A Favourite Thing: Still Got the Blues For You (The Blues Brothers (DVD))

Member Name: IainWear

Product:	The Blues Brothers (DVD)
Date:	09/08/02 (276 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun, Great soundtrack, A simple idea

Disadvantages: The acting's not great, It looks a little dated now, Blues Brothers 2000

I don't watch too many films. Something has to really appeal before I can persuade myself to sit in a darkened room with a bunch of strangers and go for 2 hours without a cigarette. Those of you who know me best, however, will know that when I do watch a film, something that makes me laugh will always appeal. And, being a Music kind of guy, a decent soundtrack will also grab my attention. Oh, and a little action. After all, if you're going to be stuck for 2 hours without a smoke, you need something to keep your mind off things, don't you?

"The Blues Brothers" has all this and more. From the opening theme, to the rather overdone, and much the better for it ending, this is a journey through Rhythm and Blues with a lot of silly things along the way. Hardly surprising, given that it started as a sketch on a "Saturday Night Live" show that has also produced such amusing films as "Wayne's World" and "Coneheads" over the years!

It's not easy to know how to categorise this film. The DVD cover has it down as a musical comedy, and IMDb has it down as an action comedy musical. It's effectively a road trip with some of the best music this side of "The Commitments". Whatever you call it, this is a good time film. A bit of a no-brainer, for sure, but a singalong, laughalong no-brainer! If no-brainers are always going to feel this good, I?ll never think again!

The plot is simplicity itself. Jake Blues has been in prison for the last few years, and is collected by his brother Elwood Blues (hence the title, you see!). They go to see the Mother Superior at the convent they were raised in, and discover that the orphanage they grew up in is about to close down, as the nuns can't pay their taxes. The Mother Superior refuses to accept any money raised by criminal means, so the Blues brothers have no alternative but to find the rest of the band they used to play in, and
put on a gig to raise the money.

It's that simple, and really doesn't sound all that impressive when you put it that way.

It's the way everything is done that makes this film work so well! If you're picking your brother up from a prison, you wouldn't do it in a police car, would you? Elwood does! You wouldn't expect to find your trumpet player working as a maitre d' in a French restaurant, and you wouldn't employ eating habits thirty years your junior to get him back. You wouldn't pretend to be another band to get your first gig, and then play the same two songs all night. You wouldn't pretend to be a gas station attendant to get money. You wouldn't wreck shopping malls and every police car in the state of Illinois. You wouldn't be dogged every step of the way by an ex-girlfriend with more weaponry then the Army. Who, incidentally, also make an appearance. You wouldn't be chased by the police, the Illinois Nazi Party and a Country and Western band, all at the same time. And you wouldn't be on a mission from God!

It's that kind of film. It sounds a little more impressive now, doesn't it? Start simple, and then go wild with the idea!

What really helps it along is the script. Although this was Dan Ackroyd's first attempt at writing a film, he had clearly already honed the talent that was to serve him well writing the "Ghostbusters" films in later years. Combined with John Landis, who had previously directed "Animal House", the two came up with some great ideas and some lines that have had people, particularly me, quoting them for the last twenty years.

"It's 110 miles to Chicago. We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses." "Hit it!" The line has been quoted so often, and mis-quoted just as often, and this is just by me! You don
't get lines like that every day, and it's a unique way to start what turns out to be one of the biggest car chases ever committed to film.

"This is glue. Strong stuff." You know exactly what's going to happen, especially as Elwood has just sprayed it onto the accelerator of a camper van. Predictable, possibly. Fun to watch, definitely!

"This is Car 55. We're in a truck!" A classic piece of understatement, and sums up the situation perfectly. It's not an image that can really be put into words!

"Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers HAS been approved". Unnecessary violence is exactly what you get. I could spoil the moment by saying too much here, as it leads to one of the most ridiculous situations in any film, not just this one. Suffice it to say that there are two brothers, and a lot more of "them". It's the deadpan delivery of this line that makes it, as much as anything else.

The performances are enthusiastic, if sometimes lacking in real acting talent. The majority of the major players are musicians rather than actors, which ensures that the soundtrack is a great piece of work, but doesn't assist the acting a great deal. Those actors that are actors are mostly in the early stages of their careers, and may not have developed into the stars they later became. It is interesting to note that pretty much all of the actors in this film went on to much greater things, with the notable exception of John Belushi, who sadly only went on until the end of his life, shortly afterwards.

It is John Belushi who puts in the greatest performance here. Never short on enthusiasm, he throws himself into the role with a great amount of enjoyment, very much the more physical of the two brothers, and leaving Dan Ackroyd with no choice but to play the straight man. You know it's not him somersaulting his way down the aisle
of the church, but you don't really care all that much. He falls down stairs, he grovels in the mud, he gets buried in the rubble of a hostel, and he belts out "Everybody Needs Somebody". He's great fun to watch, and he's having plenty of fun himself.

Perhaps the other most notable performance comes from Carrie Fisher. Although she's playing it fairly straight for a comedy, she's been given a character about as far as you can get from Princess Leia, the role that has only recently (at the time, anyway) made her famous, and is taking the opportunity to express herself. Carrying around an impressive array of weaponry, including a sub-machine gun and a rocket launcher, she gets to play a bitter and twisted character, and manages to do so very well.

Dan Ackroyd plays it very low key. He clearly can't sing, or dance, and doesn't try to do either very well, but I suspect that's largely the point. John Candy is dumbed down, but again, clearly enjoying himself. Even Henry Gibson, who exudes just about enough menace to be a Nazi Leader seems to be a little too happy to be in the role. For the remainder of the cast, it's a case of pulling out names from Rhythm and Blues over the years. John Lee Hooker sits in a street, plays his guitar and sings. Aretha Franklin plays a strong woman, who sings. Ray Charles shoots better than any other blind man I've seen, and a fair bit better than most people with eyes, plays the keyboard and sings. Cab Calloway gets a few more lines, but is mostly there to sing "Minnie the Moocher". James Brown preaches and sings. Twiggy and Steven Spielberg don't do a great deal, but it's interesting to see them there.

You might have noticed a common link in that last paragraph. The word "sings" appeared quite a few times. This is essentially a musical, and the cast has been drafted in to make sure it's an accomplished musical. The
greats of Rhythm and Blues are there, and the songs are often in better context than many of the events. Forget the fact that this film contains the biggest car wreck in history, it's all about the music. There are huge numbers of "Blues Brothers" doing the rounds even twenty years after the film, and it's the music that has them doing so.

From the opener "She Caught the Katey", to the closing "Jailhouse Rock", there isn't a poor track in the film. There's rock 'n' roll, country, blues and soul, all in the same place. "Minnie the Moocher" has the best call and response section found anywhere, "Think" is a lungful of soul in true Aretha Franklin style, James Brown combines soul and gospel as the preacher and "Sweet Home Chicago" has the opening guitar hook that you can recognise anywhere. John Lee Hooker's "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" is classic Blues, and Ray Charles' "Shake a Tail Feather" is something you can't help but dance along to. The Country classic "Stand by Your Man" is given a "Blues Brothers" touch, (eg, sung slightly out of tune!) and you can't help but to copy the brothers' hand movements every time you hear the song, even years afterwards. The Blues Brothers' main number "Everybody Needs Somebody" has the crowd at the gig singing along, and has had the same effect on crowds everywhere for years since. And deservedly so! If this was an album, you'd love it, when it's allied to a film this good, it should be locked up for its' own safety.

When you have something this good, mere words can never do it justice. It's a rollercoaster ride of fun that goes up, and forgets to come back down again. From such a simple concept, something this good shouldn't be possible but, thankfully, it is.

Possibly, the only dark spot on the horizon was the follow-up.
Sadly, when you've made a classic film, the temptation is always there to make another. They did, and it's tarnished the memory of how good this film is. Ignore that, and watch the original and best.

There are better films out there, certainly when it comes to the story and the acting on display. There are funnier lines, and films with more spectacular crashes and effects. There may even be better soundtracks around ("The Commitments" and "The Rocky Horror Show" come to mind). But with "The Blues Brothers", the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts, and there is no better fun to be had than this! It's not a film you should watch alone. You should have friends around and make a night of it.

If you've seen this film, you probably already love it as much as I do. If you haven't, you really need to see it. It's available as a single film on video from Amazon at £5.99, or with both this and the follow-up "Blues Brothers 2000" at £7.19, or as a double DVD for £12.99. For such a little outlay, you get so much fun. It hardly seems fair!


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