Dunn, Donald Duck

The Blues Brothers (Widescreen 25th Anniversary Edition)

After building up the duo's popularity through popular recordings and several performances on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd--as "legendary" Chicago blues brothers Jake and Elwood Blues--took their act to the big screen in this action-packed hit from 1980. As Jake and Elwood struggle to reunite their old band and save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised, they wreak enough good-natured havoc to attract the entire Cook County police force. The result is a big-budget stunt-fest on a scale rarely attempted before or since, including extended car chases that result in the wanton destruction of shopping malls and more police cars than you can count. Along the way there's plenty of music to punctuate the action, including performances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and James Brown that are guaranteed to knock you out. As played with deadpan wit by Belushi and Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God," and that gives them a kind of reckless glee that keeps the movie from losing its comedic appeal. Otherwise this might have been just a bloated marathon of mayhem that quickly wears out its welcome (which is how some critics described this film and its 1998 sequel). Keep an eye out for Steven Spielberg as the city clerk who stamps some crucial paperwork near the end of the film. --Jeff Shannon

Belushi and Aykroyd star as the Blues Brothers who are trying to reunite their rhythm and blues band in order to raise some honest money.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 17-JAN-2006
Media Type: DVD

The Blues Brothers (Collector's Edition)

After building up the duo's popularity through recordings and several performances on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd--as "legendary" Chicago blues brothers Jake and Elwood Blues--took their act to the big screen in this action-packed hit from 1980. As Jake and Elwood struggle to reunite their old band and save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised, they wreak enough good-natured havoc to attract the entire Cook County police force. The result is a big-budget stunt-fest on a scale rarely attempted before or since, including extended car chases that result in the wanton destruction of shopping malls and more police cars than you can count. Along the way there's plenty of music to punctuate the action, including performances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and James Brown that are guaranteed to knock you out. As played with deadpan wit by Belushi and Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God," and that gives them a kind of reckless glee that keeps the movie from losing its comedic appeal. Otherwise this might have been just a bloated marathon of mayhem that quickly wears out its welcome (which is how some critics described this film and its 1998 sequel). Keep an eye out for Steven Spielberg as the city clerk who stamps some crucial paperwork near the end of the film.--Jeff Shannon

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection

The Monterey International Pop Festival, the three-day event staged in 1967 that has become one of rock music's most famous and in some ways greatest concerts, gets the royal treatment with this three-disc boxed set.

Material on two of the three discs has already been widely available. Monterey Pop, D.A. Pennebaker's 79-minute, 1968 film, effectively sets the scene for the festival, which took place during the fabled "Summer of Love," when the hippie ethos was in its fullest flower, especially on the West Coast. And while not all the featured performances are thrilling, those that are--principally by the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the amazing Ravi Shankar--are worth the price of admission, especially in the high-definition digital transfer and new 5.1 mix seen and heard here. The same can be said for Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey, which appear in the boxed set on a separate disc and provide a much fuller look at Hendrix's and Otis Redding's incendiary sets (literally, in the former case).

Those two discs are also loaded with bonus features, including audio commentary by Pennebaker, festival producer Lou Adler (on Monterey Pop), and author Peter Guralnick (Shake!); audio-only remarks by some of the performers; photos; trailers; and other material. There's also a substantial booklet, filled with essays and photos. But it's the third disc, "The Outtake Performances," comprising some two hours of music that didn't make the final film edit, that will be of most interest to many viewers. The disc supplies a taste of some of the artists who didn't appear in Monterey Pop at all (the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and a more complete look at some who did (the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas). A nice addition to an already very impressive DVD collection. --Sam Graham

Documentary about Monterey Pop Festival of 1967; includes festival footage and performances.
Genre: Music Video - Pop/Rock
Rating: NR
Release Date: 12-NOV-2002
Media Type: DVD

The Best of the Blues Brothers

Dan Aykroyd and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) take turns telling how the Blues Brothers came to be, in a restaurant interview with Tom Davis (once upon on a time teamed with Al Franken on Saturday Night Live). For those who don't know, the Blues Brother are Joliet Jake Blues (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), two black-clad R & B artists who made it big with recurring appearances on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s, and with the number-one hit "Soul Man," and of course in the hit 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers. The conceit of the restaurant interview allows Aykroyd to give some much-needed background to the origins of the act he and Belushi developed. It also serves as a lead-in to live footage, the real appeal of the video, which is an anthology of Saturday Night Live performances (including the first one where they were dressed in Killer Bees costumes), and concert footage from the 1979 U.S. tour. A must-have for Blues Brothers fans, the DVD also includes an instructional video for those who want to learn blues harmonica. --Jim Gay

Writer Tom Davis hosts a Blues Brothers retrospective that tells the whole truth about the legendary band's early days and righteous ways. The Blues Brothers were an unforgettable part of Saturday Night Live's golden era, making their musical debut in bee costumes singing "I'm a King Bee," and becoming an overnight sensation. Switching to hats and shades inspired by John Lee Hooker, they combined classic Chicago Blues with Stax-Volt R&B to create a sound all their own. Their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, went double-platinum and led quickly to their hit movie and milestone soundtrack album. The rest is history, and it's all here in a music-filled, memory-blasting account of a band that will always be on a mission from God. The Songs: I'm a King Bee; I've Got Everything I Need (Almost); Can't Turn You Loose; B-Movie Boxcar Blues; Soul Man; Messin' with the Kid; Groove Me; Flip, Flop & Fly; I Don't Know; Hey, Bartender; Jailhouse Rock; Rubber Biscuit; Shotgun Blues; Soul Man (Alternate Version). 60 minutes.

Jimi Plays Monterey/Shake! Otis at Monterey - Criterion Collection

One of the most startling, exciting live performances in rock history is presented here in all its glory. The Jimi Hendrix Experience were already making a name for themselves in England but were little known in the States when they appeared at Monterey in June 1967; that all changed after this gig, which saw Hendrix and his trio play an electrifying mix of originals ("Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "The Wind Cries Mary") and covers ("Hey Joe," "Like a Rolling Stone," and the climactic "Wild Thing," in which the guitarist set his instrument on fire). Also included on this DVD is Shake! Otis at Monterey Otis Redding's stunning performance at the famous festival.

Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding arrived in California virtually unknown. Returning stateside from London where he had moved to launch his musical career Hendrix exploded at Monterey flooring an unsuspecting audience with his maniacal six-string pyrotechnics. Redding venerable star of Memphis' Stax record label seduced the "love crowd" in one of his best-- and last-- performances. Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey feature the entire Monterey sets of these legendary musicians performances that have entered rock and roll mythology.System Requirements:Running Time: 68 minutesFormat: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS UPC: 715515017428 Manufacturer No: CC1624DDVD

The Best of the Blues Brothers

Dan Aykroyd and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) take turns telling how the Blues Brothers came to be, in a restaurant interview with Tom Davis (once upon on a time teamed with Al Franken on Saturday Night Live). For those who don't know, the Blues Brother are Joliet Jake Blues (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), two black-clad R & B artists who made it big with recurring appearances on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s, and with the number-one hit "Soul Man," and of course in the hit 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers. The conceit of the restaurant interview allows Aykroyd to give some much-needed background to the origins of the act he and Belushi developed. It also serves as a lead-in to live footage, the real appeal of the video, which is an anthology of Saturday Night Live performances (including the first one where they were dressed in Killer Bees costumes), and concert footage from the 1979 U.S. tour. A must-have for Blues Brothers fans, the DVD also includes an instructional video for those who want to learn blues harmonica. --Jim Gay

National Lampoon's Animal House & Blues Brother (Two Pack)