Road House (1989) - Blu-ray Assessment

      Road House, 1989.

      Directed by Rowdy Herrington.

      Starring Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch, and Sam Elliott.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A legendary bouncer arrives to restore order at a notorious bar but clashes with a merciless crime boss who has control over the town.

      Early in Road House, there’s a moment where Patrick Swayze’s Dalton, a bouncer with a dancer's grace and a monk's demeanor, calmly tells his team to “be nice… until it’s time to not be nice.” This line, emblematic of this wonderfully absurd film, balances between the insightful and the ridiculous. However, that blend is what grants Road House its unique, captivating allure. It’s unpretentious, presenting a barroom brawl adorned with cowboy boots, philosophical musings, and denim—embracing its essence with pride.

      Swayze, riding high from the success of Dirty Dancing, portrays Dalton, a bouncer whose reputation as a "cooler" precedes him. He’s not just an ordinary bouncer; he’s the bouncer. Tasked with cleaning up the notoriously violent Double Deuce bar in the dusty town of Jasper, Missouri, Dalton enters with a philosophical calm, a boot full of roundhouse kicks, and an intriguing backstory that includes an NYU degree in metaphysics. Why not?

      What ensues is a small-town western filtered through a hair-metal music video. Dalton finds himself at odds with Brad Wesley, a smirking local despot played by Ben Gazzara, who appears to have control over everything, from JC Penney stores to who can throw a barbecue in peace. Wesley's motives are never entirely defined, but they don’t have to be. He’s wealthy, arrogant, and has the leisure to fly a helicopter over people's homes for amusement. That’s all the justification the film requires.

      The charm of Road House lies in its dedication. Director Rowdy Herrington (yes, that’s his real name) does more than just flirt with clichés; he builds a monument to them. Tables are broken, bottles shattered, and throats—infamously—are torn out. There’s an old-school, punch-first-ask-later rhythm to the proceedings, which is oddly mesmerizing. The fight choreography, while absurd, is executed with complete seriousness, and it’s Swayze’s genuine commitment that makes it work.

      Kelly Lynch provides solid support as Doc, the ER doctor who mends Dalton’s wounds and quickly falls for him. Their romance unfolds with a level of unselfconscious passion rarely seen outside of supermarket paperbacks, and there’s palpable chemistry, even if her presence mainly serves to show Dalton’s capacity for tenderness amid the brawls.

      Meanwhile, career screen cowboy Sam Elliott arrives midway as Wade Garrett, Dalton’s mentor and fellow bouncer. With his raspy voice, unbuttoned jeans, and laid-back heroism, Elliott strikes a balance between humor and surprising depth. He lends the film a touch of seasoned gravity, even when the script has him delivering lines that seem lifted from fortune cookies handed out by the local diner.

      This new limited edition Blu-ray release from Arrow features several great extras. Alongside the film in 1080P with lossless stereo or DTS 5.1 sound, there are a couple of engaging commentaries—one from Rowdy Herrington and another featuring Road House fans Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. Additionally, there are several interesting featurettes and a tribute to Patrick Swayze that fans of the film and Swayze’s work won’t want to miss.

      In classic Arrow fashion, this release also includes a reversible sleeve, a double-sided poster, and an iconic Double Deuce coaster.

      Road House was never meant to win over critics, but that’s irrelevant. What it offers is a wildly entertaining blend of macho absurdity and orchestrated chaos. It inhabits a realm where philosophy is expressed through a roundhouse kick and where the laws of physics yield to the principles of cool. It serves as a time capsule, a fever dream, and an action classic rolled into one.

      Not exactly good, but undeniably a knockout.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Tom Atkinson – Follow me on Instagram