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Crossroads
starring: Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, Jami Gertz, Joe Morton, Robert Judd
directed by: Walter Hill

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Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302800821
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
ISBN: 630280082X
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Release Date: December 07, 1992
Running Time: 105 minutes
Sales Rank: 1175
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 1986

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
The legend of Mississippi blues master Robert Johnson has served as a fountainhead for generations of blues and rock musicians, as well as a powerful fable for the dark, often violent mysteries of delta blues. Johnson's mythic deal with the Devil, in exchange for his extraordinary musical gifts, has become a fixture in blues lore and an example of the enduring pull of superstitions that can be traced back to Mother Africa and Yoruba deities. Producer-director Walter Hill (The Long Riders, Streets of Fire) sought to put this uniquely American mystery on film, but when he was unable to secure a script devoted directly to Johnson himself, Hill bravely decided to proceed with a more oblique, allegorical story that retold the Satanic bargain through a fictionalized drama set in the present day. In this 1986 feature, the hero is Eugene, a classically trained guitar virtuoso pulled toward the earthier powers of blues. When he stumbles across a lost blues legend, Willie Brown (a real blues figure and Johnson peer known for his partnerships with Charley Patton and Son House, among others), Eugene begins an odyssey back to the delta country and the crossroads of the title, where both Willie and Johnson had traded their souls for blues power, to help the surviving bluesman renegotiate terms.

An opening sequence, shot in sepia-toned black and white, dramatizes Johnson's own supernatural encounter, as well as one of the bluesman's historic Texas recording sessions, and Hill's visuals combine with frequent collaborator Ry Cooder's reliably authentic slide guitar to offer a promising glimpse of cinematic conjury. Even the satanic villain--a grinning huckster named Scratch--honors the trickster figure familiar to African American superstitions, rather than a generic devil. Willie Brown (Joe Seneca) is likewise a convincing link to the blues past, but Hill's central casting choice--Ralph (The Karate Kid) Macchio--sacrifices all for marquee value, a Hobson's choice that casts a shadow of unintended parody across the film. Macchio's earlier character, not Scratch, haunts this film, and even a nifty duel between Eugene, his slashing fretwork supplied off-camera by Cooder, and Scratch's ax-wielding henchman, heavy metal virtuoso, and one-time Frank Zappa protégé Steve Vai, can't safely rescue the film. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Worth it for great Blues music and a young Jami Gertz
I really enjoy this film. The fascinating legend of Blues pioneer Robert Johnson, and his alleged deal with the Devil at the Crossroads, is the backdrop of this story. With fine performances by Ralph Macchio and especially Joe Seneca this movie is a delightfully entertaining journey. Eugene (Macchio) takes Willie (Seneca) down South to Willie's old stomping grounds all in hopes that Willie will teach Eugene the "lost" Robert Johnson song that no one has heard. Willie was a friend of Johnson's in ... Read More

Rating:

- Crossroads
Do not let the mixed reviews about this film deceive you. I would say however, it's wider appeal will be for blues fans and those who are interestd in Robert Johnson in particular. Some parts of the movie are based on either facts or legends of Robert Johnson, mostly on the legend of Johnson selling his soul to the spirit Legba at the crossroads in return for the ability of being the best blues player alive. The same happened to one of his associates, Blind Dog. Blind dog later tricks the young Ralph ... Read More

Rating:

- Guitar Hero in real life!!
Crossroads is a decent attempt at drama from men (John Fusco and Walter Hill) who are known for anything but drama. However, even if it weren't entertaining, the final scene is worth the price of admission. On the other hand, unless you can ignore Macchio it's basically a reason to punch yourself for two hours, as he plays an extremely unconvincing Julliard-schooled, classicly-trained guitarist with a love of the blues.

Eugene "Lightning Boy" Martone (Macchio) has a gift for classical guitar; ... Read More

Rating:

- awesome music
this is definitely a 4 star movie.the plot was good but what made it great was the awesome music that was played...joe senneca and ralph macchio were great together...i would recommend anyone to get this dvd...there is quiet a bit of bad language in this movie,that is why i gave it 4 stars instead of 5...

Rating:

- Daniel-San's Toughest Challenge....Steve Vai!!
Imagine my disappointment when I kicked back with my Reese's peanut butter cups all ready for a good ol' Britney Spears movie and ended up with a movie about Blues people! That was a joke, and probably not my best either.
Crossroads is a great film that takes that old legend of Robert Johnson's deal with the devil and uses it as the basis for an on-the-road Blues saga. Ralph Macchio may study classical guitar at school, but the Blues is where his heart is. He locates the only living person who had worked ... Read More

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