Matt Connarton Unleashed: Erich Pilcher reviews National Lampoon's Vacation.

0:11 This summer. When you think vacation, think National Lampoon's vacation. See the

0:17 Real America. Hey Underfans, Hey yellow what it's friendly? Okay, I'm

0:28 okay. Don't you want to look at the Grand Carrier. It's educational,

0:33 great, and most of all, it's fun. The dog went on the

0:41 picnic basket. But Chivy, Chase, Beverley D'Angelo, Emma Gene Coca,

0:50 Randy Quaid, John Kenny, and Christy Brinkley. Well, are you gonna

0:56 go for it? It's crazy, it's crazy, it's crazy. Take you

1:00 for a ride this summer. When you think vacation, think National Lampoons vacation.

1:14 I'm gonna check under the hood. Family vacations are as much a part

1:21 of summer as Fourth of July fireworks, cookout, going to the beach,

1:27 or any other time honored summer tradition you can think of. Family vacations have

1:34 also provided some of the greatest comedies in the history of cinema. This Week's

1:41 film is arguably the greatest of them all. Released in nineteen eighty three,

1:48 directed by Harold Ramis and based on a short story that appeared in the famed

1:53 National Lampoon magazine National. Lampoon's Vacation tells the story of family and Clark Griswold

2:01 chevy Chase in his decade spanning role, who wants to take his family of

2:07 his wife, daughter, and son on a cross country vacation to the fictional

2:14 amusement park Wally World. What should be a peaceful trip unravels and hilarity with

2:22 mishaps and family members throwing a wrench into the plans. The film co stars

2:27 Beverly DeAngelo as Clark's wife, Randy Quaid as the lovable cousin Eddie, and

2:35 the debuting Christine Brinkley, plus a memorable bit part by the late John Candy.

2:42 Our next clip is the first scene in the film. This is important

2:46 because it builds the chaos that is set to befall the Griswolds. When going

2:52 to pick up a new car, Clark is shocked when the swarmy salesman played

2:58 by comedy legend Eugene Lea, brings him a car that is not at all

3:02 what he ordered. This shows how quickly Clark's emotions can change, and now

3:07 he tries to stay cool and often fails throughout difficult situations. Well, there

3:15 she is Claire right here the wagon, Dad, This is not the car

3:22 you ordered. Take it easy, rusty ed, this is not the car

3:25 I ordered. I distinctly ordered the Antarctic Blue super sports Wagon with the CBE

3:32 and the optional rally fun pack. He didn't order the metallic pe metallic p.

3:39 No Antarctic blue. The sports wagon. This isn't even the right model,

3:45 you know. I think you're right. I don't think this is the

3:46 car. This is the new Wagon Queen Family truckster. This is a There's

3:51 a damn fine automobile. If you want my honest opinion, beach the hell

3:53 out of the sports wagon. But I want to make you happy. Huh

3:57 that important? I'll get to the bottom this. Yes, I said,

4:01 mister Griswold ordered the blue sports Wagon. Where is it? I don't know

4:05 soon. I know it must have happened. It didn't come in at I'm

4:15 not your ordinary every day fool. Okay. Now, I'd like my Antarctic

4:20 blue supersports Wagon right now, and if you can't get it for me,

4:24 I'm gonna take my business elsewhere. Where's my old car. I'm just as

4:32 upset as you are, Believe me, Davenport, Get mister Griswold's car back

4:38 and bring it back here and I can get you a wagon. There's no

4:46 problem there. The problem is it might take six weeks. Now. I

4:50 went to myself to tell you, mister Griswold, but if you're thinking to

4:54 take in the tribe press country, this is the automobile you should be using.

4:58 The wagon point family truck. You think you hated. No, but

5:01 wait, don't you drive I don't want to drive it. I just want

5:04 my old car back. Okay, I'm not falling for this bit. Oh

5:09 wait, let's call Russ Cark. Is that the right car? No,

5:46 it isn't, honey, I I changed my mind. They flatten our old

5:49 car like a pancake. Are you serious? Is this really our car?

5:54 Dad? What happened? I thought we were gonna get the little sports thing.

5:59 Oh no, sports Bibe must too small. Besides, I got a

6:01 great deal on this one. Let me tell you, honey, we're taking

6:04 the whole tribe across country. Believe me, this is your automobile. Must

6:12 still running? Oh all new cars do that. I'll take care of that

6:15 in a second. You may think you hate it now and at but what

6:20 are you driving? Brow and her back? When talking about any of the

6:29 films in the Vacation series, one would have to include cousin Eddie, played

6:34 by Quaid. As important as the Clark Griswold character is to these movies,

6:43 one could argue that Eddie is more memorable, an argument I certainly make.

6:48 He is the quintessential embarrassing family member. He is off color, somewhat dim,

6:56 and very socially awkward. Despite his short cummings, he is lovable and,

7:01 even in his own affable way, charming. Our next scene shows all

7:08 of this at a cookout when Clark in the family visit cousin Eddie and his

7:15 family. How do they like? Here's Clark? Oh? Medium, rare,

7:20 little pink inside. Oh you're fine, light at dark? Oh either

7:26 way, it doesn't matter, I think it. Can I help you with

7:30 that cool egg? Please? Mmmmmmmm? I don't know what they call this

7:35 stuff, hamburger helper. It does just fine by itself. Huh. I

7:41 like it better than tune to help her myself, don't you? Clark?

7:44 You're the gourmet around here? Ed, No meeting this. You get plenty

7:54 to meet at home. People like you have some catch up, real tomato

8:01 catchup, Patty? Oh nothing but the best, and Anna, don't for

8:07 getting cold, said your aunt Edna. And Edna, after all these years,

8:24 you're looking so good. Oh hi Edna, nice to see you again.

8:35 You remember Clark, don't you? You were the ones that sent me

8:41 the fruitcake for Christmas that made me so sick. Oh, I'm sorry.

8:46 We thought you enjoyed fruitcake. You enjoy throwing up every five minutes, Claude

8:52 Clark, I thought so, Oh well, am I gonna need or am

8:58 I gonna starve to death? Russ? Katherine, did you tell Clark and

9:05 Ellen the good news? No? I was just about to Katherine, what's

9:11 the good news? You're driving me to Phoenix. No matter how memorable cousin

9:20 Eddie is, when you're reminiscing about any of the films in this series,

9:28 some of the most quotable lines and top scenes do come from Clark Griswold.

9:35 These scenes are when Clark is just exasperated, fed up, and passed his

9:41 limit on what he will take this film. The first film in the series

9:48 sets that character trait up first, with the family wanting to go home despite

9:56 bearing down on Wally World. Clark breathe, flee, loses his cool,

10:01 and then, in our final clip, when the family finally arrives at wally

10:07 World after the difficult journey, they learn it was all for not the park

10:13 is closed for two weeks. This leads to a brief but very memorable appearance

10:20 by John Candy as the park security I don't want to be in the car

10:24 anymore. I want to go home. I don't want to go to wally

10:28 World, Clark, under the circumstances, I wouldn't mind if we just went

10:31 home. In retrospect, it seems like a pretty bad idea driving out.

10:35 It's been one disaster after another. Yeah, it's been a real drag,

10:37 Dad. Maybe we can try some all the time. Wally World's overriding anyway,

10:45 What do you think? I think? In ahead, we're ten hours

10:52 from working fun park and you want to bail out. Well, I'll tell

10:56 you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest, quest

11:00 for fun. I'm gonna have fun, and you're gonna have fun. We're

11:03 all gonna have so much fun. We'll leave Classic Surgery to remove our gardens

11:07 files. You'll be whistling sympathy, dude, Atties, I gotta be crazy.

11:13 I'm gonna pilgrimage to see a moose phrase Marty Moose, Dad, you're

11:20 gonna ask for something, don't do. And now the family arrives to wally

11:28 World. First, one's here, first, one's here. First, one's

11:41 here. But we're so far away, Clark, right right. And at

11:46 the end of the day, when the lot's all full and everybody's fighting to

11:50 get out of here, will be the first ones out too, right?

11:54 Why because we're the griz walls. Come on, Racio. Sorry, folks

12:58 were closed for two weeks to clean and repair America's favorite family fun park.

13:03 Sorry, what, Clark? What are you doing? We watch this program?

13:16 Why his toys? We go to his movies? He owes us,

13:18 doesn't he owe us? He owes the Griswolls Right, Hey, rad he

13:24 owes us. Clark, you're scaring me. Don't be scared. I just

13:28 think somebody owes us an explanation, that's all. Come on, come on,

13:31 come on, Clark, what will you listen to me. Let's just

13:35 find a hotel. I'll call my parents. Are why are some money?

13:39 We can fly home and forget this entire vacation ever happened. Honey, honey,

13:41 just relaxed, Okay, I told you, I'm not angry anymore.

13:43 I'm in complete control. I'm sure they're not repairing every ride. At the

13:46 same time, I think they owe us a little explanation. I think they

13:50 owe us a little fun. Okay, whatever happens, just trust me,

13:52 will you just trust me? Sorry, folk, parks are closed. The

14:03 Moose off front should have told you, yes, we're here to see mister

14:05 roy Wally. What's your name, sir, Clark w griswold O. What's

14:13 just regarding mister grizzol? We're Republicans and relations or a summer inspection to a

14:18 personal matter? Oh, suspection? Oh nobody? Nobody notified this office of

14:28 Well, I'm notifying you. I'm afraid I'm gonna need a little more to

14:31 not sir. Okay, dookie, how's this Clark? Have you lost your

14:37 mind? Where did you get that sporting good star? Honey? Now you

14:41 listen to me fat as, you do what I say, and it won't

14:43 be any problem. Okay, Okay, we just throw two thousand, four

14:46 hundred and sixty miles just for a little Roy Wally entertainment the Moose as your

14:50 clothes. I say, you're open, We're not really violent people. This

14:54 is our first gun. No, it isn't. Calling this film a success

15:00 would be a massive understatement. It made over eight and a half million dollars

15:05 its opening weekend, debuting is the number one film. It ended up grossing

15:11 over sixty one million dollars worldwide overall. Making it even more of a success

15:20 is the film was only made on a fifteen million dollar budget. It also

15:26 featured a changing of the guard for National Lampoon. It replaced the smut locker

15:33 room humor that it was known for in large part due to the magazine and

15:37 the film Animal House that we previously looked at, and replaced it with a

15:43 more slapstick, witty, physical comedy. This film is still endearing today.

15:52 It has spawned five sequels, and recently this film celebrated its fortieth anniversary.

16:00 What makes it timeless, hilarious and quite memorable is that while watching it,

16:07 one finds themselves reminiscing about past vacations, good, bad, or downright awful.

16:15 And when you do, I dare you not to try and smile or

16:19 chuckle. And that is what every comedy film should strive for, to leave

16:26 a great memory and a smile on our faces. I hope you join me

16:33 next week when we will look at Steven Spielberg's mind blowing, beautiful science fiction

16:40 epic Close Encounters of the third time for WMNH and Matt Counterton Unleashed. This

16:48 has been a classic film reviewed with Derrick Filter down the grout, Jack be

17:17 Names, Jack Queen taking to run out the Whist team. I did little

17:57 about don't go, don't wait down I didn't know, I didn't able