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A review by mweis
The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic by Daniel de Visé, Daniel de Visé
4.0
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The Blues Brothers is one of my all time favorite movies, so when I saw this book available on NetGalley I had to request it.
This book covers the friendship of John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd, the history of improv including the creation and early years of Saturday Night Live, and the making of The Blues Brothers, but despite the title it reads mostly like a biography of John Belushi. The book starts with Belushi's early years and ends with his death, and the act's first appearance on SNL doesn't take place until the 50% mark. Before that point we learn about Belushi and Ackroyd's starts in comedy and there are several passages covering their time at SNL and Belushi's role in Animal House (another fantastic movie). The back half of the book covers the creation of The Blues Brothers including many of the behind the scenes problems with filming. There is a lot of name dropping throughout the book which would probably feel more nostalgic to someone who grew up in this era but as I grew up in an age where these were already considered cult classics I had less familiarity with some of the more obscure people. Despite this, I still really enjoyed this book, and I think it would be even more impactful and entertaining for those who grew up in this generation.
While I enjoyed the reading experience the narration by Johnny Heller was fine but not my favorite, so I will likely be picking up a physical copy of the book if I purchase it.
The Blues Brothers is one of my all time favorite movies, so when I saw this book available on NetGalley I had to request it.
This book covers the friendship of John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd, the history of improv including the creation and early years of Saturday Night Live, and the making of The Blues Brothers, but despite the title it reads mostly like a biography of John Belushi. The book starts with Belushi's early years and ends with his death, and the act's first appearance on SNL doesn't take place until the 50% mark. Before that point we learn about Belushi and Ackroyd's starts in comedy and there are several passages covering their time at SNL and Belushi's role in Animal House (another fantastic movie). The back half of the book covers the creation of The Blues Brothers including many of the behind the scenes problems with filming. There is a lot of name dropping throughout the book which would probably feel more nostalgic to someone who grew up in this era but as I grew up in an age where these were already considered cult classics I had less familiarity with some of the more obscure people. Despite this, I still really enjoyed this book, and I think it would be even more impactful and entertaining for those who grew up in this generation.
While I enjoyed the reading experience the narration by Johnny Heller was fine but not my favorite, so I will likely be picking up a physical copy of the book if I purchase it.