Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, John Candy
Release Date: June 20, 1980
Running Time: 133 min
Genres: Comedy, Musical
Commentary The Blues Brothers is the first film based on characters from the comedy TV show "Saturday Night Live", and the best in my opinion. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are a scream as Jake and Ellwood Blues, two hoodlum brothers who are on a mission from God to get their band back together after many years to perform a charity concert. The movie also features several musicians, including the following:
James Brown
Aretha Franklin
Ray Charles
Cab Calloway
Plot Summary Jake and Ellwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) are two blues musicians who are also criminals. Jake is released from prison into Ellwood's custody after serving five years. The two learn that they must raise $5000 in back property taxes in order to preserve the Catholic orphanage in which they grew up. The duo get a epiphany at a church sermon performed by James Brown, in which they realize that they must get the band back together in order to raise the money. In the process, they end up causing millions of dollars in property damage, including a car chase through an indoor shopping mall. They end up getting pursued by the police, the Illinois Nazis, and even the Illinois National Guard, but barely manage to raise the money and seal the deal before getting arrested and sent back to jail.
Cultural Significance The Blues Brothers is the first of several movies based on SNL sketches. Some later ones include the following:
The Blues Brothers also spawned the 1998 sequel The Blues Brothers2000, starring John Goodman in place of the late John Belushi. Several musical recordings by Belushi and Aykroyd, including some from the movie, were released and became hits, including the following:
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Title: The Blues Brothers 
