SC6 Lost Movie Classic: Crossroads

The Karate Kid Takes on Satan... With a Guitar !

I think I have a new series to add to SC6 today - SC6 Lost Movie Classics. The purpose of it is to pull movies out of my collection, and ones that just come to mind that represent myslef and SC6. The first one today is the 1986 classic, 'Crossroads'.

In case you've never seen it, here's a synopsis: Ralph Macchio is a kid from Long Island, who trains at Julliard Music Academy during the day, but he also works at a nursing home. Ralph finds out that one of the residents may be a famous blues harmonica player, who knew blues guitar legend Robert Johnson. Ralph thinks maybe if he befriends Willie, he may be able to learn and record Johnson's famous missing "30th Song". Willie is played by Joe Seneca, who bears an incredible likeness to Jim Clyburn during his Methuselah, beard-wearing days.

Willie promises he'll teach him the song, if Ralph breaks him out. Ralph does it, and Willie takes him on a journey back to the Mississippi Delta to teach him all about the blues - to show him that it's more than just "a good man feeling bad". Ralph also hooks up with a young, pre-boob job Jami Gertz, but naturally, she takes off - hey it IS the blues....

Eventually, Willie comes clean. There is no 30th song, and he just wanted to get out of the nursing home. But, the main reason is that Willie made a deal with the devil, and now he feels cheated. Satan - who is black of course - makes a deal that if Macchio agrees to a guitar playoff - also called 'cutting heads' - and wins, he'll let Willie out of the deal. If he loses, Macchio gets a straight ticket to Hades as well.

It's a great movies, especially if you like blues music, life Down South, and that Doe-eyed sweetie that Macchio is. Just kidding on that one !! Here is the clip of the Guitar Playoff between Macchio and rock legend Steve Vai, who was great in this. By the way, both Macchio and Vai are Long Island natives.......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QKbnCDW94

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