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Amongst the
many music legends that have come and gone
there are two that stand out in my mind,
Jake and Elwood Blues… also known
as “The Blues Brothers.” These
two brothers could take to the stage and
unleash a torrent of soulful Rhythm and
Blues like no other performers before…
or since. 25 years ago, Universal released
a motion picture starring these two musical
legends and is now, in the wake of its 25th
Anniversary, preparing to deliver a brand
new DVD into Blues Brother’s fans
hot little hands.
This new DVD doesn’t just have one
version of the movie… oh no. It includes
the original Theatrical Version (2 Hours
13 minutes) AND the Extended Version (2
Hours 28 Minutes). That’s right, you
actually have a choice of which version
you want to see right on the same disc.
Of course, true fans will want to check
out the Extended Version to get those additional
15 minutes of Blues Brothers goodness.
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Now, I realize the Blues Brothers aren’t
real, at least in terms of who they are. They
were in reality, “Saturday Night Live”
alums Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi. They
started these characters with a few performances
on “SNL”, but were able to turn out
some truly exceptional Blues performances. They
became so popular that this movie got made (one
of the only GREAT films based on “SNL”
characters) and left behind a cult following that
would almost rival Elvis. (Okay, that is a bit
of an overstatement, but not entirely off the
mark.)
After Belushi passed away, Aykroyd tried to keep
the band alive by moving forward and opening a
string of ‘House of Blues’ clubs,
and featured a couple of performances by himself
and Belushi’s brother Jim. There was also
a sequel shot many years later that just wasn’t
able to recapture the magic. This original film
is the real deal, and the one opportunity for
you to see the great Blues Brothers in action.
The plot of the film, in case you might not have
seen it, is secondary to the musical performances.
It starts out with Elwood (Aykroyd) picking up
Jake (Belushi) as he is being released from Joliet
Prison. Once reunited, the two travel to reminisce
with their teacher, Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen
Freeman) at the orphanage they grew up in. She
tells them. She tells them the sad news that the
orphanage will be closed down if they can’t
come up with their five thousand dollar tax debt.
Being the soul brothers that they are, they set
off in search of their band members so they can
play some gigs and raise the money. The rest of
the film is a madcap chase of biblical proportions
(which is appropriate being that they are on…
“a mission from God…”). This
includes the biggest police chase seen on film
and a homicidal ex-girlfriend played to extremes
by Carrie Fisher.
As I mentioned, this new DVD offers up two versions
of the film, both of which look okay as far as
the video. The colors are still a bit washed out,
but I’m not sure how much better it could
have been made to look. The sound however, on
the extended version, is terrific… especially
during the musical numbers. This is one you’ll
want to turn up.
Where this disc really delivers is in the amount
of extra features. First there is an hour long
documentary that fills viewers in on the whole
Blues Brothers experience, start finish. Where
the concept came from and how it was turned into
the phenomenon it became is all covered here.
You’re also given the option to shoot right
to the musical numbers in the film if you so desire.
You’ll also find a video of one of the performances
by the Blues Brothers (with Jim Belushi) that
was taped at a House of Blues. There is also a
short ‘documentary’ of the Blues Brothers
characters and production notes on the film. One
of the best extra features comes in the form of
a remembrance of John Belushi, which focuses more
on his life offstage as opposed to his onscreen
persona.
“The Blues Brothers” is not a movie
for everyone, though it certainly should be. I
mentioned the plot was secondary, which is absolutely
true. The film boasts appearances by the likes
of James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha
Franklin, and John Lee Hooker. The musical numbers
are outstanding, so much so that I recommend buying
the soundtrack to go along with the DVD. This
is music you can take on the road!
Directed by: John Landis
Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown,
Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Carrie Fisher, Aretha
Franklin, Henry Gibson and The Blues Brothers
Band
Extras: Stories behind the making of The Blues
Brothers: Go behind the scenes with John Landis,
Dan Aykroyd, and the Blues Brothers band; Exclusive
in-depth interviews with the cast and crew and
never-before seen footage, Introduction to the
film by Dan Aykroyd, Going Rounds: A Day on the
Blues Brothers tour, Transposing the music, Remembering
John, Musical Highlights, Production Notes
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound (Extended Version), Dolby Digital
2.0 (Theatrical Version)
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 8/30/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website
Website
We'll give The Blues Brothers: 25th Anniversary
Edition an A.
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