Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (2005)

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.

It was the poster that caught my attention to this film but after I watched it, it was totally different experience than I thought it would be. This film is unique in a sense. We see so many movies out there with guns and blood without good stories. This film is very calm and non-violent that it came to me as style which I love it. It flows so gently that you feel like you're floating on water while you're watching it. The score and music in this film is amazing. When the ending credit rolls up, the music keeps you in your seat. This movie is not for the audience who wants to experience hell of a ride. This film is for those who wants to see the characters and a story. It is beautifully lit and well acted. The film has a unique style. Highly recommended.

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.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the film and the performances given by the actors. The story brought me back to the movies of yesteryear and I was held captive until the end, which took me by surprise.The roll of Joe Patterson, strongly portrayed by Ken Butler, was the ticket that kept the film rolling and me glued to the screen. The music was wonderful and really lent itself to the story. The film reminded me so much of the old black and white films that were so popular years back. The characters were right out of a Raymond Chandler novel and the actors were riveting in their performances. I would highly recommend this film to anyone and also tell them to not miss any movie that Ken Butler was in.