PCU

Since I've been on such an Animal House kick lately, I couldn't go without mentioning an updated version of that classic. Well a 90's update at least. I'm talking about 1994's PCU.

A high school senior, or pre-fresh, Tom, Chris Young, heads to Port Chester University for a weekend campus tour. He is assigned to stay in The Pit, a fraternity even though frats were banned on campus. His tour guide is "Droz," Jermey Piven, who has assigned to be a guide as a practical joke by fellow pit member Mullaney, Alex Dessert. "Droz" wants nothing to do with this but decides to make the best out of a bad situation. He takes Tom on a mission to disrupt a protest of the school cafeteria serving meat. Their disruption leads to hysteria with the protesters chasing down The Pit members. "Droz" loses Tom in all of the chaos. When trying to find his way back to The Pit, Tom has run ins with every politically correct protester, causing him to be chased throughout the day. That is until he runs into Rand, David Spade, and his underground fraternity Balls And Shaft.

Balls And Shaft is a very preppy, stuck up fraternity. Rand tells Tom of their plans with the college president, Jessica Walter, to get The Pit expelled so they can take over their house. When The Pit gets wind of this, they decide to throw the ultimate party to save their house. They even get George Clinton to play. Tom helps them on their last ditch effort.

Even though this a 90's take on Animal House, I liked it even more. Probably because I was a college student when this came out and I could relate to it.

This is Piven's best work. Even better than when he is playing second banana to John Cusack. I really think that this role probably helped him get cast in some of his more remmebered work later on. There is definately a lot of 'Droz" in his Ari Gold character from Entourage. Oddly enough, Piven is not crazy about this film. If you listen to his dvd commentary he pulls no punches about the run ins he had with the director Hart Bochner. He even says he doesn't know the appeal of PCU. Piven, get over yourself. It's a great movie.

The real scene stealer is Jon Favreau. He plays Gutter, a constantly stoned member of The Pit who has trouble with even the smallest tasks. His drug induced vision of himself on trial before the senate house is hysterical.

Young, Spade, and Walter play variations of other characters they've played before, but it works. If you want nice, snarky, and bitchy, these are the three actors to call on.

Despite what Piven say's, Bochner does a good job directing. Even though he's only directed two films, this and the underated High School High, Bochner seems to have a good grasp of comedy.

If you are wanting an Animal House, 90's style, PCU is your best bet.

It's available on dvd.