Murder on the Yellow Brick Road

MURDER ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD is very interesting in that it attempts to present a "film noir" movie in the present. It works for the most part. Unfortunately, in the fast-cut TV/MTV world in which we live, we are not used to handling the (frequently) lingering camera looks and the generally slow unfolding of the story. It needs tighter editing. That said, the acting in most cases is very strong. One wishes that Ross Hagen's direction had matched the strength of his acting. His hard-bitten detective is the epitome of the stereotype, but with a depth of humanity that lifts the portrayal above the mundane. Ken Butler plays the tough-as-nails cop to very good effect. And it was a joy to see Nancy Kwan again! She's as beautiful as ever. The most exciting feature of the film is the cinematography. Gary Craver's photography, lighting and effects are superb, making it a beautiful experience. If you can adjust your viewing and mood to the slow pacing and tempo, this is a beautifully filmed and fun movie to see.

Murder on the Yellow Brick Road is a beautiful film. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. A film with a good plot, but without violence, blood, explicit sex scenes, and frightening special effects, cannot be seen very often these days. It is made as a film-noir, a suspenseful thrill ride that has so many twists and turns. The cast is great. Ross Hagen and Ken Butler give a great performance in the lead roles. Beautiful film from the story, to the acting, to directing, editing, and cinematography. The music is wonderful. I especially liked the song "Boulevard of Dreams". This is a film I would recommend to my friends without hesitation.

Murder On The Yellow Brick Road is an old fashioned murder mystery. With the fun narrative of.."It was a hot steamy night...", that I have always liked. It's a fairly simple story, that doesn't seem to need the violence, and foul language that has been the center of most films lately. The one scene that stays in my mind, is the one with the Detective, played by Ken Butler, discussing with the Private Eye the love that a person can feel for people they are close to, long after they're gone. And, that seems to be the feeling in the story...an older man feeling love for a much younger woman..but more the love of a Father caring, rather than romance. And, LOVED the song at the end of the movie, "Boulevard Of Dreams".

MURDER ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD is a fun to watch film that took me back to the back and white era of film-making. I was extremely impressed by both the story and character lines. It really tugged at my heart. The acting makes the film, led by Ken Butler's sensational portrayal of Detective Joe Patterson and Ross Hagen's superb portrayal of the P.I., Elwood Dick. Their friendship was so natural and down to earth, that it didn't seem like they were acting at all. The performance of Pilar Lastra as Gabrielle Mendez is also worth mentioning. She seems to be a relative newcomer, but her presence is undeniable. The same can be said for Charlene Fernetz as Rachel Dowd. She represents today's modern woman with dignity and style. I also loved the music, especially the theme song, Boulevard Of Dreams. Leslie Gillman's voice is haunting and soulful, fully realizing the music written by John Corlis and the lyrics written by Eric Belgau, who also wrote the screenplay. If you are a fan of murder mysteries, don't miss this one. It is definitely the best Yellow Brick Road to follow since the one to Oz.

There are many reasons to watch a movie, and whereas this is certainly not the high-gloss content that comes out of the major studios, it's special as an independent film, well-textured with interesting performances from strong character actors - especially Byrne Offut and Mark Bramhall - and full of unexpected turns by well-known performers. We all knew Nancy Kwan when she was a young, surprising starlet - but here she is again to surprise us as a vapid manipulator of young women. PJ Soles takes hold of a sleeper role, quiet and unimportant throughout most of the film, and then steals the show when she crescendos. Charlene Fernetz glistens. Ken Butler crackles. Ross Hagen burns slowly like a good cigar. It's definitely an indie - but an indie in which good actors get hold of some interesting content, do their thing, and do it well.