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The Blues Brothers
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The Blues Brothers (1980)

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User Rating: 7.9/10 (49,581 votes)
Photos (see all 56 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3 videos )

Overview

Director:
John Landis
Writers:
Dan Aykroyd (written by) &
John Landis (written by)
Release Date:
20 June 1980 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Action | Comedy | Music | Musical more
Tagline:
They'll never get caught. They're on a mission from God. more
Plot:
Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
"In Sickness And In Health" (From The AV Club. 26 June 2008, 9:43 PM, PDT)
"In Sickness And In Health" (From The AV Club. 26 June 2008, 9:43 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Nitro and Glycerin more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Runtime:
133 min | USA:148 min (extended version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 6% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The exteriors and many interiors at Daley Center were shot on location, including the shot of the Bluesmobile plowing through the courthouse lobby. In a 1998 interview for Universal, John Landis credited mob help for getting permission from the Cook County Board of Commissioners for this (alluding to the Board being mob-controlled at that time). more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: During one of the verses in "Sweet Home Chicago," Elwood's backing vocals are heard, even though he is on the stage catwalk dancing. more
Quotes:
Elwood: This is definitely Lower Wacker Drive! If my estimations are correct, we should be very close to the Honorable Richard J. Daley Plaza!
Jake: That's where they got that Picasso.
Elwood: Yep.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Making of 'Blues Brothers 2000' (1998) (V) more
Soundtrack:
SOOTHE ME more

FAQ

What is the music playing in this scene?
Is it true that Jake and Elwood are not related?
Was a prequel planned?
more
93 out of 98 people found the following comment useful:-
Nitro and Glycerin, 15 August 2000
10/10
Author: Stan (mcstack@ix.netcom.com) from San Jose, California

A musical comedy action fantasy should not work, especially when one considers that it is the first SNL skit-to-screen adventure (which, history has shown us, is a decidedly mixed bag). But this one does. Two of the best car chases in cinematic history bookend the film, and in between there are show-stopping musical numbers, raw humor, Illinois Nazis, and a seriously disgruntled ex-fiancee. And it all makes perfect sense in the context of the universe created by Aykroyd (who co-wrote), Landis (who directed), and Belushi (his barely contained zeal provides the battery pack for this film).

Jake (Belushi) and Elwood (Aykroyd) are the former front men of a broken down blues band (actually a stunning collection of blues talent) which disbanded after Jake was arrested several years before. Upon his release, he discovers that his boyhood orphanage home is about to be foreclosed upon for non-payment of property taxes. Beaten up by a nun, sung to by James Brown, and touched by God, Jake sees the light and seeks to put the band together for one last show -- a charity benefit to save the orphanage.

Their journey takes them from James Brown to Aretha Franklin to Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker to Cab Calloway. The movie showcases the overwhelming talent of singers, musicians, and genres long out of vogue with popular musical tastes. Indeed, this movie is a vehicle for giving these performers a chance to shine -- to bring their music back to the masses and ultimately into pop-culture immortality (to go along with their more prestigious musical immortality).

This film is guaranteed to make you tap your feet, laugh out loud, gasp as both a mall and and entire fleet of Chicago police cars are destroyed, and believe in the magical powers of an old cop car. Like I said, it's a musical comedy action fantasy.

And it works.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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completely overrated DrTobiasFunke
Cut scene? beerdini
So what's the joke with the toasted dry white bread? Karl Self
Soul Man temcd10
Things I Learned from Watching The Blues Brothers kamakazi_5033
Why military? saemikneu
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