Jake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, out... Read allJake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.Jake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination
Videos2
Gerald Walling
- Prison Guardas Prison Guard
- (as Gerald Walling S.J.)
Donald Dunn
- Donald 'Duck' Dunnas Donald 'Duck' Dunn
- (as Donald 'Duck' Dunn)
Southern California Community Choir
- Choiras Choir
- (as James Cleveland's Southern California Community Choir)
Steven Williams
- Trooper Mountas Trooper Mount
- (as Steve Williams)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPermission to film in downtown Chicago was given after John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd offered to donate $50,000 to charity after filming.
- GoofsWhen the Good Old Boys arrive at Bob's Country Bunker, it is clearly after closing time. No explanation is given as to why they are so late, and they would realize that the bar is now closed and would not expect to play their set.
- Crazy creditsWhen in Hollywood, Visit Universal Studios (Ask for Babs) [see also National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)]
- Alternate versionsThe Collectors' Edition on DVD runs 18 minutes longer than the original release and includes the following expanded or newly added scenes:
- The two Joilet guards come to get Jake in his cell and have trouble waking him up.
- One additional line from Frank Oz as he rattles off Jake's material possessions.
- An additional line for the Penguin regarding missions: "I'll be sent to the missions... Africa, Latin America... Korea."
- Jake and Elwood discuss getting the money for the mission honestly outside of the Triple Rock Baptist Church.
- The "The Old Landmark" number is considerably longer, incorporating more dance sequences and extra verses.
- After the demolition derby in the shopping mall Elwood parks the Bluesmobile in a hiding place beside an electrical power box. (John Landis explains that Aykroyd thought this would show how the car gets its incredible endurance, but also goes on to explain that it never did make any sense, so the scene was cut.)
- A few extra lines of dialog when Elwood and Jake rest in his apartment.
- When the cops come to arrest Jake and Elwood in the motel, they first stop at the registration desk and intimidate the manager. They also greet Sam, who seems to be known by everyone.
- An entire sequence with Elwood boosting chemicals from his day job, then quitting the job to become a priest, is restored.
- After the above sequence, Jake and Elwood study a cigarette box with "the last known address of Bones Malone and Blue Lou Marini".
- After getting the new address of Bones Malone, Elwoods thanks Ms Tarantino before leaving.
- Jake has an extra line of dialog while pep-talking Murph and the Magictones at the Holiday Inn ("Now, who here at this table can honestly say that they played any finer or felt any better than they did when they played with the Blues Brothers?")
- One line of dialog for Henry Gibson is restored for the Illinois Nazis scene at the bridge, with regards to the swastika ("The sacred and ancient symbol of your race since the beginning of time!")
- The "Boom Boom" number is much longer, with extra shots of John Lee Hooker laughing and arguing with his band. Jake and Elwood watch for a moment then enter the Soul Food Cafe.
- "Think" has extra verses and shots of dancing.
- When the band arrives at Bob's Country Bunker, Bob hands the request list to Bones Malone, who looks at it blankly.
- The "Theme from Rawhide" and "Stand By Your Man" numbers are slightly longer.
- The original Picwood preview included another musical number, "Sink the Bismark", but that footage has been lost.
- More lines of dialog for Maury Sline in the steam room scene, mostly regarding to the old gigs having been turned into (gay) discos.
- When Jake fills up the tank for the Bluesmobile, he overfills it and gas spills over. When they peel out from the station, Elwood flicks a cigarette out of the window and causes the station to explode. (Landis now says he doesn't remember why this particular scene was cut.)
- Before the sound-check Curtis (Cab Calloway) explains to the band that they need to do it for the kids, since the Blues Brothers will use the money raised from that concert to pay the taxes for a church. The look on the faces of the band after they hear it is priceless!
- The "Minnie the Moocher" number is considerably extended.
- As Jake and Elwood sneak into the show, Elwood takes the chemicals that he stole from the show and sneaks them into the tires of the cop cars.
- Both the "Everybody Needs Someone to Love" and "Sweet Home Chicago" numbers are extended.
- When Jake and Elwood sneak out, the gas in the cop cars tires reacts and causes the tires to explode on some to delay the police.
- An alternate line of dialog for Carrie Fisher in the sewer when she confronts Jake, about how her father "used up her last favors" with the Mafia for her wedding. In the original release it was changed due to complaints of the Italian-American community.
- The lengthy climactic chase to (and through) Chicago features many extra lines and shots of racing autos.
- The "assault on Daley plaza" and the Assessor's Office scenes also feature extra lines and shots.
- The "Jailhouse Rock" number is slightly longer.
- As the prisoners riot at the end of the film, there is a brief shot of riot-geared police guards racing into the mess hall that has been added. It changes the end of the film subtly.
- The "cast of characters" and end credits are extended to accommodate the new footage.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Stories Behind the Making of 'the Blues Brothers' (1998)
- SoundtracksShake Your Moneymaker
Written by Elmore James (uncredited)
Performed by Elmore James
Courtesy of Trip Records
Top review
Wild "musical comedy" offers long-lasting fun and excitement.
What an impressive following this large movie is recently having! It would've been just another cult classic to begin with! THE BLUES BROTHERS is easily the best film collaboration with Dan ("Dry White Toast") Aykroyd, and John ("4 Fried Chickens & A Coke") Belushi. While it gets too overly far-fetched with the action plot, there is reason to sit back and chow down on the comical hilarity and nonsense thrills that only John Landis can master perfectly into a comedy.
This is such a big deal after all because it offers a walloping combination of soul tunes, car chases, special effects, and crazy characters like female assassin Carrie Fisher and Nazi leader Henry Gibson. Put everything else together and you have one of the wildest experiences ever. If you want to know why it's so wild, the supporting cast of dancers, prison inmates, and law enforcers really shows that the movie itself is very hard at work! The music was supposed to be the main attraction in the first place, with real-life singers James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Cab Calloway. They add to the theme of this "bluesy" movie with their own style of performing familiar tunes. The real stars are Aykroyd and Belushi who can be both funny and talented on and off the stage. Probably the duo's all-time best performance is the singing numbers. But after the singing, we await the sudden amazement of car crashes and smashes that make up the excitement, with the largest impact ever since the 1974 cult classic GONE IN 60 SECONDS. It certainly has "Made In Chicago" stamped all over this picture! There are tons of entertaining moments that never go blind. Just sit back and watch it all go boom!
Aykroyd and Belushi would have fared well in GHOSTBUSTERS had there been more movies produced, but this remains to be THE comedy classic for the wild SNL pair. DVD owners must not miss this one as it makes a valuable addition to your library. It's not really the masterpiece of a genius, but it is a good-natured effort in using different film genres in one complete package. Definitely recommended for Landis lovers out there.
This is such a big deal after all because it offers a walloping combination of soul tunes, car chases, special effects, and crazy characters like female assassin Carrie Fisher and Nazi leader Henry Gibson. Put everything else together and you have one of the wildest experiences ever. If you want to know why it's so wild, the supporting cast of dancers, prison inmates, and law enforcers really shows that the movie itself is very hard at work! The music was supposed to be the main attraction in the first place, with real-life singers James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Cab Calloway. They add to the theme of this "bluesy" movie with their own style of performing familiar tunes. The real stars are Aykroyd and Belushi who can be both funny and talented on and off the stage. Probably the duo's all-time best performance is the singing numbers. But after the singing, we await the sudden amazement of car crashes and smashes that make up the excitement, with the largest impact ever since the 1974 cult classic GONE IN 60 SECONDS. It certainly has "Made In Chicago" stamped all over this picture! There are tons of entertaining moments that never go blind. Just sit back and watch it all go boom!
Aykroyd and Belushi would have fared well in GHOSTBUSTERS had there been more movies produced, but this remains to be THE comedy classic for the wild SNL pair. DVD owners must not miss this one as it makes a valuable addition to your library. It's not really the masterpiece of a genius, but it is a good-natured effort in using different film genres in one complete package. Definitely recommended for Landis lovers out there.
helpful•4220
- emm
- May 14, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- The Return of the Blues Brothers
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $27,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $57,229,890
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,858,152
- Jun 22, 1980
- Gross worldwide
- $115,229,890
- Runtime2 hours 13 minutes
- Color
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