Crossroads [DVD]

This comes onto the TV occasionally, but butchered with adverts. My home-recorded copy was no good anymore, so I decided to buy a proper copy. This is a seriously underrated film, and Ralph 'Karate Kid' Macchio's finest hour. He plays Eugene, a teenage music student in New York obsessed with the Blues, especially Robert Johnson. He finds an old bluesman (Joe Seneca) living in a secure old people's home, finishing an indefinite sentence for murder, and is convinced that this is Robert Johnson's friend, Willie Brown. The old man persuades Eugene to break him out of the home and back to Mississippi in exchange for a lost song by Johnson. They have to hitch there way after the money runs out. Eugene is a technically gifted player but starts out having no 'Mileage'. During the trip they encounter all sorts of prejudice and corruption and Eugene has his heart broken by fellow traveler, Jami Gertz. By the end of the trip Eugene has experienced enough to enable him to play the blues with real feeling. This is a road movie and a coming of age movie as well as being about the search for the song and how to play the Blues. Legend has it that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil, as in 'Crossroad Blues'. In the film, Willie Brown did the same and wants to escape the contract before he dies. The big scene at the end features a guitar duel between Eugene and a devilishly good heavy rock guitarist played by Steve Vai, the prize being Willie's soul. Well acted, especially by Seneca, ably directed and with a brilliant score by Ry Cooder this is a top film. The soundtrack album is also well worth buying, although it lacks the guitar duel, for contractual reasons.

I absolutely loved this film. I enjoyed the Karate Kid films and can't help but compare it to them. Instead of the Karate Master Mr Miagi, Macchio's character finds an old famous blues musician as a mentor, who offers to teach him a long lost song by famous blues guitarist Robert Johnson whom legend had it sold his soul to the devil for musical talent at the crossroads.Most of this film is a journey through America, and it shows a broad spectrum of American life and culture while exploring the characters and human nature. As the film progresses, you get more and more of a feeling that 'something is up' and the old man maybe doesn't really have a 'long lost Robert Johnson song' to teach Eugene.Eventually they wind up in Mississippi and end up meeting 'Scratch' and the talk about deals with the devil comes full circle. Eugene doesn't believe in it, and ends up putting his soul on the line for the old man.The characters in the film are warm and likeable, the music is good and the music scenes are well paced, and the guitar duel at the finale is breath-taking. All in all this is a great film for those who enjoy the journey, and those who appreciate skillful musicians.Martyn StanleyAuthor of:-The Last Dragon Slayer (Deathsworn Arc Book 1) (Free to download)The Verkreath Horror (Deathsworn Arc Book 2)The Blood Queen (Deathsworn Arc Book 3)Rise of the Archmage (Deathsworn Arc Book 4) (Due late 2015)The Lambton Worm (The Lambton Worm Re-telling Book 1) (Short story. A modern re-telling of old english folklore)

A really enjoyable film. The raison d'etre of the film's title is obviously from the alleged faustian pact made by Robert Johnson on that Mississippi crossroads. So Blues aficionados maybe a bit disappointed this film is not a little more infused with the life and times of the great man, although there are plenty of references to him. However this is a 'mainstream' film, so I suppose you can't have everything!The narrative may also seem a little clunky in places, but overall I would say the direction and editing has a fluency and lightness of touch that just sweeps you along to the extraordinary demonic guitar duel finale. And I think the interplay between the main protagonists does also work really well.Apart from the guitar duel 'cadenza' the final encounter at the crossraoads with the 'Devil' and his assistant (Mephisto'?) beforehand, was for me, one of the highlights of the film and actually quite moving.Steve Vai was a good sport for his part in the film (you'll know what I mean if you watch it) and certainly be left wanting to know more about his music and Ry Cooder's (eg. Buena Vista Social Club).A definite one to watch for any self-repecting guitar fan!