If there was ever a red state movie for the books, Road House is definitely it. What we're watching is nothing more than a western where karate is substituted for six guns.

Among some other of his accomplishments Patrick Swayze as Dalton went to NYU where he majored in philosophy. Most likely of the Oriental variety given his prowess in the martial arts. He's a man of a few more words than David Carradine, but the old Kung Fu series might also have inspired this film.

Swayze's a hired gun and in this case the guy who does the hiring is Kevin Tighe, owner of the Double Deuce Road House is Jasper, Missouri. The place has a bad name with a real bad element frequenting it. He's to clean it up.

But in Jasper, Missouri the real bad element is Ben Gazzara who's just like every town boss in the old west. He's got the old protection racket working beautifully there with all the business owners kicking in 10% to him. He's also got his own gunfighter so to speak in the person of Marshall Teague who's sure he's better at martial arts than Swayze.

Gazzara looks like he's enjoying swaggering through the town and the film, his performance is the best thing about Road House. It's strictly ham with a lot of relish.

Two other major characters are here in roles perfectly suited to them. As Swayze's mentor in the bouncing business is Sam Elliot who if these guys were Oriental, Swayze would be calling him 'grasshopper'. And there's Kelly Lynch as a lady doctor who gets patch Patrick up. At one time she had a thing going with Gazzara, but the man's sadism and general meanness made her reevaluate the relationship.

After I was through watching Road House again it hit me as to which film this seem to pattern on. Check out the Dean Martin-Jean Simmons- George Peppard film from the Sixties, Rough Night In Jericho. Of course I liked that one a whole lot better because it was a western and not a neo-western.

Still Road House has its moments for action fans. And you'll enjoy Ben Gazzara because he's obviously having so much fun with his role. But I really would watch Road House back to back with Rough Night In Jericho and see what I'm talking about.

Patrick Swayze, the man whose film career seems to be rather sparse if not interesting, stars in this classic action film of the late '80s, made at a time, we must remember, when most genre cinema was clichéd and derivative. The simple-in-the-extreme plot of ROAD HOUSE offers no new surprises and is merely a modern updating of the western, with added mullets, but it seems fresh and stylish on every viewing. Swayze is a likable hero and a hit with boring love interest Kelly Lynch, but he also studies philosophy and kicks backside with martial arts too. His lakeside fight with Marshall Teague is the stuff of legend and a wonderful showdown between the two tough men.

There's a varied supporting cast including slimy, weaselly Ben Gazzara as the rich property owner who gets shotgunned to death, and Sam Elliott in a cool role as Swayze's old-time buddy. But the focus is on action, and we get tons of lengthy and gruelling knife-fights and beat-em-up-battles which tend to stress the realism. The tension in the Double Deuce scenes is spot on. Not just a good film, a very good one with plenty on offer to appetise those who follow fight flicks.

James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is a professional bouncer and the best in the business. Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) owns the Double Deuce and he needs Dalton's help. It's a real hole where the lowest of the low hang out. The bartender is skimming. The waitress is dealing drugs. Dalton comes in and clean house. Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara) owns the town and is the uncle of the fired bartender. Soon Dalton is in a fight to the death with Wesley and his henchmen. And Dalton finds a love interest in the local hospital, Dr. Clay (Kelly Lynch).

This is bad on so many levels, but this is still good camp. It starts off interestingly. He's cleaning up the bar, and it's a very interesting process. Then Wesley comes in and they dive straight into full camp mode. Things explode. Monster truck crushes cars. Swayze is kung fu fighting and zen meditating. Things just get nuts. There is so much machismo, and so many explosions. It's sort of fun but not necessarily as the movie intends it to be.