How the ‘Racy’ Scene From Animal House Influenced Pixar’s WALL-E [Exclusive]

“WALL-E” is a lively and imaginative film filled with social critique, some of which may be hovering over audiences’ heads. WALL-E robots feature soul-crushing 9-to-5 sluggishness and inadvertently inciting a robo-rebellion aboard the starship Axiom, all with minimal vocabulary.

In an attempt to get the Pixar team in the headroom to portray a charming character who doesn’t say much but still conveys his emotions, Stanton has some predictable work in mind, such as Albert Lamorisse’s minimal dialogue short film “The Red Balloon.” But the surprise came in his interview with Josh Spiegel:

“It’s easy for us to say now that ‘WALL-E’ is finished, but ‘WALL-E’ doesn’t exist. I have to say, ‘This is the state of your mind while watching the movie. I want to make.’ I’d have something as pure as ‘The Red Balloon’ or ‘The Black Stallion,’ which just had music and action and atmosphere. But I know there will be times when the dialogue is spoken, and your brain will try to interpret the emphasis of what their dialogue.

From ‘Animal House’, it’s a lewd scene with John Belushi on the stairs and motivated by lust to get to the next window, just showing you how much of the character’s intentions and goals can be 100%, if not more, clear to the audience.”

That’s right, kids—the “Peeping Tom” scene from Ivan Reitman’s “Animal House” casts the storytelling North Star for one of the healthiest children’s films of the 21st century. Blutarsky “Bluto” John Belushi doesn’t have much to say as he attempts to observe naked students, but his motivations are clear.