"The famous Long Island bluesman comes back"

Back in the days when Walter Hill still made good films, circa 1986, he directed an offbeat little number entitled Crossroads.

The film stars Ralph Macchio (not the Marvel Comics editor -- the kid from The Karate Kid and My Cousin Vinny), the always excellent Joe Seneca, and Jami Gertz, at the time probably best known as the annoyingly enthusiastic Muffy Tepperman on the short-lived but fondly-recalled TV comedy Square Pegs. Loosely based on the legend of blues guitarist Robert Johnson, the story also bears a remarkable similarity to the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.

Crossroads is a silly bit of fluff, and as implausible as it's possible for a movie to be and still retain some semblance of suspension of disbelief, but it's great, artfully crafted fun nonetheless. That fine actor Joe Morton cuts a cool and stylish swath cool as the devil's henchman, rock stud Steve Vai gets to reel off a few choice chords, and there's a delightfully realistic and nonsaccharine byplay between the young white kid who wishes to play the blues like Robert Johnson, and the old black man who knows all too well the price that wish can cost.

The film is newly available on DVD this week, in case you're intrigued enough to go check it out. (My copy's already in the rack, waiting to be viewed. You'll have to get your own.)