SHAKE IT BABY! (The Blues Brothers (DVD))

Member Name: Boonoiy

Product:	The Blues Brothers (DVD)
Date:	04/10/01 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Car Crashes a-go-go!, Universal appeal.

Disadvantages: None

With a great cast, brilliant music, car chases to end all and a rediculously funny plot, The Blues Brothers is a classic film already.

The Plot:
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Jake has just got out of jail, his brother, Elwood pickes him up and they decide to get back into the swing of things again. The 1st stop is the orphanage they grew up in, they find out that it's in trouble and get themselves in on the act of helping the Sister Mary Stigmata (the Penguin) out.

The orphanage is in trouble with the tax assesment people, they need $5000 in a few days or they will have to close! Jake and Elwood Blues (hence the name, clever eh?) don't want to see this so go about getting their band back together!

This is a great part of the film, they go to all the places where the band members work, live and play to convince them to get back together and raise enough to save the orphanage. You WILL laugh yourself silly at this part of the film, I won't spoil it but watch out for the scenes in the French Restaurant with Mr Fabulous - mind blowingly funny.

Once they're back together they need a gig, they do a couple on the road (again Hugely funny) and get to the big gig set up by their booking agent at the Palace Hotel Ballroom on Lake Wazupomani, the songs played here are the classic Blues Brothers songs that you'll all of heard, first Cab Calloway (Curtis in the film) sings Minnie The Moocher (lots of mute trumpet) then the Blues Bros. manage to get through the police and Nazis who're after them to get on stage and the crowd goes mad for Everybody Needs Somebody To Love and Sweet Home Chicago.

Will thgey get the tax money? Will they outrun the police? Will they survive the journey with ex-lovers and Nazis trying to kill them? All will be revealed when you watch this great film.

You can't summarise the Blues Bros. without mentioning the car chase scenes. Elwood is a notorious traffic ,menace and
is persued by the law at each and every turn. He has just about the entire force chasing him by the end of the film.

Music:
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The Blues Bros. is essentially a comedy, there's a lot of people who claim it's a musical but essentially, no, coimedy wins out here. The music plays a major part in this film though and is incredible throughout.

We get a lot of famous people in the film from the world of Blues and Rhythm and Blues, appearences by John Lee Hooker (sings Boom Boom Boom Boom - an all time classic), James Brown (plays a minister singing Gospel music), Aretha Franklin (plays then part of Matt "Guitar" Murphy's wife, sings Think trying to get him to stay) and Ray Charles (plays a pawn shop owner, sings Shake It Baby to prove the quality of the instruments he's tryiong to sell to the band).

Many famous songs have come out of the Blues Brothers filkm, all have become household names (in the right kind of households) and Dan Ackroyd and the mob have made a great show out of the film's characters with the band playing guest appearances all over the world. Musically brilliant from all artists involved!

Characters:
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Centred around Jake and Elwood Blues, the orphans who grew up to form the Band of Chicago.

Playing in the band you have :

Tom "Bones" Malone - Trombone.
"Blue" Lou Mariani - Saxophone.
Steve "The Colonel" Cropper - Rhythm Guitar.
Matt "Guitar" Murphy - Lead Guitar.
"Mr Fabulous" - Trumpet.
Donald "Duck" Dunn - Bass Guitar.
Willie "Too Big" Horn - Drums.

All fantastic musicians, a great band.

Troopers Daniel and Mount - Policemen set on getting Elwood.

The Nazis - Also intent on getting the Bluse Bros, went crazy after they were forced off a bridge while marching by Elwood's car.

The Penguin - A wier
d character, the head of the orphanage and mentor to the two boys in their younger days.

Curtis - The local help, took the boys under his wing and passed his knowledge of the blues and music in general on to them both.

Overall:
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I think it's obvious how much I love this film, it's a rollercoaster ride of thrills and spills, lots of laughs and a lot of great music. Acting is superb and the choreography, lighting and whole buildup of the film is absoulutely brilliant throughout. There are a lot more characters than I can really mention here, they all fall into either helpers or hinderers to the Blues Brothers' quest and all, either major players or bit parts, are great in the film.

I'd really reccomend this, I think for a film from the 80s it's great, it's not too OTT, not too understated. Just right AND big laughs all the way through.

Rent it, buy it. GET THIS FILM SEEN.

Trust me :-)

Summary: