From Joliet Jake Blues to King Bee to Samurai Warrior to side-splitting impersonations of Joe Cocker, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor, comedian John Belushi created numerous classic characters as well as a veteran "Not Ready For Prime Time Player" and original "Saturday Night Live" cast member. He attacked live comedy with a ferocity and rebelliousness that few comedians can match, although some have come close (Chris Farley, anyone?).

Lions Gate's new The Best of John Belushi is a compilation of most of the above characters, including some truly surreal asides – the classic "Little Chocolate Donuts" commercial and the Beethoven sketches, among others – that runs 80 minutes and covers a wide array of Belushi's material. Those who only know the above listed characters essayed by Belushi might be pleasantly surprised while viewing this best-of collection – he's definitely got range and said range is on full display here; from a dead-on "Star Trek" parody to the truly poignant and haunting "Don't Look Back in Anger," Belushi consistently delivered sketches that are still just as hilarious in 2005 as they were in 1975.

Released in conjunction with The Best of Dan Aykroyd and The Best of Gilda Radner as well as the documentary retrospective, Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live, this disc is a perfect primer to the hilarity that propelled Belushi into the elite of American comedy.

The Video:

Much like the Aykroyd and Radner compilations, The Best of John Belushi is offered in a 1.33:1 fullscreen transfer that, admittedly, doesn't look too great – largely due to the vintage nature of the clips. While the Seventies-era TV show hasn't aged too terribly, this is most likely the best these segments will ever look.

Again, as with the Aykroyd and Radner compilations, much like the visual end of things, the audio options available here are restricted to Dolby 2.0 stereo, which is generally very clear and free of distortion. There are occasionally drop-outs or unintelligible portions but I feel that's inherent in the source material, rather than a fault of the disc.

In keeping with the other Lions Gate releases of "SNL" best-ofs (including the Aykroyd and Radner collections), this disc features the animated menu and "SNL" theme music, as well as a fairly considerable number of extras. Belushi's original screen test, which runs three minutes, 46 seconds, is included, as is a photo gallery and Charles M. Young's late Seventies Rolling Stone article, "Son of Samurai."

Also on board is a 7 minute, 16 second TV interview (featuring Dan Aykroyd) with Gene Shalit on the "Today" show circa the release of Neighbors and "John Belushi: An Inside Look," a 19-minute featurette which is basically a Belushi-centric extension of the Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live documentary which boasts interviews with former cast members Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Laraine Newman, Belushi's widow, Judy Pisano, "SNL" mastermind Lorne Michaels, NBC executive Dick Ebersol, "SNL" guest hosts Lily Tomlin and Candice Bergen, among others.

A truly original comedian from the glory days of "SNL," John Belushi helped create some of the most memorable characters in the show's history. With this compilation, those who remember and those unfamiliar can revel in the hysterical hijinks perpetrated by one of "The Beatles of comedy." Recommended.