James Dalton is a professional "cooler" with a mysterious past who is enticed from his job in New York City by Frank Tillman to take over security at his club, the Double Deuce, in Jasper, Missouri. Tillman plans to invest substantial money into the club to enhance its image, and he needs a first-rate cooler to maintain stability. After being hired to control all bar operations, Dalton fires multiple employees for poor behavior, theft, and drug dealing.
Dalton is introduced to local business magnate Brad Wesley, who effectively controls the town; his nephew was one of the employees that Dalton fired. His henchmen threaten Tillman, 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 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 Emmett's house on fire, Dalton fights Jimmy and kills him by ripping his throat out, 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's 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.
Annette Bening was originally cast as Dr. Elizabeth Clay. However, the role was recast because she and Patrick Swayze had too little chemistry, and she was replaced by Kelly Lynch.[5]Scott Glenn turned down the role of Jimmy Reno, which eventually went to Marshall Teague.[6]
Filming
Filming started in April 1988 on location throughout California, primarily in Newhall, Valencia, and Canyon Country. The filming of much of the "New Double Deuce" used Anaheim's Cowboy Boogie, also later called the Bandstand among other names until it closed. The opening and monster truck scenes were filmed in Reedley, California. The Kings River runs between the two residences.[1] The monster truck used was Bigfoot #7, which was originally built for the film. The scene cost $500,000 to film.[7] During filming the fistfight scene, Marshall broke Swayze ribs.[8]
Music
Road House: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Road House featured Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey, whose band was featured in the film as the house band for the Double Deuce. Cruzados were the band in the opening credits, contributing three songs to the film that never made the soundtrack. Patrick Swayze also wrote one song and sang two for the soundtrack. The film's score was composed by Michael Kamen.[10][11] A limited edition 14-track score album part of the Special Collection was issued by Intrada Records in 2012.[12] An expanded limited 31-track score was reissued for the film's 30th anniversary by La-La Land Records in 2019.[13][9]
Between VHS, DVD, Blu-ray 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 first released the film on DVD on February 4, 2003, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and theatrical trailer as the sole extra feature.[15] 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?".[16]Road House was first issued by MGM on Blu-ray disc on June 2, 2009. A second disc combines the same six special features ported from the Deluxe DVD.[17] 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.[18] The magnet clasp boxed limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack from Vinegar Syndrome was released on November 25, 2022.[19]
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.[20] It was more successful on home video.[21][22][23][24] It has also found life on cable television.[25]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Road House has a rating of 41% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The consensus 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."[26]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half out of four 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."[27]
When interviewed by Anthony Bourdain, Bill Murray lauded the film as unappreciated, with a complex plot and respect among actors in the film industry since its release.[28]
A sequel, Road House 2, 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, and Scott Mosier, which the duo had expressed an interest in during the introduction of the tenth anniversary Clerks DVD.[30]
In 2003, an off-Broadway musical production of Road House was staged as a campy 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 From The 80's Cult Classic "The Last Dragon" Wearing A Blonde Mullet Wig.[31]
In the Family Guy season 8 episode "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", Peter Griffin purchases a DVD copy of Road House for a dollar at a closing video store. After watching the film, he decides that the only way to solve every problem is by roundhouse kicking everything in sight including his family. The episode was dedicated in memory of Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009.[32] Since the episode, Peter kicking people has since became a gag in the show.
Following the death of Eric Garner, the New York City Police Department 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.[33]
On September 9, 2015, it was announced that Ronda Rousey would star in a remake of Road House.[34] On October 12, 2015, Nick Cassavetes was announced to write and direct the film.[35] However, plans for the film fell through and the remake was quietly canceled in 2016.[36]
^Hunt, Dennis (January 18, 1990). "Road House' Looks Like a Hit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
^King, Susan (July 18, 2006). "Where nothing is as it seems". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
