Post by Neverending on Aug 2, 2015 0:30:16 GMT -5
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION (1983)
The pussification of American culture bothers me sometimes, and if you think I'm being ridiculous, take time from your busy schedule to re-watch National Lampoon's Vacation. It's a movie widely considered a family classic but it has bare breasts, racial humor, pot smoking children, a few f-bombs and the death of a dog and its owner. Good luck trying to make this film now. Just look at the Ed Helms reboot for comparison. It was targeted directly at adult audiences and flopped at the box office because of that. People STILL see the original and its sequels as family entertainment. Why? Because when today's adults were children, America wasn't easily outraged by stupid things, and these movies were acceptable for families to watch. Granted, some people saw National Lampoon's Vacation on network television or basic cable and the naughty parts were eliminated, but other people saw it in theaters and VHS and premium cable and there was no major backlash. And its this pre-pussification element that makes the film standout. National Lampoon's Vacation wasn't made by a generation that was trying to provoke audiences. They just wanted to tell a relatable story about a family on a road trip without any restrictions. Sometimes, for a comedic effect, they exaggerated or went over-the-top, but that's fine because at its core is a universal story that's being told in an open and honest way. You can't do that now because a family movie has to be as safe and inoffensive as possible. I apologize for the soapbox but it's difficult not to think about this when watching a cinematic relic.
A+ says @dukeleto
EUROPEAN VACATION (1985)
I can never decide if I like or hate this movie. It has a lot of fun scenes and humor, plus the best Rusty Griswold, but it's also really bad and has the worst Audrey Griswold. The plot - or lack of plot - doesn't help either. We get to see amusing hijinks in England, France, Germany and Italy but it ultimately means nothing because the story and characters are aimless. The original featured a road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles but the family had a goal they wanted to achieve at the end of their destination. Here, they just go along for the ride and that's kind of boring. Ultimately, European Vacation is middle-of-the-road and easily the worst in the series.
C says Deexan
CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)
One of my earliest childhood memories is walking around the mall during Christmastime and seeing the poster for Christmas Vacation - the one where Chevy Chase is dressed like Santa Claus and being electrocuted - and thinking to myself, "I have to see that." I had never seen a Vacation movie, I didn't even know who Chevy Chase was, but I knew this movie was gonna be le-gen-dary. And I was right! I can't think of another movie that perfectly captures modern day Christmas. From getting the tree, to putting up the decorations, to shopping for gifts, to dealing with family and worrying about your job's holiday bonus, the movie is spot on. Granted... it is a comedy and exaggerates things for the sake of laughter, but it captures the emotional rollercoaster of Christmas like a chef making his or her best dish.
A+ says SnoBorderZero
VEGAS VACATION (1997)
Vegas Vacation does a lot of things right and a lot things wrong. It perfectly captures the commercialization of Las Vegas as well as the temptations that made it a famous city in the first place. Producer Jerry Weintraub, who worked with Frank Sinatra and produced George Clooney's Ocean's Eleven trilogy, was probably a major asset for the cast and crew and even has a small role. On the other hand, the movie splits the four main characters and sets them off on their own mini adventures. That was a major mistake because it's the relationship and chemistry of these characters that made the series a success with audiences. It's no surprise this would be the last Vacation for 18 years. It's not the worst in the franchise, but it's the one that alienated fans the most.
C says Doomsday
RANK
1. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
2. Christmas Vacation (1989)
3. Vegas Vacation (1997)
4. European Vacation (1985)
The pussification of American culture bothers me sometimes, and if you think I'm being ridiculous, take time from your busy schedule to re-watch National Lampoon's Vacation. It's a movie widely considered a family classic but it has bare breasts, racial humor, pot smoking children, a few f-bombs and the death of a dog and its owner. Good luck trying to make this film now. Just look at the Ed Helms reboot for comparison. It was targeted directly at adult audiences and flopped at the box office because of that. People STILL see the original and its sequels as family entertainment. Why? Because when today's adults were children, America wasn't easily outraged by stupid things, and these movies were acceptable for families to watch. Granted, some people saw National Lampoon's Vacation on network television or basic cable and the naughty parts were eliminated, but other people saw it in theaters and VHS and premium cable and there was no major backlash. And its this pre-pussification element that makes the film standout. National Lampoon's Vacation wasn't made by a generation that was trying to provoke audiences. They just wanted to tell a relatable story about a family on a road trip without any restrictions. Sometimes, for a comedic effect, they exaggerated or went over-the-top, but that's fine because at its core is a universal story that's being told in an open and honest way. You can't do that now because a family movie has to be as safe and inoffensive as possible. I apologize for the soapbox but it's difficult not to think about this when watching a cinematic relic.
A+ says @dukeleto
EUROPEAN VACATION (1985)
I can never decide if I like or hate this movie. It has a lot of fun scenes and humor, plus the best Rusty Griswold, but it's also really bad and has the worst Audrey Griswold. The plot - or lack of plot - doesn't help either. We get to see amusing hijinks in England, France, Germany and Italy but it ultimately means nothing because the story and characters are aimless. The original featured a road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles but the family had a goal they wanted to achieve at the end of their destination. Here, they just go along for the ride and that's kind of boring. Ultimately, European Vacation is middle-of-the-road and easily the worst in the series.
C says Deexan
CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)
One of my earliest childhood memories is walking around the mall during Christmastime and seeing the poster for Christmas Vacation - the one where Chevy Chase is dressed like Santa Claus and being electrocuted - and thinking to myself, "I have to see that." I had never seen a Vacation movie, I didn't even know who Chevy Chase was, but I knew this movie was gonna be le-gen-dary. And I was right! I can't think of another movie that perfectly captures modern day Christmas. From getting the tree, to putting up the decorations, to shopping for gifts, to dealing with family and worrying about your job's holiday bonus, the movie is spot on. Granted... it is a comedy and exaggerates things for the sake of laughter, but it captures the emotional rollercoaster of Christmas like a chef making his or her best dish.
A+ says SnoBorderZero
VEGAS VACATION (1997)
Vegas Vacation does a lot of things right and a lot things wrong. It perfectly captures the commercialization of Las Vegas as well as the temptations that made it a famous city in the first place. Producer Jerry Weintraub, who worked with Frank Sinatra and produced George Clooney's Ocean's Eleven trilogy, was probably a major asset for the cast and crew and even has a small role. On the other hand, the movie splits the four main characters and sets them off on their own mini adventures. That was a major mistake because it's the relationship and chemistry of these characters that made the series a success with audiences. It's no surprise this would be the last Vacation for 18 years. It's not the worst in the franchise, but it's the one that alienated fans the most.
C says Doomsday
RANK
1. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
2. Christmas Vacation (1989)
3. Vegas Vacation (1997)
4. European Vacation (1985)
