'We're on a mission from God.' — "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues

(Laughs) ...

What a magnificent work of motion picture art The Blues Brothers is! This fun-filled musical is truly a must-see. The screenplay was co-written by Saturday Night Live alum Dan Aykroyd, whom, by the way also stars in the effort as Elwood Blues, one half of the Chicago-based R&B/Blues band, The Blues Brothers. Native Chicagoan and Aykroyd's fellow SNL grad, John Belushi (The late, great), also stars in this zany opus as "Joliet" Jake, Elwood's biological other half. And with an all-star supporting cast that includ... read the rest.

OK, the title here is probably disingenuous. I live in Chicago, a city that doesn't allow you residence unless it can confirm that you love "The Blues Brothers" and "The Untouchables." So this review is coming with a fair amount of cultural bias out the door. So I'm just going to drop the honest part right now and tell you flatly that this is bias. It's likely the most bias review that you'll probably ever read.

Franklin singing in a famous Maxwell street diner (now defunct) but still, that's pretty Chicago right there.

And, of course, if you've ever lived by the L you get the joke about... read the rest.

Remarkable.

John Landis was inspired when he decided to direct a film like this one. In addition to bringing us the excellent music that integrates the soundtrack, it brings us high doses of very good humor and a captivating, intelligent and well-written story, based on the desire of two brothers to reunite their former R&B band, dissolved after them getting into trouble with the police, and using music to raise the money needed to maintain the Catholic orphanage where they grew up. It's a plot that seems subscribed, but considering that it's a comic and quite unpretentious film, it seem... read the rest.