Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon

Amid the seismic cultural shift of the 1970s, American comedy got a sharper edge when a newly minted magazine named National Lampoon stuck its middle finger up at the establishment. Spawned at an Ivy League school by the wonderfully warped minds of Douglas Kenney and Henry Beard, National Lampoon rose from a counterculture rag to a revered comic institution. Bound by a passion for the absurd and a mistrust of authority, Lampoon's irreverence spanked nearly every available social taboo from weak-kneed politics to heated racial tensions. This unique cocktail of high satire and gallows humor exploded onto America's cultural consciousness attracting visionary talents such as Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase, whose comedic force helped expand the magazine's spirit to stage and film. Director Douglas Tirola unearths never-before-seen archival footage and brilliantly weaves it together with the magazine's beautiful and often shocking art, reliving National Lampoon's meteoric rise from go-to magazine of the counterculture to a brand synonymous with Hollywood's biggest comedies. Energetic, revolutionary, gently perverted, and often hilarious, DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD elevates nostalgia to a roof-raising experience.

“A hell of a ride.” - John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

“You're about to meet the unsung heroes of American funny business.” - Rolling Stone

“An endless parade of some of the funniest writing and creativity you’ll likely ever be exposed to, and if you don’t spend most of the time watching it laughing your backside off, you’re probably allergic to smiling.” - Capone, Ain’t it Cool News

“A must-watch for anyone interested in the history of pop culture.” - Germain Lusser, Slash Film

“A glorious celebration of the lunatic fringe.” - Simon Foster, Screen Space

“Thoroughly enlightening.” - Eric D. Snider, Geek Nation

“A fitting ode to one of comedy’s vital institutions.” - Zachary Shevich, Way Too Indie

“A rib-tickling ride of a story that demands your laughter, your curiosity, and your tears.” - Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound