"Joliet" Jake Blues is released from jail. His brother, Elwood, picks him up in a former police car. They go to the orphanage they grew up in, since Jake promised the orphanage "Mother Superior" (nicknamed "The Penguin"). There they find out that the orphanage is in need of money, for taxes. Jake and Elwood are sent off to earn it, but in a legal manner. From the start they are under continuous attention of the police. But Elwood does not mind; they wreck a complete shopping mall (Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois) in a police chase. They arrive at Elwood's apartment, which is located directly next to an elevated railway. After a night's sleep the apartment is blown up by a mystery woman, right at the moment of a police raid.
The brothers have to find their former band members. They find "Bones" Malone and some others playing Latin music in a nightclub, as "Murph and the Magic Tones". Mr. Fabulous is maitre d' at a chic restaurant "Chez Paul". They convince him to join by ordering expensive bottles of champagne, and by acting like pigs, offending the other guests. They find Matt 'Guitar' Murphy and Blue Lou working in a diner. The place is run by Matt's wife, and she does not want them to join the band. Aretha Franklin, playing Matt's wife makes this clear in the song "Think!", but they go anyway. The next stop is Ray's Music Exchange, run by Ray Charles. Ray nearly shoots a boy who wants to steal a guitar (considering Ray is blind, that's amazing!). They sign an IOU for the equipment.
On the way to find the other members, they spoil a march of the Neo Nazi "American Socialist White People Party". The marching members are forced to jump off a bridge into a pond to save themselves. When the brothers try to call their booking agent, the payphone is torched by the mystery woman. Fortunately they survive, and find a couple of dollars change. The Neo Nazis in the meantime find out Elwood's address (which is faked: 1060 West Addison in Chicago is Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs).
The Blues Brothers end up in a Country & Western club, "Bob's Country Bunker". They steal the gig of the "Good Ole Boys". When Elwood asks "What kinds of music do you usually play here?", the answer is: "Why we have both kinds-Country "and" Western!". They are protected from beer bottles by wire as they try their first song, but the audience go crazy. So they decide to do "Rawhide", and "Stand By Your Man", along with some other songs. At the end of the performance they owe the owner $100 (the beertab). They run from him and from the real Good Ole Boys. On the run, the Good Ole Boys' camper is wrecked by a police car in pursuit.
They blackmail Maury (their agent) into booking the "Palace Hotel Ballroom" with 5,000 seats. All kids in the neighborhood help in selling the tickets. Elwood and Jake end up in a gas-station that is out of gas, and the gig starts without them. Cab Calloway sings the opening song "Minnie the Moocher". Both the police and the Good Ole Boys find out where the gig is. When the brothers finally arrive, they sabotage the Good Ole Boys' car. They do two songs, "Sweet Home, Chicago", and "Come On". They are offered a record contract, and are paid $10,000 in advance.
They flee through a tunnel, being shot at by the mystery woman. She turns out to be Jake's ex-bride, whom he stood up at their wedding. Jake begs for their lives, and even takes off his sunglasses! They seem to fall in love all over again, but Jake leaves her behind.
In a crazy car chase the Good Ole Boys end up in a lake, hundreds of police cars are wrecked and the Neo Nazis cannot brake on an unfinished bridge. The Brothers succeed in getting to the tax office, pursued by police, special units, choppers and the army. They are arrested right after paying the taxes. Back in jail, the band plays their final song, "Jailhouse Rock".
Despite the name, this sequel (second story following on from the first) came out in 1998.
A twenty-fifth anniversary edition DVD came out on August 30, 2005.
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the eastern province Guelders (Gelderland). Arnhem has 159,265 citizens (as of 1 January 2019), the agglomeration 722,181 (Arnhem-Nijmegen conurbation). It is in the top-15 of largest cities in the Netherlands.
The history of Arnhem goes back to the Middle Ages. Arnhem got city-rights in 1233 from the Count of Zutphen. The exact text is still kept in the "Duivelshuis" (Devil's house) which is now part of Arnhem's City Hall.
In 1850 Arnhem had 9,000 citizens. The city became popular with rich people from the western part of the Netherlands.
During the World War II Arnhem was severely damaged. The Battle of Arnhem in 1944 is the sad story of UK and Polish paratroopers who fought to get control of the Rhine-bridge. According to the plan of Field Marshal Montgomery, Arnhem was the last in a series of bridges which would be taken by paratroopers. At the same time a ground-army would advance from the Belgium-Dutch border across all these bridges. This operation was called Operation Market Garden. Market for the Airborne-element and Garden to represent the Ground-forces. Arnhem would be the responsibility of the British paratroopers, and would be the last bridge to be crossed by the ground forces. General John Frost succeeded in taking the Arnhem bridge from the Germans. Due to several reasons Frost had to retreat, and the bridge was again in German control. The movie A Bridge Too Far is about this battle. After the Battle of Arnhem the Germans forced Arnhem's citizens to evacuate the city. This was because they were afraid another battle would have to be fought. When Arnhem's citizens came back, they found their city destroyed.
After the war Arnhem was rebuilt, including the Eusebiuskerk (Eusebius Church). The bridge crossing the Rhine is now called John Frost Bridge after the famous UK general, since 1978.
KNIL
KNIL is the abbreviation for a Dutch army. This army was in what is now called Indonesia. The official name is "Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger" ("Royal Dutch-East Indies Army")
Indonesia was a Dutch colony from 1800 to 1949. It was then called "Nederlandsch Indië" (Dutch East Indies). The KNIL taskforce was sent there to maintain order.
When Indonesia declared itself independent in 1945 the Dutch fought a war to keep the colony. This war was won by the Indonesians. The Dutch government accepted Indonesia's independence in 1949, and the KNIL ceased to exist.
Bronbeek
Bronbeek is a former Royal palace in Arnhem, the Netherlands. It is now a museum and a home for elderly soldiers.
Bronbeek was built early 19th century. In 1845 the Dutch King William III bought Bronbeek. He donated it to the Dutch state in 1859. William wanted it to be a home for disabled KNIL soldiers. The inhabitants took their collections of 'souvenirs' with them. This turned into a museum about the Dutch East Indies.
In 2004 50 former soldiers have their home in Bronbeek.
David Bowie
David Robert Jones OAL (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally by his stage name David Bowie, was an English rock musician and actor.
Bowie was born in 40 Stansfield Road, Brixton, London.He grew up in Bromley, Kent. He played the saxophone. He was a singer in London blues bands. He used the alias "David Bowie" because "David Jones" sounded too much like Davy Jones (of The Monkees). He took the name "Bowie" from Jim Bowie, who invented the Bowie knife.
Bowie became known to the public with the 1969 song "Space Oddity". This single was released when man first landed on the moon. The song's title is based on the movie "" by Stanley Kubrick. In 1970, Bowie won an Ivor Novello Award for "Space Oddity".
Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" was released in 1972. It is one of his best-known albums. As a result of his performance, Bowie became a leader of glam rock.