Talk:The Blues Brothers (film)

Inside Joke

There is a bit of an inside joke regarding the Blues Brother's. They are dressed as Hasidic Jews from the diamond district of New York, but they are Catholic orphans from Chicago who sing rythm and blues. The suitcase chained to Jake's wrist would carry diamonds if he were a diamond merchant, but in the movie (and often on stage), it carries Elwood's harmonica.

Usually, one must have lived in or near New York and known the diamond district well to get this joke.Elwood64151 15:06, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

Didn't Aretha Franklin's character actually comment on this - in the "Soul Food Cafe" scene - sarcastically saying "They're dressed like Hasidic diamond merchants"? Johnmc 05:59, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

Critical Reaction

Needs a whole lot of citations. D43M0N 21:42, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

One wonderful quote to dig up is one from Playboy (1981?) that canned the film, in particular, attacking the long car chase! Will try to find it...

Previous comment by 62.23.212.108. I would say that all this is trivia of the section. The section should change title to include public reception. Hoverfish 17:41, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Also, re-reading the article, the first sentence is very much what I consider true, but not very encyclopedic. Anyone want to attempt a rewrite? D43M0N 21:44, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

The reception section has been cleaned up and referenced. It's positive reception is reflected by the box-office figures and a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating. However, it still lacks any of the negative critical reception that it probably received. Roger Ebert is cited because he's the only actual critic from when the film was released who I could find on Rotten Tomatoes. The Playboy review mentioned here would be a good find. Also, there was a lot of negativity about the Blues Brothers in the music critics' community. I can probably track down a choice negative phrase from Peter Guralnick, but other sources would be helpful as well.-Wisekwai 20:40, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Full cast

Should there be a full cast section? Or selected cast? A list in two columns would save some scrolling. The intro is loaded with names that could move here, with their roles. Hoverfish 17:27, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

A microphone?

"Okay, I can see that." Until I checked on the prices for vintage microphones, like the one Elwood is carrying in his briefcase, it always blew me away that he'd trade a Cadillac for a microphone. It'd be nice to know what kind of microphone it was that Elwood was using to blow his harp through.-Wisekwai 21:36, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

It was a '59 Eldo, wasn't it? Harley Earl 19:54, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Casting

More can be said about the cast, which not only includes some soul legends, but also some bonafide R&B pioneers in the band itself. Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn were half of Booker T and MGs and were among the architects of the Stax records sound. Paul Shaffer was supposed to be in the film, but could not get released from his contractual obligations to Saturday Night Live. It says that in Paul's article, but a reference needs to be found.-Wisekwai 16:00, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

It says it on the documentary included on the 25th Anniversary Edition DVD of the movie. SchuminWeb (Talk) 17:46, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Cool. I don't have that edition. I'll add it in, though, under production. -Wisekwai 18:03, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually, I do have that documentary, on the 1998 Collector's Edition DVD. A lot of information to take in.-Wisekwai 17:00, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm kind of new to this so apologies if it is in the wrong area, but I saw Mr. T on Conan O'brien awhile back and he talks about how his first role was an extra in the Blues Brothers film. The portion where he talks about it is around the last minute of this six minute clip: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/late-night-with-conan-obrien-mr-ts-chicago-tour-5906/3359585954 74.92.170.221 (talk) 18:24, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Images

Are there any other images that should be added to the article? I can get any screenshot from the film if any of you find it worthy to add to the article. Also, should there be a DVD release section? If so, I can add an image of the 25th anniversary DVD cover. --Nehrams2020 19:08, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

There are probably already too many screenshots on the article. The 25th Anniversary DVD cover is there already. An image of the original movie poster would be a great addition, and would be preferred in the infobox. The DVD cover could be moved lower if the poster is added.-Wisekwai 20:34, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I think if the images are kept where they are, and the mall chase is replaced with a screenshot from the dance in the soul food restaurant, or even better, from the dance in the evangelical church would give quite a fuller illustration of the text. I know it's easy to stay out and post opinions, but I think this would definitely raise the article's quality. Hoverfish 21:18, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

That would be a good mix. The screenshots now concentrate on the car chases. A different screenshot to show the music and dance side of the film would be a great addition.-Wisekwai 21:36, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I didn't even realize that the 25th Anniversary DVD cover was on the page. Anyway, I'll probably add the church dance scene with as many of the people in the screenshot as possible.--Nehrams2020 22:02, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I've added the movie poster image to the infobox. It's a much better illustration of the film, I think. The DVD box has been moved lower. The church dance scene would be a great addition or replacement for one of the car-chase shots.-Wisekwai 17:01, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

I added the screenshot of the dancing scene in the church. If nobody objects, I am going to tag the car chase picture for deletion, since it has no other links to any other articles and really doesn't show too much about the movie.--Nehrams2020 20:10, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

Beautiful. I might try to get a better screenshot from the mall - the same shot, just clearer is all, and reupload. The image now was actually snatched from YouTube of all places.-Wisekwai 20:26, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

And I've reuploaded the mall screenshot. It's slightly better. But the main thing is on the image is that there's a fair-use rationale added for both its uses. And it was refreshing to see FURs already on the other screenshots on the page. Good job.-Wisekwai 06:12, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Soundtrack split?

I probably went overboard on expanding the soundtrack section. Though I like seeing it all here - it really gives a sense of the Blues Brothers' wide-ranging roots - it could easily be split off into its own article, with a smaller section to summarize.-Wisekwai 20:29, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

You can never go overboard on the Blues Brothers. I think it should be left in, the music is a significant part of the movie so should remain on the page. Good job fixing it up beyond what I added. --Nehrams2020 08:06, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Question about collector's edition/director's cut

Is the extended cut of the movie on the 1998 Collector's Edition DVD and what's referred to in some places as "the director's cut" included with the 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD the same? – WiseKwai | Talk | Contribs 16:44, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Short answer is yes, the 25th Anniversary DVD is the exact same cut of the movie released in 1998. The main difference is that the 25th Anniversary version also contains the original theatrical cut, which is a little 'punchier' (it flows on a little better than the extended version). The other difference is that the 25th Anniversary version is a new transfer of the movie from the original source (as told to me by George Folsey Jr himself after the DVD launch last year), so you'll notice that the colors are much brighter, and the sound is great. The bonus features are mediocre, although it was nice to see a couple of my Blues Brothers Central members included on the DVD in the fan documentary - bbcentral — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.44.137.122 (talk) 10:27, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, that helps! — WiseKwai 11:01, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

It's a plot

It seems to me the "plot" section is way long. It's a complete recap, not just a summary, like, "Brothers aid nun raising money for bankrupt orphanage by reforming old R&B band." (Yeah, that'd solve the "article too long" tags...) This is so complete, I hardly have to see the film. The way it is here, the "plot" of Moby Dick would describe every incident in the book. Rogér Ebért 20:02, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, a lot of movies on Wikipedia are written just this way. See Spaceballs and National Lampoon's Animal House to see what I mean. SchuminWeb (Talk) 05:08, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

All that proves is there's a lot of badly written reviews. Rogér Ebért 15:15, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

The plot here gives the movie away entirely.--Kjmoran 01:10, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Fine. I took a stab a shortening it up.--Geoduck 02:04, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Sources

I am having trouble finding some sources. Does anybody actually have a Guinness Book of World Records listing the film as having the most cars destroyed (I remember reading about it in a 1995 book). As soon as all of these statements within the article are sourced, I think we can put it up for GA status. --Nehrams2020 08:12, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

If I had access to a public or school library, I'd check it out. — WiseKwai 08:19, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

OK, I think I finished getting all of the sources that we need. Of course, if anyone stumbles across books on the film that could better represent information please add them if you can. Right now, I think the article should be copyedited, especially the automotives (find a better heading name?) and sequel sections. Once that is corrected, then somebody can nominate the article for GA, and we'll see how it goes from there. Now, I'm about to go on a 7-hour road trip home, so I'll check back on the film whenever I get the chance. Good job to all the people that contributed to this article over the last few weeks, especially due to the Cinema Collaboration of the Week. --Nehrams2020 18:49, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

GA Nomination

I put the article up for nomination, so let's see how it goes.--Nehrams2020 05:15, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

I'd think seriously about drastically cutting the "Plot" section, per above, before accepting. Rogér Ebért 15:18, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

The soundtrack section would probably be best if split off into its own article, with a summary of the album's relevance to the film retained in this article. "Plot" is definitely too long, I'd aim for cutting its length in half. Also, I feel that the order of the article's sections would be better organized as Plot, Cast, Production, Reception, Alternate Versions, Soundtrack, Sequel. Without those issues, this may be a better candidate for FA than GA. Noclip 21:35, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

I would be happy to undertake splitting off the soundtrack section and summarizing the details in a section that would appear lower on the page. — WiseKwai 03:29, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

If you want to do it, go ahead, we did discuss this in the past and I forgot all about it. Do you think that the plot needs to be cut even more then it already has? I don't think it's too long, but I guess we can change it if necessary. I don't know if it FA worthy yet, we'd probably have to get a peer review first.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Nehrams2020 (talk • contribs) 05:27, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Let's wait a bit. See below. — WiseKwai 14:49, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

GA Hold

Very nice article, I really enjoyed reading it. This is a great movie (opinion) but the editors involved here managed to portray that without pov statements. Balanced critique, nice figures, nice plot description (long, but not bad). Nice overall coverage. I came close to promoting it, but am putting it on hold for the following reasons. Fix these, and I won't hesitate to give it a stamp of approval.

• Second paragraph in "Origins" has no footnotes or references
• In the phrase "1980 as the second album by the Blues Brothers band" - "Blues Brothers" links back to this same page. Rm that link.
• Disambig "Shake Your Moneymaker"
• Pipe this link "The Blues Brothers#In popular culture "

The lack of references in that paragraph is the biggie. Great work so far.--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 14:18, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Esprit, for your eyes-on and the comments. The fixes you've suggested have been applied. However, I think there's some confusion about the link in the soundtrack section. The Blues Brothers links to the article about the band, not this film. I have now piped the link to read "the Blues Brothers Band", which might help. If it's still too confusing or duplicative, it can be removed. — WiseKwai 14:57, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

GA promotion

Great job everyone. I have promoted it to Good article status!--Esprit15d (talk ¤ contribs) 16:35, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Unauthorized Link to Blues Brothers Central

I was extremely disappointed to see someone had added http://bbcentral2.bluesbrotherscentral.com to this page as a reference. This URL was posted on the site privately for selected members only (around 100 people had access to this). I did this so that I would have someone to help test it as I work on it. It was NOT authorized to be posted anywhere else, because this version of the site is still heavily in development. Now I've found that the page has been indexed by Google, which has made me quite upset, I haven't even finished it yet, let alone launched it. I have removed the link and replaced it with Kevin Forsyth's site. I've also removed bbcentral2 from my server entirely, it will redirect back to the home page. I had 25 visitors to that site in November, and 500 in December. I'm going to have a strong word with my members about this. I have requested removal from Google via robots.txt. Please contact me via the Contact Us page on BB Central if anyone needs any further clarification. Thanks - bbcentral —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 121.44.137.122 (talk) 10:18, 23 December 2006 (UTC).

Should this article have a trivia section?

Here is a tidbit that User:Wahkeenah added to the plot section:

One of the possessions returned to him upon his release is a broken watch. A broken watch also figured into a Belushi gag in National Lampoon's Animal House.

I removed it, and Wahkeenah put it back in. It does not belong in the plot section, that is for certain. However, in the edit summary Wahkeenah suggested that the article should perhaps have a trivia section. I disagree. The article is already very detailed and I don't see how having a trivia section would be a benefit. Also, it would probably jeopardize the article's "Good Article" status. — WiseKwai 16:29, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Everything that is added needs to be sourced. Usually a trivia section is shunned upon for a GA. I don't want this to lose it's GA status after all of the hard work everybody put into it! --Nehrams2020 18:01, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Am I getting old? or....

"The main entrance to Wrigley Field makes a brief appearence when the "Illinois Nazis" visit it after Elwood falsely registers the ballfield's location, 1060 West Addison, as his home address." Wasn't it the cops that went to that address, not the Nazis? It has been a while since I saw it, so I could be wrong.... CodeCarpenter 17:23, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

No, the Nazi's actually went to Wrigley Field. But the cops metioned that they thougt it was "real cute" when they showed up at Elwood's place. VanTucky 18:55, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Right. First it was revealed when Elwood told Jake about it. Then the cops showed up at the derilect hotel, where John Candy said he kind of liked the Wrigley Field bit, and the uniformed cop said sarcastically, "Yeh, real cute." Finally, the Illinois Nazis found the address and appeared in front of the Wrigley entrance, at night yet, with the sign lit up. At that point the grupenfuhrer (Henry Gibson) told his men that the Blues Brothers should pray the cops get to them before the Nazis do. Wahkeenah 19:46, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Great. So essentially, I AM getting old. Thanks to both of you for clearing that up. I will go see my doctor now.... CodeCarpenter 20:54, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

On the other hand, since I've obviously seen this movie too often, maybe *I* should go see the doctor. :) Wahkeenah 21:11, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Article Formatting

I tried to organize the "Reception" section better so that there was better division of the box office and the critical reception, except my header isn't showing up. If anybody can fix that, that would be great. Bolt Vanderhuge 22:16, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

I tried to edit it too, it's showing up in the source but not after saving. I dunno what's wrong! VanTucky 22:22, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Bluesbrothersraycharles.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 17:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Is it really a musical?

It seems that the only part that's actually a musical is when Aretha Franklin sings Think. Everything else is either background music or a situation where people actually would sing in real life. --NE2 03:04, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

That song was one of several that was performed in the film indicating it is a musical. Probably the most notable is the "Shake Your Tailfeather" scene sung by Ray Charles at his pawn shop while a large number of extras perform the dance to the song outside of the store. Indeed, there are several songs that are performed (in the country bar or the final show), but the extra songs that require extravagant musical numbers on city streets seem to indicate that this is a musical film. It may not follow the same format as many/most musical films, but it does have the necessary elements to classify as one. --Nehrams2020 (talk) 05:35, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Well, or it could just be a bunch of people getting up and dancing while Ray Charles plays the piano. According to our musical film article, "the songs are used to advance the plot or develop the film's characters." (This isn't cited, so let me know if it's incorrect.) There's not really any plot or character development from these songs, unless you didn't already know that Ray Charles likes playing the piano and singing :) --NE2 07:17, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

I would argue that James Brown singing "The Old Landmark" also advances the plot, since it causes Jake's epiphany of putting the band back together. Given that The Blues Brothers was released around the nadir of Hollywood musicals (The Apple, anyone? Xanadu?), I'm willing to cut it a little slack. More to the point, all the music is integral (as opposed to incidental like most soundtrack music), and since our definition doesn't say that all the songs have to advance the plot or provide character development, the fact that at least couple of them do seems like enough to call it a "real" musical. Kevin Forsyth (talk) 13:07, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Fair enough. It would probably be best to have a source like a book about musicals that covers it. --NE2 22:18, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. And thank you for posing (and thereby forcing me to ponder) this very valid question. Kevin Forsyth (talk) 22:27, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Yeah thanks for asking. I initially was thinking it was definitely a musical, but then had to look up musical film and consider all the songs to confirm it. It would benefit from a book source stating so, and hopefully one can be added at some point. This article passed GA back in 2006, and I need to go through and update the article again at some point in the coming months. --Nehrams2020 (talk) 23:25, 23 October 2008 (UTC)