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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 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsAgreed 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▶ 36:19
Chris RyanQuestioned whether 80 car pileups are entertaining anymore in the way Landis presents them, though acknowledged he takes it to an art form level▶ 30:56
Sean FennesseyDiscussed 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▶ 36:09
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsDiscussed 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▶ 37:50
Chris RyanChez Paul restaurant scene as both the funniest and his favorite scene in the movie▶ 43:27
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill SimmonsJake's footsteps when leaving prison (shot from underneath) and the final shot that scales back showing 300 people pointing guns at them▶ 50:00
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsWanted fugitives trying to sell out a benefit concert that they're headlining - seems like a bad idea that cops would immediately find out about▶ 52:43
Chris RyanToo many antagonists - should have consolidated the various people chasing them (rednecks, Carrie Fisher, cops) into fewer groups▶ 52:58
Sean FennesseyThe Blues Brothers calling themselves 'the blues brothers' - questioning whether they were actually good at blues music▶ 52:21
Overacting Award
Sean FennesseyThinks the entire band is over their skis but notes that's underacting, not overacting▶ 57:27
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsCocaine 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▶ 59:19
Chris RyanThe 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▶ 58:10
Sean FennesseyThe sequel invalidates this movie's standing as the greatest SNL-related movie because Wayne's World is great and MacGruber is in the conversation▶ 59:06
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsOlivia 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▶ 1:01:02
Sean FennesseySteven Spielberg — If John Landis directs 1941 and Steven Spielberg directs The Blues Brothers, both movies would be better▶ 1:04:28
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsDoes he ever direct Poltergeist? (in response to Chris Ryan's question about the alternate timeline where Spielberg directs Blues Brothers)▶ 1:04:45
Chris RyanIf Spielberg directs 1941 and goes right into Blues Brothers (and Blues Brothers goes out of control), does he ever direct Raiders? Probably not.▶ 1:04:32
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsJohn 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▶ 1:11:40
Chris RyanDan Aykroyd — Yes for getting personal belongings back after prison (compares to Rounders and Shawshank); Ghostbusters for Aykroyd; Fatal Attraction for vengeful ex-girlfriends▶ 1:12:30
Sean FennesseyCarrie Fisher — Jedi over Empire for Carrie Fisher; Scarface for cocaine apex mountain; Animal House for John Landis; Yes for Blues Brothers as a band▶ 1:17:07
Movies Referenced (30)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrie (1976) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 8:00 |
| Risky Business (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 22:21 |
| Apocalypse Now (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 46:28 |
| Ghostbusters (1984) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:59 |
| Trading Places (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 21:34 |
| Twilight (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 29:55 |
| Wayne's World (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:23 |
| Coming to America (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 29:55 |
| Predator (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 21:31 |
| Sing (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 20:01 |
| Star Trek (2009) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:22 |
| Wonder Woman (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 46:42 |
Directors Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Landis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Blues Brothers | ▶ 21:39 |
| Steven Spielberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan | ▶ 1:04:20 |
Actors Referenced (24)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Charles | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | The Blues Brothers, Gemini Man | ▶ 8:00 |
| Steve Martin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | The Jerk | ▶ 6:40 |
| James Brown | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Blues Brothers, Django Unchained | ▶ 36:24 |
| Aretha Franklin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Blues Brothers | ▶ 8:00 |
| John Belushi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers | ▶ 11:48 |
| Phil Hartman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jingle All the Way | ▶ 25:24 |
| Steve Lawrence | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | The Blues Brothers | ▶ 49:20 |
| Chris Farley | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Tommy Boy | ▶ 5:10 |
| Don Simpson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, The Rock | ▶ 44:18 |
| Henry Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | The Blues Brothers, Magnolia | ▶ 1:02:41 |
| Mary Tyler Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Ordinary People | ▶ 19:54 |
| Abdul Jabbar | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:08:56 |
Writers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Schrader | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | First Reformed | ▶ 14:23 |