Its iconography besmirched by stage productions, a needless sequel and umpteen themed stag nights, The Blues Brothers endures in spite of its obnoxious lead characters. Made in 1980, the Dan Aykroyd-John Belushi vehicle is a strikingly shot series of largely successful set-pieces (James Brown’s sermon, director John Landis’ proto-‘Thriller’ dancing in the streets, the car chase) linked together with dead-air skits only a drunk or an idiot could find funny.
DVD Extras:
This 25th Anniversary Edition combines the 2003 single-disc theatrical version with a Director’s Cut running to 141 minutes (!) and Blues Brothers 2000 (from 1998!), in which John Goodman joins Aykroyd for a shoddy re-run of the original. The new discs add an intro from Aykroyd, a new Making Of, a Remembering John featurette, a hideous clip of Aykroyd and James Belushi performing as the Blues Brothers earlier this year, and a handy musical highlights menu.
