On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center will host a special screening of “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon,” which will be followed by a Q&A with guest Judy Belushi.
From the 1970s through the 1990s, there was no hipper, no more outrageous comedy in print than the National Lampoon, the groundbreaking humor magazine that pushed the limits of taste and acceptability — and then pushed them even harder. Parodying everything from politics, religion, entertainment, and the whole of American lifestyle, the Lampoon eventually went on to branch into successful radio shows, record albums, live stage revues, and movies, including “Animal House” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” launching dozens of huge careers on the way.
According to a press release, director Douglas Tirola’s documentary “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon” details the institution’s rise and fall through fresh, candid interviews with its key staff, and illustrated with hundreds of outrageous images from the magazine itself (along with never-seen interview footage from the magazine’s prime). The film gives fans of the Lampoon a unique inside look at what made the magazine tick, its key players, and why it was so outrageously successful: a magazine that dared to think what no one was thinking, but wished they had.
Judy Belushi was just 20 years old when she and John Belushi (then 22) moved from sweet home Chicago to New York City to work for the National Lampoon. John was hired to join the cast and writers for a an innovative, rock-festival musical parody called “Lemmings,” while Judy worked in the magazine’s art department. One year later, Judy transferred to assist the producer of the National Lampoon Radio Hour, and within half a year, John became the Radio Hour’s creative director. For several years they worked in this creative environment, during which time they formed and cemented friendships with a vast array of future co-workers and superstars.
Judy holds a unique perspective in the Lampoon spectrum in that she worked in every medium within the media conglomerate’s world: from magazine to stage, to radio, to records, to movies — and at the same time, she shared John Belushi’s perspective into the machinations behind the scenes of one of the greatest moments in the history of entertainment.
Judy will talk briefly and answer questions after the viewing of the documentary.
“Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon,” Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 pm, Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. Tickets at the box office or in advance online at mvfilmsociety.com; doors open for admission 30 minutes prior to screening time. Admission for the event: $15, or $12 for Film Society members; benefits the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society.
