The Blues Brothers

Plot synopsis:
A prisoner is roused and escorted through Joliet Prison in Illinois. Is he on his way to the gallows? No, he's up for "standard parole". His personal items are returned to him, including a broken watch and prophylactics. The prisoner is released -- it is Jake (John Belushi). He meets his brother Elwood (Dan Akroyd). These are the Blues Brothers. Elwood has shown up in a used Plymouth police car after having traded in their old Cadillac for a microphone. Demonstrating the power of the car, with its cop tires, cop suspension, and 440 cubic-inch powerplant, Elwood convinces Jake that this is the new Bluesmobile.They go see the Penguin, head nun at the Catholic orphanage they grew up in. She explains that they need $5,000 to pay taxes, or else the orphanage will be closed.They meet up with their old friend and father figure Curtis (Cab Calloway) who advises them to "get yourself to church". They go to a Baptist church, where Reverend Cleophus James (James Brown) delivers an uplifting sermon. Jake "sees the light" realizing that he must put the Blues Brothers Band back together in order to raise the $5,000. Now they are on a mission from God.The Bluesmobile gets pulled over. Through SCMODS (State County Municipal Offender Database System), the officers learn that Elwood has numerous outstanding traffic tickets and moving violations. The police intend to impound the car, but Elwood takes off, leading to a car chase. The Blues Brothers get away (destroying a shopping mall in the process), but now the Illinois authorities are searching for them.A mystery woman (Carrie Fisher) blows up their apartment building, but they walk away from the rubble (as do the cops who were just about to apprehend them).Trying to find their old band members, who have since taken other jobs, they visit a boarding house where one of the members had previously stayed. The lady doesn't remember where he went, but at the last minute she finds a business card with "Murph and the Magictones" on it. They find Murph and the Magictones playing at a Holiday Inn lounge. Murph and the others agree to rejoin the Blues Brothers Band.Jake and Elwood visit the swanky Chez Paul restaurant, where another band member is maitre'd. The brothers behave offensively while eating a meal, tossing food and offering to buy women. Promising that they'll be back to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day at this restaurant until he joins them, the maitre'd reluctantly agrees.John Lee Hooker plays outside a soul food restaurant. Inside the restaurant, the brothers meet Matt 'Guitar' Murphy and 'Blue' Lou Marini. Matt's wife (Aretha Franklin) sings "Think", warning Matt to think about it before leaving the restaurant they own. Matt and Lou quit, and the band is complete. The band's first stop is Ray's Music Exchange. The proprietor Ray (Ray Charles) shows off the action in a keyboard, singing "Shake A Tail Feather". The band buys $1400 worth of instruments, on an I.O.U.The Blues Brother's first gig is at Bob's Country Bunker, where the Good Old Boys are scheduled to play. Passing themselves off as the Good Old Boys, the Blues Brothers manage to play both types of music (Country and Western). They earn $200, but drink $300 worth of beer. They skip out, chased by the late-arriving Good Old Boys and Bob. They get away when the pursuing truck is t-boned by cops who have spotted the Bluesmobile. The cop deadpans, "boys, you are in big trouble".The mystery woman fires a flamethrower at Jake and Elwood in a telephone booth, blowing up nearby propane tank. The brothers, still on their mission from God, emerge unscathed. In a sauna the next day, Jake and Elwood have a business meeting with promoter Maury Sline (Steve Lawrence) who agrees to book the Palace Hotel Ballroom for them tomorrow night.Proclaiming "I hate Illinois Nazis", Elwood uses the Bluesmobile to force Nazis to jump off a bridge. Now they've gained another set of enemies, who vow to find them and kill them.The word goes out on the streets -- Jake and Elwood swipe an enormous air-raid siren, strap it to the roof of the Bluesmobile, and use it as a loudspeaker to make announcements thoughout the city about the upcoming concert. They run out of gas. The local gas station is also out of gas. Elwood flirts with a chic lady (Twiggy) while waiting for the tanker truck to arrive.The Blues Brothers Band play their concert at the Palace Hotel, beginnning with "Minnie The Moocher" as they wait for Jake and Elwood to arrive. Having heard about the concert, the authorities lead by Burton Mercer (John Candy) stake out the joint, planning to apprehend them after the show. Jake and Elwood sneak past the cops and join the band. The crowd is unmoved at first but are soon cheering. The band plays so well that a producer for a major record company offers them $10,000 cash as an advance on their first recording session. Jake and Elwood accept the offer and keep $5000, asking the producer to send $1400 to Ray's Music Exchange and to give the rest to the band. The brothers take off through a trap door in the stage while the band plays on.The mystery woman confronts them in an underground tunnel, firing an automatic weapon at them. Pleading for his life, Jake removes his sunglasses for the first time in the film. She melts, smiles "oh, Jake", and kisses him. He pushes her to the ground, saying "let's go".The police begin realizing the brothers are making their escape. Jake and Elwood are in the Bluesmobile with 106 miles to get to Chicago, a full tank of gas, a half pack of cigarettes, at night, and they're wearing sunglasses. An epic car chase begins as the Blues Brothers head towards Chicago to pay the taxes. Numerous police cars tumble off an embankment, and one ends up in a truck. As they approach the city, all authorities are alerted and "the use of excessive force is approved" in their apprehension. The chase continues in Chicago, reaching speeds of 110 mph on Lower Wacker Drive. Dozens of police cars continue to pile up. Hearing chatter on the police radios, the Nazis spot the Bluesmobile and give chase. The Bluesmobile stops at the edge of a highway overpass under construction, but the Nazis tumble over the edge. Jake and Elwood arrive at Daley Plaza just in time, as their car literally falls apart.The police buildup continues absurdly, with National Guard units, helicopters, and SWAT teams getting involved. Jake and Elwood hastily make their way to the Cook County Assessor's Office, barring doors and sabotaging an elevator on the way. Hundreds of troops are in pursuit. They pay the taxes. The moment the tax receipt is handed to them they are handcuffed, surrounded by countless troops with pointed firearms.The Blues Brothers Band play their next concert in prison, beginning with "Jailhouse Rock".

Tags: comedy, cult, violence, feel-good, psychedelic, action, revenge

Review:
When Joliet Jake Blues (Belushi) is released from prison, his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) is there to pick him up, in-- of all things-- a used police car.
It's a fairly simple plot, told in a straightforward manner by Landis, who creates a visually stimulating and aurally satisfying movie that follows the adventures of the Brothers Blues as they travel around the good state of Illinois, seeking out the members of their former band and formulating their plan to save the orphanage.
It's a total rush of excitement, backed with a blur of real blues, served up by some of the truly legendary performers of our time, like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway (doing his trademark `Minnie the Moocher') and John Lee Hooker.
Without question, this was a great gig for Belushi and Aykroyd, who to millions of people ARE, and will forever be, the `Blues Brothers.'  And forevermore shall they be linked in the memories of anyone who has seen this movie, heard their records or caught their act on SNL.
Dan Aykroyd has gone on to have a successful and varied career in movies, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (for `Driving Miss Daisy' in 1989), while John Belushi, of course, left us quite suddenly and way too soon, just as his career was on the rise.
A thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable movie, filled with memorable scenes and lines you'll be quoting for years to come (Aykroyd, in that `clipped' Elwood Blues delivery, to Tucker McElroy:  `We'll, ah-- we'll talk to Bob--'), `The Blues Brothers' is a great film-- not in the sense of a film that should have walked away with a bagful of Oscars, but great for what it is and for the special place it holds in the history of the cinema.
that's not really surprising.2/ One of the finest car chases in cinematic history (The Italian Job and Smokey and the Bandit 2 are the only others that come close) 3/ John Belushi's own brand of comic genius throughout the movie 4/ Mulitiple memorable scenes and one liners5/ Cameos from Steven Spielberg, Twiggy, Frank Oz, etc.6/ Carrie Fisher as the psycho love interest intent on revenge.Nuff said, watch it and love it 10/10.
John Belushi and Dan Akroyd are Jake and Elwood Blues, two eccentric brothers who are "On A Mission From God".
But along the way, Jake and Elwood get into quite a bit of trouble with the police, the Illinois Nazi party, a girlfriend of one of their band members, and a girl who just seems to keep going after them and wants them dead.With great and endless cameos from great people like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, terrific Chicago landmarks, endless hilarious jokes, The Blues Brothers is the perfect comedy that is one of the best movies of all time.
This is a movie that should be viewed by anyone who loves one or more of the following: Blues, car chases(this held the record in the number of vehicles crashed in a film, until, I believe, it's less impressive sequel), Aykroyd, Belushi, Landis and their work and comedy, all three shine.
THE BLUES BROTHERS is easily the best film collaboration with Dan ("Dry White Toast") Aykroyd, and John ("4 Fried Chickens & A Coke") Belushi.
While it gets too overly far-fetched with the action plot, there is reason to sit back and chow down on the comical hilarity and nonsense thrills that only John Landis can master perfectly into a comedy.This is such a big deal after all because it offers a walloping combination of soul tunes, car chases, special effects, and crazy characters like female assassin Carrie Fisher and Nazi leader Henry Gibson.
Alas, no more of Aretha, Ray, or Cab. We can't have everything.To top it off, the "Making Of" documentary alone, with the back story of the Blues Brothers (the characters and in real life), and the birth and making of the movie, makes the DVD worth getting.
This movie merits classic status because it showcases five giants of American popular music -- Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin.
But between the sketchy schtick and the fantastic musical guests, "The Blues Brothers" is as loaded with entertainment value as a stuffed Chicago pizza is with calories, and both are equally satisfying.The plot, so to speak, centers on "Joliet" Jake (John Belushi) & Elwood Blues' (Dan Aykroyd) attempts to raise $5,000 for back taxes on the orphanage where they were raised.
A star studded line up that can actually act and not just attract celebrity-hunters, incredible chase scenes, witty one-liners that do not border on the verge of malignance and some of the best songs ever written.After watching this film over 30 times, it honestly never fails to disappoint.John Belushi and Dan Akroyd work so well together, and really act as if they are their characters, as opposed to actors paid to be them.
And car chase scenes that would make Minis salivate, and an array of side plots that work so seamlessly with the "Mision from God".The on-screen chemistry between the band is frictionated and therefore completely accurate for anyone who has been in a group, but when the music starts, always a guaranteed classic throughout the film, then the magic of the film really happens.A film that borders genius and then creates a whole new country, and one that may be re-attempted, but never rivalled..
Having watched the Blues Brothers recently I was struck by so many great touches that make the film not only a film of its time, but a film that has great relevance even now.From the very outset, the grimyness of late 70s Industrial Chicago, and it's seedy underbelly become almost a character in their own right.Jake and Elwood Blues live out their lives either in half-way houses, or prison, both have only a small room for their meagre possessions.The fact however that despite being broke and owing all of their friends money, they still have plenty of goodwill bestowed on them by their loyal musical colleagues.The plot is that an old orphanage previously funded by the church, the church now wish to demolish, Jake and Elwood need to find $5000 to prevent the local authority granting easy planning permission to do so.Pulling in more than a few favours from their friends with help from God himself, the Blues Brothers turn in one final grand performance as free men before being hounded down by The Police, The Army, The Military Police, a group of Nazis who believe Hitler is immortal and The Good Ol' Boys as well as Bob, the owner of a bar that plays both Country and Western.The parody of course is that the Army and almost the entire state of Illinois' Police force have been called to capture two guys for breaking some john-q laws whereas a banker loses $1 billion and nary a word from either the police or the media is aimed at him, and certainly time in the cells.Summing up, an unbelievable film, with an almost unheard of quality of supporting cast including most likely the biggest female star of the time in Carrie Fisher who is literally dumped by Jake as well as Soul Music Legends James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles to name a few and leave out many more greats..
stars: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, The Blues Brother Band, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, Kathleen Freeman, Twiggy, Frank Oz and Paul Reubens.Plot: Just out of prison, Jake Blues (Belushi) reunites with his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) and they realise that the church that they grew up in is going to be torn down unless they get 5 thousand dollars.
The plot could have done with some tuning up, but if you think about it, this film is kind of a setup to show the wonderful singing talents of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway and even Belushi and Aykroyd.
and i wasn't a big fan of the Aretha Franklin music number in the diner - at the time of watching i had no idea what Aretha looked like and as i was watching i couldn't help but note that the women singing was doing a bad lip syncing impersonation of Aretha - only to find out - it was Aretha franklin.but for those small pitfalls - the acting and gags couldn't be better - i couldn't imaging anyone else as Jake or Elwood and there are too many good scenes to name but here are a few, in the restaurant scene (one of my favorites where Jake offers to buy the little girl ' how much for the little girl, i want to buy the little girl' classic), when the blues brothers are singing rawhide, the Nazis in the car ' I've always loved you', the end scenes where it seems all of Chicago are after Jake and Elwood and they just stand in the elevator calm as you please.All in all you know its a good movie when you continually remember little bits here and there and they make you laugh - which this movie does.
The "Blues Brothers" is a good comedy and a great musical, featuring James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway as "guest" musicians (i.e., not members of the BB).
Jake Blues (John Belushi) is released from prison and reunites with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd).
They deliver top notch performances as these characters that think their a lot more threatening and suspicious than they actually are.The only thing that disappointed me was how little we learn about either Jake or Elwood throughout the film, I understand that they wanted to leave a bit of mystery to them, but I felt the story would have been far more engaging had we known more about the brothers as people prior to heading on this journey.
The Blues Brothers is a great movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a great comedy or musical.Two brothers, Jake and Elwood Blues, must bring their old band back together in order to save the orphanage they grew up in from shutting down.Best Performance: John Belushi.
Jake Blues (John Belushi) is picked up by his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) as he's released from prison.
The music is just wonderful, with performances from the likes of John Lee Hooker (who all-too-briefly appears) to Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles alongside the likes of Brown, Cab Calloway and of course, the Blues Brothers themselves who perform with po-faced gusto and glee.
Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi lead us from one ridiculous situation to another as they proceed on their mission from God. James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and the Blues Brothers Band fill your ears with some of the greatest rhythm and blues hits of the 50's and 60's, complete with choreography and dance that is sure to please.
At first glance, the blend of music and comedy may throw many off, but if you're willing to go back to a time when movies were movies, The Blues Brothers is quite a throwback.The film's greatest accomplishment stems from its unlimited energy and desire to have fun.
The late John Candy plays one of the cops chasing Jake & Elwood, and Twiggy appears as a customer at a gas station that Elwood hits on.Memorable moments include Jake and Elwood being attacked by the nun, Jake seeing "the light", the car chase in the mall and the Nazi car chase among the other various car chases, Carrie Fisher's various attempts to kill Jake & Elwood, the Jailhouse rock ending, the restaruant scene, and the "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" number.Did I mention that buddies John and Dan are hilarious as the deadpan brothers?
I liked the improbable car chases and I especially loved the musical numbers sung by nearly everyone in the film.John Landis, known for his excellent Animal House, directs a tale about the Blues Brothers.
They found out that the place will close if they cannot raise five thousand dollars, so the bros decide to bring back the band together while being chased by cops, Nazis, and country singers.This film is led by the impeccable charms and chemistry of Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi.
And on the way the mystery woman (Carrie Fisher) tries to kill Jake countless times and they also get slowed down in there mission by Det Burton Mercer (John Candy) who's constantly after the Blues Brothers.This film is a must buy DVD and it will make your sides spilt in that much laughter while your dancing around the hose to some great blues soundtracks.But don't worry "There on a mission from God!".
Before entering Aretha Franklin's diner, Jake and Elwood are just taking in the scene, and I gotta believe that John and Dan (the alter egos) were really enjoying themselves at that moment.As a musical comedy, I don't think anything came close during that time.
While some critics were not happy with what they considered gratuitous exploitation of R&B giants like James Brown and Ray Charles, I for one am happy that someone like John Landis captured something as "cool" as Cab Calloway performing "Minnie the Moocher" with the very accomplished Blues Brothers band.If you can't have fun with this movie, you just ain't much fun..
The 1980 film directed by John Landis starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi tells the tale of a set of brothers on a mission from God to raise money for and save the Catholic home in which they were raised.
John Landis' spin-off from the Blues Brothers Band sketches of SNL starts with Jake (the wonderful John Belushi) coming out of prison to be met by brother Elwood (energetic Dan Aykroyd) in the new Bluesmobile - a high powered ex-cop car with special features, allowing it to leap across bridges and such.
Thing is, the members of their band are all doing other things like working in burger bars, as maitre d', and so on, and need to be persuaded.The best thing about this movie is the music, and this isn't just provided by the boys and their band, but by a number of guest appearances such as those of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, and best of all, the great Cab Calloway.
Other than the delightful cameos from music legends such as Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway and James Brown, the Pinto scene with the fall from the sky and the spectacular car chase(ludicrous I know but spectacular too) with the massed forces of the law and order, a country and western band and a bunch of neo-Nazis, what makes The Blues Brothers is the music, it is absolutely brilliant, and the numbers it features in are particularly rousing.
So this month, the "Secret Cinema" was...THE BLUES BROTHERSThis John Belushi/Dan Ackroyd (directed by John Landis) joint from 1980 has grown in stature since it's debut 37 years ago and watching it with fresh eyes on the big screen (and 37 years older than my 19 year old self) has certainly given me a different appreciation of this film.Rather than this being an "above average" comedy, with some pretty good car chases and crashes, this film holds up as an homage to the great Blues talents of the past.
But, for me, the highlight was seeing John Lee Hooker as a street musician and the great Cab Calloway doing "Minnie the Moocher" (hi- dee, hi-dee, hi-dee, hi), I am glad these performances have been captured for posterity.And...of course...the Blue Brothers Band is a "who's who" of Blues musicians of the time - "Blue Lou" Marini, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Matt "Guitar" Murphy were welcome sites and Ackroyd and Belushi more than held their own on the musical side of things - especially during my favorite musical number - the "Theme from Rawhide" number at the country bar.It's a good thing the music is good for the plot of this film is flimsy (at best) really just put together to get from musical number to musical number, populated with some fun cameos:  John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Artie Gibson (as a Nazi!), Kathleen Freeman, Frank Oz and even Steven Spielberg all get in on the fun, trying hard to keep up with Ackroyd and Belushi in their prime.Complementing this is some of the "funnest" auto chases and crashes in movie cinema history.
Big time.After musician Jake Blues (Belushi) is released from prison, and he and his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) visit one of the nuns (Kathleen Freeman) who raised them.
Jake Blues (John Belushi), just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) were raised.Somehow, this film never got watched by me until now (2015).
The duo's main trait is the music, and Landis knew this well, so the film is filled not only with the brothers' interpretations of R&B classics, but also the ones by real R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway among others.As expected, the performances by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are of an excellent quality.
While the Blues brothers are certainly the focus of the story, the vast array of guest stars that appear through the film deliver terrific performances when singing (Ray Charles, James Brown), acting (John Candy, Carrie Fisher) or both (Cab Calloway).
The Blues Brothers is the perfect movie for anyone who loves slapstick comedy, blues music, cars crashing and the combination of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
They get their band together, play a lot of tunes with lots of old Soul & Blues legends making cameos (e.g. Aretha Franklin & James Brown) and we all get to join in.Along the way there's police car chases, Nazis, rednecks and a scorned ex-fiancée.It's genuinely funny without being like something from a TV show, it's a genuine fun movie.