Years before Saturday Night Live exploded into American culture in the mid-70s, Harvard graduates Henry Beard, Doug Kenney, and Robert Hoffman launched National Lampoon, America’s first national humor magazine. No topic was off limits for this brilliant publication that mocked and re-imagined the world in a truly surreal way. What started as a fringe counterculture magazine grew into a media conglomerate including albums, theater productions, television programs, books, radio shows, and blockbuster films like Animal House and Vacation.

This wonderfully funny and nostalgic documentary follows the rise and fall of this revered comic institution. Director Douglas Tirola braids both classic and never-before-seen archival footage with the magazine's stunning art and interviews with comedy greats. Featuring John Goodman, Chevy Chase, Kevin Bacon, Beverly D’Angelo, Christopher Guest, and Tim Matheson, with archival footage of Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and John Belushi, the documentary showcases the cultural significance of Lampoon and its keen ability to capture the comic zeitgeist during the '70s and '80s. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD is a must see if you are a comedy aficionado.

—Dan Hunt

Directed by

Douglas Tirola