The 1989 film “Road House” is a classic; one of the greatest good-bad movies ever made. It gave post-“Dirty Dancing” Patrick Swayze an iconic role as Dalton, a bouncer with a Ph.D. in Philosophy (from NYU, no less). Swayze, with his poofy '80s hair and khaki pants was suave. He did Tai Chi (shirtless and sweaty, ‘natch), mostly drank black coffee and emphasized the importance of being kind. He only flexed his muscles when provoked, and when he did, he would “seal your fate,” by aiming for the knee.
The original “Road House” also featured more broken bottles and glass per minute than arguably any film in cinema history. And then there was Ben Gazzara admirably going all out, especially in a scene with a Monster Truck. Even Sam Elliott as Dalton’s mentor Wade provides the film with some zhuzh. “Road House” was rowdy (dozens of fights!) and raunchy (a striptease at the bar!) and utterly ridiculous. Of course it developed a loyal cult following, and almost everyone who sees it gives it a chef’s kiss.
