Belushi

Director R.J. Cutler delves into the life and persona of legendary SNL and comedy extraordinaire John Belushi with a biographical treatment combining traditional documentary techniques, animation, and a series of taped conversations from those who worked closest with John. Cutler's work reveals Belushi's motivations and his need for approval. Highly recommended!

A dark and somber look at John Belushi's short life through the eyes of friends and colleagues nearly 40 years after his death. It won't leave you laughing or feeling good.

This documentary is an original way of interviewing colleagues, friends and family about James Belushi, an uncontrollable force in acting, who exploded onto the American tv screens in the seventies and exploded he did.

The good: the way this documentary is told is insightful and illustrative, mixing lots of phone conversations with friends of Belushi with lots of rare footage.

More good: Belushi deserves to have such a documentary dedicated to him, because he was (however short lived) an unique actor.

Any bad? Not any documentary beats watching James Belushi acting in movies and in old tv shows. Simply search Imdb for the few, but great, contributions Belushi made to the American cinema. Yes, it was pulp, but it was the best pulp one could dream of...

(RECOMMENDED) There is more tragedy than joy in J. R. Cutler's sad yet entertaining documentary about comedian John Belushi. The movie effectively shows his life story in fragments, although it seems unnecessarily more hyperactive than the man himself, if that is possible. Audio tapes, photos, and many interviews with famous friends and loved ones are interspersed with his personal letters, stylized animation, and home videos. The highs are there as well as the low of his short life in this well-researched film. (He died at the age of 33.) Classic bits from his films and SNL skits are evidence of his unique talent and make his loss even more poignant as the documentary strangely builds to a powerful indictment about the perils of instant fame, fortune, and excessive drug abuse. Ultimately, Belushi is a loving testament to a comic icon whose legend lasted longer than his brief but memorable career. (GRADE: B)

A very good retelling of John's story from his childhood through his untimely death.

John in his own words, spoken and written plus the thoughts of his friends and peers. Videos, still photos and animation for the audio recordings of him.

Well worth a watch if you were a fan.