Road House
MGM Home Entertainment
Cast: Patrick Swayze, Kely Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara
Extras: Commentary Tracks, Featurettes, Trivia Track
Rating:
What can be said about "Road House" that hasn't already been said? It may be campy and cheesy without meaning to be so, (and that's where its charm lies) but it has become to many movie viewers a sort of cult classic.
Patrick Swayze is in fine form as "Dalton, " a "cooler" – which is someone who instead of being a mere bouncer in a bar, is sort of an overseer – the guy who lets the other bouncers know when it's time to stop being "nice" and switch into butt kicking mode! Dalton is called in to clean up the road house "Double Deuce." He soon finds out that the entire town of Jasper is just as dirty.
Ben Gazzara plays the evil sadist who runs the town through fear. With fun performances by Sam Elliott and Kelly Lynch, "Road House" is literally a modern day movie set to a western theme, also featuring a great appearance by Jeff Healy and his band.
MGM Home Entertainment brings "Road House" to DVD in a deluxe edition here. Filmed in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, it is quite clear that the movie has never looked better. Colors are bright and eye-popping especially when neon is seen on screen. Contrast is well balanced and blacks are rich and deep, while flesh tones appear natural. No dust or debris was found. A very nice transfer.
Audio comes way of a spiffy 2.0 Dolby Digital track. a 5.1 track would have been very nice to have for this energetic film, but the 2.0 track does suffice. Sound was clear and distinct with no hint of distortion, while dialogues remain clear and understandable at all times.
The special features section contains two commentary tracks. First up is the track with director Rowdy Harrington. It's informative and provides some fun insights into the making of the film.
The second one is a commentary by independent movie director Kevin Smith and friend Scott Mosier – both of them big "Road House" enthusiasts. They mainly provide trivia information. On the whole, the track was okay with some laughs here and there.
Then there is a mini featurette called "What would Dalton do?" Here, real-life bouncers discuss how they would take care of certain situations should they arise and compare it to Dalton's actions in the film.
Another featurette included on the disc is "On the Road House," which is basically more of the same discussing the movie and life as a bouncer.
Rounding out the disc is a trivia track and a sneak peek for the straight to video "Road House 2."
"Road House" is a fun movie, it's lasted the test of time and is a hoot, still. If you haven't already added "Road House" to your DVD collection, now would be a good time!
