James Dalton, PhD.

‍At SOLD OUT we believe that the worst sin a movie can commit is being boring. By that measure, Road House is downright saintly. 

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‍I knew that we would be exploring some dark corners of cinematic history. I knew we would revisit some old favorites and I knew that there would be surprises, both pleasant and otherwise. But I did not expect that I would become such a HUGE Road House fan.

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‍I’d like to think that I have evolved past judging  a book by its cover or a movie by its fans. But neither of these things are true. I have avoided Road House for my entire life for no reason other than I thought it wasn’t for me. But I am a changed man.

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‍Drunken knife fights? Fiery explosions? Glorious mullets blowing in the midwestern breeze? Get me a ticket for the first bus to Jasper, Missouri (because flying is too dangerous). 

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‍And the gratuitous violence was not relegated to just the story of the famous bouncer, Dalton. Behind the scenes Patrick Swayze was taking quite a beating. He walked away from the shoot with two broken ribs a severely damaged knee, which motivated him to pass on several roles in upcoming action movies. Instead he sought a role that was just a little less physical: a ghost in the film Ghost.  And taking a beating was not the only thing that Patrick Swayze and Dalton had in common. They were also both so famous in their respective roles that they distracted everyone around them. While shooting the climactic battle by the water with Dalton’s nemesis, Jimmy, a group of women came down the waterway on the boat to get a glimpse at Patrick Swayze halting production.

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‍So, if you are into big, dumb action movies that are here for a good time, not a long time, join me and Michael for an in-depth and chaotic conversation on Road House. The audio podcast drops on Monday, July 7th and the YouTube episode drops on July 9th. 

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‍Happy moviegoing,

‍Ian

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‍P.S. If you can figure out why everyone on the internet thinks that Dalton has a PhD. in philosophy, message me @ian_upleft on Instagram.