Road House (1989)
65%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 5 nominations
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
Road House is the kind of movie that’s so bad, it’s good. It’s like a train wreck that you can’t look away from, except instead of a train, it’s Patrick Swayze’s mullet. The violence is intense, the villains are hiss-able, and the camaraderie between the leads is knockabout. Plus, it’s a reminder of a whole genre of film that has dried up, like a bar without a bouncer. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t forget to bring your Peruvian marching powder.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
24650 Arch Street, Santa Clarita, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1989
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 52m
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Language(s):English, Portuguese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 19, 1989 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 4, 2003
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara, Marshall R Teague, Julie Michaels, directed by Rowdy Herrington, written by R Lance Hill, Hilary Henkin, produced by Joel Silver, action, R rating, box office gross $27.4M, reviewed by Sean T Collins, Sheila Benson, Dave Kehr, Jay Boyar, Gene Siskel, Eddie Harrison, Howard Gorman, Ryan Syrek, Barbara Shulgasser, Candice Russell, bouncer, bar, violence, romance, Ph.D., education, troublemakers, hot-spot, cutthroat, local big shot, Brad Wesley
Worldwide gross: $30,050,028
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $73,225,067
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,173
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,985,285
US/Canada gross: $30,050,028
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $73,225,067
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 901
US/Canada opening weekend: $5,957,656
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,517,449
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 809
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $17,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $41,425,124
Production budget ranking: 933
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,307,429
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,492,514
ROI to date (est.): 15%
ROI ranking: 1,319
Kelly Lynch – Doc
Sam Elliott – Wade Garrett
Ben Gazzara – Brad Wesley
Marshall R. Teague – Jimmy
Julie Michaels – Denise
Director(s)
Rowdy Herrington
Writer(s)
R. Lance Hill, R. Lance Hill, Hilary Henkin
Producer(s)
Joel Silver
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (27)
…it isn’t just so bad it’s good. In its own bad way, it really is good!
July 12, 2019
Sean T. Collins
Decider
TOP CRITIC
But in deep “Road House” country… and the undefined made crassly visible, there isn’t a whiff of romance anywhere, any more than there’s a single jot of common sense.
March 27, 2019
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
What results instead is a monstrous hybrid-a grotesquely implausible, oversized character that thoroughly overshadows the poor actor himself.
March 26, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It’s amazing how quickly an explosion, a ripped-out throat, or even four bangs in a row, can make other problems seem insignificant.
March 26, 2019
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The Peruvian marching powder is all but dusting the corners of the frame throughout ‘Road House,’ which may as well go into a museum for ’80s artifacts.
June 18, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Road House is startling because of the intensity of its violence and because of Swayze’s mindless posturing.
June 25, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
…just about gets the job done with hiss-able villains and knockabout camaraderie from the leads…
July 4, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
Thanks to the film’s characteristic ’80s unpretentiousness. And films about bouncers were – and still are – few and far between.
June 10, 2021
Howard Gorman
NME
Rewatching Road House isn’t just a snort of nostalgia from a time when cocaine was more prevalent in bathrooms than hand sanitizer. It is a reminder of a whole genre of film that has dried up.
March 20, 2020 | Rating: B
Ryan Syrek
The Reader (Omaha, NE)
Bouncer tames bar in ’80s classic; sex, violence, drinking.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
Can Swayze sustain a lead role? Yes. Can he sustain Road House? No.
March 26, 2019
Candice Russell
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
It’s pointless, mean-spiritede, excessively violent and, perhaps worst of all, just plain dumb.
March 26, 2019 | Rating: 1/5
Dennis King
Tulsa World…
Plot
Serene and laconic, yet powerful and lethal, Dalton is an expert in martial arts and the best professional bouncer in the business. With such a reputation, Dalton is summoned in a small town in Missouri to clean up the sleazy bar called The Double Deuce from the troublemakers who terrorize the customers, without knowing, however, that the villainous local entrepreneur, Brad Wesley, wants things to remain unchanged. As Dalton cleans up the nightclub, and with it, the town from Wesley’s hired goons, a deep wound from a knife will inspire a passionate affair with local Dr. Elizabeth “Doc” Clay. Now, the corrupt Wesley has enough reasons to take Dalton out of the way, nevertheless, the bouncer has the final say.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The critic reviews mention Patrick Swayze’s mindless posturing and the fact that he’s not believable as a martial arts master.
Rowdy-Herrington.jpg
