Customer Reviews

Road Games [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

You know, the phrase `this movie will have you sitting on the edge of your seat' gets thrown around a lot to the point of being cliché, but it really does seem to apply to this movie. Not in the literal sense, mind you, as I was lying down when I saw it, but figuratively speaking, that is, unless you are prone to sitting on the edge of your seat anyway in which case forget what I just said and move on. (seems like a dumb place to sit anyway...I mean, aren't you just asking for trouble?) Road Games, released in 1981 and directed by Australian born director Franklin Richards and starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis, is an excellent little movie I had heard absolutely nothing about until it was recommended to me on this website.

The story follows an American truck driver working in Australia, hire to drive a load of slaughtered hogs from Melbourne to Perth across a desolate stretch of highway. Stacy Keach plays Quid, an intelligent, self-educated man who is keenly observant of his surroundings, trading quips with his companion, a pet dingo that travels with Quid in his cab. Seems there's a serial killer stalking female victims, and Quid begins to suspect a green van he's seen on the roadways. Soon Quid picks up Hitch (Jamie Lee Curtis), and things begin to unravel at an alarming pace. Quid quickly finds himself a suspect, set up by the real killer, in the spate of grisly murders, and must not only clear his name, but also save his own life, as the mysterious stranger in the green van soon goes from being pursued to being the pursuer with the backdrop being some really beautiful wide-open Australian scenery.

Think this sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie? Well, that's exactly what the director was going for and he achieved his goal very nicely. He manages to build the suspense and maintain it throughout the movie, driving it to one of the more exciting conclusions within a film I've seen in a long time. Another nice touch is the way he directly avoids showing the violently visceral aspects of the killer's crimes, only alluding to them. There are many wonderfully, slyly humorous moments littered throughout the film as the director gradually tightens the screws on the viewers. I found the scene with Quid and Hitch at the rest stop/gas station especially grueling.

Along with a beautiful, wide screen presentation, Anchor Bay provides a number of interesting features including an audio commentary by producer/director Richard Franklin, a 20 minute featurette with the director and actor Stacy Keach, a trailer, talent bios, original storyboards, a poster and still gallery, a wonderful five page insert on the movie, and even the original screenplay available on DVD-ROM. If you enjoy thoughtful, well-directed thrillers chocked full of suspense and a minimal amount of violence, then see this movie. It'll be worth your time. If you like this one, I might suggest Duel (1971), Breakdown (1997), or Joyride (2001).

Cookieman108

This is one of those movies that gets sorely overlooked because it doesn't pander to the slasher & gore genre ,in true classic horror movie fashion it let's your own imagination do most of the work.You get drawn into the characters because they never seem pretentious or one dimensional ,this is also very much in the Hitchcok vein, so if you are looking for something a little different w/thought instead of gore this is the ticket.

oOkay, this isn't so much horror as super suspense. Jamie Lee doesn't even appear in the first half of the movie. Stacy Keach spends the time driving across country trying to get away from some unseen psycho in a truck. But after he picks up Jamie Lee, you really feel like you've entered a classic Jamie Lee slasher flick!

This movie is a must for Slasher/Scream Queen fanatics.

A movie that is highly watchable and a pleasure to see again after all these years. Stacy Keach stars as a truck driver who notices the behaviour of a driver in a green van. Everywhere Stacy goes, the man is close by committing a crime - or is he? Very hitchock in style, the movie keeps you guessing as to what is really going on. Director Richard Franklin makes no apologies for his love of Hitchcock's work, and while this film is largely unknown, it is worth your time just to see how a great director works. Back when this was made, there was much controversy over the use of two american actors for a film set in Australia. However, to finance it back then, it required big names. Unfortunately, it didn't help win the film an audience back in 1981 which surprises me because it really is very good. I assume appropriate marketing of the film was not undertaken.

Road Games has a genuine eeeery feeling to it. If you enjoy watching films with clever direction then check out this film. It is not a horror film as some reviewers have stated, it is more a suspense thriller - A BIG DIFFERENCE!

Keach plays Quid, a truck driver delivering pork to Perth, Australia. He beats the boredom of the road by looking at other cars and the people inside them and guessing their line of work, etc. He gets too accurate with his game when a serial killer picking up hitchhikers and leaving them in pieces crosses Quid's path. Keach's character is witty and has more personality than most portrayals of truck drivers. A young Jamie Lee Curtis teams up with Quid and together they try to find out if their guessing game about the strange man in the green van is fact or fiction. When Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis) gets too close to the killer she nearly becomes a victim herself. Great dialogue, humor and numerous quirky characters.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

If you are a fan of suspense films or Hitchcock films, you will easily find yourself loving Road Games. Directed by Richard Franklin (Psycho II) and starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis who was picked to star in this because of her success with horror films at the time. Actually, Curtis has a limited amount of screen time here as the film centers more around Stacy Keach's character who witnesses some strange activity around a motel and believes a man driving a green van is the serial killer murdering young women in the area. There is nice character development, suspense and even highly entertaining moments. Fans of road movies like Duel, Breakdown and Joyride should enjoy Road Games because it ranks amongst the best of them! The DVD Anchor Bay put together is nice as with most of their releases and there is a "making-of" special feature. I liked the music score in this too which is always a plus. Road Games is a lost treasure that hopefully more people will discover. It can easily be watched again and again.

In this movie we see Stacey Keach playing a truck driver on his way to Adelaide via the Nullabor Plain. The word "Nullabor" is an abbreviation of the Latin "Nulla Arbor" which means "no trees" which from what I have heard is a pretty good description of this place. Stacey picks up hitchiker Pamela , played by Jamie Lee Curtis and then they are on the hunt for a Serial Killer who likes to slice and dice his victims. In this movie Stacey Keach gets the award for Best Dressed Truck Driver Of The Year because most truckers in Austraia wear shorts and a singlet as their working atire. He is also commended for not taking any "West Coast Turnaround" amphetamines to keep him awake on the road!!!

[...] It is very much in the Hitchcock tradition, with a twisting plot line in which Stacey Keach finds himself the primary suspect in a string of murders of young women. There is a lot of humor, and some very unusual scenery to enjoy along the way. You get a view of some spectacular Australian countryside as Keach drives from Sydney to Perth. It's a fun movie, deftly made, and I'm happy to see it finally reach DVD.

While transporting a shipment of meat from Melbourne to Perth, a truck driver suspects that he may be on the trail of a killer, in the suspense thriller Roadgames (1981). Stacey Keach (Mike Hammer) is Patrick Quid, an independent trucker who has thoughts that the driver of a green van he has seen during his travels, may be picking up and murdering young female hitchhikers.

While on the road with his dingo named Boswell, Quid hears news reports on the radio about the discovery of human body parts, and a suspected serial killer who may be on the loose. The questionable behavior of the man driving a green van, causes Quid to make a report to the police. It's against regulations, but Quid also picks up hitchhikers, which produces some interesting results, when he stops for a young woman named Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is on the run from her family.

When Quid's truck is pulled over by the police, he learns that he is a player in a dangerous game, as thanks to the mysterious van driver, he is a person of interest in the disappearance of the young women. Quid discusses his suspicions with Pamela, and when the opportunity presents itself, she enters the van to investigate. It appears that she may have been abducted, but after giving chase, Quid concludes that Pamela has hitched herself another ride.

Directed and co-written by Richard Franklin (Psycho II), Road Games is a fairly well-written, and works in large part due to Stacey Keach's engaging performance, as much of the screen time involves Quid in his truck, with his loyal dingo Boswell. Keach is extremely likeable and natural in the role, as a poetry sprouting driver, who is prone to talking to himself. As Pamela, Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, True Lies) is mature, confident and very sassy, and she has great rapport with her co-star. Like Keach, Curtis is immediately likeable, and though she isn't onscreen that much, you really do care, when her character "Hitch" disappears. Aside from a shredded boat, not that much happens in the way of action while travelling on the road, but even so, the film manages to create a nice atmosphere of suspense and tension. The level of action picks up slightly at film's finish, but it's still a rather unspectacular, grinding to a halt type conclusion. There are lots of unanswered questions, as the ending is just barely palatable. Road Games isn't readily available on DVD, but it may occasionally pop up on the TCM schedule.

Now and then you run into a flick that is so unique you cannot help but wonder what was on the producer's/writer's/director's minds that would put a green light on it. 'Road Games' is one of those flicks. First off is that it's an Aussie flick and the two main characters are American. Was this something they were making in hopes of a big score stateside? Then there's the fact that it's essentially a mystery/thriller where the thriller part almost takes a back seat to the characters.

Stacey Keach plays an over-the-road trucker whose current load consists of butchered pigs on their way to Perth. Radio reports speak of a killer on the loose and Keach keeps spotting a particular green van that rouses his suspicion. He picks up a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis) and when he finds himself unable to put the authorities on the scent of the suspect the two figure they should take matters into their own hands.

This is very much about character. Keach doesn't consider himself a truck driver. He figures he's a guy who happens to be driving a truck at this point in his life. He constantly waxes poetic or philosophic and devises various games he can play to occupy his mind while engaged in the mind-numbing process of endless driving. His has a companion in the form of (he thinks) a dingo. He picks up Curtis and finds her (as she finds him) a very interesting person.

The two play off each other rather well. Unfortunately Curtis comes in rather late in the game and shortly thereafter disappears. The film could have used much more of her. That being said, this is a nifty little flick. The production values are good enough and there are a lot of odd turns. One is the fact that Australia is a large continent but only has about 30 million people, most of which live on the coasts. As a result the same few characters keep showing up in different places during the movie. The film makers totally screw up the climax. It just wouldn't happen. And the post script is unnecessary, but by then the movie is over.

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