Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 85

Austin American-Statesman, June 21, 1980, Page 29 Brothers' have reason to feel blue review By PATRICK TAGGART American Statesman Statl If you look closely and if you already now what he looks like you can spot "A FIRECRACKER OF A MOVIE, exploding Into oo of lha funnleat film yov'U Ron BaiTttt, ABC TV "A three-ring clrcut of fuol" Bruc Williamson, Phyboy Magulne tiirector Steven Spielberg in "The Blues brothers." He plays tne look county lerk. the man who finally issues the fcrothers a receipt for the $5,000 needed to" keep an orphanage; from being shut down. Soielberg belongs in the, movies He llidn't direct it, but he might as well have-, The Blues Brothers, wnicn was, a. l-ected by John Landis, is at times almost. into the bluesmobile, which was a police car in happier days, and begin rounding up band members, getting help or trouble along the way from characters played by James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Henry Gibson and Carrie Fisher.

Most of this talent is wasted: James Brown isn't allowed to truly cut loose In his few minutes on screen; Aretha has trouble lip-synching her song; Ray Charles plays second fiddle to routine choreography staged In his little music shop. Gibson, however, shines as the head of the Chicago Nazi party (this film doesn't leave out much in the way of disaster), and Fisher is bossy and Princess Leia-like as Jake's rejected lover. The film moves aimlessly when It's not embroiled in mechanical destruction. That, at least, Landis does very, very well. Belushi and Aykroyd were used better In the poorest "Saturday Night Live" sketch than anywhere here.

The film is a monument to car wreckage, with a tip of the hat to rhythm and blues. If you've seen the preview, you've seen the movie. tmdistinguisnaDie irom apieiuerg 1941," sharing both us successes ana and the even funnier sleeper of 1977, "Kentucky Fried Movie," showed in both films a fine sense of the outrageous, of going above and beyond the comic call of duty. (Remember, in "Animal House," the guy cranking up the chainsaw as he prepared to remove a stiff-legged dead horse from the dean's office? Well, it's all gone in "Blues Brothers." The film lumbers along like any other unremarkable family comedy, except here the frequent use of profanity, and the forbidden wora in particular, will preclude most family outings. The story, written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, is about two musician-brothers Eldwood and Jake Blues (Aykroyd and John Belushi) who plan to help an old friend, a nun named Sister Stigmata, raise $5,000 to pay back taxes on the orphanage.

Jake just got out of prison and both are broke, so they decide to get their defunct blues band back together and raise the money honestly, playing gigs. They jump failures. Like "1941," "Blues Brothers" cost iiearly $40 million, most of which shows TittiiMriiMiiiWiiiiirrriThw it bp in the form ot- smasnea sets ana pry mm 1 9-WD KHNMUI At tHI wrecked auios. At leasi au auiomoDues are completely destroyed in one of the two chase scenes that are the film's single strength. One of them takes place MANN WESTGATE 3 FOX TRIPLEX 1 1 WtVt t-U a shopping man, so a tew million in FOX 12:55, 3:05, 5:15, 7:25 (35,11:45 glass, clothing, gifts and set construction MANN 12:55, 3:05, 5:15 7:25, :35 were cnewed up there.

Landis, who directed "Animal House" monn FOX TRIPLEX 6757 AIRPORT BLVD. Cinemark Theatres FOUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE Cinemark Theatres BUY ONE TICKET AND STAY TILL DAWN! 454-2711 fSKT PIC HOftflOR fl JACK NICHOLSON SHELLEY OUVALL 111! IIS SOUTH SCREEN BOX OFFICE OPENS 8:15 It BOX OFFICE OPENS 8:15 i 1 A TERRIFYING tSS.V. SECRET HAS BEEN NATIONAL LAMPOONS the vrr OU9B II All the world likes an outlaw. The LONG 1 9:00 mm 0 1:1 5-3 30-5 45 A UNIVERSAL PICTURE 2 CLINT EASTWOOD'S CLASSIC 1100 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY THE MOT KcL outrageous Of EM ALL! yw HEARTS CLUB BAND" 2-H utf.i IH3 3 1:30 4 BETTER AND MORE ENTERTAINING. JOHN WAYNE THE ALAMO MANN 3 2:30 "MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI WESTGATE A UNIVERSAL PICTURE 4608 WESTGATE BLVD.

892-2775 REVENGE CM 4 CLINT EASTWOOD 3 50 THE HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER MAD MAGAZINE seller: UP THE- w33 ACADEMY A comedy gone totally T004Y -1 15-3 M45 63(M) ft NORTH SCREEN BOX OFFICE '-OPENS 8:15 WEST SCREEN BOX OFFICE OPENS 8:15 BETTE MIDLER ALAN BATES il THE ROSE i mm Salty Field "NORMA HOSE 12:30. 5:00. 30 HOHMA2 55, 7 23 1 9:00 3 10:45 3 12:15 4 1:45 5 3:15 1 9:00 2 11:30 3 1:35 4 3:35 VAMPIRE'S PLAYGIRLS NAKED STEWARDESSES GRAVE DESIRES JAILBAIT BABYSITTER NAKED RIDER ALL FEATURES RATED KING K0F3G GEORGE SEGAL ROLLER COASTER CHARLTON HESTON EARTHQUAKE GEORGE C. SCOTT HIIIDENBURG ALL FEATURES RATED PG fir THt M0ST f-fS-5 Of EM ALL! GEE RLDUCLD ADULT ADMISSION First Show Each Day LIMITED TO SEATING CAPACITY Daily Times May Vary.