Shake Your Tail Feathers (The Blues Brothers (DVD))

Member Name: Topdog

Product:	The Blues Brothers (DVD)
Date:	18/01/02 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Casting, Comedy, Longevity

Disadvantages: None

With what has to be the most diverse and colorful cast in modern film, The Blues Brothers takes us from the loneliness of Joliet prison to the streets (and through the malls) of Calumet County, Illinois.

This film showcases the genius of rhythm and blues giants such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown, John Lee Hooker and more. With musical numbers like "Think," "Shake Your Tail-Feathers," "Minnie The Moocher" and others, it looks like a first-class musical comedy.

Music is the keystone to the Blues Brothers' mission. In order to save the church were they were raised (and where corporal punishment was born,) they must raise $5,000.00 honestly. The nun in command will not accept any "dirty" money, so their "mission from God" is made all the more difficult. Freshly released from prison, Jake (Belushi) is joined by his cohort, Elwood (Aykroyd) and begin to re-establish their band. The boys go to the soul-food restaurant to collect Matt "Guitar" Murphy and their sax player (the location of Aretha's song and dance,) and to recruit their former keyboardist, they visit a very chi-chi French eatery where he is the maitre-de. Jake tries to make himself as annoying as possible in order to get him to accept their offer, so to the family next to him, he say "How much for the little girl? Your women...how much for the women?" When he can't stand it any longer, he too rejoins the band.

And who can forget the Illinois Nazi party? In a scene that only a sympathizer could dislike, the Brothers run the entire Illinois Nazi party off of a bridge during their demonstration. "I hate Illinois Nazis."

Jake, at their first gig - "What kind of music you have here?" Hostess - "We've got both kinds, Country AND Western!"

How about the car chase? Which one, you ask? Why, the epic, 15-minute chase which tears
through a mall, a toy store, the interstate, about 45 police cars, and ends at the assessor's office where the Brothers pay the church's tax liability. Perhaps it's not realistic, but it sure is entertaining.

Throughout it all - gathering the band, preparing for the concert, posting flyers, playing the concert and their flee from the police - a jilted Carrie Fisher stalks and repeatedly fails to kill Jake. With weapons as severe as a missile launcher, you'd think she would succeed.

There are no weak points to this movie. It flows quickly, the action is always fresh and remains a classic of modern film. Every time I flip the channels and see it, I have to watch the rest of it. When you hear the theme from "Peter Gunn" you simply have no choice.

Summary: