Mystery Train (1989)

Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writer:

Jim Jarmusch

Stars:

Masatoshi Nagase, Yûki Kudô, Screamin' Jay Hawkins

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masatoshi Nagase	...	Jun (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Yûki Kudô	...	Mitsuko (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Screamin' Jay Hawkins	...	Night Clerk (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Cinqué Lee	...	Bellboy (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Rufus Thomas	...	Man in Station (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Jodie Markell	...	Sun Studio Guide (segment "Far From Yokohama")
William Hoch	...	Tourist Family (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Pat Hoch	...	Tourist Family (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Joshua Elvis Hoch	...	Tourist Family (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Reginald Freeman	...	Conductor (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Beverly Prye	...	Streetwalker (segment "Far From Yokohama")
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Luisa (segment "A Ghost")
Elizabeth Bracco	...	Dee Dee - Charlie's Sister (segment "A Ghost")
Sy Richardson	...	Newsvendor (segment "A Ghost")
Tom Noonan	...	Man in Arcade Diner (segment "A Ghost")

Storyline

A Japanese couple obsessed with 1950s America goes to Memphis because the male half of the couple emulates Carl Perkins. Chance encounters link three different stories in the city, with the common thread being the seedy hotel where they are all staying.

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Plot Keywords:

hotel | japanese | elvis presley | three stories | thief | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English Japanese Italian

Release Date:

7 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mystery Train - Martedì notte a Memphis

Filming Locations:

Arcade Cafe - 540 S. Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,800,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$367,879 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

JVC Entertainment Networks, Mystery Train

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The hotel where the three stories converge is no longer standing, so many fans of the movie have made pilgrimages to the site only to find that it no longer exists. It can, however, be seen in the background of the scene in Great Balls of Fire!, in the scene where Alec Baldwin is preaching from his broken-down car.

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Goofs

After Charlie drops the liquor bottle, the position of the glass fragments change between shots.

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Quotes

Dee Dee: Hey! Listen... They're fucking.

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Crazy Credits

For Sara

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Connections

Referenced in Heimat 3: A Chronicle of Endings and Beginnings: Das glücklichste Volk der Welt - 1989 (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Pain in my Heart"
Performed by Otis Redding

User Reviews

a compelling trio

Director, Jim Jarmush showed great form with this movie, but has done little of note since. This simple trio of stories set in a seedy Memphis hotel are linked by a single event and each one is introduced by the hotel concierge and bellboy. The acute realism of this film is its most notable achievement. The Japanese rock 'n' roll fans touring sites of rock history, the wealthy Italian lady forced to spend the night with a lush, and the three hapless crooks are so believable it is almost necessary for the interjections of the larger-than-life concierge played by Screaming Jay Hawkins. The film is compelling without ever becoming over complicated or wildly action packed.