Runtime: 114 minutes
Directed by: Rowdy Herrington
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Ben Gazzara, Sam Elliott, The Jeff Healey Band
From: United Artists
A perfect movie to revisit if you are still feeling like death warmed over after a booster shot. Yeah, it did not hit me until last last night but after a bad night's sleep and barely making it to the bank then Target, watching something serious after returning home was not in the cards. Instead for the first time in ages I went to the Double Deuce and I at least tried to believe that there's a great bouncer named Dalton who can sew his own stitches and has a philosophy degree from the prestigious NYU.
Technically speaking, the movie is really dumb and a gigantic mess, at least when it comes to the storytelling and plot. At times it did feel way too long and the movie OBVIOUSLY was filmed in California despite the alleged Missouri setting. Ben Gazzara played a rather over the top evil SOB, although perhaps not as I'll mention at the end. This is pretty dopey (after all, the honky tonk craphole known as the Double Deuce changed suspiciously fast into a slick 80's bar) although that doesn't mean it is not a blast to watch if you're so inclined.
After all, there's the awesome Patrick Swayze, the even more awesome Sam Elliott, explosions, blood, bone-breaking action, nudity, a monster truck, legendary professional wrestler Terry Funk, philosophical statement that may or may not be wise, and to me the best of all: multiple songs from the Jeff Healey Band performing live. No wonder this became a favorite in the 90's after it played ad nauseum on both TNT and TBS. For something that apparently drew a huge female audience due to Swayze being THE heartthrob of the time, it's hilarious that this is such a macho over the top affair featuring a monster truck crushing cars, many barroom brawls, and the aforementioned blood & nudity. No way could I handle anything actually serious-at least as of this moment-so this was perfect for the way I am feeling now.
A little earlier I noted how Ben Gazzara played a rather obvious A-hole, an evil man who bullies everyone and acts like a mob boss by skimming money from everyone else. Well, it wasn't until today that his comeuppance here reminded me of a real life villain; look up Ken McElroy, a town bully in a small Missouri hamlet. He's been covered in multiple podcasts & documentaries. He was REALLY a horrible human being and his ultimate end seems so similar to Road House's ending, I wonder if it was coincidence or not. Point is, perhaps I shouldn't complain about Brad Wesley ruling roost over a California... I mean a Missouri town.
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