Topic: The Blues Brothers (1980)

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

one of the very very few musicals I like (although you could easily argue that it's not really a musical).

I'd say it counts by any definition, what with the characters bursting into song and dance numbers at the drop of a hat.
I watched a documentary on BBC4 the other day about the genre and the bloke claimed that American Graffiti counted as a musical, just because it prominently features a lot of pop tunes. By that bizarre criteria, Blues Brothers definitely counts. More bizarrely, it wasn't even mentioned in the documentary.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I'd say the fact they're ostensibly the ones acting it out that'd make it a musical.

Simply having lots of music wouldn't quite cut it, basically Blues Brothers counts whereas Super Fly, Accross 110th Street or Dolemite are just films with great music/soundtracks.

[Shit Good Nose]

Traditionally the songs in musicals involve the story and move the plot along.  In BB it's only really Think that does that, all the others are either stage performances or sequences which are completely removed from the story. 

But I've heard and read compelling arguments on both sides of that coin, and Landis himself doesn't consider it as a musical.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Nah, James Brown as the preacher, the singing in the country and western bar etc.

[Shit Good Nose]

Nah, James Brown as the preacher, the singing in the country and western bar etc.

Gospel practice and stage performance, respectively.  Jake is moved by what Preacher Brown tells him and the beam of light through the window, not the song per se, and the country and western bar is their first paid gig.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's not just a stage performance (like the end gig say) as they get all pissed off and have to switch to rawhide. I'd say it's part of the plot.

[Gulftastic]

One of the first films I watched and rewatched when we first got a video recorder in the 80's.Because my mind was like a sponge back then, I still pretty much know it word for word.

It introduced to the music of Sam & Dave and by extension the rest of the Atlantic catalogue. I'll always be grateful.

[Shit Good Nose]

It's not just a stage performance (like the end gig say) as they get all pissed off and have to switch to rawhide. I'd say it's part of the plot.

Yeah, but it's not the (pre-existing) song itself that moves the subsequent events, it's the characters' choices.  It's not a traditional musical plot movement like you find in Grease, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story etc, where the songs and lyrics (which everyone weirdly seems to know) are pertinent to the plot and specific characters.  Rawhide is a TV theme tune and the only country and western song they know.  It's a legit performance by the band on stage in a musical venue, not an original song performed by everyone in the middle of the street.  Like I said, I'm pretty sure Think is the only sequence in the film that IS traditional, whilst Shake Your Tailfeather - another pre-existing song which has nowt to do with the characters or the film's plot - is more akin to a fantasy sequence like in Head or 500 Days of Summer.

[Gulftastic]

I mentioned it in the RIP thread for Aretha, but Matt 'Guitar' Murphy went last year as well.

[The Culture Bunker]

Rawhide is a TV theme tune and the only country and western song they know.

Surely they knew others except that - and 'Stand By Your Man' - in order to fill out what was presumably (judging by the bar tab) a lengthy set.

[Gulftastic]

Surely they knew others except that - and 'Stand By Your Man' - in order to fill out what was presumably (judging by the bar tab) a lengthy set.

Ray Charles had a few hits on the country chart. I bet they used at least a couple of them.

[DrGreggles]

Surely they knew others except that - and 'Stand By Your Man' - in order to fill out what was presumably (judging by the bar tab) a lengthy set.

Probably best to not pull at the loose plot hole thread!

[Shit Good Nose]

Surely they knew others except that - and 'Stand By Your Man' - in order to fill out what was presumably (judging by the bar tab) a lengthy set.

The inference (and joke) is they don't know any country and western songs so play the same (presumably) two songs - remember they end the set with Rawhide again, albeit a slower version.  There's also plenty of "rednecks are dumbasses" going on in that sequence, so drunk rednecks are happy with Rawhide and Stand By Your Man all night.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Surely they knew others except that - and 'Stand By Your Man' - in order to fill out what was presumably (judging by the bar tab) a lengthy set.

I've always wondered about that. Did they just play Rawhide and Stand By Your Man all night? Maybe the crowd were so drunk, they didn't notice?

Ray Charles had a few hits on the country chart. I bet they used at least a couple of them.

Well that's true. Also, they would've been familiar with country-soul crossover standards such as The Dark End of the Street, You Don't Miss Your Water, Patches and so on, so I guess they could've performed around a dozen numbers that night.

Probably best to not pull at the loose plot hole thread!

I think we've comprehensively plugged that plot hole!

[DrGreggles]

They also drive the 106 miles to Chicago VERY fast.
But, despite leaving straight after the gig the previous night, they don't get to Steven Spielberg's office until lunchtime!

[The Culture Bunker]

They also drive the 106 miles to Chicago VERY fast.
But, despite leaving straight after the gig the previous night, they don't get to Steven Spielberg's office until lunchtime!

If I remember right, they're barely on the outskirts of Chicago by the time daylight arrives. Maybe the gig didn't start until 4am?

[Avril Lavigne]

I think we've comprehensively plugged that plot hole!

Dan Aykroyd is notorious for filling in as much detail as possible in the plots of his movies but this is why his scripts have always been edited way down to half their original length or less, and as such might have plot holes that he does have answers for. There still exists a longer cut of Blues Brothers that answers certain questions like 'where did Elwood get that spray-glue' (he stole it from the factory where he works) and 'how can the car do such impossible stunts' (Elwood routinely parks it next to a power generator which imbues it with energy, OBVIOUSLY).

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

Chock full of gags, slapstick, great performances and a kicking soundtrack. What more could you want?

[The Culture Bunker]

Dan Aykroyd is notorious for filling in as much detail as possible in the plots of his movies but this is why his scripts have always been edited way down to half their original length or less, and as such might have plot holes that he does have answers for. There still exists a longer cut of Blues Brothers that answers certain questions like 'where did Elwood get that spray-glue' (he stole it from the factory where he works) and 'how can the car do such impossible stunts' (Elwood routinely parks it next to a power generator which imbues it with energy, OBVIOUSLY).

The cut with those scenes is pretty much the standard version now - it's the one you get on DVDs, certainly. There's also Elwood quitting work, lying that he's becoming a Priest. A few others too, that I forget now... think there's Curtis explaining to the band that the gig is for charity.

[Avril Lavigne]

The cut with those scenes is pretty much the standard version now - it's the one you get on DVDs, certainly. There's also Elwood quitting work, lying that he's becoming a Priest. A few others too, that I forget now... think there's Curtis explaining to the band that the gig is for charity.

It's a shame if that longer version is the one most people get to see now though, as a fan I appreciate the extra scenes but I totally see how they'd make the movie drag if you're not already a fan.

[jobotic]

The scene in Elwood's room as the trains go by is sublime.

Plus, you know, Bo Diddley's in it.

"I hate Illinois Nazis"

It's great, don't be silly.

[kalowski]

Plus, you know, Bo Diddley's in it.

Is he? I don't remember that. He's great in Trading Places: "Burn my fingers, man."

[The Culture Bunker]

Perhaps they've mixed Bo up with John Lee Hooker?

[McChesney Duntz]

Nah, The Blues Brothers has a lot of things but it ain't got Diddley.

[jobotic]

Oh fuck, have I got that wrong, Thought he ran the music shop. Am I getting my films mixed up?

[jobotic]

Perhaps they've mixed Bo up with John Lee Hooker?

I wouldn't do that!

[The Culture Bunker]

Oh fuck, have I got that wrong, Thought he ran the music shop. Am I getting my films mixed up?

Ray Charles ran the music shop.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Ray-cist!

[jobotic]

Oh yeah. Pawn shop in Trading Places.

What am I, Barry Kemode?

[pupshaw]

Two things:

The extreme parallel parking stunt.
Getting out from under the pile of bricks without any acknowledgement or curiosity about what just happened