The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers is a musical comedy film directed by John Landis in 1980.

The movie takes place in Chicago, Illinois, and portrays the amazing John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues.

The film features musical numbers by rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and blues singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker.

The story is a tale of redemption for paroled convict Jake and his brother Elwood, who set out on “a mission from God” to save the Catholic orphanage in which they were raised from foreclosure. To do so, they must reunite their R&B band and organize a performance to earn $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage’s property tax bill

The “mission from god” is inspired by the Reverend Cleophus James, played by James Brown, at the Triple Rock Baptist Church.

Jake and Elwood begin their journey to track down members of the band. Some of them return without delay, but two of them – Matt “Guitar” Murphy and “Blue Lou” Marini, who now work in a soul food restaurant, are forbidden to rejoin the band by Murphy’s wife and restaurant owner – Aretha Franklin.

(Luckily, they don’t listen to her…)

Aretha sings one of the most iconic songs from this movie – “Think”.

Finally, the band is back together!

Now it’s time to obtain equipment from Ray’s Music Exchange, managed by the one and only – Ray Charles.

The Blues Brothers’s first gig is stolen from another band – the Good Ole Boys, whose crowd is very aggressive and demanding.

The Blues Brothers must change their usual song list in order to appease the crowd, and they perform “Rawhide” and “Stand By Your man”. Jake is clearly displeased…

The band must perform behind a metal fence due to the audience’s tendency to throw their empty beer bottles at the band while being highly intoxicated…

Realizing that they need one big show to raise the necessary money, the brothers persuade their old agent to book the Palace Hotel Ballroom, north of Chicago.

Cab Calloway starts the show with the song “Minnie The Moocher”.

Jake and Elwood perform two songs: “Everybody Need Somebody to Love” – my personal favorite and “Sweet Home Chicago”.

During the film, The Blues Brothers infuriate the Illinois police department, the Illinois Nazi Party, Jake’s ex girlfriend and the band “The Good Ole Boys” – who all chase them down.

Finally, The Blues Brothers are caught and sent to prison, where they perform the final song of the film – “Jailhouse Rock” – an Elvis Presley cover.