The Blues Brothers (1980) episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 9, 2025 · 24 MIN

The Blues Brothers (1980)

from Living for the Cinema · host Geoff Gershon

It's 106 miles to Chicago, they've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and they're wearing sunglasses....The brothers are Joliet Jake Blue (John Belushi) and Elmwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd)....and they're on a mission from God.  Well actually they're on a mission to save the Catholic home where they grew up and to get the band back together.  Seems simple enough but there are a LOT of obstacles in their way including US Marshalls, Chicago police, Illinois State Troopers, the Illinois Nazis, the Good Ol' Boys, and...the late, great Carrie Fisher playing "Mystery Woman" who comes HEAVILY armed! :o John Landis (Animal House, Coming to America, An American Werewolf in London) directed this wildly ambitious action comedy musical loosely adapted from the two titular fictional brothers who performed on Saturday Night Live around this time.  Plot is but an afterthought when you have wall-to-wall car chases and/or extended musical numbers from several R&B music luminaries including Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, and Chaka Khan.  And that's not even accounting for an extended stacked cast including Kathleen Freeman, John Candy, Steven Williams, Henry Gibson, Charles Napier, and countless others!Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene GershonSend us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 9, 2025

Embed this episode

It's 106 miles to Chicago, they've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and they're wearing sunglasses.... The brothers are Joliet Jake Blue (John Belushi) and Elmwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd)....and they're on a mission from God. Well actually they're on a mission to save the Catholic home where they grew up and to get the band back together. Seems simple enough but there are a LOT of obstacles in their way including US Marshalls, Chicago police, Illinois State...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

The Blues Brothers (1980)

0:00 24:14

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Living for the Cinema?

This episode is 24 minutes long.

When was this Living for the Cinema episode published?

This episode was published on April 9, 2025.

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this Living for the Cinema episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!