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Dom Robinson reviews
Pioneer LDCE
- Cat.no: PLFEB 34431
- Cert: 15
- Running time: 127 minutes
- Sides: 2 (CLV)
- Year: 1980
- Pressing: 1996
- Chapters: 18 (8/10)
- Sound: Stereo
- Presented in Fullscreen
- Price: £24.99
Director:
- John Landis
(An American Werewolf In London, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Blues Brothers, Blues Brothers 2000, Innocent Blood, Spies Like Us, The Stupids, Trading Places)
Producer:
- Robert K. Weiss
Screenplay:
- Dan Aykroyd and John Landis
Cast:
- ‘Joliet’ Jake Blues: John Belushi
Elwood Blues: Dan Aykroyd
Corrections Officer: Frank Oz
Sister Mary Stigmata: Kathleen Freeman
Curtis: Cab Calloway
Rev. Cleophus James: James Brown
Choir Soloist: Chaka Khan
Trooper La Fong: John Landis
Mystery Woman: Carrie Fisher
Burton Mercer: John Candy
Waiter: Paul Reubens
Street Slim: John Lee Hooker
Soul Food Cafe Owner: Aretha Franklin
Ray: Ray Charles
Chic Lady: Twiggy
Prisoner: Joe Walsh
Cook County Clerk: Steven Spielberg
Woman on Cutting Room Floor: Shirley Levine
The Blues Brothersare back!, and this time even better than ever on laserdisc.The film was borne from the US TV show, “Saturday Night Live” and was the firstsuch venture to reach the big screen.
Jake and Elwood Blues are two brothers who formed a blues band, “The BluesBrothers” sometime ago. Jake was put in jail, and the film starts as he isbeing released.
The plan is to put the band back together, and at the same time raise $5000for the nun affectionately known as “The Penguin” to pay her church’s taxesto the Cook County clerk so it can be kept open. An easy task, but the Penguindoesn’t want any of their “filthy” money, so they’ll have to earn it for achange by reforming the band, playing some gigs, and keeping out of trouble.
To have “The Blues Brothers” on laserdisc is a dream come true. There are somany top tunes, and one liners in there, as well as excellent comic turnsfrom both Messers. Aykroyd and the late Belushi, and cameos from Twiggy,Carrie Fisher, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Candy, Ray Charles, andSteven Spielberg as the aforementioned Cook County clerk.
Even after all that there’s car chases, the like of which have rarely beenbettered, be they through a shopping mall or on the streets of Chicago.
The picture quality is very good, and knowing that the quality of laserdiscnever deteriorates unlike video, you can watch it again and again.
The sound is credited as simply being “stereo”, although it seems slightlymixed so that the music tends to filter into the rear speakers too, while thedialogue tends to stick mainly to the front pair.
However, the disc does need more chapters. There’s 18 on the disc, with 8 onside one, and 10 on side two. Curiosly, side 2 also begins with chapter 8,but I presume that chapter 8 was split 50/50 with both sides, seeing as thefilm, at 127 mins, fills the disc to capacity.
The chapters are listed according to the main song which is featured in thatchapter which is good in helping you find the track you like best, butadditional chapters could have been placed at the start of some scenes to breakup long chapters.
The disc is presented in fullscreen which is apparently the way the filmwas shot, and intended for it to be seen by John Landis, but for some reasonthe end credits are slightly letterboxed to approximately 1.50:1.
There is no theatrical trailer on the disc, but as I said, the disc is fulland I’d rather have the film on one disc as it is, than add an extra disc justto include a trailer. I’d like to see future Pioneer discs include a trailerfor this film to complete the picture.
There is also talk of a sequel being planned with Dan Aykroyd continuingto play Elwood, but as John Belushi passed on several years ago, the nameswhich have cropped up the most as being possibilities to star alongsideAykroyd are that of the late comic’s brother James Belushi, and John Goodman.
Film: 5/5
Picture: 4/5
Sound: 3/5
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1996.
Check outPioneer‘s Web site.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.