The Poster Memorabilia blog

A Chicago vacation with the Griswolds

The Griswolds regroup in Rosemont — two Audreys, one Cousin Eddie, and Clark holding court.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation changed how I go on vacations. It was the first National Lampoon movie I saw, so it had a bigger impact on me than the first one. But I still love both, and they remain some of my favorite films.

Those movies taught me to appreciate every single second of my vacation, no matter what happens. And that's exactly what I did when I went to the Fan Expo in Chicago in 2025. The event reunited the cast of both movies, namely Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron.

It was my first time going, and I couldn't have asked for a better reason. I'm a huge fan of these actors, both in the movies and their other works. Just seeing them in person was more than enough, but it was also fun getting to hear their stories about making the films.

I really loved listening to Chevy Chase. You'd think the guy would be all jokes, but he was pretty serious about the films. I could tell that he really loved making them, and he understood how important they were in his career. That's also why he was touring the country with live screenings of Christmas Vacation.

The best part was his rapport with Randy Quaid, his longtime friend. These men have been around for decades, are already in their golden years, but their humor is still so sharp.

I laughed out loud at the way the two ribbed each other, especially when Quaid threw shade at Chase for seemingly taking credit for the writing on both films. It was a cool peek into their behind-the-scenes dynamic.

“That was classic Chevy Chase from his SNL days.”

Chase was pretty much in his element at the reunion. He cracked jokes at every chance he got, and often stole the spotlight from his fellow castmates. Others would've found it annoying, but not me. That was classic Chevy Chase from his SNL days, and it was a pleasure seeing him back out again after all these years.

Also, I have to shout out Anthony Michael Hall, who was a good sport when Chase continued answering questions directed at him. He kept his cool despite it all, and it never seemed like he was pissed off. And when he shouted, “Because I'm Anthony Michael Hall and you're not!” all of us erupted in applause. It was the best moment of the night.

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After the panel, I met each one and asked them to sign my poster. They all gave me their autograph, which then made me love the movie even more. Though the cast wasn’t complete that night, I was still more than satisfied with what I got.

Needless to say, that was one of the best vacations I took in a long while. I'm not a beach person or a history buff. You’ll rarely find me going to tropical places or old cities. I'm a movie person. So when I go on vacations, I always like going to conventions and cast reunions where stars talk about the films they've made through the years.

I hope the National Lampoon cast would reunite again someday, and when they do, I'll be right there again, front and center!

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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