Some movies achieve cult status, and that is exactly what has happened to Road House, the movie in which Patrick Swayze stars as the philosophical bar bouncer, Dalton. To be precise, Dalton is the cooler, the man in charge of the staff that keeps his bars safe for patrons.
In the process of doing his job, Dalton has given the world many words to live by:
Pain don’t hurt.
It’s my way or the
highway.
Be nice, until it’s time to not be nice.
The movie is full of spoken gems like these, which adds to the entertainment value. Mostly, though, Road House is an action film. Swayze, along with Sam Elliot, face off against the villainous Ben Gazzara, who is also a bit nutty. There’s a scene with Gazzara driving along and swaying the car to the music that is just frightening, especially since he almost hits the car Swayze is driving, head on.
Swayze sings two songs for this movie, both heard briefly in the film. One is called Cliff’s Edge, which is almost a biographical tale, and is about the darker part of Dalton’s world.
Kelly Lynch is the love interest, and the big love scene with her, Swayze, and the wall has gotten lots of spin over the years.
Personally, I like an earlier version of ...
