Road House

"Road House" tells the story of Dalton, a "cooler" who is hired by the owner of a small town dive bar in Jasper, MO. Dalton is hired to clean up the bar, as it has devolved into a very dangerous establishment. This place is so dangerous and rowdy that the house band plays behind a cage and the wait staff regularly engages in brawls with the patrons. This story used one of the common Western film tropes-- a new Sheriff is hired and brought in to clean up the town. That is essentially Dalton's role in this film. He's kind of the Gordon Ramsey of the bar scene. He's brought in to clean things up and kick out the riff raff. And boy is there a lot of riff raff to clean up.

The conflict in "Road House" is that there is a gang, led by Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) whose entire MO it seems is to intimidate the local business people into giving them money and favors in exchange for not being beat up or having their businesses destroyed - an old fashioned protection racket if you follow the 1930s B films. Most of the town (including law enforcement!) is scared of Wesley and his gang and the group pretty much has full run of everything--including the bar where Dalton is hired. Wesley and his gang begin to resent Dalton's presence, because he isn't a pushover and isn't letting them have control.

Much of the action of the film involves Dalton fighting Wesley and his gang of ruffians. Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott), Dalton's friend and mentor, who also works as a cooler at another club/bar, arrives in town to help out his friend. Together, Wade and Dalton try to take on Wesley. And of course, because this is Patrick Swayze, there is a love story intertwined, when he hooks up with his ER surgeon (Kelly Lynch).

The bar scenes are crazy. A lot of nudity, fighting, violence, everything. The opening scene melee resembles the wild saloon fight in "Dodge City" or "Blazing Saddles." Jeff Healy plays the lead singer/guitarist of the house band, and they're fantastic. I especially loved their cover of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues."

Anyway. If you're adverse to movies with violence (including a particularly spectacular Rambo-esque turn for Swayze near the end of the film), nudity, and language, then this film isn't for you. But, if you're interested in a ridiculous trashy movie, with great music, then this is worth a watch.

Maybe a guilty pleasure for me but during my childhood and to this day I really enjoy this movie.

A Patrick Swayze in a state of grace with role after role, which one is more iconic (remember that this movie is between Dirty Dancing and Ghost for example).

It has everything an 80's action movie had to have: violence, rock and roll, drama, romance and risque scenes.

It does not shine because of its script but rather the meme lies in the fact that everyone who approached the main character had a bad fate assured.

I really highlight the soundtrack with songs by Bob Seger, which is a personal weakness but with an incredible Jeff Healey and that every lover of a good electric guitar cannot ignore.

It hurts the remake and that damn Hollywood habit of wanting to bring old things to the present with the usual result: it's not the same.

Recommended for all lovers of this type of cinema.

This really is one of those guilty pleasures - a silly, inane movie, but possessed of so many elements for guys to enjoy, mainly regular bouts of ass-kicking, that a guy has to watch it about once a year to get his fix of adrenaline and a picture of how the world should work. The movie has its own rules and an internal structure mostly explained by the character of Dalton (Swayze), a supervisor of bouncers termed a Cooler. When certain entertainment establishments become too lowbrow and rowdy on a nightly basis, someone like Dalton is hired on to show all the patrons how to behave in a civilized manner. He has a degree in philosophy to help facilitate his instruction, plus some martial arts disciplines. In this world of bouncers, club owners, and alcohol dispensers, Dalton has a mighty rep - they've all heard of him, tho many thought he'd be bigger.

Also with an older rep is Wade Garrett (Elliott), an aged cooler who shows up halfway in to help his protégé kick some teeth in. It's amusing to watch the bouncers when introduced to Wade - they react like actors introduced to the Marlon Brando of the bouncer industry. The main villain is a local rich bigshot (Gazzara), usually wearing a self-satisfied evil grin and nice clothes, hiding a repugnant nature which treasures power & more power above all else. Well, actually, he doesn't hide it much as the pic progresses. This is where such villains make a foolish error: if he'd been just a little more laid-back and content with all the power he already had, things would've probably stayed the same for him. But he just can't resist having total absolute control over everything & everyone - a pure-bred fascist if ever there was - offending the zen-like sensibilities of the usually serene Dalton. Of course, having a couple of Dalton's friends killed didn't help towards a peaceful resolution.

The most entertaining portions of the pic are Dalton's methods in dealing with yahoo troublemakers; these dangerous dudes are reduced to clownish oafs by Dalton's effective tactics & knowhow. There's also a dark version of Dalton, Gazzara's main henchman, a martial arts master who seems a match for Dalton's prowess. There are frequent splashes of female nudity, including by Lynch as Dalton's new girlfriend (and doctor; Dalton isn't invulnerable - he needs a doctor about twice a week). You also seem to learn a lot about the art of being a bouncer, though some of this may be baloney. In many ways, this could be the perfect guy picture.

OK, this isn't Oscar material, it garnered six Razzie nominations instead. The acting leaves a lot to be desired, and the dialog is pure corn, but it fills the "guilty pleasure" category like a glove.

While others like Dirty Dancing, this movie will always define Patrick Swayze to me. In his memory, I will watch it over and over.

It will be the movie that reminds me of how attractive Kelly Lynch is.

It will remind me why I like Sam Elliott.

It will remind me why Ben Gazzara is perfect as Boss Hogg.

It's not art, it's pure entertainment, and why I will always remember Swayze.

Besides, it has one of the best soundtracks around.

The dialog, story and acting in this are so cliched that I believe it is a parody of action movies. Others believe it is a straight action movie gone horribly wrong. Whatever the intentions, this movie is very entertaining and very, very stupid. I love it, superior in every way to Sophie's Choice.