Murder on the Yellow Brick Road

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.

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.

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 sharp, sexy, visually-stunning throw-back to "Old Hollywood." I was immediately seduced by this crime story of the heart. The acting truly makes the film. KEN BUTLER's intense portrayal of Joe Patterson definitely stood out. With eyes that stare right through you, this no-nonsense detective takes full command of the screen.

I was particularly impressed by the relationship between his character and Elwood Dick, played by the rugged & lovable ROSS HAGEN. This twosome embodies the ultimate in male camaraderie & tough love. It was a pleasure watching the talented actors play off one another so effortlessly and with such realism. HAGEN's gravelly narration takes us back to another time - a time worth revisiting. A final performance well worth highlighting is that of CHARLENE FERNETZ as Rachel Dowd. She brought a beauty and a charisma to the film not otherwise present. Clearly an talent trained in naturalism, she was a joy to watch.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road - you won't be sorry...

This film was both a treat and a surprise. It brought me back to those great "who done it's" based on real suspense, solid performances, artistic cinematography and a straightforward plot. The film was not filled with what we see every day - blood and violence, an overload of special effects, extreme sexual content and bad acting. The performances were strong; one that especially stood out for me was that of Joe Patterson, played by Ken Butler. He was terrific and really added to the film. After seeing this film, I would definitely make it a priority to see Ken Butler in his future efforts. Another aspect that really stood out for me was the score. The music was wonderful, never overpowering or distracting, but really complimenting the film. I would recommend this film to everyone of all ages. It's not very often that someone can take their kids along to see a smart, well-acted and beautifully filmed movie.