National Lampoon made this special for HBO the year after Animal House. It’s sort of like a less successful, shot-on-video version of Kentucky Fried Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon. (Either that, or a dirty version of Saturday Night Live.) Even as a fan of lesser-quality National Lampoon movies, this one is pretty tasteless and stupid, but it does contain a handful of big laughs.
A (off screen) couple settle down to watch cable TV. They start watching Disco Beaver from Outer Space before the guy starts flipping channels. The commercials, TV shows, and movies he flips through make up the bulk of the picture.
Disco Beaver from Outer Space is horribly dated and politically incorrect to be sure. People will probably be most offended by Dragula, the gay vampire. The lone special guest star, Vanessa Redgrave (how they got her to appear in this is anybody’s guess) plays Vanessa Van Helsing, who repels the Count with Brute, meatloaf, and pictures of Lloyd Bridges. Other slipshod and unfunny bits include “Misterpiece Theater” and scenes of a country band playing while British cowboys critique their performance.
There is some good stuff here though. I think my favorite bits were the testimonials of a Perrier junkie (the White Claw of its day) who is up to “six bottles a day”. There’s also a game show called “The Breast Game” which is a good excuse to show a bunch of boobs. (“Stay tuned for You Bet Your Ass!”) The video cable guide offers a few laughs too, and the puppeteer (who is essentially a dirty version of Senor Wences) should’ve had more screen time.
The Disco Beaver himself seems like a forerunner to the gopher in Caddyshack. He’s basically there to dance and act like a goofball, which is sort of charming I suppose. At least the filmmakers were smart enough to keep his appearances brief.
Ultimately, Disco Beaver from Outer Space is crude, sloppy, and all over the place. It’s much closer in terms of quality to the later-era National Lampoon movies than the classics like Animal House and Vacation. On the plus side, it’s less than an hour long (thank God). It’s best viewed as a curio piece, although those who are easily offended will want to steer clear.
AKA: National Lampoon Presents Disco Beaver from Outer Space. AKA: National Lampoon’s Disco Beaver from Outer Space.
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