MOVIE REACTION The Blues Brothers (1980) PATRON PICK First Time Watching Reactoin/Review

[@russellward4624]

The blues brothers wasnt actually a saturday night live sketch.

[@catch-uppackets2664]

Well...that certainly makes us look foolish doesn't it

[@michelletaylor4916]

It was a music act. Same thing. Movie was made in 1980. The genesis of the Blues Brothers was a January 17, 1976, Saturday Night Live sketch.

[@EdwardTemple]

@@catch-uppackets2664 Actually, half of the band were part of the Saturday Night Live Band. The SNL musical director Paul Shaffer was a member and musical director of the Blues Brothers band, but he was not in the movie because of another commitment. Magic Murph took his place. Belushi & Aykroyd did in fact do at least one SNL sketch singing and playing harmonica, but not as the Blues Brothers. They eventually became frequent musical guests on SNL. The Blues Brothers did have a couple of albums out before the filming of this movie.

[@lazerx1828]

Yes, that was John Belushi singing at the concert.

[@johnpaullogan1365]

well i mean they were certainly on SNL but they predated their appearances there

[@libertyresearch-iu4fy]

5:04 Frank Oz (the voice of Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, and Yoda) 8:46 Cab Calloway (musician) 21:08 John Lee Hooker (musician) 21:20 Yes, that was actually Aretha Franklin 30:57 Steve Lawrence (singer and actor) 46:43 Steven Spielberg Everyone in the band is a famous musician. Check out Booker T and the MGs.

[@mikeoxstiff]

RIP to Steve Lawrence, who died today 😢

[@Hobbes1025]

@13:33 Stephen Bishop.., who was "Charming Guy (with guitar)" in ANIMAL HOUSE.

[@HauntyMoto]

Guys this is a comedy, not a documentary.

[@andrewcharles459]

Frank Oz was the prison storekeeper who returned Jake's belongings to him.

[@EdwardTemple]

Frank Oz was also the officer who threw the book at Aykroyd's character in Trading Places.

[@BrianSmith-kv3px]

Ever seen what this stuff does to kids?! Yer lookin' at 3-5 mandatory, Louissss.

[@robovike]

"It's an opera."

[@susannariera]

Yes, is Dan Aykroyd singing (he even has a cameo in the We are the World's MJ video). And not, the Blues Brothers first appearance wasn't at SNL, but as an opening act for a Steve Martin show. When Martin hosted SNL, ask them to perform...and the legend began!

[@Michael75579]

"The use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers has been approved"

[@zvimur]

"Merry Christmas, you filthy animal". Not cursing, quoting the actor's other big role. HA & HA2, fake gangster movies.

[@russellward4624]

"How is she not hitting them?" Theyre on a mission from god.

[@munchausen8755]

Maybe a couple of Star Wars references - she can't hit anything and she calls Jake a slug.

[@vincegamer]

This came out the same year as Empire

[@richardptison7735]

That really was Belushi doing his own back flips in the church aisle.

[@johnnyhancock76]

No he didn’t. It was a stuntman in a fat suit. You can see obvious cuts to hide it.

[@tommiller4895]

It was Magician and Stuntman Jonathan Pendragon who did the backflips.

[@richardptison7735]

@@johnnyhancock76 There are "obvious cuts" throughout the whole movie. Belushi could do back flips and I saw in an interview (years and years ago) that he did back flips in the movie - maybe not in this scene (is there a Director's Cut that confirms it was a stuntman?).

[@josephkrengel]

Belushi did the cartwheel at the end of the sequence as he gets back to Elwood. The backflips down the aisle are a stuntman.

[@cirrustate8674]

They weren't backflips. They were back handsprings. There IS a difference.

[@Dej24601]

“The genesis of the Blues Brothers was a January 17, 1976, Saturday Night Live sketch. In it, "Howard Shore and his All-Bee Band" play the Slim Harpo song "I'm a King Bee", with Belushi singing and Aykroyd playing harmonica, dressed in the bee costumes they wore for "The Killer Bees" sketches. In 1978, guitarist Arlen Roth was performing on SNL with Art Garfunkel, who was that week's host of the show. Before the actual live show, Belushi and Aykroyd asked Roth and others to join them onstage in the outfits that would later become the Blues Brothers' look. Roth taught Belushi the lyrics to "Rocket 88" so they could perform it that night. This was also discussed on Aykroyd's "Elwood's Bluesmobile" radio show, when Roth was interviewed about his Slide Guitar Summit album, and the song "Rocket 88".

[@Selki933]

The great Cab Caloway and all the old time jazz and blues guys. The things you think were scary and dangerous was just life. It wasn’t scary to us.

[@badguy5554]

Cab Caloway became FAMOUS doing that "Minnie the Moocher" routine in the 1930's!

[@cirrustate8674]

The mall that they drove through was a real mall, but not one in operation. It had closed down not long prior to the filming of that chase sequence, and it was scheduled for demolition, so it was actually fairly easy to get permission to film that sequence.

[@pauljefferies6585]

Wow I’ve never seen anyone take the events in that movie so seriously!

[@barrycohen311]

They both work for Snopes.

[@hawkmaster381]

The music in this movie was a serious project and one of the best blues albums you can buy. John Belushi was the lead in most of the live recordings.

[@andrewcharles459]

Carrie Fisher is in this movie because this a movie we don't expect to see Carrie Fisher in!

[@wham-shirt-trimmer]

Plus Dan Aykroyd and her were engaged.

[@EdwardTemple]

Aretha Franklin had issues with lip syncing. Director John Landis wrote in The Hollywood Reporter: "The only complaint Aretha made was that there were too many takes and she had issues with lip-syncing. Like many great artists, she never sang a song the same way twice, so there were issues getting her to match her lips."

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

I saw an interview with a bass player once, and he said the first thing she told him when she hired him (I'm paraphrasing from memory here) was, "Don't follow me. Follow the beat. I'm going to be wherever I need to be."

[@jeffthompson9622]

Twiggy(the world famous model propositioned by Elwood) might not have thought that $95.00 was very much money.

[@heathermclaren9901]

I think the mall they destroyed had recently closed and was fully vacant at the time of fliming; it was somewhere out in the suburbs. As someone who lives in Chicago and works downtown, this movie is a wild watch. The stunts they pulled off all over downtown, the sheer amount that went into them...like they crashed something like 20 cop cars directly under supports for the L train! They did stunt driving through Daley Plaza (right next to the priceless Picasso sculpture)! Also, final note, Chicago PD was reportedly so upset by their portrayal in this film that use of the 'Chicago Police' name and official insignia was banned from use by filmmakers until the early 2000's.

[@jeffh1266]

I grew up a few miles from that mall... I think it was called Dixie Mall. Bought more than a few vinyl albums there. And I do believe John Belushi did that whole flipping down the aisle in the church. He was quite the physical comic

[@bmoak]

The Blues Brothers weren't technically an SNL skit. Belushi and Ackroyd were big blues fans and would sometimes come out and warm up the audience pre-show with the SNL House Band and they developed the character of Jake and Elwood out of that.

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

This is the only movie that I saw on a weekly basis for nearly a year!!! And of course I have the extended version of this one!! Glad you guys got a kick out of it.

[@kartaan]

At the drive-in during the summer? Me too!

[@hawkmaster381]

Yes, it was both of them singing.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

It's so fun to watch someone watch this movie and have to virtue signal as loud as they can that they don't like Nazis.

[@jeffthompson9622]

Henry Gibson(the nazi leader) was a cast member of the popular "Laugh In" TV show.

[@flyingardilla143]

21:10 That guy is John Lee Hooker.

[@Thaum1el]

Legend!

[@pattern2481]

If no one has said it yet... Frank Oz was the cop at the beginning who was giving Jake his belongings back when he got out of jail. Good on you recognizing Paul Reubens as the waiter.

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

Landis and Spielberg had a tight relationship (he's the office clerk toward the end helping Jake and Elwood process the payment) until the infamous Twilight Zone accident in which Vic Morrow and 2 kids (who were working illegally) were killed by a helicopter in a segment Landis was doing in 1982. Landis and a few crew members were tried and acquitted of manslaughter, but Spielberg (Who didn't know what Landis was doing) ended their friendship.

[@johnpaullogan1365]

although i believe his cameo was a trade with aykroyd appearing in indiana jones

[@scottgraham6910]

The mall is Dixie Square Mall which was just closed down before filming this. They only just tore the remains of it down a few years ago. As a kid when driving down I-55 going into Chicago you could see all the wrecked police cars that they just put off to the side and under some of the entrance and exit ramps.

[@aklein7864]

You guys missed the mark on their selfishness and "passionate indifference to the world around" them. They're orphans who have been poor all their life. You have to take what you can from this life, since life certainly has been taking from them. So, you steal what you can get away with, run from the cops, and do what you gotta do to survive. It's a street code of honor, like not calling the cops on someone who is on parole. What are you guys, squares? But their love of music is what elevates their souls. They are petty criminals, but they respect their elders. The listened to the Penguin's rules about not giving stolen money to the orphanage. The listened to their father figure Curtis about getting wise and getting to church. The scene where Elwood delivers the can of Cheez Whiz to the old man is very telling of his character. And when he covers his brother with the blanket and sleeps in a chair. They are lovable misfits and victims of circumstance. They are polite and well-spoken to everyone they meet. When fortune favors them with money, they pay their debts. They're bullshitters, but they're loyal. They're good boys, but they make a lot of racket at night.

[@tommiller4895]

The blonde in the car with a British Accent was World Famous Fashion Model Twiggy.

[@jackromero7324]

Yeah, that was actually doing the flips down the aisle. Crazy

[@andrewmccormack4295]

The girl at the gas station was "TWIGGY", a famous British model.

[@zvimur]

😊"Ghost Riders in the Sky" was in "Blues Brothers 2000".

[@williamjones6031]

1.This was Dan Aykroyd's baby that started out as a SNL skit. He eventually got with Landis (thus Chicago) and it was built on that. There were already songs made for the Blues Brothers from SNL They also put out one album. 2. All-star cast.🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑 3. Booking officer is Frank Oz. Voiced Yoda, Miss Piggy and other Muppets. 4. ".....We have a full tank of gas, a half pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses"🤣🤣 5. A MUCH better Musical (even better than Grease IMVHO). It's "Hair" 1979. John Savage, Treat Williams and Beverly D'Angelo. Milos Foreman Directed. "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest' and "Hair"😎😎 6. They smash so many cars that "Smokey and the Bandit" was practice. WE'RE ON A MISSION FROM GOD😇😇

[@Dej24601]

The mall was the Dixie Square Mall on a south suburb of Chicago. It had been abandoned so was available for rent and has been demolished only in recent years. There is info online about it and its use in the movie.

[@ronalddobis6782]

The mall was the former Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL. It had been closed for awhile because a new more modern Lincoln Mall opened about seven miles south. Nowadays Lincoln Mall is closed and abandoned.

[@hawkmaster381]

They stole the giant speaker horn from the top of a light pole at a ball field.

[@josephkrengel]

Don't think anyone has mentioned it, but Joe Walsh from the Eagles is the first inmate who gets up and dances on the table at the prison concert. Just another cameo.

[@randyparker2134]

The Curl Up and Dye Hair Salon actually exists in Chicago. There's another one named Great Head.

[@tommiller4895]

Sadly, Steve Lawrence died today. The Agent in the steam room.

[@ellet6560]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIW6eWR8mdCdpdk The Blues Brothers debut. I was watching SNL live and thought, at first, it was a joke but they were great! I have their album, Briefcase Full of Blues!

[@bluebear1985]

About that billboard for the movie mentioned, "See You Next Wednesday ", the movie itself doesn't actually exist. It's just a little Easter egg that John Landis has put in a lot of the movies he's directed over the years. It later pops up again in "Trading Places".

[@kartaan]

So many cameos that were obvious to us when it came out.

[@rittherugger160]

In the church doing backflips, that WAS Belushi. After the bazooka attack, of course they're OKay. They are on a mission from God. That's the best plot armor you can have. Of course Carrie Fisher keeps missing them. She learned to shoot from Storm Troopers.... Again, plot armor. I don't actually remember any Blues Brothers "sketches". They were more like 'musical appearances". After Belushi's death he was replaced by John Goodman whenever they went on tour. At the theatre the audiences would be dancing in the aisles.

[@badguy5554]

Frank Oz was the "check out" cop at the prison: The "One profylactic...One SOILED!" Guy. And the song: "Ghost Riders in the Sky" was in the next Blues Brother's movie.

[@Toffi1510]

10:35 it is him :)

[@flarrfan]

RIP Steve Lawrence, famous mid-20th century singer that no reactors yet have recognized...

[@badguy5554]

Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were a VERY popular singing duo in the 1950's.

[@4444kermit]

There is no problem with "Sound Sync" at 23 minutes. Aretha was never able to lip sync even to her own songs. It drove the director nuts. While frustrated he just shot and did his best at editing. The fun part is knowing that every time Aretha sang the same song over the years, it was original and slightly different.

[@Dej24601]

Did you notice that the guy who accepted the $5000 check at the end was Steven Spielberg?

[@flarrfan]

I see you finally got the cartoon theme! An even better live-action cartoon of a movie was the first big hit for the Coen bros, which you should see if you haven't...called Raising Arizona with Nic Cage.

[@Hobbes1025]

Carrie Fisher hosted the episode of SNL that the Blues Brothers debuted on. And, not sure if was during the movie, or before, but she and Dan Aykroyd were dating.

[@ruth2141]

I believe this was the most expensive comedy film at the time. They started shooting without a budget and by the time the budget was finalized I think they had already gone over it. Part of the overage was from Belushi's increasing drug habit (which killed him a couple years later). But despite some racism in the film distribution (it was felt that white suburban audiences would not be interested in watching classic black musicians and would not want blacks coming into the suburbs to watch the movie) the US gross was more than enough to cover the expenses, and it made more abroad and eventually became a cult classic.

[@VerMaarte]

I'm getting old; I recognize all the great artists here....

[@dennisswainston411]

The blonde at the gas station in the famous model "Twiggy" from the '60's...

[@bmoak]

The mall they smashed up was one that had just closed down.

[@Dej24601]

Frank Oz was the guy at the beginning who gave Jake his personal possessions.

[@flyingardilla143]

I still use the 'We're on a mission from god' line.

[@RealDrunkenMaster]

Are you from Minneapolis? I loved the Triple Rock. Great punk club. Check out the NOFX song, "Seeing double at the Triple Rock"

[@catch-uppackets2664]

We are! Very aware of that video of course :)

[@fredcasdensworld]

Calling The Blues Brother's a sketch.... my dudes.... it was a musical act that Dan Aykroyd developed an entire lore and mythos for, I believed the story goes that when writing the movie he had a saddle back contacting a script that was the size of a phone book with all of his notes and details

[@sharkdentures3247]

Just so you "youngins" understand. Gas Stations USED to have what was called a "Full Service" option. Which meant it had employees that would fill your gas tank, wash your windshields, check your oil levels, etc. for you. She assumed Elwood was an employee at the gas station. (which is why she asked him) I think this was the first (or near first) movie soundtrack I ever got. And yeah, you guys (aside from constantly talking over the jokes) are WAY "over-thinking" it! Just enjoy the ride & the music.

[@catch-uppackets2664]

We’re 35, we aren’t that young. The people complaining we watched this movie wrong are all just very old

[@sharkdentures3247]

@@catch-uppackets2664 35?!? My God! You two are ZYGOTES!!! LOL

[@bigbow62]

You guys are big into films but you missed the guy who took the 5K from the Blues Brothers ? Check the credits at the end of the movie again and Frank Oz was the cop in jail when Jake was getting his back his belongings... Thank you for the video and good luck with the channel 🙂👍

[@dennisswainston411]

The Tax Man at the end is Stephen Spielburg...

[@belvagurr403]

The Blues singer was John Lee Hooker

[@vincegamer]

Dont know "ghost herd" Did he mean Ghost Riders in the Sky? There was a cover of that in the movie Blues Brothers 2000

[@kevinray5755]

the mall was going to be torn down anyway lol

[@Hobbes1025]

GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY is in BLUES BROTHERS 2000.

[@yournamehere6002]

At the time, this was the most expensive movie ever made--it cost 30 million dollars. It was only matched by 1941, which also co starred Belushi and Akyroyd and came out a year apart.

[@rg3388]

Hut hut, hut, hut hut . . . .

[@talifishman618]

Just randomly stumbled upon your channel, you got my sub :) Greetings from Tel Aviv!

[@larryk731]

Nobody ever gets hurt in this film - they are on a mission from god. This is the best plotless live action comic book film ever made. Another (plot killing irony) is that church owned properties don't pay property tax.

[@Tconl]

If you want to see some true spectacle watch the movie Ben Hur (though you should have already seen it ofc), one of the true classics. And after watching look up some imdb trivia (about the arena/extras and such).

[@artboymoy]

This is a phenomenal movie. But I'm probably biased growing up around Chicago at the time. Love the insanity of it. Sean seemed to be trying to read into it a bit much. And again, maybe talking and looking at each other and missing some things. I would recommend Speilberg's 1941 for something like this where you have a number of things going on that don't quite make sense and really is just meant to be enjoyed.

[@Dej24601]

Yes! That is the one and only Aretha Franklin.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

Carrie Fisher with a machine gun is something special.

[@belvagurr403]

Restaurant owner was Aretha Franklin

[@RealDrunkenMaster]

The mall was going to be renovated and the cop cars were obsolete and being replaced so were cheap. So a lot of things lined up for production.

[@johnpaullogan1365]

yeah chicago pd was replacing their entire fleet so sold the old ones cheap. they didn't realize they were going to be portrayed as incompetent buffoons so it was decades before they let another movie explicitly reference chicago pd

[@Dej24601]

Yes, the Nazi scenes were definitely based on the Skokie case.

[@Browncoat66]

“It strains credibility Sir!” Love the Simpson Comic book guy reference! 👍

[@belvagurr403]

Bill Murray was the man in Toys R Us

[@bigbow62]

This is a 70s movie, and you watched it w/2024 P.C eyes 👀 It's a comedy, just relax and enjoy the film. A reaction is fine just don't over analyze it again with the 2024 mind set. Ghost (Heard) is.... Ghost Riders in the Sky from.... Blues Brothers 2000 movie and although its not as good as this movie its worth watching. I believe Carrie Fisher was Dan Aykroyd's girlfriend when they filmed this movie.... so maybe 😉

[@barrycohen311]

They need a Safe Space from this film!!!!

[@larryk731]

The irony is the light was yellow 😊

[@texaspatriot4215]

"We're on a mission from God", if you understand that then you will get the movie.

[@Dej24601]

That was Dan Ackroyd singing ( altho lip syncing.)

[@elvwood]

How can you impugn the morals of the Blues Brothers? They're on a mission from God! 😜 Seriously though, yeah, they are not good guys - but they are the heroes, so you cheer them in the same way you cheer violent vigilantes in superhero movies. The "world rules" are different. Love this movie, bought a couple of their albums and enjoy the music. It used to be my favourite movie musical, but there are some I like more now.

[@ruth2141]

You seemed determined not to like the movie for most of it. I think you were expecting a comedy, and a more recent style of comedy. This is actually a tribute to R&B music and to the city of Chicago, and the comedy is the Landis-style 80's kind. It probably didn't help that you didn't recognize most of the musicians and cameos.

[@catch-uppackets2664]

But we did like it? We talked in the post discussion about how it’s an older style of comedy than we were used to. And we did recognize Carrie Fisher, James Brown, Paul Reubens and Ray Charles. And partial credit for Aretha Franklin

[@ruth2141]

@@catch-uppackets2664 Sorry, I know you came around in the end. It just seemed like you were looking for things to be critical of for the first part of the movie.

[@michaelthompson8755]

I thought the same thing. Very poor reaction to a great movie.

[@ddfelix4829]

Thanks for sharing your reaction to the film. I find an intriguing that you guys have to distance yourself from the Nazis. It’s a movie. Nazis are evil. In the story. Anyone who would try to associate you with the Nazis from just watching this film, then they must be idiots. It bugs me how people can’t see black and white in terms of black and white. They have to try to muddy everything and make things gray. Nazis are villains, we all understand that. Then again, I’m older, nor do I have an online presence where people can attack me. But I think you guys should just enjoy the humor and forget the the comments of the morons of the world. 21:10 John Lee Hooker. He’s playing, arguably his most famous song “boom boom.“ And again, as they drive up to Bob’s country bunker, it’s John Lee Hooker singing boom, boom. You guys are so young. I forget that. “Is that Aretha Franklin?” “I don’t know.” This movie is full of legends. I can’t wait till you guys get to the song “Minnie the Moocher.” You have no idea who Cab Calloway is. Cab was Usher, 80 years before Usher. I was 13 years old in this movie came out. I didn’t know who any of these people were either. I had to learn over the years who Frank Oz, Chaka Khan, Joe Walsh, Donald “duck” Dunn, Steven Spielberg, and all the others are. Best wishes in your journey of discovery in music and art. Keep sharing.

[@catch-uppackets2664]

We’re 35, not that young :)

[@andrewcharles459]

Gruppenfuhrer! 🤣

[@Grynslvr2]

Guys, please look up the definitions of "reactor" and then "critic." I for one want to see your honest reactions to the various movies, NOT hear you critique them. Also, you really should learn to loosen up and enjoy comedy by binge watching the EARLY Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Road Runner cartoons. Certainly nothing made after the mid 1960's as all of those went rapidly down hill after about 1965. Why, you ask? If you do that, you may come to recognize that The Blues Brothers was basically a live action cartoon. Everything in it is an extremely cartoon like take on reality.

[@doug3691]

Not so much thought provoking, as a ride to be experienced. Though historically speaking, much has been disregarded if some group felt sure that they were on a "mission from God." Then to that simple through line add an SNL take, and stretch it into a movie.

[@astrochickenfeet1693]

these two muppets take all the joy out of this movie

[@texaspatriot4215]

Wow...i dont think you guys got this movie at all, maybe watch it again without talking, then you might get it.

[@BrianSmith-kv3px]

Nah, they couldn't have killed any of those kids in the store. They're on a mission from God.

[@yournamehere6002]

You have the typical modern audience not understanding the concept of the anti-hero where they're thumbing their noses at societal norms. You're imposing real world consequences and chaffing at their antisocial behavior, as played for comedy. We enjoyed the fact that they were not shackled by the constraints of polite society. As a society, it's not evolving to be offended by their behavior. It's imposing a sensitivity that misses the catharsis of watching n'er do wells do what they do, within the confines of comedy, which is supposed to be, by design....irreverent.

[@michaelwhite6740]

Damn you guys made watching a comedy movie a miserable experience, nice work