Road House
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Movie Reviews of Road House
Movie Review: Good late '80s exploitation flick. Great DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Road House" is a typical exploitation flick but, in the decades that followed, has become a cult fave. It takes the usual clichés of a run-down bar with the type of elements that David Allan Coe sang about in "Longhaired Redneck". But what elevates this above any other typical exploitation flick is that it's a tight production filled with great roles.
Patrick Swayze (Dalton)is perfect for the zen-like cooler who is hired to help manage the bouncers at the Double Deuce road house. Kelly Lynch plays his love interest and Ben Gazzara as the sadistic thug who runs the town. Rounding off the cast is Sam Elliott as Dalton's mentor and the sadly missed Jeff Healey and his band playing as the house band at the road house.
This is a very enjoyable movie which I found myself rediscovering. I saw this on the shelf numerous times yet held out on purchasing it. But, after viewing it again, it is a movie that doesn't take itself seriously and is just enjoyable for the cheese that it is. It's the kind of movie which acts as a time capsule for the end of the '80s with its excesses (car cassette players, such as the one in Dalton's prized possession, date the movie). The only thing I didn't like was how the Double Deuce became "mainstreamed" from a dive to one sporting the '80s touches of polo-shirted bouncers, neon and mall-like architectural trim.
The acting and the production hold it together. I'm fully aware of how a lot of the plot could have been excised. But then this movie is all about grit and butt-kicking...that is, until the Deuce gets polished up. The action and fights are good and suitably over-the-top for this material.
The standout in this movie is Jeff Healey, a gifted musician with amazing musical talents for the blues. He and his band is the other reason why I kept watching. Healey died in 2008 due to the cancer that took his eyesight at the age of one. It's great watching him play and act. He, as well as the rest of the cast, obviously had a lot of fun making this movie. Even the closing credits sequence focuses on filming Healey and his band playing.
Tis DVD is a vast improvement over the previous MGM/UA "flipper" release. The film ifs presented in its original anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The digital transfer is much better and sharp and the sound highlights Michael Kamen's score and Jeff Healey beautifully (there's good 5.1 "play" within the roadhouse fight scenes inside the club that capture the ambiance nicely).
But the real reason I bought this was for Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's audio commentary track. Smith and Mosier were not involved in the production of "Road House". However, this dynamic duo talked about "Road House" during the intro to the "Clerks - The First Cut" featured in the Clerks (Three-Disc 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition) DVD. Someone listened and gave the pair the chance to record audio commentary for "Road House". Their commentary not only hits upon their admiration of the film and of Ben Gazzara (their admiration is like P.T.Anderson's admiration for Phillip Baker Hall) for but poke fun as the legend of Dalton which had me cracking up numerous times. They also talk about the copious male nudity in the film while also drawing parallels to this film and westerns. This audio commentary track is worth listening to and helps add some nice depth to a very entertaining film.
Other features include a commentary track by Rowdy Herrington, a featurette for its meant-to-be-avoided sequel ("Road House 2 : Widescreen Edition) and interviews with actual bouncers ("What Would Dalton Do") and a text trivia subtitle track.
It's a good film: A nice cheap pleasure that I bought out of a bargain bin. It's a DVD worth owning, watching and listening to. It was a nice impulse buy and worth snagging just for the sake of watching Patrick Swayze kick butt, Jeff Healey and his band play and listening to Smith and Mosier talk about the film. This film gave me a reason to revisit and rediscover Healey's music. I highly recommended this DVD.
Movie Review: "Be Nice.. Until It's Time To Not Be Nice." ("Road House:" Special Edition)
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been said before (and over and over in all the reviews here, so I won't bore you with the details why it's been said) but I'll say it again: "Roadhouse" is a great bad movie! I do find it funny that this one has earned that type of fond recollection by so many and turned into a cult hit of sorts because of it; while there are literally tons of these type of movies that littered the action/adventure landscape throughout the 80s and early 90s. Hardly any of them are even remembered much less revered to the extent "Roadhouse" is. I guess it's just one of those things. Maybe its because the movie has (at the time) bigger stars, a bigger budget and a larger abundance of gratuitous T&A than most theatrically released action flicks that bare a general resemblance to it (of course, you could find plenty of this type of thing lining the walls of your local Blockbuster, but even though they supply the action and nudity, they don't often supply the big stars and big budgets). Maybe it was just a matter of right place, right time, right amount of exposure, etc. Who knows; but whatever the reason, I'm glad enough this film has endured.
This special edition does its legacy as a winking-joke-unto-itself proud (Swayze's character is known as "the best bouncer in the business." Where was the annual bouncer convention of '89 held and how is the winner of that title determined?). The best reason to pick this up instead of the previous, bare-bones DVD transfer is the commentary tracks. The first is by the film's director, Rowdy Herrington, which is actually rather informative considering the source material being examined. But the real treat is the other commentary track by director and professional fanboy Kevin Smith and his production partner Scott Mossier. Not only is it a great commentary, but the very idea that the producers of this DVD saw it appropriate to include a commentary from someone who has nothing to do with making this movie shows that all involved are in on the joke. They should have just gone the full nine and held contest to find the ultimate, die hard "Roadhouse" fan and let him/her do the commentary. And I'd be willing to bet, somewhere, Quentin Tarrentino is pissed he didn't get a call (he loves contributing his two cents to cult films that he has nothing to do with other than being either a huge fan or hating the movie's guts - either way, always an entertaining commentator).
Now if only studio execs would get off their butts and release perhaps the only junk-action movie more loved and clamored for than this one: "Stone Cold." (It feels like that is the only movie ever made that has not made it to DVD, yet everyone seems to want it to be released, so what gives?! Since when aren't studios egger to cash in???) Give us a "Stone Cold" special edition and slap it in a two-pack with this classic and you'll have all the craptacular entertainment this side of the old school Steven Seagal flicks you'll ever need.
Movie Review: Yes, it's great...but it's even greater than you realize
Summary: 5 Stars
The great thing about Roadhouse is that it's beyond ridiculous in many ways. I simply love the movie an unhealthy amount. I think we all do. It's on TV every other night, and it never gets old. I'd rather watch Roadhouse for the 100th time than eat dinner. The amazing thing about Roadhouse is, if it were any other movie, people would rip apart the various ways in which it doesn't make sense. I present you the following:
The Top 15 unbelieveable things about Roadhouse that we all completely overlook every time we watch it
1) Coolers?! HAHA! Like such a profession exists.
2) At one point during the movie, the blind guy (Jeff Healey) says to Daulton, "Good to see you."
3) A blind musician, with a good voice, a unique style of play, with a good band, resorts to playing at the pre-Daulton version of the Double Deuce? Seriously? They can't get a better booking?
4) The drummer from the band looks like Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter.
5) "I thought you'd be bigger." They say this because Patrick Swayze is an inch or two away from legally being a midget; yet, he's the best damn cooler in the business. Riiiiight.
6) Several people in the movie have the 1980's afro-mullets.
7) Daulton is into Tai Chi AND chain smokes?
8) His medical records provide the fact that he's a bouncer, but also state that he has a Philosophy degree from NYU?
9) Nobody in town has ever heard of law enforcement on a federal level? Nobody in town knows a lawyer? How they let Brad Wesley just run over the town is as far-fetched as a plotline can get.
10) For such a small, dirtbag town, doesn't there seem to be an incredible number of attractive women?
11) Brad Wesley rules this town with an iron fist, and the help of about six henchmen. All the people in town can't fight the six?
12) Anyone who has ever been in more than one fight knows that you have to be fierce, and sometimes get angry. Yet Dalton's advice is to "Be nice"?
13) Aside from the fact that Patrick Swayze is as believeable as a cooler as Keanu Reeves is as a good actor, Sam Elliot's scrawny, ragged butt (as cool as he is, he is sorta frail looking) is the guy who's supposed to be even better at the job than Dalton?
14) Does the entire town of Jasper run without the intervention of any cops?
15) The sexually confused lead henchman for Brad Wesley utters the now famous, "I used to F' guys like you in prison!" Is that not one of the funniest things ever said during a fight scene?
The greatness of Roadhouse is that you never question the absolute preposterous nature of the movie. You go with the flow; watch Dalton take out the trash, clean up the Double Deuce, bang the hot nurse, and act as a catalyst for the rest of the town finally standing up against Brad Wesley...and you never bat an eye.
One of my favorite movies of all time. I can't recommend this movie highly enough.
Movie Review: Never a dull moment
Summary: 5 Stars
With the intensity of Patrick Swayze, beauty of Kelly Lynch, bad boy image of Sam Elliot and the musical brilliance of Jeff Healey this is a movie that can't be missed. It revolves around a bar owner wanting to turn a redneck bar full of brawls, drunks and skanks into a classy club with a clientele that actually knows what a checking account is. In order to clean out the unwanted elements he hires a Cooler with a reputation for being the best in the business, which is Dalton (Patrick Swayze). Somehow you'd think a cooler would be bigger, but he works in this role and carries it off without flaw. He gets to showcase his talents in martial arts and creates some of the hottest love scenes with, Dr. Clay (Kelly Lynch), that ever hit the big screen.
There are some problems along the way, mainly Brad Wesley, the self-proclaimed "owner" of the town where the Double Deuce Bar is located. Wesley and his band of meatheads expect every business owner to pay their "town beautification fee" each week and have manipulated the supply of whisky so Wesley receives most of every dollar spent at the bar. He's use to getting his way and he's not going to give up his profiteering without a fight, he sets out to run Dalton out of town. Realizing that Dalton is not easily manipulated and/or intimidated Wesley begins sending his enforcers to do the dirty work of getting rid of him, one way or another. When they can't seem to get the job done Wesley begins inflicting pain and despair among the friends Dalton has grown close to in the small town.
When Dalton thinks he might be getting in over his head he calls in his old friend Wade (Sam Elliot) and that's when things go from bad to worse, the enforcers get bigger in numbers and their tactics get deadly. People have known Wesley their whole lives but have only known Dalton for a few short weeks, which one do you think they finally take the side of? This one has an ending you don't see coming and though it's deadly it also has moments of humor.
Watch this movie if only to hear the Double Deuce Bar's house band, which Jeff Healey brilliantly sings for and leads. This movie has something for everyone, the men will love the fighting and the women, the women will enjoy the love story and the views of some extremely handsome men, both will love the music and the humorous moments that have created some of the funniest quotes anywhere. This movie is among my all time favorites list.
Movie Review: I thought you'd be BIGGER!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie has it all GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS, SEX DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL!!
Patrick Swayze plays a character that is hired to clean up a bar &
finds out he goin to have to clean up the town up too.
Brat Wesley is basically the town bully thinkin he can do whatever
he want to, cause he thinks just cause he graced the presents of this town and by his thinking made it a better place to live.
He basically thinks he's above the law, it takes Dolton (Patrick Swayze)
to let him know that he isn't.
Dolton is a cooler for the DOUBLE DUCE and he starts by firing Brad's Nephew, then the stakes get a little higher every time they meet until it come down to where Brad gets a little to close by trying to kill Doltons land lord Emmit, as one of Brad hinch men is riding off Dolton runs a catches up with him, it turns in to punch out brawl until the end the other guy trys to pull out a gun and shot Dolton and Dolton pulls out his throat.
Dolton in all this mess he meets a girl by goin to the hospital to
get stitched up from a knife cut!!
So anyway the next day Brad calls Dolton up and asked which person
should die the girl or a friend played by SAM ELLIOTT.
So Dolton decides to leave town, he goes to his girlfriend to get her to go with him, but she won't leave.
So he go back to the bar where he's meetin his friend, and his friend is dead.
He heads strait to Brad's basically kills everyone except for Brad and 3
business owners of the town take care of him!!
I rate this movie a 10 from 1to10!!