Product Details

• Actors: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Carrie Fisher, James Brown
• Directors: John Landis
• Writers: Dan Aykroyd, John Landis
• Producers: Robert K. Weiss
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: September 9, 1998
• Run Time: 148 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (407 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 078322804X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,779 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Blues Brothers (Collector's Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After building up the duo's popularity through recordings and several performances on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd--as "legendary" Chicago blues brothers Jake and Elwood Blues--took their act to the big screen in this action-packed hit from 1980. As Jake and Elwood struggle to reunite their old band and save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised, they wreak enough good-natured havoc to attract the entire Cook County police force. The result is a big-budget stunt-fest on a scale rarely attempted before or since, including extended car chases that result in the wanton destruction of shopping malls and more police cars than you can count. Along the way there's plenty of music to punctuate the action, including performances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and James Brown that are guaranteed to knock you out. As played with deadpan wit by Belushi and Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God," and that gives them a kind of reckless glee that keeps the movie from losing its comedic appeal. Otherwise this might have been just a bloated marathon of mayhem that quickly wears out its welcome (which is how some critics described this film and its 1998 sequel). Keep an eye out for Steven Spielberg as the city clerk who stamps some crucial paperwork near the end of the film.--Jeff Shannon

Product Description

THE BLUES BROTHERS REGROUP THEIR BAND, HOPING TO RAISE MONEY TO SAVE AN ORPHANAGE, AND IN THE PROCESS, THEY RUN AMOK IN CHICAGO.CONTAINS: THE STORIES BEHIND THE MAKING OF THE BLUES BROTHERS DOCUMENTARY FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR JOHN LANDIS, DAN AYKROUD, THE BLUES BROTHERS BAND AND PRODUCER ROBERT K. WEISS.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration doesn't fail us July 31, 2011

By Michael D. Kelley

Format:Blu-ray

Let's get this straight -- this blu-ray contains both the theatrical AND the extended cuts, for the misguided soul here (obviously NOT on a mission from God) who says stick with the 25th Anniversary edition.

And let's get this clear as well -- the quality of the picture is superb, much MUCH better than the DVD. Older films have issues when you transfer them to blu-ray, no question about it, but this image is as good as it can possibly get (don't believe me? Check out Blu-ray.com for a review of it).

On the extended version the extended scenes aren't as good a quality -- the source material there wasn't available and they probably transferred it from the DVD master. But it's not WORSE than the DVD, only not improved.

And on that note, IMHO the theatrical version is the one you want anyway. This is a film that does not get better when the timing gets slower -- and at nearly 2 1/2 hours the extended version just drags. Watch the theatrical version first and if you are still jonesing for some more Brothers you can pop on the extended version (my guess is you will have gotten full -- satiated and satisfied. And if times were different you'd kick back, light one up, pull down your shades down over your eyes and watch the cool, blue smoke drift hazily towards the ceiling and dream about getting the band back together).

Just buy it. If you say no, Elwood and Jake will come to your house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Two Cents Worth July 26, 2011

By J. Fleitz

Format:Blu-ray

I've read the reviews on Amazon but wanted the blu-ray upgrade. Amazon's details may not be complete. The blu-ray I purchased has theatrical and extended versions on a single disc. There is a banner at the top front on my cover with says "Includes Theatrical and Extended Versions" and it is also mentioned again on the back cover. The DTS sound is outstanding on my Polk 360 home system and I don't think I am missing anything by not having lossless DTS sound. This movie looks and sounds great on blu-ray and the price is affordable. I found myself enjoying the movie and singing along with the sub-titled songs. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and here it is over 30 years later looking and sounding just as good if not better.

200 of 245 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars We're On A Mission From God...But Made a Deal With The Devil August 31, 2005

By Sister Mary Stigmata

Format:DVD

What a let down! The promise of "never before seen footage" turns out to be the same "never before seen footage" from the last DVD. The bonus materials on this disc are a joke (and not in a funny "ha ha" way). The special "Introduction to the film by Dan Aykroyd" is 23 seconds long. The "Day on the Blues Brothers Tour" is nothing more than a lame performance by the current Blues Brothers at the House of Blues. But the real insult is the featurette called "Remembering John: An ultimate portrait of John Belushi." It clocks in at 9 minutes long (including credits). Ultimate?? This is John Belushi, not Garrett Morris!

You might be reading this wondering, "So what was this guy expecting?" Well, how about an audio commentary? Perhaps some outtakes? Bloopers? Maybe concert footage of the REAL Blues Brothers on tour with Steve Martin? Why not include Blues Brothers performance footage from SNL? How about revisiting the locations made famous in the movie (the abandoned mall is still standing and still abandoned)? Instead, they chose to include John performing as the Killer Bee on SNL. Instead of a track listing booklet inside the case, they'd rather you have an ad for other "great" DVD titles available from Universal. Instead of never before seen footage, you get the same documentary, the same production notes/pictures, and the same interviews that were included in the previous release.

It's obvious that this was thrown together with little thought or effort. The Chicago Sun Times did a better tribute piece to the anniversary of the Blues Brothers than Aykroyd did for his own film.

Oh well...only five more years until the 30th Anniversary Edition comes out.