In "Mystery Train", Jim Jarmusch does with Memphis what he would later do with taxis in "Night on Earth". In this case, various tourists (including from Japan and Italy) have made pilgrimages to Memphis to see where Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, etc, recorded. Unfortunately, Sun Studios is in the middle of a dilapidated ghetto. A really good scene shows a woman walking through this ghetto, while the affluent downtown appears in the background.
It is true that Jim Jarmusch is an acquired taste, but "Mystery Train" will probably appeal to more people if only because of the soundtrack. It has one of the neatest soundtracks that I've ever heard. Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Steve Buscemi, Rick Aviles, Joe Strummer, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco and Screamin' Jay Hawkins all put on some great performances, with Tom Waits as the radio announcer. This is one great movie!
It is true that Jim Jarmusch is an acquired taste, but "Mystery Train" will probably appeal to more people if only because of the soundtrack. It has one of the neatest soundtracks that I've ever heard. Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Steve Buscemi, Rick Aviles, Joe Strummer, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco and Screamin' Jay Hawkins all put on some great performances, with Tom Waits as the radio announcer. This is one great movie!