Disc Reviews
Road House 4K Review
Patrick Swayze plays Dalton, A cooler for hire who takes on a job in small town bumsville to help the proprietor of a run-down bar turn his business around and make nights out a fun time for adults who like to drink, dance and hear good live music and stray away from the endless nights of fisticuffs and moping up blood after closing hours.
Dalton re-trains the staff, fires those with the bad habits and manages to catch the attention of the richest man in town, who owns most of the local businesses. Sadly, he also owns all the muscle in town and sets his hounds on Dalton and anyone else that gets in his way. Dalton also gains the attention of the local doctor (Kelly Lynch) after he ends up in her sewing chair with fresh wounds and sparks begins to fly.
So, what you have here is your basic adult action movie from the 80s that has all the ingredients you need for a good time. Great actors (Swayze, Ben Gazzara’s bad guy, Sam Elliot in supporting good guy duties is very noticeable), action (there is a ton of bar fights throughout this picture, all of it equally impressive as it is hilarious at times), music (thanks largely to Jeff Healy and his band are impressive – but also of note are Tito and Tarantula who appear in the opening scene).
There are late 80’s mullets all over the shop in this film. Lethal Weapon and Tango & Cash together never had this many bad haircuts, but it’s all part of the charm of course. Michael Kamen gives us a very 80s action Michael Kamen score. This is right in the middle of his Lethal Weapon, Die Hard phase,
So, why has Road House endured? Because it is unapologetic in what it has on show, and it is a technically very well made film that has a superb pace, and endless array of henchmen to throw at Swayze, all of whom stand out in their own way – Be it the other mega mullet in the film who has a very violent showdown with Dalton, of Terry Funk’s fired bouncer, or John Doe’s embittered former barman, of the guy who looks like he’s eight feet tall, or Tinker, the schlubby member of the bad guys team, or Anthony De Longi’s nasty 2nd main henchmen with the knife in his right shoe. They all have dialogue to play with and fight scenes to get stuck into, and Swayze; who luckily has a little help from Sam Elliot and his team of bouncers. And man, do they take out the trash.
Every fight scene has a different element to it. They often start in different ways and involve different people each time. The dialogue is often laughable, and Swayze isn’t given the best retorts, but there are occasional daft gems like suggesting Terry Funk might want to take up “Barber College”, or suggesting to De Longis that he’s “Too stupid to have a good time”.
Road House was not well liked by the critics when it came out. Fans liked it, but wrote it off as a guilty pleasure. It now seems to have become more of a cult film that people are proud to love as opposed to ashamed to like. It’s worn in very well and continues to engage all these years later.
And if you don’t own it, then oh boy is this the edition to get. Previous US releases have hosted a plethora of extra material, but Arrow has provided the motherlode. Just read the list below, and it’s all pretty much golden. The additional new interviews from some of the minor cast members and stunt men are very noteworthy additions. When the A-listers are busy, or passed on – Arrow are fearless in their determination to get recollections for the surrounding cast and crew. Everyone who has worked on a film has their story to tell, and as Road House has just a colourful cast, not to mention hands-on stunt work, these lengthy interviews are going to make die-hard fans wet themselves with excitement.
Steven Hurst
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mark Bell
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mark Bell
• Double Deuce coaster
• Collector’s booklet featuring original production notes
DISC ONE – FEATURE AND EXTRAS (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
• Audio commentary with director Rowdy Herrington
• Audio commentary with Road House fans Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier
• A Conversation with Director Rowdy Herrington, an interview with the director about the genesis and making of the film
• ‘Pretty Good for a Blind White Boy’: The Music of Road House, a featurette on Michael Kamen’s score and blues musician Jeff Healey’s performance in the film
• Remembering Patrick Swayze, a tribute to Road House’s iconic lead actor
• On the Road House, a featurette where cast and crew members look back on the film’s success
• Patrick Swayze Profile featurette
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
DISC TWO – EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
• I Did It My Way, an interview with second unit director and stunt coordinator Charlie Picerni
• Henchman #2, an interview with actor and stuntman Anthony De Longis
• Blonde Ambitions, an interview with actor Laura Lee Kasten
• Fightin’ Man, an interview with actor Roger Hewlett
• Ain’t Nothing Gonna Kill Me but Me, an interview with actor Travis McKenna
• Pain Don’t Hurt: The Stunts of Road House, a featurette on the stunts seen in the film
• What Would Dalton Do?, a featurette where professional bouncers show their appreciation for the film
• Selected interview soundbites
• On the Set, archival behind-the-scenes footage
Road House is out on 4K on 2nd June.