Blast from the Past
Rowdy Herrington helmed Road House a trashy romantic actioner, starring Patrick Swayze as a cooler at a newly refurbished roadside bar who protects a small Missouri town from a corrupt businessman and his honchos.
Grade: C (1 1/2* out of *****)
Sam Elliott co-stars as a bouncer, the mentor, friend, and foil of Swayze’s character.
The cast also includes Kelly Lynch as Swayze’s love interest, and Ben Gazzara as the antagonist.
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Theatrical release poster
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Swayze is well cast as James Dalton, a professional “cooler,” a specialized bouncer with a mysterious past, who is enticed from his job at a club in New York by Frank Tilghman to take over security at the Double Deuce, his club in Jasper, Missouri.
Planning to invest money into the club to enhance its image, Tilgham needs a first-rate cooler to maintain stability. Dalton takes lodging at a local farm owned by Emmett.
Dalton’s “real” car is a 1986 Mercedes 560SEC with New York license plates which he keeps hidden, instead using a 1965 Buick Riviera, which, sure enough is vandalized by some disgruntled bar patrons.
Dalton’s quiet demeanor is contrasted with the tough locals. After a violent night where Dalton is forced to remove Wesley’s henchmen, he suffers a knife wound.
It is sort of a contrived excuse to send him to the hospital, where he strikes up friendship with Dr. Elizabeth “Doc” Clay, who becomes his romantic interest.
The movie is cheesy in its plot, and the romantic relationship rather flat, despite efforts to make the couple sexy.
In the end, the movie is neither satisfying as an actioner nor as an erotic flick, but it’s perfectly watchable (late at night, after a couple of drinks) as it’s never dull.
Road House is the kind of bad movie that, seen in the right perspective and with very low expectations, could be sporadically enjoyable.
Sporting long hair (as the fashion was at the time) and boasting a muscled-up gym body, Swayze is often seen shirtless, but he is working overtime to exude charisma (which he lacks) and macho bravado sex appeal (which is limited).
Essentially, Swayze is playing here a similar part to the one he did in the 1987 hit, Dirty Dancing, which is a much better picture.
At the time, Swayze reportedly had a strong female fanbase among teenagers.
Upon initial release, the picture dismissed by most critics as trash. It earned five nominations for the Razzie Awards (Worst Movies of the Year).
However, despite negative critical response, the movie became popular at the box office by word-of-mouth, earning $61.6 million against a budget of $15 million.
The picture benefited immensely upon its release on VHS and DVD.
Cast
Patrick Swayze as James Dalton
Kelly Lynch as Dr. Elizabeth “Doc” Clay
Sam Elliott as Wade Garrett
Ben Gazzara as Brad Wesley
Kevin Tighe as Frank Tilghman
Red West as Red Webster
Jeff Healey as Cody
“Sunshine” Parker as Emmett
Marshall Teague as Jimmy
John Doe as Pat McGurn
Kathleen Wilhoite as Carrie Ann
Terry Funk as Morgan
Julie Michaels as Denise
Anthony De Longis as Gary Ketchum
Travis McKenna as Jack
Keith David as Ernie Bass, the new bartender
John William Young as Tinker
Credits:
Directed by Rowdy Herrington
Produced by Joel Silver
Screenplay by David Lee Henry, Hilary Henkin, story by David Lee Henry
Music by Michael Kamen
Cinematography Dean Cundey
Edited by John F. Link, Frank J. Urioste
Production company Silver Pictures
Distributed by MGM/UA Communications Co.
Release date: May 19, 1989
Running time: 114 minutes
Budget $15 million
Box office $61.6 million
