A cheesy slice of ’80s Americana ‘Roadhouse 66‘ is a predictable buddy movie and a fun road flick. What more can anyone ask for form a Fast Film Friday?
Willem Dafoe plays the role of Johnny Harte; a mysterious, brooding, ’50s greaser hitchhiking through the desert. Preppy college grad Beckman Hallsgood Jr (Judge Reinhold) speeds past in a ’55 T-Bird convertible. But when local hooligans in a ’57 Chevy shoot out Beckman’s radiator, he’s stranded on the side of the road until Johnny arrives on scene like the Alpha-male that he is.
With some chewing gum and rags, the odd couple patch up the Thunderbird and barely make it to Kingman, Arizona, on historic Route 66. While trying to get a new radiator for the Ford, the boys learn that the only thing sexier than Jesse, the woman who runs the auto parts store, is her sister Melissa. Looks like the odd couple will be sticking around for a couple days.
The boys run into the hooligans again. Seems these bullies have been terrorizing the town for years, but the dynamic duo stand up to them. A showdown at the local Roadhouse 66 diner results in punches thrown, beer bottles smashed, and a challenge to settle everything at the annual road race. Even nerdy Beckman shows enough machismo to get an R-rated sex scene behind the Dairy Queen with the pretty blonde from ‘Sixteen Candles‘. Movies were like that in the ’80s.
The two couples have a special onscreen chemistry, and solid performances elevate an weak script to the point the movie is watchable. There’s a strong rockabilly vibe to the entire picture, with most of the cars being mid-century American iron. Willem Dafoe steals every scene he’s in, thanks to his raging masculinity. We even get to hear him sing, because it turns out Johnny’s a former rock ‘n roll star who’s been wandering the desert in search of meaning.
Best scene in the movie for gearheads is the big road race from from Kingman to Oatman and back. A slightly modernized ’50s JD / hot rod flick, the race includes a ’55 Chevy, ’57 Chevy, ’69 Mustang and even an El Camino. You’ll never guess who wins!
The movie ‘Roadhouse 66‘ doesn’t break new ground, but that doesn’t work against it. The film follows the well travelled path of nostalgia, nude scenes (even Dafoe!) and racing as a way to settle disputes. In the most American ending ever, the bad guys end up on their heads, the good guys win the race, save the town, and get the pretty blonde girls, just like the Bill of Rights promised.