Rating: 
Summary: What a Great Idea For a Film!
Review: ...even though it's far from a perfect movie. So why the 5 stars? Because it's so unique, so bold, so unconventional, and so ultimately pleasing. Crossroads is a fun fairy tale that uses an accurate history lesson as its back drop. (i.e., the kind of fim the just don't make anymore.) Not to mention it has some of the best music you'll hear in a movie. And if you're a musician, and especially a guitar player, it's simply a MUST! The plot and performances have already been reviewed but I'd like to add that Macchios "less than confident" portrayal fits perfectly with the character. The biggest flaw is the horrible miscasting of Steve Vai as the resident hot shot blues man. Vai is in no way or form a blues guitarist and would never be accepted as such, and his poser/over the top performance at the end ruins an otherwise classic film moment. I always felt that Johnny Winter would have been the perfect choice for that role and they should have left Steve to do the soundtrack for the electric classical guitar pieces. The bit with the "selling the soul to the devil" was a little forced as well. All in all, Crossroads is is an uneven masterpiece. Try to overlook the bad, appreciate the good and thank all concerned for at least attempting to bring the beauty of some wonderful music to the publics conciousness. Not to mention you'll thoroughly enjoy watching it. This is one of very few films I actually hated to see end.
Rating: 
Summary: Thin plot as an excuse for the best soundtrack I've heard
Review: 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 wonderfuly; 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 worthwile - 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.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Atmospheric Blues Fantasy!
Review: CROSSROADS (Walter Hill's Blues film, NOT Britney Spears' self-indulgent 2002 fluff) is a terrific introduction to a uniquely American musical genre, with a remarkable cast and a dead-on southern 'atmosphere'. It has always astonished me that when released, critics were unable to look past Ralph Macchio's previous film work, and accept this gem on it's own merits, but it's subsequent status as a cult classic is certainly well-deserved, with films such as the Coens' O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? utilizing the Robert Johnson subplot and borrowing many of CROSSROAD's visual elements. Perhaps the film, with a magnificent Ry Cooder score, was just too far ahead of it's time, a strange criticism to apply to a Blues movie!
The tale involves young Long Island guitar prodigy Eugene 'Lightning Boy' Martone (Macchio), a rebel at the Julliard School with his passion for the Blues ("Primitive music," one professor sneers), on a quest to recover legendary guitarist Johnson's fabled "30th Song" of 1938. His research leads him to a NYC nursing home, where fabled harmonica player Willie Brown (the late actor/singer/songwriter Joe Seneca), a friend and collaborator of Johnson's, is confined. Promising to 'give' the song to the youngster if he can be "busted out" and returned to his Mississippi home, the pair are soon on a cross-country odyssey, with Martone learning about discrimination, the darker side of humanity, and love's loss (through a brief encounter with Jami Gertz, who was never lovelier), providing him with the core of sadness Brown says is essential to truly play the Blues.
The climax of the film is legendary; arriving home, Brown, who had 'sold his soul' to the Devil at the 'Crossroads' as a young man (just as his friend, Johnson, had), attempts to get 'Scratch' (skeletal Robert Judd) to tear up the contract. The Devil informs him that he will, only if Martone can defeat his Champion in a 'Guitar Duel'. If the youngster loses, his soul, as well as Brown's, will be lost, forever. Martone rashly agrees ("I don't believe any of this s*** anyway!"), and he and Brown find themselves in a broken-down church converted into a dance hall, with demons and lost souls cavorting to the rock strains of insanely talented Jack Butler (Frank Zappa guitarist/composer Steve Vai). With only his love of the Blues, Julliard training, and Brown's 'ju-ju' to aid him, the humbled Martone must play for far more than his life, in a 'Duel' (with the amazing Vai actually playing both guitar parts) that is so fabulous that it is unbelievable that it was NOT included in the soundtrack album of the film!
Walter Hill was no stranger to music-themed fantasies (he also directed another 'ahead of it's time' cult film, STREETS OF FIRE), and with CROSSROADS, he took a simple storyline, and turned it into an unforgettable musical cinematic experience.
That the film is FINALLY on DVD is a MAJOR cause for celebration...now, let's hope an expanded "Special Edition" with added bonus features, will follow!
Rating: 
Summary: Sony ignores influence
Review: Crossroads is a great movie, but the long awaited DVD release leave a lot to be desired. As a DVD release, this movie only gets one star.
This movie inspired many, many people to pick up at learn guitar, including myself. Sony ignores the influence this movie had on guitar players.
For Sony not to include a single bonus extra, interview, or even backstory on the ledgend of Robert Johnson it a complete and utter shame.
It's awfully high priced not to include anything extra.
It does have Japanese subtitles though. Big frigging deal!
Rating:
Summary: An over-looked gem!!
Review: Crossroads is one of those movies that at the time wasn't a hit but over time, people have rediscovered it and it's become sort of a cult classic. When you think of Ralph Macchio as a blues guitar slinger it seems like a blatant miss-cast but how he plays the main character is actually what gives the movie its charm. Not to mention the fact that the devil's main guitar slinger is played by a young and relatively unknown guitar player by the name of Steve Vai!! And the swagger was there back in the day. Anyways, the soundtrack is great and Ry Cooder really captures the feeling of the movie overall and there's some great slide work. The picture quality is good and the sound quality is clean. Keep in mind that this was made in the 80's but it's a definite improvement over VHS. Crossroads is definitely one to add to your collection
Rating:
Summary: Two words -- STEVE VAI!
Review: I first saw this movie shortly after it was released on VHS with a guitar-playing buddy of mine whom we'd nicknamed "Eddie" after Edward Van Halen. When this movie came out, Steve Vai was the guitar player in David Lee Roth's band. The plot was interesting enough, but it was the head-cutting duel at the end of the movie that was the coup de grace, the piece de resistance, and so on and so forth. Vai even looked devilish! I bought the soundtrack album and was disappointed that it only had the Ry Cooder blues stuff on it, and none of the Cooder-Vai and Vai-Vai duel. If anyone's interested, the duel and another duel that didn't make it to the movie is available on Vai's "Elusive Light & Sound Vol. 1" CD, along with some stuff he did from "Bill & Ted" and "Encino Man" and some other movies. This movie will always have a special place for me because I first watched it with a bunch of good friends during a tough time in my life. Yes, maybe some people will find fault with the plot, maybe some of the blues purists didn't like the Vai classical-metal parts of the duel, and some may just not like Ralph Macchio, but this is one of those movies that, for me, transcends all those factors and will always be a favorite. I've just about worn out a VHS copy and plan to pick up a DVD soon. And I just got the aforementioned Vai CD last week and am rapidly wearing out tracks 4-8.
Rating:
Summary: At last!!!
Review: I saw this movie long ago on TV. And for last two years i searched for DVD edition, but no luck:(
And now i'll got it for my birhtday!!!
It's trully amazing story and music!
1000 thumbs up!!!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing movie for guitar enthusiasts
Review: I very much enjoyed this movie. I love anything about the guitar. I wouldn't call this movie a cinematic triumph, but I would say that guitar fans and blues fans would find it it enjoyable. The scenes with Steve Vai I amazing. I think regardless of the genre you play on the guitar, Steve Vai is an icon to any guitarist. My only complaint was that we didn't get to see as much classical guitar. I myself am a classical guitar admirer and was a bit dissappointed that we didn't get to hear as much of William Kanengiser's beautiful playing. Bill Kanengiser is the guitarist who played the classical guitar for Ralph Macchio. I consider him to be one of the best classical guitarists today. Ry Cooder's slide playing is brilliant also. This movie may not impress those apathetic to the guitar or music in general, but guitarists and admirers of the guitar will find this movie to be worth while
Rating:
Summary: Just for the duel scene with Vai.
Review: I'm sure the only reason most people are interested in this film is for the duel scene. Most of the movie leading up to that point needed alot more polish. The concept behind this film is very interesting but I think the film itself really does a poor job of storytelling. There is very little evidnce of the main characters talents up unitl the duel scene. I think it would have been a much better film if there were more musical challenges along the way instead of a love intrest that consumed a good part of the film and then lead to nothing. I also think the film would have been better off with more flashbacks of Robert Johnson rather than just the one scene at the beginning. Alot of week points in this film but the duel makes it all worth it I guess.
Rating:
Summary: Just a few corrections.....
Review: Just a couple corrections. Eugene's guitar parts were played by Ry Cooder and Steve Vai. Ry handled all of the delta blues parts, with Vai contributing Eugene's Trick Bag at the end of the film. Arlen Roth was Ralph Macchio's guitar coach.
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