BIO: Caddyshack – The Inside Story (2009)/ Caddyshack (1980)

One of the many films borne of the post-National Lampoon’s Animal House fervor, Caddyshack remains one of the most beloved comedies of all time. Though lacking Director John Landis, the film was even a kind of spiritual sequel to Animal House, written by Harold Ramis and Doug Kenney, along with frequent collaborator Brian Doyle-Murray. This time, Ramis would take the reins, starting a long and illustrious career in that role. The result of their labor is one of the most quoted and referenced films of all time, to the extent that many of the quotes are familiar to even those who haven’t seen the film. Surely, this was the result of an adeptly executed script and masterful direction.

It wasn’t, and The Inside Story lets the audience in on the chaos.

BIO: Caddyshack – The Inside Story is a feature length documentary originally aired on the now defunct BIO Channel. Though the television style of teasing information and repeating short segments can be annoying, this feature excels in a few areas, and overcomes its format. First and foremost, the documentary provides and exceptional amount of context for the film. Though the documentary is about the entire production, the team excels at highlighting the individual cast members which, in turn, provides information on each person’s specific contributions. Though lacking interviews with any of the Murray brothers or Chevy Chase, it does feature nearly every other significant figure in the film’s production, at least those who were alive while the documentary was being produced. Luckily, this include the late Ramis.  Along with these interviews, BIO gathered an impressive amount of outside footage which they utilized alongside clips of the film and media from its production. The documentary never loses focus and this media only enhances the presentation. Oh, and Jon Peters appears. If you are unaware, Jon Peters is one of the most successful producers of all time, with the likes of Gorillas in the Mist and Batman under his belt. You might think a figure of such prestige would be a bit restrained, but fear not, “eccentric” does not begin to describe Peters. I encourage you to find as many interviews as you can. If you’re more interested in finding out even more context for Caddyshack instead of indulging my weird obsession with the producer, check out the excellent Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon. Though many features hide the less admirable aspects of a films production, The Inside Story is ultimately a narrative about how a chaotic production became an unrequited success.

BIO: Caddyshack – The Inside Story is exclusive to the Blu-Ray release of the film, which is widely available.