Belushi

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.

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!

Just about everybody who is going to watch this Documentary on John Belushi will already be fully aware of how sadly the comedian's story ends. To his credit, Director RJ Cutler doesn't dwell on the details of his last few hours, but, it still casts a pall over the entire Doc. It begins with one of Belushi's career highs - on stage with Dan Aykroyd at a Blue Brothers concert. Belushi was riding the fame brought to him by Second City, National Lampoon, Saturday Night Live and ANIMAL HOUSE. Still, at this peak moment we hear voices from his friends about how they worried about how he would "handle" his fame.

Those voices are largely drawn from an incredible treasure trove of recordings by Tanner Colby conducted in the wake of Belushi's death in 1982 at age 33. Director Cutler has so shaped his movie around those tapes that, in a way, it's a visualization of those audiotapes. Colby could almost be considered a co-Director here, along with Belushi's widow Judith Belushi Pisano (the pair did collaborate on a 2005 book). Cutler has done a fine job of organizing the material from Colby and Pisano, and the Doc is illustrated with a generous sampling of photos and clips from Belushi's career on stage, radio, TV and film. Where no visual record is available, Cutler uses some simple animation.

Still, it's the tapes that carry the day. A wide assortment of friends, family and co-stars speak openly and honestly about Belushi's talents, flaws and substance abuse demons. SNL Producer Lorne Michaels is brutal in laying out the early days of the comedian's downfall. Carrie Fisher's stories of their mutual addictions is even more poignant now in light of her own recent passing. Friend after friend recounts how everybody feared the worst, but, really, in the end, only Pisano truly seemed to have any sway over his out of control behavior. In this telling, it's almost a miracle that Belushi lived as long as he did. For that, I suppose we should be thankful - a few more performances by the man.

(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 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.