THE DEATH OF JOHN BELUSHI - WIRED - Comic Book and Movie Reviews

John Belushi: Blues Brother, Musician, Confidant, and Comedic Legend, now there are not too many people you can say that about, is there? But then again, as for his other qualities, such as drug addict, hairy, and Albanian, there is plenty to choose from. Want to know more about hairy Albanian’s? Then watch this biopic directed by Larry Peerce and starring Michael Chiklis. It was made in 1989 and lasts for 102 minutes.

Wired: The Film - The Book

THE STORY:
Los Angeles, California, circa 1982, and the actor, John Belushi (Michael Chiklis), aged 32, is found dead of a heroin overdose. Surprised? Not more than John himself, who, accompanied by his Puerto Rican cabbie-guardian angel, Angel Velasquez (Ray Sharkey), travels through his recent history in search of the reasons behind his premature death.

But he's not the only one, you know. Bob Woodward, a noted straight-laced reporter and one-time local town hero of Wisconsin – where John originally comes from – is also intrigued by John's untimely demise. Therefore, just like John, Bob investigates the logical path of his self-destruction. Together – yet separate at the same time - these two men meander in and out of John's life until they can find a satisfactory ending to his story.

For John, his life was a bipolar experience, as he was with a woman he loved, a job he cherished, and had companionship with those who adored him. But he also had a need within himself to subvert his very being by polluting his body with a deluge of narcotics that impeded his judgment, yet seemingly opened the comedic ability within him. Saturday Night Live – the films – the performances – the friends – the hardships – the training – and the post-mortem – are all the things that John experiences firsthand during his spiritual quest. The result of which all depends on a ping-ball game that will seal his fate, one way or another.

Bob, on the other hand, learns about John's time on this planet and meticulously analyzes the reasons behind his relationships, especially what transpired over the last couple of days in John's life. On numerous occasions, Bob talks to John's wife, Judy – his comedy partner, Dan – his manager, Arnie – his business contacts, b*stards – and even the woman who supplied him with his fateful dose of heroin, Cathy.

But it doesn't end there, oh no, because while John is playing a game for his life on a Blue's Brothers pinball machine with Velasquez, Bob goes to the place that John died, Chateau Marmont, and has a surrealist conversation with John on his deathbed.

Then again, that's probably why what next transpires is a pain in the whole. As death comes a knocking - life comes a ringing - and the future is sealed on the words of an author.

Or maybe not?

THE REVIEW:
The critics hated this film – John Belushi's friends wanted to have it banned – and Bob Woodward, the writer of the original novel that this film was based on, even thought that it was not depicted properly. So, why do I like 'Wired' then? I’m a big John Belushi fan and wouldn't want anything to tarnish his legacy! But why is it, that when I sat down and watched this biopic, I could not help but watch it from start to finish, with my eyes glued to the screen throughout?

Well, for a start, I really did enjoy Michael Chiklis' performance, as he does a bang-up job of capturing John’s mannerisms and deportment in all of the scenes that he’s in. Moreover, there is a tale in this story - one about the excesses of man, and how creativity needs to be tempered at times of stress.

However, to juxtapose this slant, I suppose there is a sort of surrealist mystery element that this film brings along with it. From scene to scene, you’re not really sure if you’re perceiving John's previous state of mind, or dead-John's actions in the present. Time isn't stable in this film – it just meanders to and fro, from past to present, not really allowing the viewer to comprehend what is happening and why. Plus, on top of that, both John’s storyline and Bob’s storyline are smudged in places – primarily at the end – and this does get kind of unsettling where the overall adventure is concerned.

Now that I have said all that, I have to ask myself my previous question once again – why do I like 'Wired' so much? Hmm? It humanizes John – just knowing that a comedic legend who I've admired ever since I was a little boy had all the foibles that anybody else ever had. So, is this disrespectful? I don’t know? I just find that this film is more of a surrealist dream than a conventional biopic – surmising on facts from the past and then transposing them into an unconventional reality.

Well, John was unconventional, wasn't he? Just like this film. And give the makers of ‘Wired’ their due, they did omit and downplay some of John’s friends and roles, and even wiped out the proven fact that both Robin Williams and Robert De Niro saw John before his death.