''Road House'' is a 1989 American
action film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...
directed by
Rowdy Herrington
Rowdy L. Herrington (born 1951 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a Hollywood director and writer currently residing in Livingston, Montana. He is married and has no children.
Career
Rowdy attended Penn State from 1969 to 1973 and majored in te ...
and starring
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...
as a
cooler
A cooler, portable ice chest, ice box, cool box, chilly bin (in New Zealand), or esky ( Australia) is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool.
Ice cubes are most commonly placed in it to help the contents inside stay cool. Ice packs a ...
at a newly refurbished
roadside bar who protects a small town in
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
from a corrupt businessman.
Sam Elliott
Samuel Pack Elliott (born August 9, 1944) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Aw ...
co-stars as a bouncer, the mentor, friend, and
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ...
of Swayze's character. The cast also includes
Kelly Lynch
Kelly Ann Lynch (born January 31, 1959) is an American actress and model. Her notable film roles include '' Cocktail'', '' Road House'', ''Drugstore Cowboy'', ''Curly Sue''. and TV show roles in ''The L Word'' (2004–2005, 2009), and '' Magic Cit ...
as Swayze's love interest and
Ben Gazzara
Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...
as the main antagonist.
Plot
James Dalton is a professional "
cooler
A cooler, portable ice chest, ice box, cool box, chilly bin (in New Zealand), or esky ( Australia) is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool.
Ice cubes are most commonly placed in it to help the contents inside stay cool. Ice packs a ...
", with a mysterious past who is enticed from his job in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
by Frank Tilghman to take over security at his club, the Double Deuce, in
Jasper, Missouri
Jasper is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population within the city limits was 931 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Jasper is located one mile south of the Ba ...
. Tilghman plans to invest substantial money into the club to enhance its image, and he needs a first-rate cooler to maintain stability. Handed control of all bar operations and hiring by Frank, Dalton fires multiple employees for theft and drug dealing.
Dalton is introduced to local business magnate Brad Wesley, who effectively controls the town. His henchmen threaten Tilghman, and during the ensuing struggle, Dalton receives a knife wound. At the hospital, he begins a friendship with Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay, which develops into a romance. Dalton also reunites with his mentor, aging cooler Wade Garrett, who comes to town after receiving a disconcerting phone call from Dalton.
Wesley summons Dalton to his home and reveals knowledge of Dalton's past regarding an incident in which he killed a man in
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...
by ripping his throat out. Wesley tries to convince Dalton to work for him once he extorts the Double Deuce but Dalton declines. Wesley increases his attack on the club and begins to sabotage other businesses that disobey him. After Wesley's henchman Jimmy Reno sets Dalton's
house on fire, he kills him in self-defense, shocking Elizabeth.
After Wesley has Garrett killed, Dalton snaps and storms Wesley's estate, killing most of his henchmen and ultimately incapacitating Wesley. As he tries to walk away, Wesley pulls a gun on him. Before Wesley can shoot, however, he is shot to death by the townspeople, who deny any knowledge of what had happened to the arriving police. In the end, the town celebrates its newfound freedom at the Double Deuce.
Cast
Production
Casting
Annette Bening
Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominati ...
was originally cast as Dr. Elizabeth Clay but she was fired because she and Patrick Swayze had no chemistry, so she was replaced by Kelly Lynch.
Filming
Filming started in April 1988 on location throughout California, primarily in
Newhall,
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, and
Canyon Country
Canyon Country is a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city of Santa Clarita, California, Santa Clarita, in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies along the Santa Clara River (California), Santa Clara River betwee ...
. The filming of much of the "New Double Deuce" used
Anaheim's ''Cowboy'' bar, also later called the ''Bandstand'' among other names until it closed. The opening and monster truck scenes were filmed in
Reedley, California
Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. It is located in the San Joaquin Valley, east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of . The population at the 2010 census was . Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularl ...
. The
Kings River runs between the two residences.
The monster truck used was
Bigfoot #7, which was originally built for the film. The scene cost $500,000 to film.
Music
The soundtrack for ''Road House'' featured Canadian guitarist
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008) was a Canadian blues, rock and jazz singer, guitarist, and songwriter who attained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He reached No. 5 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with " A ...
, whose
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, MureÈ™, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
was featured in the film as the house band for the Double Deuce.
Cruzados
The Cruzados were a 1980s rock band from Los Angeles, California.
History
The Cruzados were formed in 1983 by the members of The Plugz, featuring members Tito Larriva, Tony Marsico, Steven Hufsteter, Chalo Quintana,
The band's self-titled a ...
were the band in the opening credits, contributing three songs to the film that never made the soundtrack.
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...
also wrote one song and sang two for the soundtrack. The
film's score was composed by
Michael Kamen
Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician.
Biography Early life
Michael Arnold Kamen was born ...
. A limited edition 14-track score album part of the Special Collection was issued by
Intrada Records
Intrada is an American record company based in Oakland, California, owned and managed by Douglass Fake. The company specializes in movie and television soundtracks, notably those by the late Jerry Goldsmith.
Intrada was founded in 1985 by owner ...
in 2012. An expanded limited 31-track score was reissued for the film's 30th anniversary by La-La Land Records in 2019.
Release
Theatrical
The
film premiere
A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition.
A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
d in New York and Los Angeles on May 19, 1989.
Home media
Between
VHS,
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
,
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
and Streaming service sales, 'Road House' has grossed over $203 million, including its original box office of $61 million. The film was originally released on
VHS and then on DVD. In the United States
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
first released the film on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
on February 4, 2003, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and
theatrical trailer
A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and tech ...
as the sole extra feature. In 2006 a Deluxe Edition DVD was released with two
audio commentaries including one with the director, two featurettes titled "On the Roadhouse" and "What Would Dalton Do?". ''Road House'' was first issued by MGM on
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
disc on June 2, 2009. A second disc combines the same six special features ported from the Deluxe DVD. After being reissued numerous times in the U.S., in 2016
Shout! Factory released a 2-disc Blu-ray collectors edition with fourteen extra features with material ported over from the previous editions. New supplements include a 'making of' documentary with new interviews by Herrington, actors Kelly Lynch, John Doe, Kevin Tighe, Julie Michaels and Red West, a separate conversation with the director and featurette for the film's music. The magnet clasp boxed limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack from
Vinegar Syndrome
Cellulose acetate film, or safety film, is used in photography as a base material for photographic emulsions. It was introduced in the early 20th century by film manufacturers and intended as a safe film base replacement for unstable and highly ...
was released on November 25, 2022.
Reception
Box office
The film grossed $30 million in the United States and Canada and $31 million internationally for a worldwide total of $61 million. The film was more successful on
home video
Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
. The film also found life on
cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
.
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, ''Road House'' has a rating of 39% based on 44 reviews and has an average rating of 5.2 out of 10. The consenus states: "Whether ''Road House'' is simply bad or so bad it's good depends largely on the audience's fondness for Swayze -- and tolerance for violently cheesy action."
Roger Ebert of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'' gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and commented, "''Road House'' exists right on the edge between the 'good-bad movie' and the merely bad. I hesitate to recommend it, because so much depends on the ironic vision of the viewer. This is not a good movie. But viewed in the right frame of mind, it is not a boring one, either."
When interviewed by
Anthony Bourdain,
Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...
lauded the film as unappreciated, with a complex plot and respect among actors in the film industry since its release. Kelly Lynch told ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', "Every time ''Road House'' is on and he
urray
Urray ( gd, Urrath) is a scattered village and coastal parish, consisting of Easter, Old and Wester Urray and is located in the county of Ross in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Urray is also a parish in the district of Wester Ros ...
or one of his idiot brothers are watching TV – and they're always watching TV – one of them calls my husband and says (in a reasonable approximation of Carl Spackler from ''Caddyshack''), 'Kelly's having sex with Patrick Swayze right now. They're doing it. He's throwing her against the rocks.'" Murray is the best friend of Lynch's husband,
Mitch Glazer
Mitchell Aram Glazer (born 1952/1953) is an American writer, producer, and actor.
Life and career
Glazer was born in Key Biscayne, Florida, and was raised in Miami, the son of Leonard and Zelda Glazer, an English teacher. Glazer is a relative of ...
, and Lynch herself considers Murray a "buddy".
Accolades
''Road House'' was nominated for (but did not "win") five
Golden Raspberry Awards
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
:
Worst Picture
The Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture is an award given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Over the 39 ceremonies that have taken place, there have been 202 films nominated for Worst Picture and 42 ...
,
Worst Actor (Patrick Swayze),
Worst Supporting Actor (Ben Gazzara),
Worst Director, and
Worst Screenplay. The film is listed in
Golden Raspberry Award
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
founder
John Wilson's book ''
The Official Razzie Movie Guide
''The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst'' is a book about the booby prize award show the Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), written by John Wilson, founder of the awards ceremony. The book was published in 2005 ...
'' as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.
Other media
Sequel
A
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
, ''
Road House 2
''Road House 2'' is a 2006 American direct-to-video action film directed by Scott Ziehl. It is the sequel to 1989's '' Road House''. Johnathon Schaech stars as a bouncer who must protect a Louisiana bar from criminals.
Plot
D.E.A. agent Shane Ta ...
'', was released
directly to DVD in July 2006. Set many years later and telling the story of Dalton's adult son, it featured no characters from the original cast and only a few references to Dalton (who was reportedly shot dead before the film took place). The sequel confirmed that Dalton's first name was James, which could be seen momentarily on the medical chart in the original film's hospital scene, but which had been otherwise left unsaid. At the same time ''Road House 2'' was released, the original film was reissued in a deluxe edition featuring, among other features, separate audio commentary tracks by director Herrington,
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
, and
Scott Mosier
Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is an American film producer, director and editor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, ''SModcast''.
Early life
Mosier was born in Vanco ...
, which the duo had expressed an interest in during the introduction of the tenth anniversary ''
Clerks
A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store.
Office holder
Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court.
*Barristers' clerk, a manager and adminis ...
'' DVD.
Musical
In 2003, an
off-Broadway musical production of ''Road House'' was staged as a
campy
Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting ae ...
comedy by
Timothy Haskell, as seen by its full title of ''Road House: The Stage Version Of The Cinema Classic That Starred Patrick Swayze, Except This One Stars
Taimak
Taimak Guarriello (born June 27, 1964), known mononymously as Taimak (), is an American martial artist, actor, and stuntman, known for his lead role as Leroy Green ("Bruce Leroy") in the 1985 martial arts film ''The Last Dragon''.
Personal life
...
From The 80's Cult Classic "''
The Last Dragon
''The Last Dragon'' (sometimes listed as Berry Gordy's ''The Last Dragon'') is a 1985 American martial arts comedy film produced by Rupert Hitzig for Berry Gordy and directed by Michael Schultz. The film stars Taimak, Vanity, Julius Carry, C ...
''" Wearing A Blonde Mullet Wig''.
Police training video
Following the
death of Eric Garner
On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island after Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. Video footage of the incide ...
, the
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
began using a scene from ''Road House'' as part of a mandatory, three-day retraining course for 22,000 officers expected to "be nice" under pressure.
Remake
On September 9, 2015, it was announced that
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Womenâ ...
would star in a remake of ''Road House''. On October 12, 2015,
Nick Cassavetes
Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes (born May 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, and writer. He has directed such films as '' She's So Lovely'' (1997), '' John Q.'' (2002), '' The Notebook'' (2004), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), and '' My Sister's ...
was announced to write and direct the film. However, plans for the film fell through and the remake was quietly canceled in 2016.
In November 2021, it was reported that
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He ...
was in talks to star in a remake of ''Road House'' by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
with
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric Liman (; born July 24, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing the films '' Swingers'' (1996), '' Go'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), ''Jumper'' (2008), '' Ed ...
directing. In August 2022, a full cast was announced including
Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor ( ga, Conchúr Antóin Mac Gréagóir; born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight double-champion. He is the first ...
,
Billy Magnussen
William Gregory Magnussen (born April 20, 1985) is an American actor. He has been featured in the films ''Into the Woods'' (2014), ''Birth of the Dragon'' (2016), '' Game Night'' (2018), and ''Aladdin'' (2019), and has had supporting television r ...
,
Gbemisola Ikumelo
Gbemisola Ikumelo is a British actress, comedian and writer. She has won a BAFTA award for her short ''Brain in Gear'' and best female comedy performance from the Royal Television Society for her role in her show ''Famalam''.
Life and career
Ikum ...
and
Daniela Melchior
Daniela Melchior ((); born November 1, 1996) is a Portuguese actress. After beginning her career in her home country, she garnered worldwide attention with her English-language debut as Ratcatcher 2 in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film '' Th ...
and would debut on
Amazon Prime Video. The film is rumored to have a similar plot with a modern twist. Gyllenhaal's character is to be a former UFC fighter who is now retired and working at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys. Production for the movie will begin in August 2022 and is planned to be released worldwide on
Amazon Prime.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Road House
1989 films
1989 action films
1989 martial arts films
1980s English-language films
American action films
Films about extortion
Films about organized crime in the United States
Films adapted into comics
Films adapted into plays
Films directed by Rowdy Herrington
Films produced by Joel Silver
Films scored by Michael Kamen
Films set in Missouri
Films shot in California
Karate films
Kung fu films
Silver Pictures films
United Artists films
1980s American films