By Jack Defren
Movie fans and fans of mixed martial arts crowded the corner of West 60th Street and Broadway Tuesday night, vying to gain entry to the New York City premiere of “Road House,” a reimagining of the 1989 cult classic starring Patrick Swayze.
Hundreds of people — some coatless and in sequined gowns or impractical shoes — waited as long as four hours in a cold wind outside Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) at One Columbus Circle for the opportunity to watch Jake Gyllenhaal reprise Swayze’s role as the sensitive-but-tough, frequently shirtless, philosophizing dive bar bouncer, Dalton.
Tuesday night’s exclusive screening on the Upper West Side was the only opportunity New Yorkers will have had to see “Road House” on a big screen, as the movie will be streamed via Amazon Prime Video rather than released in theaters. This distribution decision, made after Amazon acquired the movie’s original home, MGM Studios, was the reason widely rumored to have kept director Doug Liman away from the NYC event, in protest.
The digital-only distribution might explain why the movie was premiered in JALC’s Rose Hall auditorium, rather than a typical movie theater. Netflix also premiered its Kevin Hart comedy/action movie “Lift” in the same UWS venue in January. On Tuesday night, film and TV stars such as Constance Wu and SNL’s Kenan Thompson were spotted emerging from chauffeured black luxury SUVs and disappearing inside the doors of the Deutsche Bank Center, formerly known as the Time Warner Center.
One audience member, a Columbia University Film and Media Studies masters candidate named Matthew, said he had received an email from Columbia’s film program, offering a rare opportunity to attend a premiere rather than just to hear from filmmakers visiting campus. Even though he “wasn’t too crazy about” the original film, which he felt “had a tone problem” by being both “too silly and taking itself too seriously” at the same time (this reporter notes that very contradiction was arguably the source of its 1980’s-era cult appeal), Matthew expected the evening to be entertaining. He also found the JALC fifth floor venue, which he had never been inside before, “beautiful.”
Davi, a 50-something resident of the Upper West Side, came with mixed expectations, having been a big fan of the original movie. She recalled the “groundbreaking nature” of Swayze’s original, “complex” character, who combined exciting fighting ability with an appreciation for the mind-body connection, meditation, and reading philosophy.
Just prior to the screening, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke took the stage and promised the audience “action, romance, laughs, drama…and [a movie that] doesn’t pull its punches.” Salke then introduced Gyllenhaal himself, who came to the microphone clad in dark trousers and a yellow tie, to the sound of audience members shrieking enthusiastically.
Gyllenhaal thanked fellow cast members, who stood one by one to acknowledge the crowd’s applause – including Darren Barnet, Lukas Gage, Dominique Columbus, Arturo Castro, and 16-year old Hannah Love Lanier – and he effusively praised Doug Liman, making no reference to the controversy surrounding the director’s conspicuous absence.
The loudest cheers were reserved for Irish mixed-martial artist and professional boxer Conor McGregor, who played Dalton’s meanest and most vicious opponent, Knox, in the film. McGregor – wearing a notably tight black suit over his pronounced muscles, a black tie, and a yellow pocket square that matched the hue of Gyllenhaal’s tie – unfolded himself from his seat to stand in the aisle and wave to the cheering crowd.
Before the film began to roll, a still screen acknowledged the original movie and its star, displaying a smiling photo of the now-deceased actor as Dalton beside the text: “In memory of Patrick Swayze whose legacy of strength and greatness reminds us all to BE NICE.”
During the nearly two-hour runtime of the film, the Lincoln Center audience voiced its approval each time Dalton beat up a bad guy in a particularly dramatic or decisive fashion, gasped at Knox’s sucker punches or at Dalton getting stabbed (repeatedly), and laughed at Gyllenhaal’s casual delivery of lines that recalled the inimitable gentle and zen attitude of Swayze’s original character. The use of CGI (computer-generated imagery) was evident in some of the more complicated fight sequences, and the absence of Dalton’s mentor character – Wade Garrett, originally played by Sam Elliott – seemed like an oversight that drained some heart out of this version.
As the audience filtered out – leaving the JALC floors strewn with water bottles and popcorn containers in a manner atypical of Wynton Marsalis’ hallowed “house of swing” – most attendees seemed to be in a convivial mood, discussing their favorite moments in the movie.
Davi said she felt “a bit torn” about the remake and did not see it as “a replacement” for the original. But she had planned to watch this new “Road House” this weekend on Amazon Prime, anyway, and would still recommend doing so.
She maintained that while the original Swayze “Road House” remains “iconic and untouchable,” at least Gyllenhaal’s shirtless abdominal muscles, which nearly deserved their own film credit, were “impressive.”
“Road House” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor is available streaming on Amazon Prime starting today, Thursday, March 21.
Correction: We originally reported that director Doug Liman skipped the movie’s global premiere in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival, but he did attend, according to Variety.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here.
