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Crossroads [1986] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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Brilliant film - should be more widely available
Review date: 2007-12-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

The last time I saw this film it was about 1990. This fantastic 80's film seemed to have disappeared into obscurity and any google search for it just brought up that rubbish Britney Spears effort by the same name, so I was over the moon to come across it again on Amazon. I watched the film again recently and was pleased to see that in almost 20 years it has not lost any of its original magic. Brilliant and simple storyline (read other reviews for a full description of what the film is about), set to a fantastic music score. Joe Seneca is excellent as Willie Brown and all the actors give top performances. I love this film and it provoked some poignant memories watching it again. Believe me - if you don't like blues music, this film will change your mind. The contest at the end is mind blowing and leaves you tingling. I can't recommend this film enough. My only complaint is that it should be more widely available.

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Reviews


The search is over.
Review date: 2007-11-01 Rating: 8 out of 10

Like many of the previous reviewers, I had searched many an old second hand shop for this film having been told to get it by a very strange guitarist. This guy loved this film and it's parallels with Johnson's own story and he could do a few tricks with a six string himself. Being left handed he could play that way, he could play right handed and he could play a right hand strung guitar upside down with his left hand. And I never hummed a tune he couldn't match as though he had played it all of his life. So when I eventually got hold of this version I was very pleased and I can honestly say that it is worthy of the time spent on it and then some. I could prattle on about Ry Cooder and Steve Vai or the legend behind it or how well suited the cast are to their parts but the fact is that the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Will Joseph.

Awesome film - Critic correction...
Review date: 2007-06-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

Steve Vai played both sides of the guitar duel, while acting as Jack Butler, the devil's guitarist. Ry Cooder recorded the slide parts and produced the soundtrack.

"Eugene's Trick Bag", the updated classical piece at the climax of the film, is largely based on Niccolo Paganini's Caprice #5. Paganini, as the pervading myth has it, sold his soul to the devil for his musical skills. Steve Vai, as 'Jack Butler', replicates Paganini's legendary rolling eyes, long unkempt hair and gaunt stature.

Though the blues guitar sounds aren't truly coming from Ralph Macchio's fingers, the actor is actually playing note for note the music of Steve Vai and Ry Cooder. His fingering, slides and bends are precise until the "main" solo, which incorporates Paganini's 5th Caprice, in which it is obvious he is not fingering the correct location on the guitar, as well with the patterns, this can be seen since he uses mainly the same pattern (scale on the top frets, then another one in the bottom frets) and all the scale portion of it, the scales are shifting and changing sound, but his patterns remain the same.

The Fender Telecaster Ralph Macchio carries along his hobo trek in the second half of the film is a 1970s CBS Fender with block lettering on the headstock. Very realistic for the film because not only were they affordable and easy to acquire (in the 1980s, that is), their heavy polyurethane finish made them near impervious to the tests of the road, as seen when Macchio and Seneca are walking through the rain, sleeping in barns, abandoned shacks and the outdoors. You could take a CBS Telecaster covered with snow, plug it in and it would play perfectly.

!!
Review date: 2007-06-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

Great film if you like blues, guitars or the Karate Kid, or all 3!

guitar genius
Review date: 2007-01-31 Rating: 8 out of 10

If for no other reason i urge you to buy this dvd for the genius guitar player that is steve vai, the final climactic guitar battle between Eugeine (Machio) and jack butler (Vai) is simply awe inspiring, one reviewer of this dvd said tha eugeine's guitar part was played by Ry Cooder, wrong my friend, it was Vai playing both parts on guitar, Ry just did the slide guitar work (also amazing), and it isnt bachs toccata and fugue, its a reprise from "turkish march" by william kanengiser
buy this dvd and listen to how guitars should be played!!!!!!!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Joe Morton
Jami Gertz
Ralph Macchio
Robert Judd
Joe Seneca

Creators:
Ralph Macchio (Primary Contributor)
Joe Seneca (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Columbia TriStar
Manufacturer: Columbia TriStar
EAN: 9781404954687
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 1404954686
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC,
Release date: 2004-08-10
Universal product code (UPC): 043396047983
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1986-03-14
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Japanese (Subtitled)

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