Los locos caminos del rock

Roadie is a silly movie, but it has its moments. My husband & I still have our occasional brain locks. We saw this on HBO in about 1980, and hadn't seen it since, but still talked about it. We found it on DVD last month and we laughed and sometimes said oh--didn't Blondie look really good then, and Hank Williams Jr. was kinda tame. We liked it. Some times it is over the top, but most times is kinda sweet and the music is not bad, except the title version of Everything Works if you Let It (there is another version which is not so bad in the movie) by Cheap Trick. Alice Cooper is fun to watch, but not as much fun as Meatloaf, and luckily they got Art Carney to play Dad.

I saw this movie in the theatre (independant movie house), in 1980. I loved it. It is a very fun movie, filled with the rebellious spirit of rock & roll. I hope, by some miracle, it comes to DVD. With all the great music, this movie would make a great sountrack (isolated score, hmmm).

Roadie is a fun movie with a chance to see some rock and rollers on the screen. Meatloaf stars and plays a roadie (big stretch there) who is great at fixing stuff and inventing things. A talent he picked up from his Dad played by the unforgettable Art Carney (the one and only Ed Norton from The Honeymooners). Well Meatloaf hits the road and helps the likes of Debbie Harry and her band Blondie, Alice Cooper, Hank Williams Jr among others. Blondie really sound great singing Ring of Fire. The movie is fun and humorous.

'Roadie' is an absolutely awful and unfunny road movie about a country hick (Meatloaf) who inadvertently becomes "the world's best roadie" while pursuing a wanna-be groupie (Kaki Hunter) whose ambition is to lose her virginity to shock rock legend Alice Cooper. Cooper plays himself and performs, as do Hank Williams, Jr, Blondie and Roy Orbison. The rest of the very odd cast includes 'The Honeymooners' Art Carney (as Meatloaf's Dad), Joe Spano ('Hill Street Blues') as a clueless road manager, and 'Soul Train's Don Cornelius as a flamboyant promoter to name just a few familiar faces. Also keep an eye out for a very brief appearance by Kurtwood Smith ('Robocop'/'That '70s Show') in a gaggle of security guards who chase Meatloaf towards the end of the picture. The eclectic cast is one of two reasons to sit through this crud. The other, main reason is the soundtrack which is an eclectic and interesting musical snapshot of Top 40 America circa 1979/1980. Cheap Trick's obscure 'Everything Works If You Let It' is the unofficial movie theme, and their 'Gonna Raise Hell' also features. Blondie cover Johnny Cash's 'Ring Of Fire', which is lots of fun. Alice Cooper performs with members of Utopia. Roy Orbison duets with Crystal Gayle. And we also hear Styx, Eddie Rabbitt, Joe Ely and The B52s. The only thing missing is Devo! Most movie goers will find 'Roadie' a pointless exercise, but obsessive musical nerd record collector types (like me) will be entertained. The movie stinks, but the soundtrack is fascinating!

I'm probably one of about 5 people in the world who actually saw this in the theatres back in 1980, and I am absolutely thrilled it's now out on DVD. The film is a bonafide B-movie cult classic. Anyone who has ever lived in Austin, particularly in the pre-90's high-tech boom, will treasure the asthetics of the film. It has all the elements that make Austin the weird, unique town that it is. It totally stereotypes Texans, which makes it all the more funny to this Texan. People who don't understand Austin (or Texas) won't get the film, and probably won't like it.

High points of the film include a Hank Williams Jr./Roy Orbison duet singing "The Eyes of Texas" (the school song of the University of Texas at Austin) to break up a bar brawl; a high-speed chase through downtown Austin involving Austin police, a Lone Star Beer truck, and a limousine; and an outdoor rock concert, the "Rock N Roll Circus", featuring Blondie singing a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". Notice the racetrack to the above right of the stage, which is supposed to be located somewhere in Idaho. Austinites will recognize it as Manor Downs.

I recommend the film to anyone who enjoys a mindless, entertaining movie. Brain power is not needed to see this film, and is actually discouraged.