected to direct the alternate version

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1:09:16

Half-Assed Internet Research

Oregon locations, cast bonding, music, sequel plans, and the contested Dexter’s scene

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:09:16Read transcript

The University of Oregon reportedly rented its campus while asking not to be named — Bill Simmons
Black extras reportedly had to be brought from Portland — Bill Simmons
The Delta cast reportedly arrived early to bond while being separated from the Omega cast — Bill Simmons
Belushi’s exposure to Curtis Salgado is connected to the Blues Brothers — Bill Simmons
A Summer of Love sequel around Otter’s wedding was abandoned after More American Graffiti failed and Belushi died — Bill Simmons
DeWayne Jessie reportedly bought the Otis Day name and toured with it — Chris Ryan
Stephen Bishop’s relationship with Karen Allen reportedly inspired “Separate Lives” — Bill Simmons
Richard Pryor’s approval is described as preserving the Dexter’s bar sequence — Bill Simmons

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1:15:13

Picking Nits

The fraternity’s expulsion process, implausible logistics, and omitted comic payoffs

In the discussion (11)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:13Read transcript

Dean Wormer should not need constitutional research to expel students with zero grades — Chris Ryan
Several actors look too old for college, though that may aid the joke — Bill Simmons
Mandy should hear or see Bluto moving the ladder — Bill Simmons
Moving a twelve-foot ladder while standing on it is questioned — Bill Simmons
Flounder’s brother should understand the risks of lending his car to the fraternity — Chris Ryan
Boone’s neglect of Katie for the road trip is questioned — Chris Ryan
Mrs. Wormer attending the Delta party is called implausible — Chris Ryan
More explanation is requested for Fawn’s kiln-explosion death — Chris Ryan
Not showing Flounder vomit on Dean Wormer is called a missed payoff — Bill Simmons
A store having ten thousand marbles is questioned — Bill Simmons
The completely covered Eat Me float car appears impossible to see out of — Bill Simmons

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1:19:18

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The origin of double-secret probation, the film’s genre influence, student majors, and Greg’s repression

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:19:18Read transcript

Whether the film coined “double secret probation” is questioned — Chris Ryan
Whether the film invented both modern sex comedy and college comedy is questioned — Chris Ryan
The students’ majors and whether communications existed as a 1962 major are questioned
The Omega fraternity is jokingly compared to the Illuminati — Bill Simmons
Greg’s sexuality and repression are debated from his relationships and fixation on the Deltas — Bill Simmons