WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Wired is a 1989 biographical film directed by Larry Peerce based on Bob Woodward’s investigative book “Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi.” The controversial film stars Michael Chiklis (in his film debut) as the legendary comedian John Belushi, chronicling his rise to fame on Saturday Night Live, his struggles with drug addiction, and his tragic death by overdose in 1982 at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. The film employs an unconventional narrative structure where Belushi’s ghost, accompanied by a taxi-driving guardian angel (Ray Sharkey), revisits key moments of his life after his death. Through this framing device, the story explores Belushi’s meteoric rise to stardom, his work on SNL and films like Animal House and The Blues Brothers, alongside his spiraling drug abuse that ultimately led to his premature death at age 33. J.T. Walsh portrays journalist Bob Woodward, who investigates the circumstances of Belushi’s death and the drug culture of Hollywood. The film also features Patti D’Arbanville as Cathy Smith, the woman who administered Belushi’s fatal injection.
WHY IT’S GONE
The film was effectively blacklisted by Hollywood insiders, many of whom were friends with Belushi and objected to the portrayal. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Belushi’s widow Judith all publicly opposed the project. The film was savaged by critics upon release, with many finding it exploitative and disjointed. Wired was a commercial disaster, grossing only around $1 million against its $13 million budget. Disputes over rights and the controversial nature of the film have complicated its distribution history. As for media, Wired has had a minimal presence in the home media market. It received a limited VHS release in the early 1990s. No official DVD or Blu-ray release has ever been produced in the United States. The film is not available on any major streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.). It occasionally surfaces on YouTube in poor quality before being removed for copyright reasons. This effective vanishing of the film from distribution channels has given it a cult status among film collectors and Belushi enthusiasts. The few VHS copies that exist have become collector’s items, sometimes selling for high prices on secondary markets. The film represents a rare case of a major studio production (Columbia Pictures) with recognizable talents that has been allowed to virtually disappear, largely due to the combination of industry backlash, legal complications, and its negative reception. For those interested in John Belushi’s legacy, documentaries like the 2020 Showtime film Belushi are much more readily available and generally considered more respectful treatments of the comedian’s life and career.