DVD : Crossroads
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 9781404954687
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 1404954686
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: August 10, 2004
Running Time: 96 minutes
Sales Rank: 1586
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 1986
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
A young musical prodigy studying at new york citys juiliard school becomes obsessed with the music of the mississippi delta the blues. Intent on discovering fame and fortune as a blues guitar player he seeks out the legendary bluesman willie brown. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 09/25/2007 Starring: Ralph Macchio Jami Gertz Run time: 99 minutes Rating: R Director: Walter Hill
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
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
This movie came out when I was 13 years old, and I remember watching it like it was last week. I recall my favorite scene involving Steve Via tearing it up on stage. Now I'm 35 years old, and over the past year or two, I've been taking guitar classes focusing on the Blues Guitar, it's American history, and some of the masters that created and played this wonderful music. I just purchased and watched this movie for the first time in over 20 years, and now, having a little knowledge of the history of the Blues, this movie is even more enjoyable than ever! Now my favorite scene involves Ralph Macchio tearing it up on stage. I'm not going to go into the details of the movie - but if you're a fan of the Blues Guitar, Blues Harp, or any of it's history - this is a must see! Plus, it's always entertaining to watch a movie made in the 80's once in a while, isn't it? I highly recommend this one!
Rating:  -
"Crossroads" takes elements from the history and mythology of legendary Mississippi blues man Robert Johnson and assembles them into a modern fable that is well-paced, well-acted, and very entertaining, with plenty of excellent music along the way. Joe Seneca is great as an old blues harp player stuck in a New York nursing home for convicted felons. Rediscovered by a young classical guitar prodigy obsessed with the blues, the old man sees an opportunity for redemption and siezes the chance, resulting in an adventure that changes both characters as they travel south toward their destiny. The dialogue can be a little ham-fisted and cliched at times, but most of it goes down easy. Many critics thought the casting of Ralph Macchio as the young guitar player was a disaster, but I have to disagree. Macchio is not a horrible actor, and he conveys the right mix of sincerity and immaturity - you have to believe he's a kid! - to carry his role without much trouble. The film is crafted so it doesn't need to rest on his shoulders anyway. Plenty of colorful secondary characters pop up to keep things interesting, including Jami Gertz in a small but significant part. The climactic scene, featuring guitarist Steve Vai, is alone worth the price of admission. If you keep your ears open, you'll finish "Crossroads" wanting to hear more Delta blues and that's a reward in itself.
Rating: -
I was looking for this dvd for a while. I enjoyed watching again and thank you for your prompt service!
Rating:  -
After recieving Crossroads in the mail I was excited! I popped it in the DVD player and watched it. It was a great movie. My only concern was that the DVD had a small indention in it which made the movie skip. I'm not sure if there was any of the movie that I was missing. Other then that I was very pleased with the time it took them to ship the product. It only took a few days. Thank You!!
Rating: -
Ralph Macchio, (best known from the Karate Kid) plays a classical guitar virtuoso at Julliard School for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn, NY. His talent is classical music but his love is for the Blues. He befriends an old, broken-down man blues and alleged cohort of Robert Johnson, living in a New York retirement home. This movie takes the Robert Johnson myth to another level suggesting that Mr. Johnson's friend, "Blind Dog" Fulton/Willie Brown also did business with the devil. Ry Cooder, the genius musician and producer, performs the blues music. Steve Vai, lead guitarist for David Lee Roth, makes a cameo. This was overall a great film with several good Blues performances. The acting was very solid. I recommend this film.
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starring: Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, Jami Gertz, Joe Morton, Robert Judd
directed by: Walter Hill
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 9781404954687
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 1404954686
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: August 10, 2004
Running Time: 96 minutes
Sales Rank: 1586
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 1986
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