Bar Brawls and Throat Rips: Revisiting Road House (1989) | Forgotten Cinema Lead Up

Before checking out the brand new Road House remake with Jake Gyllenhaal, we at Forgotten Cinema decided to revisit the original 1989 cult classic that turned bar fights into an art form: Road House.

As part of our Lead Up Series, we dove headfirst into the neon-soaked, roundhouse-kicking madness of this beloved 80s action flick. Because let’s be honest: there’s something endlessly watchable about a movie where philosophy quotes and barroom brawls coexist in perfect harmony.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Patrick Swayze’s zen warrior performance as Dalton

• Sam Elliott’s effortlessly cool mentorship as Wade Garrett

• The wild blend of romance, music, and mayhem

• The 80s vibe that makes Road House an eternal guilty pleasure

  
  

We also look at how the original film’s chaotic energy and one-liners still resonate today, and why it remains such an unexpected cult classic.

🎥 Watch the episode below

And don’t miss our Now Showing episode where we break down the new Road House remake—comparing it to the original, sharing our thoughts, and deciding if it holds up in today’s barroom-brawl-filled world.

Explore More Lead Up Episodes: From Ghostbusters to Planet of the Apes, check out our Lead Up Series playlist on YouTube for even more cinematic nostalgia and retrospective deep dives.

💬 Drop us a comment: What’s your favorite Road House moment—Dalton’s cool quotes, the epic bar brawls, or Sam Elliott’s glorious mustache?