Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Road House Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 1, 2016

OK, it’s time to fess up: how many of you clicked on Road House a few days ago when it posted here expecting a review of the Patrick Swayze film? There are a couple of tangential similarities between the 1948 and 1989 films featuring the same name (a name that was also utilized for several other films through the years), but unless you’re a big fan of noir and mid-century stars like Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark, chances are this particular Road House is the only (important?) one. The 1948 film was in essence a B-movie, albeit one with perhaps a bit more of a pedigree than most, and in a way, the same could be said (and in fact is said in one of the accompanying special features on this two disc set) about the 1989 Road House. If you come to this film expecting High Art, chances are you might be, well, high, for Road House is basically an extended fight sequence in search of a plot (one of the wags on the copious bonus features jokes that it could have just as easily and perhaps more accurately been titled Men Fighting). Road House fairly oozes with 1980s era testosterone, with Patrick Swayze, then hot off of his star making turn in Dirty Dancing, on hand as James Dalton, a bouncer (more or less, anyway) whose ability to “cool down” tense interchanges at crowded watering holes has brought him to the attention of Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe), a club owner from Missouri who has journeyed to the big city to recruit Dalton to come work for him. Tilghman has already witnessed first hand Dalton responding to some drunken clowns at a bar, a simmering brew of exploding rage that ends up with Dalton getting sliced on his upper arm. In one of the first clues about just how tough Dalton is, when Tilghman ventures backstage to meet with Dalton, Dalton is calmly suturing up his own wound with a sewing kit. Because Road House doesn’t ever really waste time with niceties like motivation or backstory, Dalton quickly agrees to leave his current employment to come work for Tilghman at a kind of modern day wild west abode called the Double Deuce.

The supplemental features also detail how in essence Road House is in fact a modern day western, making that watering hole allusion above perhaps even more relevant. Dalton is the “outsider” who arrives in a rowdy enclave in order to bring order, much as any time honored hero in a ten gallon Stetson does in iconic Westerns of yore. Dalton’s challenges are made quite evident in the first sequence at the Double Deuce, where his arrival in a Mercedes invites umbrage from the “‘Muricans” out front, who disparage his choice not to drive a “Detroit” vehicle (one of the running gags in the film involves Dalton subsequently picking up a nice mid-sixties American sedan, which is then repeatedly vandalized). Things are even worse inside the club, where it becomes evident that the entire clientele is aching for a fight, or at least some kind of illegal activity. Road House’s hyperbolic tendencies are on display from the get go, with Dalton’s calm, assured responses providing a counterweight to the patently insane shenanigans surrounding him.

The nasty villain of the piece doesn’t wear a black hat, and is in fact kind of a “dandy” (to use another term from the wild west). Businessman Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) seems to control the town from any number of angles, and in fact some of the worst troublemakers at the Double Deuce turn out to be Wesley’s henchmen. Dalton’s skirmishes with these dudes ends up getting him sliced again, though this time he actually seeks bona fide medical help, which introduces him to a doctor named Elizabeth Clay (Kelly Lynch), who none too surprisingly becomes the focus of Dalton’s romantic ambitions. (Somewhat surprisingly, however, this introduction doesn’t come until around 40 minutes into the film, perhaps giving a clue that Road House doesn’t want to be confused in any way, shape or form with “chick flick” proclivities like a burgeoning love story.)

For anyone who actually cares what happens next (beyond some serious butt kicking, of course), I refer you to my colleague Dustin Somner’s Road House Blu-ray review of the long ago MGM release. My only additional comment would be that there’s a none too subtle homoerotic subtext to a lot of this film that will give it either added camp value or just flat out added value for some. From Tilghman’s early comment (made replete with lascivious stare) to Dalton that “I thought you’d be— bigger” to manifold shots of Swayze shirtless (and pants-less at one point), to Wesley almost licking his lips in excitement as he gazes at Dalton (again shirtless) doing Tai Chi, to not one but two moments where unzipped jeans come into the fray, Road House has something for everyone, so to speak. This side of things is of course matched T and A (again, so to speak) with lots of nudity and salaciousness with regard to females.

Road House Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Road House is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Select, a new imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This offers what Shout! describes as a "new 2K scan of the interpositive supervised and approved by director of photography Dean Cundey." I've tried to recreate or at least come close to some of the screenshots Dustin provided in his review of the MGM release from 2009, as I find a compare and contrast can often offer better opportunities for assessments for videophiles than my mere descriptions. Ironically, one of the first things that most will notice is that despite Cundey's reputation as the "Dean of Darkness" (get it?), this new version is considerably brighter than the MGM. It does appear that luma scale and/or gamma levels have been tweaked on this release, though not to the disastrous levels seen in Twilight Time's botched The Twilight Samurai (a release which actually probably suffered from a lack of tweaking a master based on a foreign regimen). This tends to make some of the nighttime scenes look like they have a just slightly diaphanous purple overlay at times, while the more brightly lit day scenes now look a bit cooler than on the MGM release, with (again) slightly purplish flesh tones as opposed to the MGM version's ruddier, pinker hues. This approach also tends to make contrast appear a bit less distinct at times. Some items which Dustin mentioned in his review of the MGM version are more or less completely absent here, including damage to the elements, which is now negligible. However, like Dustin mentioned in the MGM version, I personally wonder if some high frequency filtering wasn't applied here, though typically Shout! tends to shy away from such approaches. While there is a noticeable grain field here, it's very fine at times, and more readily apparent when darker hues predominate in the frame. Detail levels are generally very good to excellent, though clarity and sharpness are slightly variable. The fact that Cundey supervised and approved this transfer means that all of us "armchair experts" (and, yes, I obviously include myself in that group) should probably defer to his judgment, even if some may find things to quibble with (what else is new?). This is certainly a step up from the MPEG-2 version MGM brought out, and I personally wasn't overly bothered by either the brightness or color grading on this version. Others' mileage may of course vary.

Road House Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Road House features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 audio options, with the 5.1 mix providing good, active use of the side and rear channels in the (many) fight sequences as well the fun if sometimes cacophonous musical performances by Jeff Healey and group (one of the film's funniest if most subtle jokes is how the band is kept in a cage, evidently to keep them from getting injured). Michael Kamen's score is a product of its era and will therefore perhaps not be fully appreciated by those who weren't around in the late eighties, but it's rendered here with quite a bit of force and again spreads quite comfortably in the surround channels. Dialogue (such as it is) is cleanly and clearly presented and is generally well prioritized, though a few really rowdy scenes at the Double Deuce tend to bury brief moments in the general melee.

Road House Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Audio Commentary with Director Rowdy Herrington


• Audio Commentary with Road House Fans Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier

Disc Two

• 'I Thought You'd be Bigger': The Making of Road House (1080i; 1:03:14) is a really fun retrospective with some great interviews. One of the best things on display here is how the cast and crew both take themselves seriously without taking themselves too seriously as they discuss the film.


• A Conversation with Director Rowdy Herrington (1080i; 29:38) is a nicely informative chat the covers the genesis and filming of Road House as well as some more general comments.


• 'Pain Don't Hurt': The Stunts of Road House (1080i; 22:29) features some good interviews, including with stunt coordinator Jimmy Piacini.


• 'Pretty Good for a Blind White Boy': The Music of Road House (1080i; 19:22) focuses on the great Jeff Healey, who sadly passed away in 2008.


• Remembering Patrick Swayze (1080i; 15:06) is another elegiac piece and features interviews with Swayze's widow.


• On the Road House (1080i; 17:23) features older archival interviews.


• What Would Dalton Do? (1080i; 12:26) is another archival piece with folks offering their opinions on how to handle rowdy customers.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:57)


• On the Set (1080i; 3:44) has some fun (if brief) behind the scenes footage.


• Patrick Swayze Profile (1080i; 2:41) is another archival homage to the late actor.


• Selected Soundbites (1080i; 11:00) is a series of archival snippets of answers to various interview questions by Swayze and others.


• Photo Gallery (1080p; 3:20)

Road House Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I wouldn't quite jump to the 4.0 score Dustin gave the actual film in his original Road House review, but when taken on its own patently goofy terms, this is a highly enjoyable romp that should satisfy adrenaline junkies quite satisfactorily. Swayze is a good, solid (even stolid) presence here, and acquits himself very well in the action sequences. The supporting cast is somewhat variable in "acting" talent, but that kind of only adds to the film's weird charm. Our forum is already abuzz with people debating the merits of this release, but my personal opinion is this is a major step up from the MGM release, which is of course not to say some aren't going to find fault with it. Shout has typically gone the extra distance in the supplements department, and once again provides a glut of great bonus material here. Highly recommended.