Blues Brothers === ​[00:00:00] Katie Marinello: Welcome to Carried Far, Far Away, a podcast where we watch and read everything Carrie Fisher did in her short life and story career. My name is Katie Marinello. . Claire Fisher: I'm Claire Fisher, and today we are talking about The Blues Brothers. Katie Marinello: I think we're back to, uh, well, that was certainly a movie. Claire Fisher: I I'm not as down on it as you seem to be, but why don't you tell our our listening audience what this movie is about in 54 seconds or less? Katie Marinello: but you literally texted me that you didn't think you understood it. Claire Fisher: Uh, the first half I didn't, but it started to make more sense by the end. Katie Marinello: Okay. I don't know about this muting thing because then you can't hear me laugh. Claire Fisher: Yeah, the editing out the laughter was taking a lot of time. Katie Marinello: But the laughter's the best part. We are delightful, haven't you heard? We got our first Spotify review. We are delightful. Claire Fisher: oh right, here I am trying to ask you for the summary when we haven't done the listener mail. Katie Marinello: Listener mail, listener mail.[00:01:00] Claire Fisher: We got a review, an actual honest to goodness Spotify review. Katie Marinello: We did. Thank you, Nora. Hopefully she listens further after binging our first four episodes. Claire Fisher: You two have a wonderful and fun sister dynamic. The first episode, even though it was a short introductory one, was enough to grab me to the point of binge listening the remaining three right after. I love your late 80s early 90s perspectives. I can relate. Fun and educational tangents and ever present feminism. Claire Fisher: I cannot wait for future episodes. Claire Fisher: Heart, heart. Katie Marinello: thank you, Nora, Claire Fisher: Yes, our feminism is ever present. Katie Marinello: ever present, and I think that might come up here. All right. Claire Fisher: May or may not. Claire Fisher: Would you like to tell our audience what the Blues Brothers is about? Katie Marinello: Yes. Let me just pull up my script by which I mean the text messages you sent me last night. Katie Marinello: goodness. We text a lot. Claire Fisher: Yes, it's our delightful sister dynamic. Katie Marinello: that is our delightful. Six. Katie Marinello: [00:02:00] Yes. Claire Fisher: Go. Katie Marinello: Carrie Fisher plays, quote, mystery woman, a beautician who sets out to kill her ex fiancee, who is on a mission from God to get his band back together after being released from prison. The band consists of his brother and a bunch of other ne'er do wells, , but as they are, scamming their way into the prison. Katie Marinello: different gigs and attempting to make, money to rescue the orphanage that they were raised in. They're pursued by the police for unpaid tickets, the Illinois Nazi party for disrupting a march, and a rival band for stealing a gig. They do manage to get the money to pay the orphanage taxes, but then they get arrested. Katie Marinello: The end. Claire Fisher: More or less, that is the summary of the Blues Brothers. Katie Marinello: Yeah. I don't know how many seconds that was, but that is pretty much it. Claire Fisher: that was roughly within the time limit. So, this may be a movie for which, uh, it's a rare movie [00:03:00] for which knowing the context in which it was made makes it funnier. Claire Fisher: I let me, let me go just a tiny bit into the times and a short history of this movie. Claire Fisher: Uh, cause I went into it blind Claire Fisher: and I shouldn't have. Claire Fisher: I ended up pausing to look up what I was missing. Katie Marinello: So I, I vaguely knew it's a movie based on SNL skit. Right. Katie Marinello: And at Claire Fisher: I didn't know that. Katie Marinello: right. So I did know that in our lifetime. There's been many of those. I'm not sure where this falls in that. I mean, I'm sure you're going to tell me where this falls in that history. Katie Marinello: But I will say by and large, I have not liked a single one. So it didn't surprise me that this one wasn't my cup of tea. Claire Fisher: Okay, so, worth noting, you and I have never really been SNL watchers. Katie Marinello: yeah. I actually wanted to ask you this. because this week is the 50th anniversary of SNL, so this is actually. One of those weird like timing things where it's like, Oh, this is actually makes sense so what is your relationship to SNL? Claire Fisher: I catch the [00:04:00] occasional sketch when it becomes a water cooler moment, honestly. Katie Marinello: Um, Yeah. Claire Fisher: I, I am not a fan. tO the extent that I would sit down and watch a whole episode, unless it was being hosted by somebody I really wanted to follow. But You know, I've seen some sketches. I've seen the first one they ever did because it's a send up of English as a second language classes and I teach English as Claire Fisher: a second language. Katie Marinello: Right. No, I agree with you. I think it's better in clips. Like I enjoy the clips that they post on YouTube and Facebook, Instagram, whatever. But generally when I actually sit down to watch an entire episode, I don't understand how it's made it 50 years. Also, I feel like I was just watching the 40th anniversary special and now they're doing like a whole weekend of 50th anniversary stuff, but that is how, I guess, um, I Time go linear linear time That's what I was trying to say. Yes. That's how linear time works. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Katie Marinello: anyway, so yeah, [00:05:00] so like I said, this is not, never been my, cup of tea. I knew John Belushi was like this famous, like legendary SNL guy who burned out quick because he died young. And that's pretty much what I knew going in. So tell me about the times. Claire Fisher: Well, okay. This was released June 20th, 1980, two days after The Empire Strikes Back. Katie Marinello: Oh, wow. Claire Fisher: So, it was the same week, it has Frank Oz in it, it has Carrie Fisher in it, Claire Fisher: and yet Katie Marinello: And yet. Mmhmm. Claire Fisher: completely distinct cultural trends of the late 70s and early 80s, where The Empire Strikes Back was part of a franchise that was like reinventing sci fi to be like mainstream business. The Blues Brothers comes from Saturday Night Live. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: It was released the same day as another musical movie, Can't Stop the [00:06:00] Music, with the village people in it. And it. Claire Fisher: was also competing against Caddyshack, which, was written by the screenwriters of Animal House and starred several SNL alumni. Whereas the Blues Brothers was directed by the director of Animal House and starred several SNL alumni and was adapted from an SNL skit. So like It just goes to show, these things all existed at the same time and in the same, you know, milieu, and yet, The Empire Strikes Back had nothing to do with this other Katie Marinello: Yeah, that's interesting. Wait, so Caddyshack, that's Chevy Chase, right? Claire Fisher: Uh, yeah, Toby Chase, Bill Murray, um, Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: Well, just cause Chevy Chase and John Belushi were two of the first cast members on SNL and were arguably the two like breakout stars from that first season. Katie Marinello: So interesting that they went up against each other in this way. Claire Fisher: So, let me give you a short history of how the Blues Brothers came to be. Which, by the way, going into this, I knew the Blues Brothers from the memes. Like the, we're on a [00:07:00] mission for God, we're 106 miles from Chicago. I did not know it was based on an SNL skit. My apologies to the hardworking sketch Katie Marinello: Wait, wait, we should probably, we should say up front, like, I know there are people out there who this is like their movie, right? Like this Katie Marinello: is beloved. It's like a cult classic. It's like you said, memed all the time. It's quoted all the time. I just feel like we need to apologize to all the straight men who might be listening to this podcast. Claire Fisher: I live with one. And when I said, Honey, I've never seen The Blues Brothers and I'm going to sit down and watch it tonight. He said, Why? And I said, Carrie Fisher's in it. And he said, She is? Katie Marinello: Barely. Katie Marinello: Barely. Claire Fisher: minutes. She has six minutes of screen time. I Katie Marinello: In a two hour movie. Claire Fisher: In a two hour movie. Katie Marinello: She doesn't even have a name! Claire Fisher: But she has a really epic schtick. Katie Marinello: She does, yes. But anyway. Claire Fisher: Okay, let me rewind. Claire Fisher: Think back. January 17th, [00:08:00] 1976. Katie Marinello: Oh, not existed yet. Yeah, okay, it was grandpa who died on January 17th, You weren't born yet. 71. Claire Fisher: so it was five years after our grandpa's death, and twelve years before your birth. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: In the first season of Saturday Night Live, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were playing Secret Service agents in a sketch about President Ford, who, keep in mind, had survived two assassination attempts the previous fall. So, the schtick was like, the Secret Service was kind of being useless, right? As part of this, Aykroyd had a suitcase handcuffed to his wrist, representing the nuclear football. And they were wearing sunglasses and suits, because that's what Secret Service agents wear. Then that sketch transitioned into the musical act of the night. Belushi unlocked Ackroyd's suitcase, who pulled out a harmonica, and with members of the SNL house band backing them up, they performed King B, which we will cut in. It's a 1957 swamp blues song by Slim Harpo. The joke, the only joke, was that it was white boys [00:09:00] performing black music. Katie Marinello: Oh, Claire Fisher: And that the harmonica came out of the nuclear football. Katie Marinello: Oh, my God. God. Claire Fisher: Now, the characters recurred in the same outfits, but without the Secret Service setup, in two more sketches, in April of 78 and November of 1978. The shtick was popular enough that they decided to release a Blues Brothers tie in album. As a promotion for SNL. It was called Briefcase Full of Blues. They performed it in character. Claire Fisher: Dan Akra, John Belushi, and the SNL House Band, , did a live recording at a Steve Martin comedy show. And it was released 10 days after the third skit aired. The liner notes gave backstories to the entire band. So this is where you get Elwood and Jake's name, that they grew up in an orphanage, that they declared themselves blood brothers and then changed their names to blues as adults so that they could match, gave names to all of the background, instrumentalists. [00:10:00] And that album went double platinum. Katie Marinello: Oh my god. Claire Fisher: I know, really. Katie Marinello: Well, I mean, I guess they're the lonely planet of their time, Claire Fisher: Right, yeah. Going viral today with an SNL skit, or a Lonely Planet song, they went viral by 78 standards. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: But then, they decided to make a movie. And the movie, because the skits were just one joke, the movie is based on the characterization presented in the liner notes. So this is a movie based on the liner notes of an album produced as part of a tie in with an SNL bit. And this is that movie. Katie Marinello: That does give context. I knew some but not all of that. Was not aware of the liner notes that I had to read in order to understand this movie. Claire Fisher: And, you know, the thing is, since in 1980, it's not like marketing campaigns based on tie in media were fully normalized. Like, that didn't really become [00:11:00] a thing, at least until, like, The Matrix Reloaded was really hardcore. If you hadn't played the video game, you didn't understand the movie. Like, Katie Marinello: Well, I mean, Star Wars. Claire Fisher: Star Wars was beginning to experiment with it, but if you didn't read the extended universe Star Katie Marinello: could still understand it. Claire Fisher: you could still watch the movies. Claire Fisher: So, the presumption had to be, in June of 1980, if you sat down to watch the Blues Brothers, you might not have read the liner notes of their album. Claire Fisher: You might not have seen them on SNL. You might have bought a ticket and just be coming in blind. And this is the movie that they made for that. Katie Marinello: So they gave basically no context. Claire Fisher: Nope. Katie Marinello: They really relied on you knowing what happened on SNL and in that. And it's not like you could look up, what do I need to know before I go to this movie? Like Katie Marinello: what was the, it's not like every newspaper had what to remember before the second season, which I look up all the time now when it's been like a year and a half between seasons of streaming shows, [00:12:00] but wow. Katie Marinello: Okay. And yet. Like I said, cult classic people love this movie. Claire Fisher: Well, it works. It does work. I mean, it's This guy has just gotten out of prison. The orphanage where he grew up has been subject to a tax assessment. He needs to raise 5, 000 by the end of the day. And then a few things happen along the way. It's a classic journey movie. It's an epic saga movie. It's a movie with a lot of really interesting and somewhat depressing trivia about it. Which we can go into if you want now or later. Either way. Katie Marinello: Well, I mean, we talked a little bit about the actors, but do you want to just give a little background on the actors or do you want to do trivia first? Claire Fisher: No, let's go into the actors. Katie Marinello: So there are a lot of characters in this movie. There's like 527 characters. Carrie Fisher doesn't even make it into TopCast on the IMDB page, so that'll tell you. Katie Marinello: And she was, let's just remember, actively starring in the sequel to the most popular movie of the [00:13:00] previous decade. And she's not in this top like 12 characters. But due to time, I'm going to just focus on the main two, because they're kind of what makes this movie. So, John Adam Belushi, that can't be an accident, American comedian, actor, musician. He was one of seven Saturday Night Live cast members in the first season, arguably one of the most popular breakout star from that season and that era. Katie Marinello: He was born to Albanian American parents and he started his own comedy troupe called the West Compass Trio and then was recruited to the Second City Comedy Club. And he met Dan Aykroyd there at the second city. And then Chevy Chase and Michael Donahue recommended him to Saturday night live, where he was successful, but also, fired a bunch and then rehired a bunch mostly because of his, substance abuse issues. Katie Marinello: And he died in 1982 at the [00:14:00] age of 33, from an overdose. Claire Fisher: Yeah, do you remember Grandma Rita's saying, they shouldn't have made him work with how sick he was? Katie Marinello: No, I don't remember that. Where, Claire Fisher: she said that? Claire Fisher: about Heath Ledger Claire Fisher: when he died of what may have been an accidental overdose. It was widely rumored that he had been depressed after playing, , the Joker. Anyway, Grandma Rita used to say that about, movie stars who died of overdoses. Claire Fisher: They shouldn't have made them work if they were that sick, and John Belushi, at the time he made this movie, was well on his way to an early grave. Claire Fisher: Um, he lived another year and a half, but according to all accounts, he was heavily medicated and self medicated when he was on this set. Katie Marinello: Yeah. You know what was going through my head the whole time I was watching the movie was, adam Sandler. hosted Saturday Night Live a couple of years ago, and he sang a song about, Chris Farley. Claire Fisher: Mm. Katie Marinello: And for whatever reason, I don't like Adam Sandler. I don't like SNL, but that [00:15:00] song for whatever reason just really hit me. Katie Marinello: And so I listened to it a bunch and he says in it, Adam Sandler: we'd tell him slow down you'll end up like Belushi and Candy he said Those guys are my heroes, that's all fine and dandy. I ain't makin that stuff up, that's the truth about my boy, Chris Farley. Katie Marinello: And that just, I don't know, we'll cut it in, but that just kept playing in my head because I was like, I know where this all ends because of that. Katie Marinello: You know? Katie Marinello: Anyway. Claire Fisher: I mean, for me, watching like the climactic scene where Mystery Woman confronts the Blues Brothers, I ended up thinking like, two of the three people in this scene will die of drug overdoses. I mean, according to Carrie Fisher, Belushi had built a private bar on set and everyone who worked there was a dealer. Claire Fisher: The director, John Landis, apparently asked Carrie Fisher to try to keep John Belushi sober during the days they were on set together, but of course she was self medicating her [00:16:00] own bipolar disorder by this point in her life. So they were just abusing together. John Landis has had to specifically deny that he ever punched John Belushi to stop him from snorting more cocaine. However, he has neither confirmed nor denied whether he ever snuck into the dressing room and flushed the drugs to keep him sober for another hour so he could do one more scene. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: Dan Aykroyd has told the charming story of the time John Belushi just wandered off set, knocked on a stranger's door, raided their fridge, and conked out on their couch. Claire Fisher: And Dan Aykroyd had to retrieve him. Um, and when he injured his knee just before filming the, the scene where he had to do a bunch of cartwheels, they actually called in a doctor to pump him full of anesthetics so he would still do the cartwheels. It should not have surprised anybody that the man would go on to die. Overdose of multiple drugs. Katie Marinello: Yes. Okay. So let's talk about Dan Aykroyd, cause he's still Katie Marinello: alive. Claire Fisher: On a lighter note, Dan Aykroyd. Katie Marinello: The one survivor of this [00:17:00] movie, apparently. He is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer. Also an original member of SNL. , he was known for the Blues Brothers and Coneheads. Those were his big SNL skits, um, he received five primetime Emmy award nominations for SNL. Katie Marinello: Besides Ellwood, his most famous role that I know him from is as Dr. Raymond Stanz in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2. And he's also been in several serious films, including Pearl Harbor, which was like all the rage when I was in high school. Middle school and high school. And in 1990, he was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor. Katie Marinello: Do you know what for? Claire Fisher: 1990. No, I don't know that. Katie Marinello: He was bully Worthen in driving Miss Daisy. Claire Fisher: Oh, one of the ones that hasn't really aged as well and doesn't get replayed as much. Claire Fisher: Okay. Katie Marinello: Okay. Well, I had to read driving this Daisy in high school, [00:18:00] I think. Claire Fisher: Oh, and you make fun of me for having had to read proof. Um, Katie Marinello: I've never seen the movie, but I do know the story. So anyway, that is Dan Aykroyd. Like I said, still alive. He's 72. And I don't know if you know anything about whether he's sober or right. Claire Fisher: make, one of the people on SNL who never had a drug problem, honestly. Claire Fisher: That, that freshman cast of SNL has had, uh, a drug problem. Very public, struggle with, abusive substances, Katie Marinello: Indeed. Claire Fisher: goes to show in the seventies and eighties, these things were very much normalized in Hollywood. Claire Fisher: And it turns out you should not normalize cocaine use. It is bad for you. Very bad for you as a matter of fact. Katie Marinello: Extremely. Yes. Katie Marinello: And then pretty much everybody else in this movie is, not everybody else, but a lot of the other characters in this movie are stunt casting, right? So they get one scene, one song, Aretha Franklin, Frank Oz, Ray [00:19:00] Charles, who else? Claire Fisher: Cab Calloway who composed Minnie the Moocher is the caretaker of the orphanage. Claire Fisher: And he sings Minnie the Moocher at the end. What I found interesting as I did a little research into this is like none of these musicians were really Working at the time except for Ray Charles Katie Marinello: Interesting. Claire Fisher: Like James Brown not really, so , they were assembled to represent the history of blues in the blues brothers Not because they were actually popular in 1980 Katie Marinello: Right. But they would have been recognizable. Claire Fisher: Well, the music would have been recognizable, not necessarily the musicians. Because keep in mind, before MTV, musicians didn't really become, sight famous. Katie Marinello: true. And the only one I actually recognized was Ray Charles. Claire Fisher: Yeah. It, Claire Fisher: took me a minute to place Aretha Franklin, and I saw her sing at Obama's inauguration. Katie Marinello: right. No, love her, love her. But yeah, didn't recognize her in this part until the end when they show the credits, Claire Fisher: Well, until she started singing, then I knew the voice, and of course, I really started laughing when the Blues [00:20:00] Brothers joined the, the kick line of the number she was doing. Because, until an hour in, when Aretha Franklin starts singing, the music is all, like, diegetic. It's not just people randomly bursting into song, they're all performing. Claire Fisher: She's the first character to just randomly start singing her feelings. Katie Marinello: yeah, I wrote down, wait, is this a musical now? You better think about what you're saying. You better think about the consequences of your actions. Oh, shut up woman. You better think, think thing I was trying to do to me. Let your mind, let yourself be free. Let's go back. Let's go back. Let's go. I didn't even know me too much. I ain't no psychiatrist. Ain't don't take too much high. What you. Let yourself be [00:21:00] free. Katie Marinello: And the answer is yes, it is a musical now, but it's like an hour in that it becomes a musical, Claire Fisher: till then it was a movie with music. Now it's a movie musical. Try to keep up. Claire Fisher: And, and, that Like, trying to keep up is part of the joke. I didn't get that at first, but I get that now. Katie Marinello: Yeah, yeah. Did not compute for me, but yeah. Claire Fisher: I will, I also, we have to address the elephant in the room, right? The famous plot hole, right? You know how you once told me there ought to be like a plot hole, Ten Commandments tablet where we carve in, no the door wasn't actually big enough for both of them, and other like famous plot holes that aren't plot [00:22:00] holes. Katie Marinello: I have no idea what you're talking about so please do tell. Claire Fisher: Okay, lots of people think it's a plot hole that a Catholic orphanage should owe taxes since religious properties are exempt from taxation. However, in 1979 when this movie was being written, There was a bill before the Illinois legislature that would have limited the number of religious, purposes to which a property could be put without being subject to taxation, which would have meant that Catholic schools, Catholic orphanages, Catholic hospitals, you know, basically things that weren't churches could be subject to taxation. That inspired this plot point that the Catholic orphanage owes taxes for the first time in its history. However, in real life, that bill never became a law. So, this is set in a slightly alternate reality where that bill became a law. Katie Marinello: Okay, [00:23:00] wow. Wow. Let's be honest, they just wanted to show a nun hitting someone with a ruler. Claire Fisher: I mean, having gone through a lot of Catholic school, and met my husband in a Catholic school, I can assure you that nuns don't need to hit you with a ruler To be very memorable. Claire Fisher: Ask your brother in law about Sister Eileen sometime and watch him flinch. Katie Marinello: We should clarify that Claire went to Catholic school, and I did not, so Katie Marinello: I went to public school throughout, and Katie Marinello: Claire went to Catholic school from fourth grade through college. So, while we were both raised Catholic, we have very different impressions of, of the church and of its, you know, role in popular culture. Katie Marinello: For example, I cannot stand the trope of the abusive Claire Fisher: never had a nun hit me. Katie Marinello: nun Claire Fisher: education. however, my husband goofed off a bit in high school and he and Sister [00:24:00] Eileen were mortal enemies. Haha, and Katie Marinello: she never hit him. Claire Fisher: She never hit him, but she did once tell him, I hope someday you're being diagnosed with cancer and the doctor can't stop giggling. Katie Marinello: Oh my god. Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: So like I said, they don't need to pick up that ruler. Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes, people in this movie. Carrie Fisher, as we have noted, is only in six minutes of it, but they managed to be some fairly memorable six minutes. Katie Marinello: They are, they are really something. The first time we see her is she's sitting outside the hotel that Dan Ackroyd's character has been living in, that he takes John Belushi's character to, after, Jake gets out of jail, Katie Marinello: and Claire Fisher: they have already had one car chase, I Katie Marinello: Right, yes, yes. So a car chase, then they get to their hotel, and she's sitting outside the hotel, and she picks up a Claire Fisher: First she shoots at them with a grenade[00:25:00] Katie Marinello: Mm hmm. Nice place. Huh? Claire Fisher: They don't react at Claire Fisher: all. Claire Fisher: The next morning, she shoots a rocket launcher at the, hotel and the whole facade collapses, burying both them and the police officers who were there to arrest them in rubble. Stand back. Claire Fisher: But they get up, not a scratch on them, and say, it is almost nine o'clock. We've gotta go to work. Claire Fisher: Gee, it's almost 9 o'clock, we better get to Katie Marinello: Yep. That's when I [00:26:00] realized, oh, okay, if I just think of this movie as a cartoon, I might be able to get into it more because obviously they have no reaction and no, injuries. Claire Fisher: Yeah, it's a little bit cartoon logic. You could also take it as the mission from God that they're on is actually literal, and Claire Fisher: they're actually under divine protection. Katie Marinello: Okay. I, feel like we should talk about the mission from God. Claire Fisher: To back up a tiny bit. has just gotten out of prison. His brother Elwood picks him up. They go to visit the orphanage where they grew up. And the nun who runs the place, tells them they've just been assessed for 5, 000 in back taxes, which adjusted for inflation, 19, 000. Katie Marinello: Wow. Claire Fisher: And Jake says, oh, we could get that for you tomorrow. But she says she won't take any of their proceeds of a life of crime. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: At the suggestion of the janitor, who's played by blues legend, Curtis Calloway, they go to church where the preacher, played by James [00:27:00] Brown is giving such an energetic musical sermon that people are leaping and flipping and cartwheeling and, you know, backflipping. And a literal light shines out of the heavens and strikes Jake. And he has a divine revelation the band. I won the band. The band. Band. The. Claire Fisher: Play a couple of gigs and earn up those 5, 000 in time to pay the tax assessment. Katie Marinello: And what's the time period? It's like by the end of the week? Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Okay. Claire Fisher: mind you, meanwhile, the nun, who is a one scene wonder, has literally kicked them down the stairs. And she can also float. I thought that might be like a flying nun gag, but it could also be that she's like a ghost. But, uh, so like, they're doing all this to save the orphanage they grew up in, even though the nun has beaten them with a ruler. Claire Fisher: [00:28:00] Which really encapsulates, I mean, like I said, I went to a Catholic school for a long time. I know a lot of people who went to Catholic school. Many of us have complicated relationships with the nuns who educated us. Katie Marinello: Right. Yeah, that doesn't seem that far off at all. Because being hit, you know, being hit when they were growing up would have been kind of Katie Marinello: expected from anyone who was raising them. So. Claire Fisher: And although Brian and Sister Eileen did not get along, Brian and Sister Margaret, I mean, he would have gone to hell and back for Sister Margaret, so. Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: She was 95 and I once made her laugh by coming in dressed as a Franciscan friar on Shadow your teacher day. Katie Marinello: Okay, so that's the mission from God. Um, and then the police get on to them because they pull them over, right? Claire Fisher: So, the police have an early model, cop car computer. This Claire Fisher: was a new idea in 1980, and Jake had been in prison for three years, so he didn't know, [00:29:00] when they got pulled over, that they would be able to check the license and find out that Elwood had something like 56 moving violations and like Claire Fisher: 100 unpaid parking tickets. And because they're now on this mission from God, they peel out, they patch out and lead them on a car chase, literally through a mall. Katie Marinello: Yes. Through a mall. We didn't mention that the very first time we see them in a car, they jump across a drawbridge. Right. Claire Fisher: police car. Elwood bought it at an auction where they were, quote unquote, just giving police cars away. And according to Brian, that must be a meta gag because by the end of this movie they are crashing ex police cars, like surplus police cars, left, right, center, and upside down. Claire Fisher: And so it must have been that the production got them all pretty cheap. Katie Marinello: Yeah. That's funny. Claire Fisher: So I I have to say here, the chase through the mall scene. Was the first time I, Googled something about this [00:30:00] movie, and found out that it's darker than I thought, can I tell you? Katie Marinello: Yeah, please. Claire Fisher: Okay, so Brian's watching it, and he's watching the extras, jump out of the way of the car, and he's like, God, I hope they paid those extras well, they look like they're in actual danger. And I was like, oh, don't be silly, I'm sure they followed all of the relevant union rules for stuntmen. Katie Marinello: Oh no, what are you gonna tell me? Claire Fisher: John Landis was charged with manslaughter after three people died on the set of his next movie, The Twilight Zone. Katie Marinello: Oh my god. Claire Fisher: By his own admission he violated child labor laws and had two children on the set after dark, which is illegal in California. Claire Fisher: And, A pyrotechnics effect went off too close to the helicopter causing its blades to delaminate and the helicopter to crash on top of and decapitate, three actors. Katie Marinello: I remember that story. Yeah. Claire Fisher: Yeah, John Landis was acquitted of manslaughter but his laissez faire approach to on set safety Katie Marinello: Mm hmm. Claire Fisher: [00:31:00] to sh it speaks for itself, Claire Fisher: right? So, In retrospect, I am not convinced he followed all relevant union guidelines when setting up the stunts in the Blues Brothers. Katie Marinello: Yeah. That was a tough, I mean, I don't know. I, maybe I'm just like a stick in the mud, but I found that scene very scary. And then the next time we see a car chase, if I'm not mistaken, is after they run their car into a crowd of Nazis, Claire Fisher: Yes. The fucking Nazi party. Katie Marinello: which really hit me, hit hard because I'm sure that was very funny in 1980. Katie Marinello: But now we're living in a world where Nazis love to drive cars into crowds of protesters and that large crowd of anti Nazi protesters would possibly be arrested today. And, uh, oh yeah, there was a bill in [00:32:00] one state that tried to make it legal to drive car into a crowd of protesters. So Yeah. I don't know if it's the times we're living in or if it's just me being thir older than John Belushi ever was. Katie Marinello: But , I had a har, I had a hard time with Katie Marinello: that Claire Fisher: awful. Okay. But do you know that the Illinois Nazis in the Blues Brothers are based on real life, a real life Supreme Court case? Katie Marinello: No, of course not. Claire Fisher: Okay, let me tell you. The National Socialist Party of America versus the Village of Skokie went to the Supreme Court in 1977. The American Nazi Party won the right to hold a march through the largely Jewish suburb of Skokie, Illinois. Katie Marinello: Oh, that's why he says, oh, these guys won their court case. the cop says, oh, Claire Fisher: they won their court case, and they're marching today. The screenwriters of the movie, John Aykroyd, thought this was a chance to get a little revenge against the Nazis by having the Blues Brothers force them [00:33:00] all to jump off a bridge into a river. Claire Fisher: And Claire Fisher: frankly, I know there's problems with the idea that violence is okay if it's committed against people you disagree with. I get that, but I did laugh watching the Nazis fall in the river. Katie Marinello: oh, I'm all for it. Watching Nazis jump off a bridge, I think they all should. I guess it was just the car thing that kind of got to me, but yeah, no, I agree. I agree. And making them look ridiculous, very popular past pastime from basically the fifties onwards. Um, Claire Fisher: like it was Katie Marinello: yeah, it seemed to for a minute there. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Yeah. You know, talking about being in a slightly altered reality, the cops in this one are against the Nazis. Claire Fisher: Well, this movie was made with the support of the Chicago PD. However, after it came out, the Chicago PD decided to not support any further movies for 31 years because they were offended by their portrayal in the Third Act. Katie Marinello: Wow. Okay. So. Claire Fisher: So, [00:34:00] um, they continue on their mission from God, and they begin to assemble their old band members. They also encounter Ray Charles as a trigger happy music store owner. Katie Marinello: Everybody's trigger happy in this movie. Claire Fisher: Texted you, I'm not sure I understand this movie, while Ray Charles was leading the whole neighborhood in a dance number. Well, I heard about the fella you've been dancing with all over the neighborhood, so why didn't you ask me, baby? Or didn't you think I could? Well, I know that the book is out of sight. What? The sh nature thing Tonight it happen. You in the, I'm gonna show you how to do it right. Do it right, do it right. Do it right. Claire Fisher: That, that was the part I wasn't getting. Claire Fisher: But meanwhile, the audience can see, but no one else can see, that the mystery woman, Carrie [00:35:00] Fisher, works at the Curl Up and Die Beauty Salon, Die being D Y E, Claire Fisher: where she is reading the manual to a flamethrower. Katie Marinello: Mhmm. Claire Fisher: if you hit pause at this moment, you'll see that in the background is a picture of her with John Belushi's character. Claire Fisher: So it's a hint towards Katie Marinello: Got it, what the actual relationship is. Katie Marinello: Let's talk about everything besides Carrie Fisher and then we'll get to her scenes. Mhmm. Claire Fisher: Okay, yeah, cause, Claire Fisher: So, at this point, the police are after them for, Many, many, many moving violations. The Nazis are after them for both interfering with the protest and being Catholic. Katie Marinello: yes. Claire Fisher: the Nazis say, uh, he better pray the police get to him before we do. Claire Fisher: Right? There's a running gag where, like, they keep tracing the license plate and Elwood put, the address of Wrigley Field down on his, registration. Claire Fisher: So Claire Fisher: both the police and the Nazis end up standing outside a baseball stadium. But meanwhile The [00:36:00] Blues Brothers have gotten the band together, but they can't get in touch with their booking agent, so they con their way into a gig at a country and western bar that was expecting an act called The Good Old Boys, Katie Marinello: So they call themselves the Good Ol Boy Blue Brothers. Claire Fisher: exactly. they managed to pull it off by performing the theme song from the TV show Rawhide, Rolling. Katie Marinello: I did love that. And I knew you would love that. Cause you and mom love to just like sing that song randomly around the house. Claire Fisher: Because Uncle Mike gave her a Frankie Lane's Greatest Hits CD one year for Christmas and then played Rawhide on repeat. I learned the lyrics to the theme song from Rawhide because one Christmas day we were just all sitting around singing it. Katie Marinello: Amazing. Claire Fisher: Okay, so the Then skip out on the bar tab [00:37:00] and skip out on the good ol boys who just showed up for their gig only to find that it got stolen by the Blues Katie Marinello: Yeah, but why were the Good Ol Boys so late? Claire Fisher: Oh, they said they had like car trouble or something. Katie Marinello: Oh, okay. Claire Fisher: Yeah, but this is not their movie. This is not the good ol Claire Fisher: boys movie. Katie Marinello: My, kingdom for a cell phone. But yes, Claire Fisher: So, now the good old boys are chasing them and shooting at their car, which seems like an overreaction, except unless you've ever met a good old boy. Katie Marinello: again, everybody in this movie is trigger happy. Claire Fisher: Elwood ends up saying, Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail me now, which is a pretty good line. Katie Marinello: Yeah, that was good. Claire Fisher: okay, so they manage to get a booking. Lo and behold, after some mishigash in a sauna, where everybody is wearing their sunglasses in the sauna, they managed to get arranged to play, I think they call it the Palace Hotel. Claire Fisher: It's like 106 miles north of Chicago, which, Setting up a line for later. [00:38:00] But they only have one day to get a crowd there and it has to earn 5, 000. Katie Marinello: So they Katie Marinello: press a bunch of orphan children into labor. Claire Fisher: which reminded me of summer jobs gone by, leafleting for whatever mom was fundraising for Claire Fisher: this year. Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: they drive around through like three different counties, making announcements over the loudspeaker to get people to come to the show and then they run out of gas. Katie Marinello: Oh, yeah. Claire Fisher: So, It culminates in, , the Blues Brothers are trying to hustle a random stranger for gas money. And like, maybe pick her up to hook up with Elwood later. Katie Marinello: Oh, that's Twiggy. Claire Fisher: Twiggy, Katie Marinello: That's Twiggy, like, the supermodel. Claire Fisher: The supermodels in two scenes. One where they hustle her for gas money, Katie Marinello: And one where her to meet her at a hotel later, and one where she's at the hotel and he doesn't show up. Claire Fisher: Apparently there's a cutscene where, , it would have ended with her and Mystery Woman outside the jail. Katie Marinello: Oh, that would have been better. Claire Fisher: Well, like, going on their way to visit the Blues Claire Fisher: Brothers, but [00:39:00] anyway, yeah, that would have been a funnier ending. Anyway, so they are trying to get gas in the car and sneak past the cops and the Nazis and the good ol boys to get to their gig. Claire Fisher: Meanwhile, the backup band is is there with Curtis, the janitor of the orphanage, Katie Marinello: vamping Claire Fisher: vamping for time by playing Minnie the Boocher, which was written by Cab Calloway, who Claire Fisher: Curtis. Hey folks. Here's a story about Mini the Mocha. She was a low down here. She was the roughest, toughest, frail, but Minnie had a heart as big as a whale, honey high, [00:40:00] he. Claire Fisher: Then They do the show, and this is where the joke becomes white boys shouldn't sing that way, white boys shouldn't dance that way, white boys shouldn't handle the crowds that way, they're like name dropping actual soul singers, they're doing actual soul acts, John Belushi's doing acrobatics, right? We're so glad to see so many of you lovely people here tonight. We would especially like to welcome all the representatives of Illinois law and Community. Who have chosen to join us here in the Palace Hotel Ballroom. At this time, we certainly hope you all enjoy the show and remember people that no matter who you are and what you do to live and drive and survive, there's still some things that make us all the same. You, me, them, everybody. Everybody. Every. Every needs somebody to love. Someone to love, [00:41:00] someone to love, sweetheart, sweet sugar to kiss to you. You, you. Katie Marinello: hmm. Claire Fisher: Since that was the only joke in the original skit, I Claire Fisher: give some props for like waiting this long to make Katie Marinello: To do it. Yeah, that's true. true, yeah. Claire Fisher: Because up till now, they haven't gone to that well, right? Claire Fisher: And their credit, they don't keep the picture at that well for very long, because immediately after the show, there's a deus ex machina of a record company executive showing up and giving them, Claire Fisher: uh, 10, uh, Katie Marinello: As an advance for their CD that they're going to, apparently. Katie Marinello: CD in 1980. Katie Marinello: Oh, sorry, record. Their record that they're supposedly going to cut later. Claire Fisher: Yeah. And he also used to work at this [00:42:00] palace theater, so he knows a backdoor, he can sneak them Claire Fisher: Mm hmm. Uh, listen, all these cops out here, they're sort of waiting for us. We gotta get outta here without nobody seeing us, you know, a back door out of this place. Sure. Claire Fisher: He's literal deus ex machina, Katie Marinello: I was going to say, Claire Fisher: they're on a mission from God. Katie Marinello: Right. Right. Hahahaha! Claire Fisher: the Vatican newspapers said that this was a, a movie was an example of good Catholic values. Claire Fisher: And everyone was like, ha! What the hell are you talking about, Vatican Observer? And there is like, well, no, they actually are on a mission from God, and everything that happens is so that they can save, Katie Marinello: Fulfill this mission Katie Marinello: from God. Claire Fisher: mission from God, like. Katie Marinello: Yeah, I will say, I, I was confused when I got to the end, why it was rated R. I mean, there's a lot of shooting, but there's a lot of shooting and lots of movies and especially for a movie that is based on SNL. Katie Marinello: It's fairly wholesome. I mean, there's not any sex, [00:43:00] the mystery woman's mad at him for leaving her at the altar, not for like, other things, right? I don't know. I, I just thought it was interesting that, and then there's like an unrated version on Amazon and I'm like, what, what could possibly, you know, like, it's not like they could turn it up to 11 on the violence. Katie Marinello: There's no blood. Claire Fisher: So two things, first of all, , keep in mind, PG 13 rating wasn't invented until 1984. Claire Fisher: So at the time this was made, its choices were PG or R, Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: they have a soiled condom on screen in one. Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Uh, second thing is, the unrated version is just because that version was released to home video directly and was not submitted to the MPAA. It's not to suggest that it would get a higher Katie Marinello: Right, but they don't call it unrated because they are like, Oh, this is just extra footage. They call it unrated because they want you to think it's going to be more scandalous. Claire Fisher: I think they want you to think that, but it's really not. Katie Marinello: Well, we'll never know because I'm not watching it, [00:44:00] so. Claire Fisher: Okay. Katie Marinello: Alright, so let's talk about, let's talk they make their escape, who do they Katie Marinello: Yes. our girl! Carrie Fisher. All right. So let's talk about Carrie Fisher. So, as you said, she has six minutes of screen time. In each one, she has no lines and simply attacks them with a bigger weapon. Claire Fisher: Until 1 hour and 43 minutes and 46 seconds in when Claire Fisher: she gets her first Katie Marinello: When she gets her first lines and that's when you, so the whole movie, I will admit, I was curious. I was like, is she from a rival band? Is she working for the Nazis? God forbid. Is she, you know, like what, what is her deal? I missed the picture of her and John Belushi behind her in the salon, but, Katie Marinello: okay, so the first time we see her, she shoots at them with a grenade launcher. Claire Fisher: The second time we see her, she shoots at them with a rocket launcher. Katie Marinello: The second time we see her, she shoots the whole [00:45:00] Hotel down with a rocket launcher. Claire Fisher: The third time we see her, she's reading the manual to a flamethrower, which she shoots at them when they're in a phone booth. Katie Marinello: Okay. So the fifth time we see her, she shows up with an M16 and she opens fire. Tell me where they are. Claire Fisher: They are in, like a drainage tunnel Katie Marinello: Okay. So, yeah, so they're like underneath the hotel. And Claire Fisher: Elwood's reaction is, Jake: Who is that girl? Katie Marinello: right, which is fair because that's been our reaction the entire movie. And so, she basically screams at him and we'll cut this in, but says, I remained abstinent for you, which I guess is one of those good Catholic values that they were talking about. Carrie Fisher: You contemptible pig. I remain celibate for you. I stood at the back of a cathedral waiting in celibacy for you with 300 friends and relatives in attendance. My uncle [00:46:00] hired the best Romanian caterers in the state to obtain the seven limousines for the wedding party. My father used up his last favors of Mad Peep Trello. Carrie Fisher: So for me. For my mother, my grandmother, my father, my uncle, and for the common good. I must now kill you and your brother. Katie Marinello: So we get the, story that she is a jilted ex fiance. Claire Fisher: And she says, and now for my father, for my mother, for my uncle, and for the common good, I have to kill you. Katie Marinello: Yes. Yes. Which is beautiful, especially because his response is to, it's very triggering for anyone who's been on a dating app because it's literally just spouting every. Have we decided whether this is a podcast we can curse on? Claire Fisher: We, I think we, I think we're allowed to curse on our own podcast. Katie Marinello: It's every fuckboy lie known to man. Claire Fisher: I just fire you to find me a fuck boy who would shout locusts in [00:47:00] that tone of voice. Katie Marinello: That's the good Catholic values. Claire Fisher: The Biblical plagues. Jake: I ran outta gas. I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab spare my touch didn't come back from the cleaners. Jake: An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood. It wasn't my fault. I swear to God. Katie Marinello: And I guess this is because they're on a mission from God. It works. Claire Fisher: She melts into his arms. Katie Marinello: Oh, Jake. Oh, and Claire Fisher: to escape from the Nazis, the good old boys, and the police, in that order. Jake: Let's go Jake: take it easy. Katie Marinello: She does shoot at him one more time. Claire Fisher: Yeah, okay. Katie Marinello: Because if you're going to try to like, smooze your way past the woman, you should take the gun. But he left her with [00:48:00] the gun, so she shoots at him again, and then, yeah, that's it, we never see her again. Claire Fisher: So then they go into the famous car chase, that's the entire, like, last, , 20 25 minutes of this movie. Starting with Elwood saying, It is 106 miles to Chicago. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes. It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it. Katie Marinello: yes. Claire Fisher: Which we were probably cutting, because that's the famous meme, Katie Marinello: It is very funny. Claire Fisher: They Start running away from the cops, the Nazis hear it on the CB radio, and join the fray. To the tune of March of the Valkyries, which is actually quite apropos since Hitler loved Wagner, but some people probably watching this thought it was a reference to the Americans are Nazis scene in Apocalypse Now. It could be both. Por que no los dos? This is where the movie earns the world record that it set. Do you know what world record was held by the Blues Brothers for three years in the 1980s? Katie Marinello: Longest car chase? Claire Fisher: Record [00:49:00] number of cars destroyed while filming a movie. Katie Marinello: Oh. Claire Fisher: 103 cars wrecked. Katie Marinello: What broke it? Claire Fisher: It has been shattered several times since that record, the Junkman, a 1982 movie broke that record by wrecking 150 cars and a plane. That record held for two decades until over 300 cars were wrecked to film The Matrix Reloaded. Katie Marinello: Wow. Claire Fisher: So, For the Blues Brothers, among other things, they got FAA permission to drop a Ford Pinto from a mile up, like off a helicopter, which is the scene where the Nazis are like falling past the Sears Tower, now the Willis Tower, right? And one Nazi says to the other, I've always loved Katie Marinello: Yes! Claire Fisher: right? So, um, lots of hilarious things happen in this, car chase. Claire Fisher: It's notable that they seem to show Everybody surviving, even the Nazis who fall from a mile up, though they're not seen again, they aren't like shown splattering, Claire Fisher: Right. [00:50:00] Um, There's no blood. Katie Marinello: a lot of violence, no blood. Claire Fisher: the Chicago police dispatcher is saying use of unnecessary violence and the apprehension of the Bloopers Brothers has been approved, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm . Mm-hmm Claire Fisher: They're getting police cars to crash, police horses to crash, police boats to crash. Police helicopters with police rappelling down the sides of the public building. And meanwhile, they're causing pileups under the L. They're narrowly avoiding hitting people. They're sending the Nazis off on a complete overpass. Claire Fisher: They're sending the good old boys straight into a lake, right? And they managed to screech up in front of the municipal court building. Their car falls to pieces as they jump out. And, and, They barricade the doors and ride the elevator up to the tax assessor's office while the entirety of the Chicago PD pursues them up the stairs. Claire Fisher: [00:51:00] The county clerk is played by Steven Spielberg Katie Marinello: Ah, Claire Fisher: and he is writing out the receipt to pay the tax bill when They are arrested. It ends with them performing Jailhouse Rock back in Juliet Claire Fisher: Correctional Facility, which is where they started. Um, and this kind of doubles back on itself as a joke since Elvis was famously accused of seeming too black Claire Fisher: when he performed Jailhouse Rock. And like, now the joke is that white boys are performing Jailhouse Rock. black music in this movie, including Elvis song, which was actually not black music. It was just Elvis sounding black, quote unquote, right? Katie Marinello: Elvis did steal a lot from black artists, so. Claire Fisher: So yeah, that is the Blues Brothers, more or less. Katie Marinello: Well, Katie Marinello: I, I liked it a lot more when you were telling it to me than I liked it when I was watching it. 'cause I did not find it Katie Marinello: even remotely interesting. But. I suppose that makes sense because I didn't know all the [00:52:00] trivia. Claire Fisher: So here's what I'll say. In the middle, I thought it dragged a lot. Like when they were just going from place to place trying to get their old band members back together. And when I said that to Brian, he tried to feed me my old line of, That's just the speed at which movies used to be made, and Star Wars really changed the game by speeding everything up. Katie Marinello: But even Star Wars drags in the middle, so you can't even tell me that. We've established that Katie Marinello: several episodes ago. Claire Fisher: I used to say that too when we were watching the old James Bond movies, because James Bond 60s and 70s movies are so slow compared to modern James Bond movies, Katie Marinello: But you know how I feel, and this is probably a thesis statement that will carry on to the rest of our time together. Very few movies deserve a second hour. Most movies should be 90 minutes long. I understand that I am in the minority here, at least amongst people who write and produce and direct movies, but [00:53:00] if you're not going to give us an intermission anymore, which still blows my mind, then 90 minutes. Katie Marinello: That's how long, especially if you're going to sell extra large Cokes. Claire Fisher: I mean, many a solid movie is 90 minutes or less. I mean, you got Westworld, you got Original Frankenstein, you get, there's a lot of good movies Katie Marinello: So, so many, like every Disney movie. Yeah, yeah. Claire Fisher: So, can I tell you a couple of other things of trivia, just to, to wrap us up here? Alright, uh, I already told you that the, le Zervatore Romano called it a Catholic classic. Which I, I do love. Uh, I'm still a practicing Catholic and you're not, but, uh, I Katie Marinello: Wow. Blow up my spot. Why don't you, Claire Fisher: Sorry, you wanted me to not say that. Katie Marinello: tHe Pope is listening to this podcast. He, Claire Fisher: our podcast. Katie Marinello: he could be download number 81. Claire Fisher: There's kind of a throwaway gag like 42 minutes in [00:54:00] when they go to get Mr. Fabulous back in the band and he's working as a Mater D. Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: He's Claire Fisher: on the phone with a, Katie Marinello: that is a very long and annoying scene. Glad we didn't even talk about that one. Claire Fisher: there's a throwaway gag where he's on the phone with a prospective customer and he says, no, Mayor Daley no longer dines here. Claire Fisher: He's dead. Katie Marinello: Mmhmm. Claire Fisher: Mayor Richard J. Daley, not to be confused with Richard M. Daley, his son, who also was mayor of Chicago, Claire Fisher: but Richard J. Daley had died in 1976. He had been mayor since the 1950s, Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: during his tenure as mayor, he had restricted film and TV production in the city because he was infuriated by a 1959 TV show episode portraying a member of the Chicago PD as corrupt. Katie Marinello: One, what, one member of the Chicago PD? Claire Fisher: Yeah. Claire Fisher: Was. Portrayed as Katie Marinello: one corrupt member of the Chicago PD. Claire Fisher: Yeah, Chicago PD, having been infamously corrupt since, like, Katie Marinello: The [00:55:00] dawn of time. Claire Fisher: Prohibition, right? Katie Marinello: are corrupt, but this one specifically. Claire Fisher: It Chicago Police Department is not winning any Integrity Katie Marinello: No, no, it's not, you don't say, oh boy, the Chicago PD is here. Nothing can go wrong here. Claire Fisher: Okay, the line, he's dead, sir, is there for a, take that, Daley is dead, long live film production in Chicago, because the Blues Brothers was one of the first full length movies to be filmed there, following the end of the ban. Katie Marinello: Well, I for one, I'm just happy that we don't have such thin skinned politicians anymore. Claire Fisher: anyway, Katie Marinello: Laugh to keep from crying folks, Katie Marinello: call your representatives. Claire Fisher: At the time that this came out, it was one of the most expensive films ever made. Katie Marinello: Because of all the crashed police cars. Claire Fisher: Mostly. IT cost 30 million, which would be adjusted for inflation, and 114 million, which I think is funny [00:56:00] because that would be a very mid range Katie Marinello: Yeah, Claire Fisher: a modern movie. Claire Fisher: Hehehehe. Katie Marinello: is interesting that they spent that much money on one joke. Like you said, like the one joke that had appeared on the show. Three times! Claire Fisher: Well, it was revived in the 90s, um, with obviously a different lineup since John Belushi had Claire Fisher: died, but yeah, at this point it had only been on three times. Katie Marinello: Three times plus a spinoff album. Claire Fisher: It was rumored at the time that John Landis and Steven Spielberg had bet on which of them could make a more expensive movie. Claire Fisher: Spielberg made the movie 1941, which cost 35 million dollars. Claire Fisher: Steven Spielberg and John Landis were, at the time, extremely close friends. they kind of haven't spoken since the incident on the set of The Twilight Zone, the movie, because Spielberg had, co produced that with John Landis, but, apparently was not involved in the decision to violate labor laws or safety regulations, and was never charged [00:57:00] with a crime, and blamed John Landis for the deaths. Katie Marinello: I mean, I guess If somebody murdered three of my colleagues, I might have a hard time maintaining a friendship with them. Claire Fisher: Yeah, you know, the reason everyone was acquitted at the trial, the manslaughter trial, and I, this is obviously not a podcast about the Twilight Zone, the movie, but I looked into why they were acquitted. It ended up being that, like, each individual involved had enough wrongdoing that no one person was responsible. So, like, they ended up kind of being acquitted on a technicality. Katie Marinello: That Okay. Claire Fisher: To end on a lighter note, even though Carrie Fisher only has six minutes of screen time, and was only on set for a very small percentage of the production time, she and Dan Aykroyd actually got engaged while making this movie. Katie Marinello: What? Claire Fisher: I know. Katie Marinello: I've read three of her autobiographies. How did I not know she was engaged to Dan Aykroyd? Claire Fisher: Well, the story goes that, [00:58:00] uh, she started choking while she was on set one day, and Dan Aykroyd actually, like, gave her the, the maneuver to, um, to save her, and they started dating. Katie Marinello: Is that what the kids are calling it these days? The maneuver. Claire Fisher: the Heimlich maneuver. That one. Claire Fisher: Okay Dan Aykroyd performed the Heimlich Maneuver and then, you know, parlayed that into a date. I will not presume to speculate on what she did during that date to get him to propose, but apparently they applied for a marriage license and got the blood tests that were required at the Katie Marinello: wow. So they went far. Claire Fisher: she got back together with Paul Simon, whom she had met, Hosting SNL in 1978. And whom she would marry in 1983. Though it did not last for long. Katie Marinello: Divorce in 1984, get back together in 1985, et cetera, et cetera. Claire Fisher: Yeah. They were on and off and on and off and on and off. And during one of the offs, she and Dan Aykroyd, , considered marriage. Claire Fisher: So, as for this movie, it's the kind of thing that, yeah, the memes are probably the best part. As [00:59:00] for the character though, I gotta say, I give Mystery Woman I give her four out of five Hutt slayers. Katie Marinello: Really? Claire Fisher: Because she really tried to slay that Hutt. Katie Marinello: Yeah, it's not her fault the hut was protected by God. I will say the first time I saw her and she picked up the grenade launcher, I said, well, that is autonomy. Claire Fisher: I mean, John Belushi and Carrie Fisher did not share the screen together ever before or ever again, but that is some comedy gold, the two of them, Katie Marinello: Beautiful, beautiful. All right. I was going to probably go three. Because I think that in order to be like a fully developed character, you have to have like a name. Claire Fisher: Um, well, now I've seen some named girlfriend characters get no development at all Katie Marinello: Absolutely. have no motivation. Katie Marinello: Right, at least she does have a very clear motivation. Claire Fisher: yeah, here she has, she has a motivation, she has an independent, uh, you know, [01:00:00] uh, goal, an independent goal that she pursues relentlessly Katie Marinello: But didn't, did we give, Slayers in Empire Strikes Back? Claire Fisher: Yes. Katie Marinello: You think this character is on the same level as Princess Leia in The Emperor Strikes Back? Claire Fisher: Well, not in terms of impact on the movie, but in terms of impact on the scene she's in, yes. Katie Marinello: Alright, if you say so. I'm curious what the audience thinks of this one. Claire Fisher: I mean, you can, you can rate her lower if you think, but I give this woman credit for, for sourcing and properly reading the manuals of a grenade launcher, a rocket launcher, a flamethrower, and an M 16. Katie Marinello: Should we give her a 3. 5? Claire Fisher: that's the average Katie Marinello: Yeah, so we'll average it out. Alright, sounds good. Katie Marinello: So. Claire Fisher: are we talking about next week, Katie? Katie Marinello: are we talking about next week? Um, Under the Rainbow? Claire Fisher: And what's that? Katie Marinello: I have no idea, do [01:01:00] you know? Claire Fisher: No! Katie Marinello: Excellent! Can't wait. I'm hoping it has something to do with The Wizard of Oz. I'm afraid it will have something to do with like drugs or murder or something. Claire Fisher: It's, um, Well, here's the summary. I guess I'll save it for next Claire Fisher: time, but It does have Chevy Chase in it, speaking of people who are on SNL. Katie Marinello: Wow, everything's connected, huh? Claire Fisher: I mean, there were only like four people in 1980, and they all knew each other. Katie Marinello: There should be more people. Claire Fisher: And now there are, look at that! Excellent work, uh, of the planet. Katie Marinello: Right, right, yes. And yet, they still put Chevy Chase in, like, a lot of things. Claire Fisher: He's alive and kicking yet, and, When I show the first ever SNL skit to my ESL classes, which I do sometimes do because it's a joke about ESL classes, um, you know, I think like, of the people on this stage, Chevy Chase is still alive and Claire Fisher: kicking. Katie Marinello: [01:02:00] In the first episode of SNL, The opening act says, Do you ever think, Do you ever look at old TV shows and wonder if everybody in the audience is dead? And I was like, Well, I wonder if these people are old. Claire Fisher: I want to feed your fingertips to wolverines is the punchline of the first ever SNL skit. Katie Marinello: I will say, sometimes I go back and listen to Kristen Stewart doing her opening monologue about Donald Trump tweeting at her 17 times during her breakup with Robert Pattinson. Just when I want to feel something. Claire Fisher: I, uh, I listen and I don't judge. Katie Marinello: Alright, let's wrap this up. Claire Fisher: Until next time, remember the immortal words of Carrie Fisher Carrie Fisher: if my life wasn't funny. It would just be true and that is completely unacceptable. Katie Marinello: Thanks for listening to another episode of Carried Far, Far Away. This podcast is hosted, produced, edited, and re-edited obsessed over [01:03:00] and loved by Katie Marinello and Claire Fisher. You can follow the show on Facebook and Instagram at carriedawaypod. You can email us awaycarriedpod@gmail.com. You can follow Claire @deadfictionalgirlfriends and Katie @katiedaway. All clips used in this podcast are done so under the protection of fair use. Have a wonderful week and may the force be with you. Katie Marinello: And now our space, grandma wisdom of the week. Carrie Fisher: John Williams actually had to add all that music to the movie to cover up the fact that I was constantly humming kung fu fighting.