Roadhouse

Roadhouse (1989)

Television Broadcast, Seattle, WA

October 02, 2007

This was not the first time I have seen this film.

*** / ****

Road House. Utter those words to anyone who grew up on ‘80s flicks and you’re bound to get a reaction. “Ohhhh, Patrick Swayze,” will surely be one of them. “God, that movie was awful!” might be another. But no matter what words slip through the lips of those who witnessed Patrick Swayze at or near his best there is no doubt anyone who has seen this film is not likely to ever forget it. And that’s a good thing!

A bizarre cross between The Dukes of Hazard and Dallas formatted for the big screen and built from a blueprint that is consummate ‘80s magic (karate, bad hairdos, a gang of thugs led by their loutish boss, a final face-off between the film’s top tough guys, male bare-chested exercise routines, and chicks who gratuitously strip down for the bar’s help) Road House is the exhilarating middle portion of the great Swayze triumvirate (Dirty Dancing and Point Break being the other two). Make no mistake about it, the premise of Swayze as a bouncer plucked from an out-of-state bar to clean up the dilapidated Double Deuce Road House for a price he literally names himself is as ludicrous as plots get but this is the ‘80s and those kind of tiny details are precisely the ingredient that contributed to some of the eras best pictures. Road House clearly isn’t one of them, but it is awesome in its own right.

Why is Road House so entertaining and memorable if it’s really a bunch of ridiculous crap? The answer is simple: character! Writers David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin and director Rowdy Herrington (how great a name is that!?) know entertainment and top to bottom every face, buttock, and utterance that graces the screen is otherworldly amazing. We’re talking fat henchmen, hot chicks, dastardly louts, goofy bar maids, and feather haired tough guys saying things such as, “nobody ever wins a fight,” “I used to fuck guys like you in prison,” and “you’re too stupid to have a good time.” Ahahahahaha! Throw in gruff voiced Sam Elliott as Swayze’s long lost bouncing buddy who stumbles in for the third act issuing his own brand of ass kicking rough stuff and you’ve got yourself midnight movie gold and the ultimate TNT movie for guys who like movies movie.

I say keep your Steven Sagal, Patrick Sawyze in Road House is where it’s at. There may be thousands of better movies than Road House and hundreds of better actors than Swayze, but damn if you’ll find too many as ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining as this particular combo.