Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ralph Macchio | ... | Eugene Martone | |
Joe Seneca | ... | Willie Brown | |
Jami Gertz | ... | Frances | |
Joe Morton | ... | Scratch's Assistant | |
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Robert Judd | ... | Scratch |
Steve Vai | ... | Jack Butler | |
Dennis Lipscomb | ... | Lloyd | |
Harry Carey Jr. | ... | Bartender | |
John Hancock | ... | Sheriff Tilford | |
Allan Arbus | ... | Dr. Santis | |
Gretchen Palmer | ... | Beautiful Girl / Dancer | |
Al Fann | ... | Pawnbroker | |
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Wally Taylor | ... | O.Z. |
Tim Russ | ... | Robert Johnson | |
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Tom Donaldson | ... | John McGraw (as Tex Donaldson) |
Eugene is an extraordinary talent in classic guitar, but he dreams of being a famous Blues guitarist. So he investigates to find a storied lost song. He asks the legendary Blues musician Willie Brown to help him, but Willie demands to free him from the old-people's prison first and to really learn the blues on the way to its origin: Mississippi Delta. Eugene doesn't know yet about Willie's deal with the devil, that he now wants to revoke. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
As a cinematic work, Crossroads is nothing special. Except for Joe Seneca who was great as the aging blues-legend on the run from the devil, the acting is awful. Ralph Macchio is decent, except that he's doing the EXACT same character he did in Karate Kid. The love interest between Eugene and Frances is silly, shallow and simply doesn't work. The screenplay, above all, is terrible. The directing and photography are good, which makes the film at least bearable.
But the film is just an excuse for one of the most amazing soundtracks I've ever heard. Classical guitar, Robert Johnson classic blues, Muddy Waters electric blues and hard blues rock run throughout this film wonderfully; for bluesmen and guitar lovers, Crossroads is a must. The ending with Steve Vai, above all, is one of the greatest scenes I've seen and makes the whole movie worthwhile - and both Vai and 'Eugene' play a KILLER guitar (I think Stevie Ray Vaughan plays Eugene's part). Overall, a very mediocre movie and for many probably boring, but a cult classic and a musical masterpiece.