Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was happy to get a videotape that included some of the best and funniest moments in John Belushi's brief but brilliant career as a member of the Saturday Night Live cast. However, I was disappointed in the selection of material. Whoever chose the performances evidently feels that Belushi had as much or more to offer the world as a singer than he did as a comedian. This is a mistake, I think. Belushi was adept at imitating well-known performers like Joe Cocker and Roy Orbison, but this type of "appreciative imitation" does not hold long-term viewer appeal, really. This preoccupation with Belushi's musical talents carries over in an overexposure of Belushi and Ackroyd's "Blues Brothers" act. This was amusing in its time, with its accompanying social justice subtext (e.g., "Hey, we middle-class white guys can really appreciate the unheralded music of our soulful black brothers"). But twenty years later, it sounds hackneyed and overexposed. The Blues Brothers were good amateur blues musicians, but they were, in fact, amateurs, and not worth listening to/watching repeatedly.
There are some funny Belushi skits on the tape, including his Brando imitation as "The Godfather" and one amusing "Samurai" episode. But some of the greatest Belushi classics are missing. For example, if one Samurai episode was to be included, it surely should have been "Samurai Night Fever," which featured co-star O.J. Simpson (who, whatever his crimes and human weaknesses, was a dynamite SNL host). There also should have been a good Belushi commentary that included his famous "But nooooooooo!"
At the end of the tape there is a "montage" sequence in which are included snippets of a number of very funny Belushi skits that would have been better than some of those included in this tape. Maybe there should be a "More of the Best of John Belushi" sequel. I hope so. END
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Best of Saturday Night Live: The Best of John Belushi (1975)
Get 89% OFF
0 comments:
Post a Comment