Repost: The Blues Brothers (February 18th at the CWRU Film Society, Strosacker Adutiorioum)

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[THE BLUES BROTHERS screens Saturday February 18th at 7 pm and 9:30 pm at the CWRU Film Society, Strosacker Adutiorioum. Admission is free.]

Review by Charles Cassady Jr.

Of all the stuff that's remembered about THE BLUES BROTHERS, perhaps the most important is one least remarked on. Yes, kids, this was the trailblazer, the brave pioneer, the groundbreaking movie milestone…The first feature that was a spinoff of a Saturday Night Live recurring-character sketch.

True, without the existence of the somewhat culty 1980 John Landis epic it's still possible that WAYNE'S WORLD, IT'S PAT, MACGRUBER, THE LADIES' MAN, CONEHEADS etc. etc. etc. argh! might have still happened. Never underestimate Lorne Michaels, AKA Dr. Evil. But this one opened the floodgates, for good or ill. Good, I guess, if you're into budget Halloween costumes, because the matching Men-in-Black suits, sunglasses, briefcases, handcuffs etc. now allows most any two whites to become Jake and Elwood, AKA John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, two extremely Anglo-looking guys who sing blues music (the race switch was the essential joke, I’m told, but Aykroyd has since been an iconic partner in the House of Blues restaurant and music-venue chain and thus puts his money where his schtick is).

Five Star Day (now on video)

[FIVE STAR DAY is now available on home video.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Many years ago there was this mystic fellow on Cleveland radio called variously "Count" or "Doctor" John Manolesco, a shadowy figure who hosted a nighttime paranormal-talk radio show on the local airwaves, before that notion became  commonplace. He cultivated a mysterious demeanor, helped by what some would construe a sinister European-Transylvanian accent - hence the "count" part - though he claimed to hold various lofty doctorates and PhDs. He broadcast shows about ESP, predictions, reincarnation, aliens, conspiracies, stuff like that. At one point he claimed to have developed a revolutionary hydrogen-powered car, solving the world's oil crisis - but it got stolen, so there.

The Blues Brothers (July 2 at 9:30 p.m. and midnight at the Cedar Lee)

[THE BLUES BROTHERS screens Saturday July 2nd at 11:59pm at the Cedar Lee Theatre.]

Review by Charles Cassady Jr.

Of all the stuff that's remembered about THE BLUES BROTHERS, perhaps the most important is one least remarked on. Yes, kids, this was the trailblazer, the brave pioneer, the groundbreaking movie milestone…The first feature that was a spinoff of a Saturday Night Live recurring-character sketch.

True, without the existence of the somewhat culty 1980 John Landis epic it's still possible that WAYNE'S WORLD, IT'S PAT, MACGRUBER, THE LADIES' MAN, CONEHEADS etc. etc. etc. argh! might have still happened. Never underestimate Lorne Michaels, AKA Dr. Evil. But this one opened the floodgates, for good or ill. Good, I guess, if you're into budget Halloween costumes, because the matching Men-in-Black suits, sunglasses, briefcases, handcuffs etc. now allows most any two whites to become Jake and Elwood, AKA John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, two extremely Anglo-looking guys who sing blues music (the race switch was the essential joke, I’m told, but Aykroyd has since been an iconic partner in the House of Blues restaurant and music-venue chain and thus puts his money where his schtick is).