Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 25

Amusements28-35 Joyce Brothers31 Comics40-41 TV38-39 Ssctiosi Thursday June 19, 1980 Page 25 1 ECh to last ion 'Sues'' irottas' uuu IV." UN fiWW 1 I I 1 1 i I "The Blues Brothers." A musical comedy starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Directed by John Landis. Rating: R. Running Time: 133 minutes. Presented in 4-track stereo.

At Eric's Place. By JOE BALTAKE Daily News Movie Reviewer WHAT FILM CAN create of its very own when film is at its very best is personified, exemplified, by John Landis' "The Blues Brothers," an exciting musical "adventure" that's brimming with intense creativity and satirical daring. It's a rambunctious movie, mixing big-scale filmmaking with free-form storytelling a $27-milIion lark which pays tribute to rhythm-and-blues harmonizing, car chases, acrobatic stunts. Second City shenanigans and, most especially, Bogeyism. Landis has conjured up an excessive fantasy which should amuse movie buffs, entertain and sometimes overwhelm the casual moviegoer and duly diminish a reviewer's reserve of superlatives.

But what's really impressive about "The Blues Brothers" is the fact that Landis has managed to exercise control over his excesses and lunacies here. What could have been a trap turns out to be a strength, with the result being a fine nay, a refined madness. The bottom line is that "The Blues Brothers," despite all of its frenetics and ligament-straining turns, is a rather tender, personal and bittersweet film a filmmaker's tribute to his own art and profession. But not sentimentally so. It's always alive and feisty, but it slips it to you when you least expect it.

All silliness aside, the love for film exhibited in "The Blues Brothers" is so affecting it sometimes hurts. THE PLOT, of course, was inspired by the two "Saturday Night Live" characterizations created by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, supplemented here by ideas borrowed from old Humphrey Bogart-Pat O'Brien and Dead End flicks. Elwood and Jake Blues" (Aykroyd and Belushi, respectively) could be petty criminals, would-be musicians, two Rabelaisian layabouts. Take your pick. Actually, they're all three.

They're a couple of adopted brothers, united by loyalty and their love of music, who spend their lives like boys on a spree of truancy. They talk in musicians' slang. They drive fast too fast, bother women and enrage their old Catholic School principal. Sister Mary Stigmata (that wonderful veteran come-diennne, Kathleen Freeman). THE KEY SEQUENCE which unites the boys with the good Sister, who sends them out on "a mission for God" in search of $15,000 for back taxes, is marked by comedy that's knowing and humane: Sister Stigmata manages to reduce these two gangster-like musicians to little-boy status.

It's a totally satisfying scene because its humanity is never totally sacrificed to slapstick or bellylaughs. It epitomizes the movie. To raise the money, Elwood and Jake set about to regroup their old band, and it's done in a witty manner reminiscent of hoods congregating for a reunion. Jake, in fact, is fresh out of the slammer paroled after doing three years for armed robbery. We don't believe for a second, however, that these boys are dangerous.

Besides, the madly illogical plot replete with Carlton Johnson's sensational, show-stopping production numbers and wondrous car crashes keeps us too diverted to worry about ijood-versus-evil moralizing. LANDIS CROSSCUTS and jumps his film all over the place picking up a handclapping bit with Aretha Franklin here and a leg-kicking number with James there. It spins your head inside out. Landis is experimenting here, assualting the eye and ear with a rollercoaster ride of music, trivia, noise and insanely irreverent and funny, funny gags. It's an experiment that really works.

"The Blues Brothers" is unlike anything you've ever seen before, at once touching and far-far out and most of all, best of all. it is hugely entertaining. Photographed hy Susan Wtntwts Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as the "Blues Brothers" perform in a saloon Fun Trio Creates the Lamjhs For tonight's premiere of "The Blues Brothers" at Eric's Place, SamEric Theaters, will close down a portion of Chestnut between 15th and 16th Sts. and stage a block party in front of the theater, at 7 p.m. The blues band, Pickins, will perform and WMMR-FM disc jockeys will be on hand to give away "Blues Brothers" posters, albums, buttons and T-shirts on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The film premiere an invitational follows at 8 p.m. By JOE BALTAKE Daily News Movie Reviewer NEW YORK Every June, the art of film becomes subsidiary to the art of promotion, with the Hollywood hucksters coming out of the woodwork to hawk their wares. If you're lucky, the personalities involved manage to transcend the hype and not only do some good for the film, but also reveal themselves as people (warts and all). "The shopping center we destroy in the film is the biggest indoor location ever used in a movie!" John Landis laughs with all the persistence of a class clown. "It was incredible'.

We found this mall it had been closed for 14 (expletive deleted) months Spent three months dressing it with real merchandise and then spent five days driving 116 cars through it!" "Chicago was very cooperative," Dan Aykroyd intervenes, sounding like the voice of sanity, "mainly because the people there know Belushi loves the city." The each one somehow complementing the others. AYKROYD WAS the group's diplomat, very personable, doing most of the talking and eager to please with an occasional quip. Belushi, surprisingly quiet and reserved, generally interrupted only when he had something lo offer. landis was on hand for laughs. A hyper-film buff, he talks with rapid-fire excitement and spices his spiel with a choice of words which have Universal honchos frowning.

If Chicago was so cooperative, why isn't the film being premiered there as planned, Landis was asked. "Oh, I thought it would be such a (expletive deleted) waste of money he replies. But what about the $27 million he spent on "The Blues Brothers" and its 116 car crashes (at least)? "Oh, I'd never aplolgize Continued on Page 3S unflappable John Belushi nods agreement. Belushi, Aykroyd and Landis the stars and director, respectively, of "The Blues Brothers" were among those who recently reared their heads for publicity's sake. While they revealed precious little about "The Blues Brothers" (which can speak very well for itself), they made an interesting study in contrasting types, with.