Product Details

• Actors: Phe Caplan, Elisha Cuthbert, Katherine Ellis, Will Ferrell, Patrick Fischler
• Directors: Todd Phillips
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Dreamworks Video
• VHS Release Date: January 6, 2004
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (291 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000094J5S
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,432 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When three thirtysomething friends with woman troubles (Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn) decide to form a fraternity, it's supposedly to save Wilson from losing his house, which the nearby college is trying to claim for academic purposes. But really, Ferrell and Vaughn are desperate to return to the reckless, feckless days of beer bongs and hot chicks, and they drag Wilson along with them as they throw themselves into gathering frat pledges of all ages. Old School could have been just another string of bad jokes hanging on a flimsy plot, but the script and the cast have a jovial energy and just enough grounding in reality--at least, up until the obligatory beat-the-system ending, but by that point you'll forgive the excesses of this silly, cheerful, and frequently funny movie. Featuring Jeremy Piven and Juliette Lewis, with cameos by Snoop Dog, Andy Dick, and others. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great cast, too hilarious to ignore!!, February 22, 2003

By 

wellwellwell (bog) - See all my reviews

I just saw this movie about three hours ago, and I have to say it is the best movie I've seen in the theater in a long, long time. The starring cast is unbelievable, as Luke Wilson (from 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'Legally Blonde'), Will Ferrell (SNL funnyman/'A Night At The Roxbury' star), and Vince Vaughn (from both 'Made' and 'Swingers') star as three married buddies who begin a fraternity; or something like it. And along with the three stars, there's a great list of supporting roles and cameos. Including Sean William Scott (Stifler of 'American Pie'), Andy Dick, CBS Late Late Show's Craig Kilborn, and Jeremy Piven. And once you get past the long cast list, you have a very funny movie. As the movie starts, you get a glimpse of each of the three stars and their lives; as far as their marriages go. Then as it turns out, none of them are really happy.

And as Mitch (Luke Wilson) gets divorced and moves into a frathouse near a college, they decide to start a fraternity. But it's not like any old club on campus--for this one you don't even have to go to the college. Anyway, as the film roles on, you can imagine what (and if you saw the previews, you get the gist of it) they do. They drink, party, and slowly drift away from the lives they have with their wives. And I have to say, out of the three star performances, Vince Vaughn's was the best. Will Ferrell's certainly is the funniest, but Vince was great. He sort of carries in the same swagger-style he had in the riotous movie 'Made'; something that works very well for him. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the previews don't even begin to prepare you. It's definitely not one of those movies that is only funny in the previews. The laughs portrayed there are multiplied by 100, at least.

For those of you who saw 'Road Trip' you'll not be let down with 'Old School'. And being that it's from the same director (Todd Phillips), that makes sense. But this one is better. Much better. This time around the director takes it to a whole new level. And the characters are more well-rounded here than they were in 'Road Trip'. The slogan of the movie says it all: "All the fun of college. None of the education." I think that speaks for itself.

So I could leave you here saying that if you liked 'Road Trip' you will like 'Old School'; and that's it. But that's not true. This is not just a "teen cult" movie--or whatever they're calling it these days--it's much much more than that. It's a hilarious movie with an astonishing/almost too hilarious cast that will keep you laughing even through the closing credits (courtesy of Ferrell and Vince). And it's not every day I put an exclamation point on my review titles, much less two. I gave the movie 5 stars because that's what it deserves. It's a 5 star movie, there's not getting around it. And again, if you saw the previews and you laughed (or even thought about laughing) then you need to see this movie. There's so many great lines and so many awesome scenes that I couldn't even begin to list them; I wouldn't know where to start. Go see this movie.

110 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars what? unrated? whats the difference?, June 11, 2003

By 

Nick (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old School (Widescreen Unrated Edition) (DVD)

This movie is hilarious, and I would give the movie itself 4 our of 5 stars. But there is hardly any difference between the unrated cut and the R rated cut of the movie. When you have topless women on the menu and on the back of the cover, one might be mislead to think there was tons more nudity, when in reality there are 2 brief scenes with any type of nudity (besides will ferrel's butt scene). This movie could have easily passed the R rating cut, as the unrated thing is nothign but a marketing ploy. I bought the movie for laughs and definately not for sex, but for someone who does, the "UNRATED AND OUT OF CONTROL" part is quite misleading.

46 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sort of an Animal House 25th anniversary tribute., March 25, 2003

By 

Patrick L. Randall (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

"Old School" brings back the fun and irreverence of the days of "Animal House" that so few movies seem willing to revisit. Comedy these days seems built around 'paint-by-numbers' formulas or 'let's see how much we can gross people out' shock characteristics. Current releases like "Boat Trip" and "Bringing Down the House" fall in the former category while any movie involving Tom Green or the Farrelly Brothers falls into the latter category. In "Old School", it's refreshing to see a movie that takes a 'devil may care' attitude with its plot and characters while also have the common sense to push the envelope where appropriate without ever crossing the line (following "Animal House's" lead).

In "Old School", Mitch (played by Luke Wilson) is depressed after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend. He moves into a new house near the local college campus and his two best friends, Beanie (Vince Vaughn) and Frank 'the Tank' (Will Ferrell) decide to cheer him up by using his new house to throw a wild 'freedom' party. In a party complete with nubile co-eds, binge drinking, and a performance by Snoop Dogg, the party becomes legendary and draws the ire of the college dean, who just happens to be some nerd that Mitch, Beanie, and Frank tormented in high school. He attempts to take the house from Mitch by claiming it can only be used for campus-related events. This sparks Beanie's imagination to create the most unorthodox fraternity in existence to circumvent the dean's ruling. From there, "Old School" engages in the type of 'us against the administration' hi-jinx that made "Animal House" such a riot.

Will Ferrell gives a performance worthy of John Belushi with his Bluto-esque take as Frank the Tank, whose relapse back into his college days fractures his brand new marriage. Yet, it doesn't seem to affect Frank too too much. Ferrell, as witnessed by his years on Saturday Night Live, is one of the more gifted physical comedians performing today. He has the lunacy of a Jim Carrey without any of the pretentiousness or self-importance that seems to plague Carrey. Vince Vaughn gives another winning performance as a typical, sleazy salesman type who remains just enough on the side of respectability that you still like the guy. It's classic Vaughn. Luke Wilson's performance isn't quite as memorable, but his lovable-loser demeanor fits the role of Mitch perfectly. There are a number of other supporting characters that, while barely more than one-dimensional, make this film a winner (Blue, the 80-year fraternity pledge is a personal favorite).

With world events becoming more somber and depressing and with movies becoming increasingly disappointing, it's quite a relief a no-frills good time can be had at a theater. "Old School" lets the audience feel that kind of relief.