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‘The Blues Brothers’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

February 11, 2025 · The Blues Brothers (1980) · Adventure · Comedy · Crime · 1:38:57

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What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 36:19Agreed that 30-year-olds watching for the first time can't appreciate the significance of the musical legends when they were still functional working musicians
Chris Ryan▶ 30:56Questioned whether 80 car pileups are entertaining anymore in the way Landis presents them, though acknowledged he takes it to an art form level
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:09Discussed the movie being tough to watch after 30 for the first time, and that viewers can't capture the impact of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles at that point in their careers

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 37:50Discussed multiple scenes including the opening jail release/hug, mall car chase, and Chez Paul restaurant scene, with particular emphasis on the mall chase and Chez Paul as favorites
Chris Ryan▶ 43:27Chez Paul restaurant scene as both the funniest and his favorite scene in the movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:52Ray's Music Exchange scene with Ray Charles

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 50:00Jake's footsteps when leaving prison (shot from underneath) and the final shot that scales back showing 300 people pointing guns at them
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:19The trooper going into the truck

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:43Wanted fugitives trying to sell out a benefit concert that they're headlining - seems like a bad idea that cops would immediately find out about
Chris Ryan▶ 52:58Too many antagonists - should have consolidated the various people chasing them (rednecks, Carrie Fisher, cops) into fewer groups
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:21The Blues Brothers calling themselves 'the blues brothers' - questioning whether they were actually good at blues music

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 57:12Has one candidate but doesn't feel great about it and doesn't specify who
Chris Ryan▶ 57:17Aretha Franklin — Aretha Franklin for her 'don't you blaspheme here' line
Sean Fennessey▶ 57:27Thinks the entire band is over their skis but notes that's underacting, not overacting

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:19Cocaine continues to be underrated as a creative/cultural force that led to crazy great content like this movie that wouldn't have been made otherwise
Chris Ryan▶ 58:10The movie would have come in under budget if they cut the Carrie Fisher plot, which doesn't have much to do with anything and is just one joke
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:06The sequel invalidates this movie's standing as the greatest SNL-related movie because Wayne's World is great and MacGruber is in the conversation

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:02Olivia Newton-John — Olivia Newton-John was wanted for Twiggy's part but was unavailable due to Xanadu; studio wanted younger acts instead of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown, trying to get Rose Royce from Car Wash
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:28Steven Spielberg — If John Landis directs 1941 and Steven Spielberg directs The Blues Brothers, both movies would be better

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:45Does he ever direct Poltergeist? (in response to Chris Ryan's question about the alternate timeline where Spielberg directs Blues Brothers)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:32If Spielberg directs 1941 and goes right into Blues Brothers (and Blues Brothers goes out of control), does he ever direct Raiders? Probably not.

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:40John Belushi — 1978 Animal House + SNL combo for Belushi; No for Aykroyd (Ghostbusters is better); Ferris Bueller for Chicago movie locale; No for Blues Brothers theme song; Yes for New Oldsmobile; Coming to America for John Landis
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:30Dan Aykroyd — Yes for getting personal belongings back after prison (compares to Rounders and Shawshank); Ghostbusters for Aykroyd; Fatal Attraction for vengeful ex-girlfriends
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:07Carrie Fisher — Jedi over Empire for Carrie Fisher; Scarface for cocaine apex mountain; Animal House for John Landis; Yes for Blues Brothers as a band

Movies Referenced (28)

Risky Business (1983)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apocalypse Now (1979)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 46:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghostbusters (1984)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 23:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Saturday Night (2024)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 16:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Trading Places (1983)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 21:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Twilight (2008)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 29:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wayne's World (1992)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 20:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Coming to America (1988)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 29:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Predator (1987)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 21:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Trek (2009)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wonder Woman (2017)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 46:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Before Sunrise (1995)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:19:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (2)

John Landis

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 21:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 1:04:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (24)

Ray Charles

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Blues Brothers, Gemini Man▶ 8:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Martin

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Jerk, The Pink Panther▶ 6:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Brown

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Blues Brothers, Django Unchained▶ 36:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aretha Franklin

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 8:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Belushi

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers▶ 11:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phil Hartman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jingle All the Way▶ 25:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Lawrence

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 49:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Farley

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Tommy Boy, Black Sheep▶ 5:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Simpson

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, The Rock▶ 44:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Henry Gibson

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Blues Brothers, Magnolia▶ 1:02:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mary Tyler Moore

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ordinary People▶ 19:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Abdul Jabbar

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

Paul Schrader

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 14:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗