Road House
by Rowdy Herrington
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Actor: Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch, Marshall R. Teague, Patrick Swayze, Sam ElliottDirector: Rowdy Herrington
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Dean Cundey
Editor: Frank J. Urioste
Producer: Joel Silver
Producer: Steve Perry
Producer: Tim Moore
Writer: David Lee Henry
Writer: Hilary Henkin
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-07-18
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of Road House
DVD Review: "Don't eat the big white mint"
Summary: 5 Stars
"Road House" (1989) is a movie that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish in spite of the fact that it stinks. Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is the best bouncer in the business, apart from his mentor, Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott). Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) hires Dalton to clean up his bar, the Double Deuce. He makes some headway at first but soon discovers that the real problem is the whole town is bullied by rich man Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), who has bought off the sheriff, makes all the local businesses pay protection money, and enforces his wishes with a gang of hired thugs. Like a bar fight that escalates into a full blown bar brawl, Wesley and Dalton's conflict boils over into an all out war. Dalton calls in Wade Garrett for back up, and the fight is on. There you have "Road House" in a nut shell, but speaking of nuts, did I mention that Dalton has a degree in philosophy from NYU, practices Tai Chi to get "centered," and believes that pain doesn't hurt?
"Living in Oblivion" was an independent film that satirized film making. In it, James LeGros plays Chad Palomino whose terrible ideas for blocking really sabotaged every scene he was in. He seemed to be a parody of Brad Pitt. Actually, Brad was supposed to play Palomino, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. So, James LeGros has indicated that it was actually Patrick Swayze whose self-involved attitudes and mannerisms were lifted.
The two had just worked together in "Point Break," which also starred Keanu Reeves as ex-football player turned FBI agent Johnny Utah trying to crack a case involving a gang of surfers who rob banks wearing masks of ex-presidents. Swayze is Bodhi, the leader of the gang of surfers. Bodhi is short for Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is a term in the Buddhist religion meaning an enlightened being who, out of compassion, forgoes nirvana in order to save others. Bodhi means "wakefulness."
I can't help thinking that the film makers of "Point Break" must have seen "Road House" and wanted to up the ante for Swayze. Why settle for a bouncer/philosopher when you can have a bank robber/Bodhisattva/surfer? I have yet to see "Point Break" but believe you me it is on my list. As for "Living in Oblivion" I would have to say that "Road House" is a vastly superior movie. Swayze may be self-involved, but his commitment to his character delivers results. Road House kicks Oblivion's ***!
Dalton: Sorry, we're closed.
Ketchum: Then what are all these people doing here?
Dalton: Drinking and having a good time.
Ketchum: That's why we're here.
Dalton: You're too stupid to have a good time.
"Road House" is too stupid for you NOT to have a good time. When Brad Wesley and his thugs want to make a point to a car dealer who refuses to pay protection money, why not smash his cars with a monster truck? You could sell tickets to that. I can almost hear the announcer's voice echoing. Other incongruencies in "Road House" are the fights which are invariably hand-to-hand when guns would be more efficient and make more sense. Guns are only used as a last resort, and while that might not make much sense in the real world, it makes for a more exciting movie, not to mention a bonanza for stunt men.
Also getting much needed work from "Road House" were Tito Larriva from The Plugz, John Doe, singer and bass player of X, and Jeff Healey of the Jeff Healey Band. Tito (Humberto) Larriva's band Cruzados was featured in the opening scene where Tilghman goes to the Bandstand to hire Dalton. Tito! I remember him well, and even met him backstage at the Berkeley Square where I complimented his song writing. The Plugz did a song called "Achin' to Break Your Heart" that showcased Tito's Telecaster and passionate singing that I particularly enjoyed. John Doe, also out of L.A.'s punk scene, was playing a bartender, not a musician. In fact, he was a real jerk, since he considered himself fire proof due to his uncle being Brad Wesley. Jeff Healey plays Cody, the singer guitarist for the house band at the Double Deuce. His band is featured throughout "Road House," and he also gets to act, though he is essentially playing himself. His signature is an unorthodox style of playing the guitar flat in his lap. He is also, like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, or Ronnie Milsap, blind. Last I heard he owned a bar where he features live bands and usually plays the last set himself.
All decked out with no place to go? Why not take it to the "Road House." You are guaranteed to have a real good time. Just don't eat the big white mint.
Wade Garrett: This place has a sign hangin' over the urinal that says, "Don't eat the big white mint".
The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition) (1998) .... Sam Elliott was The Stranger and Ben Gazzara was Jackie Treehorn
To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar (1995) .... Patrick Swayze was Vida Boheme
Jade (1995) .... Kevin Tighe was Dist. Atty. Arnold Clifford
Scorpion Spring (1996) .... Kevin Tighe was California County Sheriff Rawley Gill and John Doe was Deputy
Natural Born Killers (1994) .... Red West was Cowboy Sheriff
Pure Country (1992) .... John Doe was Earl Blackstock
Cocktail (1988) .... Kelly Lynch was Kerry Coughlin
Storie di ordinaria follia (1981) .... Ben Gazzara was Charles Serking
... aka Storie di ordinaria follia (Italy: dubbed version)
... aka Tales of Ordinary Madness (USA: literal English title
Harum Scarum (1965) (uncredited) .... Red West was Assassin
The Americanization of Emily (1964) (uncredited) .... Red West was Soldier
Tinker: A polar bear fell on me.
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Description of Road House
Patrick Swayze stars in this sexy, "violent tough-guy thriller" (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) from the producer of Die Hard and The Matrix. Co-starring Ben Gazzara (The Thomas Crown Affair), Kelly Lynch (Charlie's Angels) and Sam Elliott (We Were Soldiers), Road House delivers no-holds-barred action that pushes the envelope for high-octane thrills! Swayze is Dalton, a legendary bouncer who comes to Jasper, Missouri, for a special purpose: to restore order at the notorious Double Deuce bar. In one spectacular fight after another, Dalton rids the bar of thugs and henchmen. But when he runs afoul of a ruthless crime boss (Gazzara) who controls the town, the stage is set for a blistering showdown that'll leave only one man standing!One of those movies that helped usher out the era of action films that had plots that made any sense (and also helped reverse the direction of Patrick Swayze's career arc), Road House concerns a handsome, existential bouncer in a rinky-dink honky-tonk who owns both a degree in philosophy and a Mercedes. And that's perhaps the most believable aspect of the whole movie. Swayze stars as Dalton, "the best bouncer in the business," who runs afoul of Wesley (Ben Gazzara), the meanest SOB round these parts, by taking up with his former girlfriend, Doc (Kelly Lynch)--the only woman in town with an IQ approaching double digits, even if she had unfathomably hooked up with such a lowlife. Swayze had complained about being typecast as beefcake when this was made, but that didn't stop him from revealing as much skin as possible--even guys like him, as revealed in a luridly seedy scene in which one of Wesley's goons tells Dalton that he reminds him of the kind of boyfriend he had in prison (albeit in much saltier terms). It's so insulting to its audience that it's nice to be able to turn the tables and laugh at the filmmakers. --David Kronke
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