The Blues Brothers (1980)
Country: US
Technical: col 133m
Director: John Landis
Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher and numerous guest stars
Synopsis:
Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues attempt to collect $5,000 for the tax assessment on their former orphanage, to save it from closure. Against all the odds they reunite the Band, pack out a huge venue and evade capture by the authorities - for long enough.
Review:
This hugely self-indulgent comedy musical is really little more than a loosely strung together series of revue-like sketches and numbers based around the old 'putting on a show' idea. As such it stands or falls on its star charisma (fair to middling) and the quality of its showbiz. Fortunately the guest stars include such legends as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown and Aretha Franklin, all of whom provide renewable pleasure, backed by the signature sound of the Blues Band assembled for the film. It is no doubt the increasingly excessive nature of the running gags and vehicle stunts that most irritated critics at the time (the film reportedly cost more than $20 million, rather a lot for a comedy), along with the self-regarding, sophomoric humour and swipes at Country and Western types, Nazis and SWAT movies, but those have dated reasonably well given the excesses of later years. Taken in the right spirit this is harmless end-of-term fun put on by professionals, with only the wholesale destruction leaving a sour taste.
Country: US
Technical: col 133m
Director: John Landis
Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher and numerous guest stars
Synopsis:
Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues attempt to collect $5,000 for the tax assessment on their former orphanage, to save it from closure. Against all the odds they reunite the Band, pack out a huge venue and evade capture by the authorities - for long enough.
Review:
This hugely self-indulgent comedy musical is really little more than a loosely strung together series of revue-like sketches and numbers based around the old 'putting on a show' idea. As such it stands or falls on its star charisma (fair to middling) and the quality of its showbiz. Fortunately the guest stars include such legends as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown and Aretha Franklin, all of whom provide renewable pleasure, backed by the signature sound of the Blues Band assembled for the film. It is no doubt the increasingly excessive nature of the running gags and vehicle stunts that most irritated critics at the time (the film reportedly cost more than $20 million, rather a lot for a comedy), along with the self-regarding, sophomoric humour and swipes at Country and Western types, Nazis and SWAT movies, but those have dated reasonably well given the excesses of later years. Taken in the right spirit this is harmless end-of-term fun put on by professionals, with only the wholesale destruction leaving a sour taste.
Country: US
Technical: col 133m
Director: John Landis
Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher and numerous guest stars
Synopsis:
Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues attempt to collect $5,000 for the tax assessment on their former orphanage, to save it from closure. Against all the odds they reunite the Band, pack out a huge venue and evade capture by the authorities - for long enough.
Review:
This hugely self-indulgent comedy musical is really little more than a loosely strung together series of revue-like sketches and numbers based around the old 'putting on a show' idea. As such it stands or falls on its star charisma (fair to middling) and the quality of its showbiz. Fortunately the guest stars include such legends as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown and Aretha Franklin, all of whom provide renewable pleasure, backed by the signature sound of the Blues Band assembled for the film. It is no doubt the increasingly excessive nature of the running gags and vehicle stunts that most irritated critics at the time (the film reportedly cost more than $20 million, rather a lot for a comedy), along with the self-regarding, sophomoric humour and swipes at Country and Western types, Nazis and SWAT movies, but those have dated reasonably well given the excesses of later years. Taken in the right spirit this is harmless end-of-term fun put on by professionals, with only the wholesale destruction leaving a sour taste.