The Blues Brothers

Director: John Landis John Landis

Overview

"Universal brings the off-the-wall comedy The Blues Brothers to DVD in a collector's edition with an expanded version of the film, a decent 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and plenty of background material. Aside from the 15 minutes of extra footage, the highlight of the disc is The Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers, an hour- long documentary featuring every participant from the film, conveniently accessible through a menu of 14 chapters. Star and co-writer Dan Aykroyd explains how a joke that he and best friend John Belushi shared with friends evolved from a Saturday Night Live skit to a best-selling album and then to a film. Director John Landis covers the difficult production, from the outrageous stunts to Belushi's disappearances from the set. Along with interviews with the bandmates and a stellar group of cameo musicians (Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway), there is old footage of Belushi discussing the film. A generous set of production photos and the theatrical trailer round out a satisfying package of features for this comedy favorite."

Product Details

Release Date:	09/09/1998
UPC:	0025192029929
Original Release:	1980
Rating:	R
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:28:00

Special Features

Includes footage not seen since the original 1980 Picwood preview; "The Making of The Blues Brothers," featuring interviews with director John Landis, Dan Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers Band, producer Robert K. Weiss Never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage; Theatrical trailer; Production photographs

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John Belushi	"Joliet" Jake Blues
Dan Aykroyd	Elwood Blues
James Brown	Reverend Cleophus James,Actor
Cab Calloway	Curtis
Carrie Fisher	Mystery Woman,Daughter #2
Ray Charles	Ray
Aretha Franklin	Mrs. Murphy
Henry Gibson	Nazi Leader
John Candy	Burton Mercer
Murphy Dunne	Murph
Steve Cropper	Steve `The Colonel' Cropper
Donald 'Duck' Dunn	Himself
Willie Hall	Willie `Too Big' Hall
Tom Malone	`Bones' Malone
Lou Marini	`Blue' Lou Marini
Matt Murphy	Matt `Guitar' Murphy
Frank Oz	Corrections Officer
Kathleen Freeman	Sister Mary Stigmata
Armand Cerani	Trooper Daniel
Steven Williams	Trooper Mount
Charles Napier	Tucker McElroy
Steve Lawrence	Maury Slime
Twiggy	Chic Lady
Steven Spielberg	Cook County Clerk
Elmer Bernstein	Composer
Alan Rubin	Actor
Ralph Foody	Actor
Leonard R. Garner Jr.	Actor
Wally Engelhardt	Actor
Sean Hayden	Orphan
Eddy Donno	SWAT Team Commander
Willie "Too Big" Hall	Himself
John Lee Hooker	Street Slim
Stephen Bishop	Charming Trooper
Armand Cerami	Trooper Daniel
John Landis	Trooper La Fong
Shotgun Britton	The Cheese Whiz,The Cheese Whiz
Tom Erhart	Prison Guard
John Ring	Fire Commissioner
Walter Levine	Prison Guard
Alonzo Atkins	Choirmaster
Norman Matlock	Police Commissioner
Chaka Khan	Choir Soloist
Joe Cirillo	Police Captain
Gary McLarty	Toys 'R Us Customer
Paul Reubens	Waiter
Ben Piazza	Father
Toni Fleming	Mrs. Tarantino
Rosie Shuster	Cocktail Waitress
Elizabeth Hoy	Daughter #3
Dean Hill	Nazi
Gary Houston	Nazi
Jeff Morris	Bob
Walter Horton	Tampa Pete
De'voreaux White	Young Guitar Thief
Stan Mazin	Drunk Dancer
Blair Burrows	Good Ole Boy
Jack Callahan	Good Ole Boy
Andrew Goodman	Lobby Guard #2
Joe Walsh	Prisoner
Jack Orend	Nazi
Pee-Wee Herman	Actor
Judy Jacklin	Actor
Ira Newborn	Composer

Technical Credits

John Landis

Dan Aykroyd

John Landis	Director,Screenwriter
Dan Aykroyd	Screenwriter
Bernie Brillstein	Executive Producer
Robert K. Weiss	Producer
Syd Dutton	Special Effects
Robert Glass	Sound Effects
Robert Knudson	Sound Effects
Don MacDougall	Sound Effects
William B. Kaplan	Sound Effects
John Ashby	Stunts
Bob Terhune	Stunts
Layne Britton	Stunts
Eddy Donno	Stunts
Steve M. Boyum	Stunts
Bud Ekins	Stunts
Albert J. Whitlock	Special Effects
Karen Werner	Stunts
Walter Wyatt	Stunts
Greg Brickman	Stunts
Gary Epper	Stunts,Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	Stunts
Terry J. Leonard	Stunts
Alan Oliney	Stunts
Jadie David	Stunts
Brad Orrison	Stunts
Walt LaRue	Stunts
Arthur Brewer	Special Effects
Ray Bickel	Stunts
Dean Jagger	Stunts
Tanya Russell	Stunts
James Halty	Stunts
Janet Brady	Stunts
Clay Boss	Stunts
Michael Chinich	Casting
Chuck Hayward	Stunts
Tom Steele	Stunts
Bobby Bass	Stunts
Victor Paul	Stunts
J.N. Roberts	Stunts
Wally Rose	Stunts
Sharon Schaffer	Stunts
Freddie Hice	Stunts
Charles Picerni Sr.	Stunts
Kitty O'Neil	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

On "a mission from God," brothers Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) tear up Chicago in inimitable style. The flimsy plot, in which the brothers try to raise money to save their childhood orphanage by reuniting their old band, is a good excuse for a series of comic vignettes and lovingly realized musical scenes. The film is an unapologetic homage to rhythm-and-blues in all its popular derivatives, from Cab Calloway to James Brown to Aretha Franklin, all of whom appear, along with other musicians, in the film. Having Carrie Fisher play Jake's homicidal ex-girlfriend was one of the film's many brilliant uses of cameos. This overlong (135-minute) John Landis-directed comedy's dead spots are forgotten in the euphoria of the coolest, funniest car chase scene ever shot. The Blues Brothers became an enduring favorite and a television evergreen because its protagonists live out the wishes of legions of white soul-music aficionados, and rarely have Saturday Night Live alumni so successfully transformed a TV routine into a feature-length film, despite many attempts. Belushi and Aykroyd are at the top of their deadpan game. The 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000 sorely missed Belushi and the original's fresh energy.