Totally amazing cult movie. The key scene is somewhat mixed-up though. Jack Butler "discourages lots young boys" for the Demon - so Eugene is in fact helping & abetting evil by beating Butler. Sooo... who really wins what, and whose soul goes to who then? The means of victory is also mighty curious. "Primal\passionate\unruly\black" vs "European\rational\highly-trained\white" cultural traditions - & the latter wins as we are made to see. Well-ah, "let's get to it, Robert Johnson, standby..." No black Mississippi devil can beat the electricity Maxwell XIX century demon, right?..

I decided to view this movie just to see what the "karate kid" was up to. Man what a pleasant surprise. This is an incredibly good movie, with great music, good acting and surprise twist near the end.It is the story of a young naive man (guitar player) with a dream and an old, travel hardened man with a quest. Through a set of unusual circumstances the two team up. The kid sought out the old guy due to his love of blues. (He thinks the old guy is a former blues legend but is he?) The old guy took the kid under his wing as his ticket out of a prison-like nursing home.There are lessons about life on the road. (It is hard, trust me.) Along the way they learn a great deal about life and people, and each other. They meet some interesting characters, some dangerous ones, and they give us a few laughs as well.It is only after the kid experiences hardship, desperation, prejudice, and a broken heart that he can truly feel, and play the blues as the old man would have him do. Ralph Macchio appears to be playing the guitar quite well. If not then he definitely had lessons because he certainly moves his fingers in a convincing manner. I really enjoyed this movie and will watch it at least one more time before returning it to Netflix just for the music and the humor.If you have even the slightest love of blues, you owe it to yourself to see this movie.I've been up and down, loved and lost people close to me. Some were sweethearts, some family, some were close friends. The blues music in this movie made me remember all of them. With a bit of sadness, and a bit of joy.But, that's the blues. A bittersweet celebration of life.

I saw it long time ago, and since then I haven't been able to get it in the places where they sell movies............. ...or in the cinemas where a different alternative (Classic films). The content of the film is quite rare and that's why keeps you entertained all the time. Excellent music, story, actors. It Shows a lot of art and over-natural topics, some parts perhaps are "fantasy" but they way is shown in the film is such as natural that the person gets into the film and live it.Unfortunately it's not easy to get it in the country where I live but perhaps I will get this favor from a friend who lives in the countries where it is possible to have it.I say to everybody "enjoy this film because it's not just good, it's excellent"

At the crossroads Robert Johnson, the greatest blues guitarist of all time, sold his soul to the devil for talent and fame, so the legend goes. "Crossroads" is a bow to the great blues musicians and the myths surrounding them. The movie was made in the middle of the 80's but thankfully director Walter Hill avoided including too much of what was hip at the time and concentrated on the classy, timeless coolness of the blues. Even the devil, who plays a certain part in the story, isn't portrayed as some kind of cheesy monster, but appears as a regular guy with a sinsiter smile. On the other hand, this movie could only have been made in the 80's. It's the classic story of a young rookie meeting an old, grumpy legend and learning how to become a giant himself with a lacing of fantasy thrown into the mix. Ralph Macchio who had incidentally already been the "Karate Kid", a movie with a different subject but a similar setup, does a great job at mimicking to play the guitar. He has to act as if he was playing some really tricky stuff and he pulls it off quite well. In reality, Ry Cooder was responsible for all the amazing guitar work. If you're a guitar buff and own a Telecaster yourself (like I do), you'll find it delightful to see that guitar in action so much. What I like the most about "Crossroads" is that it takes all the clichés and myths of blues and handles them with a lot of dignity while never forgetting to move on with the story. The movie's heart is of course the guitar duel at the end, where Steve Vai makes a prominent appearance. It's the one scene that people will watch repeatedly, although it's also the scene, in which "Crossroads" reveals when it has been made. Such a finale just wouldn't be possible nowadays as shredding guitar heroes aren't popular anymore. I love the scene for what it is, but it's not set up well and the movie ends a bit too quickly afterwards.All in all "Crossroads" is no masterpiece, but it's certainly one of a kind. The most likable thing about it is that it doesn't seem like it was made for a huge commercial success, but for the love for its subject. This one's not just for blues geeks, but also recommendable to "normal" people.