Posted on 06/16/2010 10:42:44 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
TAORMINA, Sicily -- When Jake and Elwood Blues, the protagonists in John Landis' cult classic "The Blues Brothers," claimed they were on a mission from God, the Catholic Church apparently took them at their word.
On the 30th anniversary of the film's release, "L'Osservatore Romano," the Vatican's official newspaper, called the film a "Catholic classic" and said it should be recommended viewing for Catholics everywhere.
The film is based on a skit from "Saturday Night Live." In the story, Jake and Elwood -- played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, respectively -- embark on an unlikely road trip featuring concerts, car chases, clashes with the police and neo-Nazi groups, and attempts at revenge from a spurned lover, all, ostensibly, to raise money for the church-run orphanage where they grew up.
But aside from a brief appearance from a relatively brief appearance from Kathleen Freeman as a wrist-slapping nun referred to as "The Penguin" and the brothers' periodic claim that they were on a mission from God, spirituality does not play a significant role in the film.
In addition to Belushi and Aykroyd, the film featured an all-star cast including musicians James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, and Chaka Khan, in addition to noted actors John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Charles Napier, and Henry Gibson, and cameo roles for Frank Oz, Steven Spielberg, Landis, Mr. T, and Paul Reubens.
With the recommendation, "The Blues Brothers" joins the list of dozens of films recommended by Catholic authorities that includes Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," "Jesus of Nazareth" from Franco Zeffirelli," Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ," Victor Flemming's "Joan of Arc," and "It's a Wonderful Life" from Frank Capra.
Man I haven’t been pulled over in six months.
I’ll bet they got SCMODS
You don’t like the car?
No...I don’t like the car.
“SCMODS?”
“State County Municipal Offender Data System.”
“Elwood, it shows that your license is currently under suspension. Can you please step outside of your car?”
“You want out. Okay, I’ll get you out.”
“You are such a disappointing pair. I prayed so hard for you. It saddens and hurts me that the two young men whom I raised to believe in the Ten Commandments have returned to me as two thieves, with filthy mouths and bad attitudes. Get out, and don’t come back until you’ve redeemed yourselves.”
Car’s got a lot of pickup.
Jake: What are we doing here?
Elwood: You promised you’d visit the penguin the day you got out.
Jake: Yeah? So I lied to her.
Elwood: You can’t lie to a nun. We got to go in and visit the penguin.
Frank Oz was also the voice of either Bert or Ernie on Sesame Street.
Whadda say...is it the new bluesmobile or what?
How often does the the train go by?
The only time I remember bad language was when the Penguin was slapping them with the yardstick, and they kept uttering profanities, and when they had just finished playing at the honky-tonk, and Belushi was trying to delay the real band from entering and the lead bandmember uttered the f-word at him.
You’re going to look pretty funny trying to eat corn on the cob with no f-in teeth.
Let me talk it over with Bob and see if we can put your band on waiver.
Boys..you gotta learn not to talk to nuns that way.
Oldsmobiles ??? Bluesmobile...
That sounds right. Thanks for the info.
Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?
Claire:Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.
It still makes me giggle
Wasn’t he the personal assistant to Cardinal Dario Fungi? And the gossip columnist to the Vatican? I’m pretty sure he said that the convent confessions were boring, stuff like, “I forgot to turn the kitchen light off” etc.
The author neglected to mention Bo Diddley.
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