Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd will join John Belushi’s brother, Jim Belushi, for a Blues Brothers reunion. But here’s the kicker! The actors will reunite at Joliet Prison for the first-ever Blues Brothers Con.
A classic musical comedy from the 80s, The Blues Brothers is a classic watch for R&B and blues fans. Starring alongside Aykroyd and Belushi were famous Chicago artists such as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown.
The Joliet Correctional Center was shut down in 2002 but has been open for visitors to take part in guided tours. The tours were only around the perimeter though, since the reason the prison shut down in the first place was hazardous conditions.
But with the con being held at the filming location that stood out the most in the film, the prison will be open to the public temporarily.
The Old Joliet Prison was the location at which the 1980 film’s opening scene was shot. The scene captured a convicted Jake (John Belushi) walking down hallways with cells full of inmates on each side. He is handed his belongings before walking out of the prison where his brother Elkwood (Dan Aykroyd) stands, waiting to take him home.
Of course, The Blues Brothers was not the only film or show shot at the old prison. But no other production shot at the location had reached success as high as this film had touched—it even gave John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd the push into the spotlight!
The introductory event of the Blues Brothers Con will be held on August 19, 2022, between 2 to 11 P.M. Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi are slotted to play a 90-minute performance, which they will continue on the 20th as well.
Tickets are being sold at $60 for adults and $20 for children, and the prison will host a wide range of vendors selling food, drinks, art, and souvenirs based on the film. The movie’s famous highlights like the Soul Cafe and Bob’s Country Bunker are being recreated for the two-day event.
Even though it has been offering tours since it shut down in 2002, this will be the first time the prison will house a large crowd such as this. Of course, the organizers don’t expect crowds as huge as seen at San Diego Con with high-scale celebrities, but it is definitely an unmissable treat for any fan of the 80s classic.
About The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis. The American film was directed by John Landis and was first released in the US on June 20. The film’s characters were developed from the Blues Brothers’ sketch in Saturday Night Live.
Parole convict Joliet, and his brother Elwood, run from the police, a homicidal woman, Neo-Nazis, and more to complete their “Mission From God” and save the orphanage in which they were raised.
The film stars Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson, and John Candy.
Source: JolietPrison
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