Road Games

[Hellbilly]

Pleased To Meat You!

Stacy Keach plays Patrick Quid, a truck driver working for "Universal Meals" driving across Australia delivering pork. Armed with a guitar, harmonica and a dingo Quid knows how to entertain himself traveling those endless dusty roads.
If he ain't blowing the harmonica he's talking to his dingo or makes funny comments ("sneezy rider") and made-up stories of people passing his truck ... or tries to figure out if the driver of a green van who's been following him for some time is actually a serial killer he's been hearing about on the radio.
Things get kinda complicated when he picks up a smart, young and rather boy-ish looking hitchhiker, a runaway named Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis) ;)
They both team up doing a little detective work regarding the green van driver but soon after Quid is branded the prime suspect and Pamela gets kidnapped ...

Tomorrow's Bacon?

Three years after Patrick down-under director Richard Franklin made one of the most expensive (yep, I watch the extras on DVDs :D ) Australian films of 1981: Roadgames, a PG-rated genre jumper that's been sold as a slasher (because of Jamie Lee's involvement) - but it ain't.
Obviously a fan of Hitchcocks, Franklin was aiming for a Rear Window on wheels kinda thing but didn't really succeed.
There are moments of suspense however (fave: desert/lightning scene) and a few well made action scenes (ending).
Roadgames is still an amusing and entertaining thriller/road-movie worth giving a spin.
Recommended.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000844JR.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


Video: Anchor Bay released Roadgames in it's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio which is 16:9 enhanced. Print looks clean and fine, a few night scenes are grainy but overall no bitching from me.

Audio: You're typical 2.0 mono track.

Extras: 20 minutes "making of" featurette: interviews by Franklin and Stacy Keach. They have quite a few interesting tales to tell about the film / Audio commentary by Franklin / Theatrical Trailer / Bio's / DVD-ROM extras (Screenplay).

[Numania]

Road apples?

Nice review. Sounds like something I'd like if I can find it cheap.

[rhett]

Ahhh, ROAD GAMES is a great little movie. I bought the DVD without having watched it before, and I was quite impressed with it. Very tasteful and expertly made. Franklin is a very underrated director...I'd put him alongside De Palma as one of Hitchcock's best students. I had some problems with the climax; it worked, but there were a few edgier directions it could have gone. Oddly enough, the actual ending I loved (even though Franklin dislikes it).

I was totally not expecting a movie like this. With JLC well into her Scream Queen prime, and the trashy cover artwork, I was expecting more of a slasher/exploitation flick. Instead it was a classy thriller that combines ideas from REAR WINDOW and DUEL. Oh, and JLC is hot in this movie. :sperm:

I'm glad you watched/liked it though, Bryan. I think the disc itself is one of the better ones released all year. Thumbs up to Anchor Bay for this one. I have a review that's just been posted on the main page. Thanks for the review B-masta.

[Zodiac-Mindwarp]

Nice review Hellbilly.

I spotted this disc at Best Buy a few weeks ago, but I did not buy it. Looks like I should dig out my old VHS and give it a watch. Sounds like I will probably want to add this DVD to my collection.

[studio1]

Nice review, and a great movie, saw this when it was first released on vhs -avco embassy I seem to recall?

[Hellbilly]

Yup, that's correct :)

[etale]

I believe this film was the reason that Franklin ended up directing PSYCHO II.

[fattyjoe37]

Watched this last night and it is my favorite Franklin film I've seen so far (I've previously checked out Psycho II and Link). The mystery maintained the whole way through and the performances were great. I'm glad Not Quite Hollywood called this to my attention.

[Erick H.]

A great Hitchcockian thriller from the very talented (and much missed) Richard Franklin.The leads are great and the Outback locations give the film a terrific atmosphere.Another memorable score by the late,great Brian May (THE ROAD WARRIOR,TURKEY SHOOT).

[snowbeast323]

This is one I've always wanted to see.....

[Uncle Jay]

I remember watching this on THE MOVIE CHANNEL back in the 80s, but have not seen it since. I recently bought the Anchor Bay DVD which is now out-of-print, so I need to sit my ass down and revisit what I remember to be a cool Ozploitation gem!

-UJ

[DVD Connoisseur]

Watched the Anchor Bay DVD last night and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's been a long time since I last watched Road Games so it felt fresh. Excellent movie.

[CPT HOOK]

I'm still pissed I didn't pick up this DVD when I had the chance. Haven't seen this movie in years.

[Hatchetwarrior]

An extremely underrated gem from the early days of slasher films, and easily one of Stacey Keach's best performances ever.

[Matt89]

I'm still pissed I didn't pick up this DVD when I had the chance. Haven't seen this movie in years.

Why, is it OOP? I got mine for super cheap like 4 years ago. Had no idea it went out of print. I've sold off a lot of my DVD collection because I'm replacing everything with blu-ray, but this was one I couldn't bring myself to part with. Great film.

~Matt

[Katatonia]

It went OOP because the film rights are controlled by Studio Canal, and Anchor Bay's license expired.

[CPT HOOK]

Yeah, it is out of print. They even reissued it in their "Cult Fiction" series, and that version is out of print too. I had two opportunities and I blew it.

Maybe one of the cult labels out there will give this a blu-ray release sometime in the not too distant future.

[CPT HOOK]

Heads up: Road Games will be airing on TCM Underground tonight at 2AM.

And they are airing The Wages Of Fear immediately after.

I love TCM!