The Blues Brothers

One of my favorite musicals, and favorite films in general, is the 1980 film the Blues Brothers. I would say that the film is more of a conventional film than a musical, but the musical stylings of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and of course Ray Charles make this film much more than just a standard Landis film. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi make the film hilarious from start to finish, which clearly draws on the experience that the actors had on Saturday Night Live. The main plot is for the brothers to accumulate enough money to keep their childhood orphanage from closing, but the film creates many subplots along the way to set the stage for a terrific ending. Carrie Fischer, John Candy, and Henry Gibson all play ridiculous roles that almost stop the brothers dead in their tracks, but somehow the brothers always manage to get away in their '72 Dodge Monaco ex-police car. The brothers plan on getting the money they need by getting their old band back together, and as they hunt down their bandmates, they meet Brown, Franklin, and Charles, who all happen to be acquaintances of the brothers. The music throughout is awesome. It's catchy and full of elaborate dances that truly capture an audience's attention. The film ends with a hilariously ridiculous car chase, and the brothers finally landing in jail for the many injustices they committed throughout the film. I'd suggest that anyone who hasn't seen this film to check it out, as there are far more antics in the film than the ones included in this little preview. The film is truly a classic, and was the last major film John Belushi made before his death shortly after the film was released.