Juke

"Juke joints" are (choose one): a) a condition brought about by doing too many 'deep knee bends', b) a technical term used to describe the restraining piece that keeps all the 45's from rolling out of the juke box onto the floor, or c) eating, drinking and dancing establishments in the rural deep South which were a festive breeding ground for the blues. Theoretically, the answer is "c," but unfortunately, this tape is a breeding ground for blues of another sort altogether (and for cobwebs now that it's on my shelf). Southern Blues is a great subject, with a wonderful history and tradition, and marvelous inspiration, not to mention the fact that "juke joints" are a subject most of us know next to nothing about. So, imagine my disappointment when I discovered that Juke is mainly a handheld amateurish Super VHS home video of a poorly recorded blues festival interspersed with shots taken out of the window of someone's car of cotton fields and a few barely audible interviews with some blues players. Almost no filmic sensibility by the director, poor sound quality and rotten exposures and compositions made this back door man want to flee to the front exit. As for "juke joints"--I'm still not sure what they are. The opening credits tell us that the origin of the word "juke" is from a Congo-ese dialect meaning "disorderly." So, at least the title is not falsely advertising the product. It is juke, pure juke. Not recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Ray)