Road Games (1981) User Reviews

Hitchock-esque White Line Fever.

[vertigo_14 · 8/10 · 2 May 2004]

Roadgames is a pretty good thriller about truck driver Quid (Stacey Keach) follows what he suspects to be a serial killer along the Southern Australia interstates. Having only the circumstantial clues and never actually witnessing any of the murders, Quid isn't sure whether this guy really is the serial killer that police reports on the radio indicate, or whether it is Quid's psychological games about guessing what people on the road could be like when he passes a noisy family in a station wagon and guesses the occupation of the driver. Quid is pushed nearly to the brink of insanity as he tries to distinguish between fact and fiction as he and the green van play cat and mouse all over the outback.

It's a really good thriller and better than say, The Hitcher, another movie involving a serial killer along deserted highways that torments a driver. But the difference is that Quid has limited interaction with his suspect, because the whole time you're left guessing whether the guy in the green van is really a killer at all, or whether it was just another one of Quid's games meant to entertain himself, but gone totally out of control. The movie has very Hitchcock-esque traits such as building Quid up from a normal man to one that starts to develop something almost like a split personality as he drives himself crazy trying to figure out the deal his adversary. Or the way that everyone in town seems to turn against Quid even though he is supposed to be the innocent person here. It's also good with some of that good Stacey Keach sarcasm and delivery. I think he fit the part of Quid quite nicely. Despite the fact that the story starts to lose momentum towards the end (but not the conclusion), it is nonetheless, a pretty good thriller.

Better Than You Think

[jeffronthi · 7/10 · 30 December 2007]

I would not recommend you wait on this if you are a fan of suspense. There is also an early role for Jamie Lee Curtis, as well. There are decent performances all around, save for the horrible police officers. They must have been the real thing.

Pros: High suspense, well-written characters, great use of a low budget, good plot twist, keeps you guessing, fine ending.

Cons: Drags in spots, dialogue can be pretentious and unrealistic, a few continuity issues, with respect to sequencing.

For a PG rated movie, this is rather adult themed and creepy, if not scary. I recommend this film to all.

Suspenseful Black Humor At Best

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 23 July 2007]

While driving alone through the Australia outback with his dingo, the truck driver Patrick Quid (Stacy Keach) becomes aware that a serial killer is attacking women and he suspects that the driver of a green van is the murderer and is getting rid of the bodies in pieces in plastic bags burying them in the desert. On his way to Perth with a load of pork meat, he gives a ride to the hitchhiker Pamela Rushworth (Jamie Lee Curtis) and tells his theory about the killer to her. When they park in a gas station, they see the van and Pamela decides to break in the car to investigate. When Pamela disappears, Pat pursuits the van while he becomes the prime suspect of the police.

"Roadgames" is a suspenseful black humor road movie, with a good and very tense story, great lines and excellent acting of Stacey Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis. The lead couple shows a fantastic chemistry in a plot that is a sort of combination of "Duel" and "The Hitchhiker". The sexy Jamie Lee Curtis is in the top of her beauty and Stacey Keach has one of his best performances in this attractive film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Enigma na Estrada" ("Enigma on the Road")

Quality movie

[lrc81 · 29 July 2004]

Stacy Keach plays a truck driver, he and his best friend, a dingo, are taking meat to Perth, along the way he wonders about other drivers and their life, a way to keep himself distracted. A suspicious green van catches his attention, later on when he finds out that murders have been taking place, he immediately associates them with the van. After watching the van's driver bury a couple of bags in the middle of the desert he has no more doubts about the relation of it to the murders. Braking "truckers" rules he picks up a hitchhiker, Pam (Jamie Lee Curtis), they'll complement each other perfectly, sharing murder theories among other things. The police ends up suspecting Pat (Stacy Keach) so Pam believes that the only way for him to prove is innocence is to find the real killer but he finds them first and kidnaps her, or is it that she went by her own free will?

Nice thriller, the acting as you can expect is pretty good. Keach and Curtis create a believable bond, a mutual crush develops but the age difference is a problem. The script is fairly intelligent and certainly effective. Keach's character is full of theories and anecdotes, which keeps the movie interesting at moments where all you see is the Australian outback. Well worth watching.

Very likable Hitchcockian thriller from the director of "Psycho II"...

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 27 January 2004]

It's amazing how many pleasant treats you'll find on TV Friday nights at one o'clock in the morning. Take "Roadgames" (or "Road Games") for example: The Hitchcockian story of a trucker delivering meat across Australia who becomes entangled in a possible mystery involving an unapprehensible serial killer who may or may not have murdered a helpless hitchhiker traveling the roads he's driving on.

Often referred to as "Rear Window" on the road, self-proclaimed Hitchcock enthusiast Richard Franklin has directed a quaint, low-budget thriller with a likable (although quite unusual) lead actor in the role of Frustrated Hero.

Pat Quid (Stacy Keach--who is indeed a man) is driving across Australia in a meat truck when he thinks he's noticed a strange happening--a man in a van seems to be burying a bag in the middle of a desert in Australia, and when he is noticed he climbs back into his blue van and speeds away into the distance.

Pat puts this event into the back of his mind when he decides against regulations to pick up a wandering hitchhiker named Pam Rushworth (Jamie Lee Curtis), who has run away from home in an effort to escape her famous father's life. The two bond together on the road and have some fun playing various games--until she is kidnapped by the same strange man in a van. At first, Pat thinks he's just being paranoid--he even starts to think that Pam left him for the man.

But then he realizes that Pam has indeed been kidnapped, and he suspects that the strange man in the van might be a notorious serial killer who has been killing young women and scattering their body parts miles apart from each other.

After the police offer no help, Pat takes matters into his own hands and sets off on a quest to bring back Pam to safety and apprehend the killer before he can strike again. Some twists and turns ensue, although nothing very surprising.

If this were a mainstream horror film with an overblown budget and big-name actors, I'd probably give "Roadgames" a bad rating. But this is the type of pleasant, likable low-budget thriller that is easy to watch and knows it's nothing more than a shadow of greater film noir mysteries/thrillers like "Rear Window" or "The Third Man"--the type of film that thrusts its hero on a one-man venture into the heart of darkness in order to find out the truth.

Stacy Keach is strikingly likable as the lonely trucker who talks to his own pet dingo as he drives along, contemplating all types of conspiracy theories about serial killers and mysteries. What could definitely become tiring--listening to a man talk to his dingo for the majority of a movie, that is--actually becomes quite fun. Keach is funny, nice, and just...likable! Too bad his career was put on hold years later after he got arrested for smuggling cocaine...

The director, Richard Franklin, is a huge Hitchcock fan--and it shows. This film is like a sort of remake of "Rear Window" and other such mystery-thrillers. It's loads of fun and an easy watch. (Trivia note: Franklin directed "Psycho II," the sequel to Hitchcock's 1960 classic original.)

I can definitely say that this film is most like "Breakdown," the Jonathan Mostow movie starring Kurt Russell as a man who loses his wife to a trucker and tries to get her back, even though there seems to be no evidence of her disappearance. But unlike the great "Breakdown," this film doesn't wither away in the second half and turn into a disappointing movie--it remains strong throughout, and yes, it has plenty of nods towards Hitchcock. (Check out the magazines Curtis starts sorting through--there he is!)

3.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

Suspenseful but without the action.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 21 February 2021]

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs and found it to be boring but after revisiting it recently i am surprised that this one is indeed a very different n suspenseful road movie minus the body count n nudity.

The best part about this film is the suspense which is obviously inspired by Hitchcock's films. Another good thing is the ending where our lead guy gets blamed for the killings....

The film has some loose stuff, why Quid assumed that Pamela is chatting with the driver and why we as audienc is shown the scene that way.

Also the "newly married" couple's van is shown parked near the green van and that scene got a lil confusing for me. How the van driver was able to get inside the truck within that stipulated time....

The end scene is a bit shocking but the rubber mask/head is a big lol.

Rear Window on the road

[pumaye · 7/10 · 16 November 2003]

Nice, quiet thriller with hitchcockian tones, with Stacy Keach as a truck driver would be Sherlock Holmes in the Australian wilderness, following a possible hitchiker murderer. With a young and pretty Jamie Lee Curtis and several curious cameos. Not to be missed if you like a strange, fascinating road movie.

A play on wheels

[aramo1 · 6/10 · 1 August 2003]

Based on Anchor Bay R1 DVD 101 minutes.

An interesting little movie that runs like a stage play on wheels. Some of the Aussie touches may be lost on dwellers of smaller countries but they add to the movie, long haul driver Quid keeps meeting the same characters over several days something that would be unheard of in Ireland!

The ending is a little unbelievable but it's exciting to watch.

6/10 worth a rental.

Just like a Hitchcock movie

[Barry-73 · 10/10 · 4 September 2005]

I first saw this movie on TV. I taped it and watched it later. A couple of weeks ago I bought it on DVD and re-watched it. I had forgotten just how much I loved it. To me, watching this movie is just like watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It's filled with suspense. The characters are amazingly intelligent too, especially Stacy Keach's character, Pat Quid. At one point he picks up a hitchhiker, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, but is a gentleman the whole time she is in his truck. That was perfect. I mean, if he fooled around with her, that would have seriously detracted from the story. All the way through it the story has good supporting characters that only add to the quality of the film. Plus the cinematography in Australia's Outback is beautiful. I also enjoyed the truck driving sequences. One other thing, even though the movie is by no means a comedy, there are some very funny scenes in it, which you should enjoy. I don't want to give any of it away though. You need to watch it for yourself. I highly recommend this one. It's worth at least a rental. You will probably want to own it after seeing it once though. I know I did.

Hitchcock inspired

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 October 2018]

Truck driver Pat Quid (Stacy Keach) notices the various vehicles around him in the Australian outback. One of those vehicles is a mysterious green van which raises his suspicions. There is a serial killer on the loose leaving behind body parts. Madeline Day forces him to stop and grabs a ride. He thinks the van driver is the serial killer but she does not. She leaves him and he picks up a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis) who he has encountered several times.

This is best described as Rear Window on the highway. There is a good sense of Hitchcock including a magazine cover of Hitchcock. There are a few instances of manufactured tension which cheapens any homage to the legend. The cliff top is ridiculously close to the edge. It's played like Day didn't notice the land falling off even though she's facing the endless ocean. It would have worked better at night. The boat is a head-scratching. I don't know why the guy is swerving all over the road. He's also walking into danger without a weapon. He's a trucker. He should at least have a tire iron. Despite the minor missteps, it still has enough Hitchcockian tension especially in the final act. The character does get a bit irrational but one can excuse it due to the intensity.

I get it

[inacan-90-894261 · 5/10 · 2 August 2022]

They wanted a thriller where paranoia and isolation are present in the mind of a trucker. What they got was a relatively flat film with mild tension and a likeable Lead character. It's ok, the atmosphere is nice. Why the hitchhiker and the driver are American is kinda pointless unless it's a statement on nationality abroad or something. Either way. The film moves quickly enough but could be a lot better.

frantic and suspenseful it's quite an accomplishment of Australian cinema

[manicman84 · 8/10 · 26 August 2009]

Richard Franklin's potboiler "Road Games" is quite an accomplishment of Australian cinema. That's right Quentin. I know we agree. While transporting pork to Perth trough the whole Australia, American truck driver Pat Quid (Stacy Keach) traces a serial killer who tries to get rid of the body of the girl he's recently murdered. In the meantime, Pat meets Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis) who decides to help him capture the dangerous psycho. Due to its tone, the movie feels like Hitchcock's "Rear Window" on the road. Screenwriter Everet De Roche presents travellers as some kind of integral community comprising of totally different people connected by accident. It's to director Franklin's credit though that the movie is so frantic and suspenseful throughout. There are moments of sheer genius when the movie gets almost unbearably tense in its crucial scenes including unique finale. All in all, "Road Games" is a cleverly scripted, refreshing thriller that just waits to be rediscovered and admired. 8/10 (B+)

Endearing terror/thriller road movie about truckdriver Keach pursuing a killer

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 28 September 2022]

Pat Quid (Stacy Keach) is driving his lorry tranporting pig meat across Down Under . On the way , he encounters various other travellers and the occasional hitchhikers repeatedly as they're traveling the same road. Eventually , Quid picks up a young hitchhiker (Janet Lee Curtis). Pat begins to suspect a man driving a green van of killing young women along his route. The latter cruises desolate areas in a mysterious , customized van , picking up female hitchhikers and then raping , killing and dismembering them . The truck driver plays games... The hitchhiker plays games. And the killer is playing the deadliest game of all! One game kills time - The other kills people! A new thriller from the director of Patrick. Animal . . . . . . Vegetable . . . Or Murder? On a 1600 mile stretch of desert highway someone is playing a deadly game of sex, violence and sudden death! Hitch-hiking is her game but this time it could be the end of the road. A state of suspense. On the world's loneliest highway it's not a game - it's murder!

Thrilling movie about an elusive latter-day Jack the Ripper in loose in Australia . This terror/action film "Roadgames" was a tense and witty "danger on the road" thriller knockout which was the most expensive Australian film made in the early 80s . It's precisely its pretensions which make this a surprisingly enjoyable crossover of Hitchcockian thriller with 70s road movie . The early decesed Richard Franklyn was an avowed Hitch disciple who went on to make ¨Psycho II¨. Effective and adequate thriller with a string of cinematic shocks , the film manages a fine number of coups and surprises , with its cargo of raw meat , use of Janet Lee Curtis' association with her endless slashers or knife-flicks and the ever so-slightly surreal placing of figures in a vast , barren Outback landscape , making for an agreeable horror pic . Stars Stacy Keach as an obstinate trucker who proceeds to play a cat-and-mouse game in order to catch a suspicious series killer . Even though filmmaker Richard Franklyn actually studied under Alfred Hitchcock USC's renowned film school , he doesn't show his mentor's complete ability here . While it has its enjoyable moments , Road Games is fundamentally a nice thriller with some flaws . Duo of protagonists are pretty well , as Stacy Keach as a laid-back American truck driver in south Australia who get in trouble , while the sympathetic Janet Lee Curtis is fun as the unfortunate hitchhiker .

It contains a suspenseful musical score by Brian May who'll develop a long career in Australia and Hollywood, as well as atmospheric cinematography by Vincent Monton. The motion picture was professional and competently directed by Richard Franklyn . His first bit hit was ¨Patrick¨, this was a nifty horror feature that proved to be a big international success ; it won the won the Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Film, and won the Best Director Award at the Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival . Franklin then did the surprisingly solid and satisfying belated sequel "Psycho II". His other movies include the delightful "Cloak and Dagger" , the silly but attractive "Link," and the hugely entertaining "F/X 2." However, Franklin became weary of Hollywood studio politics and returned to his native Australia. He made the acclaimed play adaptations "Hotel Sorrento" and "Brilliant Lies." "Hotel Sorrento" won an AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for both Best Film and Best Director. Franklyn has made various competent terror and thriller movies : Patrick , road games , visitors , FX II and TV series as Beastmaster , Fastland , Lost world , among others . Rating : 6/10. Passable and acceptable.

Rear Windshield

[Coventry · 4/10 · 24 December 2005]

I don't really understand why everybody is so loud in praise about this mediocre Aussie thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock's biggest fan-boy (oh yeah, much bigger than Brian DePalma); Richard Franklin. All I saw was a tedious thriller with an unforgivably low body count and only a couple of ingenious surprises in the script. Actually, if it weren't for Stacy Keach's vivid portrayal of the lonesome outback truck-driver, there would be pretty few to recommend, as his one-liners and lively imagination are the film's main "fuel". Keach plays the overworked trucker Pat Quick, bringing a cargo of frozen meat to Perth. He keeps himself awake by having conversations about poetry with his pet-dingo and thinking up possible backgrounds for the people he observes on the road. "Rear Window"-style, he *thinks* he witnesses a murder and, due to a series of unlikely events, he becomes prime suspect in the police's search for a wanted serial killer. Overall, this is a poor crossover between the typically 70's road-movie and the most eminent Hitchcock-thrillers. There's the occasional clever remark and nifty camera-moment (notably the scene where road strips are reflected onto Keach's face) but there's too few action and suspense. Jamie Lee Curtis, who was immensely popular thanks to her contemporary knife-wielding slashers, stars to attract more horror buffs but her role is really rather limited. Richard Franklin made this film in between "Patrick" and his ultimate Hitchcock tribute "Psycho II". Both titles are much better than this "Roadgames".

Under rated road movie thriller with Hitchcockian trappings

[barnabyrudge · 22 December 2002]

Road Games is an Ok suspense film by Hitchcock disciple Richard Franklin (see also Psycho II, Link, FX II:The Deadly Art of Illusion). It features a good performance by Stacy Keach as a lone truck driver transporting bacon across the Australian outback during a butcher's strike. Every now and then, Keach comes across other travellers on the road, one of whom is the driver of a mysterious green van. Keach, having heard about a serial killer on the loose on his radio, convinces himself that the driver of the green van is also the murderer the police are looking for. However, Keach takes such ludicrous and unorthodox actions to prove his theory that he ends up making himself look like the culprit.

The main theme here of an innocent man being mistaken for a murderer is as old as the hills. The freshness of this film is provided principally by the unconventional locale (Aussie outback) and the outlandish set of supporting characters introduced during the course of the film. The suspense is good during the main scenes, but in between the film loses momentum. Hardly surprising, since Keach spends much of the film alone, chatting away to himself and his pet dingo in the cab of his truck. Listening to a man talkking to himself is hardly the best way to build excitement. However, you can feel a prickle of terror in your heart during one particularly hair raising sequence in which Keach investigates a peculiar sound in the back of his lorry.

I like this film, but it's no classic. Just one of those quiet, forgotten gems that film buffs ought to seek out for a rainy day.

Roadgames (1981)

[Bleeding_Edge · 7/10 · 12 September 2022]

An American truck driver working in Australia believes a man driving a green van on the highway to be a serial killer.

Roadgames is a movie I've wanted to see for a while, and it didn't disappoint. Stacy Keach stars as eccentric truck driver Pat, who along with his pet dingo engages in a game of cat and mouse with the driver of a green van whom he suspects is killing hitchhikers. Jamie Lee Curtis co-stars as the spunky character 'Hitch' and does a good job in one of her early roles. Keach carries the entire movie though; he's in almost every frame and has to monologue a lot due to the fact his character is alone the majority of the time. I was really impressed with his performance.

The movie is more of a mystery with thriller elements than a straight up horror flick. Its focus is mainly on the mystery of whether Keach's overworked, under-rested character is making too much out of a series of coincidences, or the man he keeps crossing paths with is the serial killer that the radio is talking about. In other words, there are similarities to Rear Window, which was an inspiration for this movie apparently. Roadgames does have some horror/tension though; there was one scene in particular that had me clenching the cheeks of my rear end together.

Roadgames is well directed by Richard Franklin, and the film has impressive cinematography. There aren't many sets in this film; 90% of the movie takes place in the cab of Keach's truck, or on the highway. Yet, thanks to the talent behind the camera the movie never feels stale, and is another great example of a movie that does a lot with a little. Surprisingly this was the most expensive Australian film ever made at the time, with a budget of $1.8M.

I do have a couple nitpicks, and the biggest one is the music. Though the score is good from a purely objective standpoint, it did NOT belong in this type of movie. It sounds like something you might hear in a family movie; it's way too optimistic sounding for the subject matter at hand, and I would even say jarring at times due to sounding so out of place.

There was also some black comedy that made some random appearances, and those scenes didn't really work for me. And it obviously is a bit strange that the movie stars an American, who later picks up another American hitchhiker, but the movie takes place in Australia. Was it just me, or did this movie feel a lot older than 1981?

Nitpicks aside, really solid movie. I think I'll watch this one again sooner rather than later.

Loneliness of the long distance trucker

[MissSimonetta · 7/10 · 28 October 2022]

ROAD GAMES is a lowkey but pleasant little thriller of the Hitchcock school. I wouldn't call it a lost masterwork by any means-- the pacing sometimes lags and the tension comes in starts and fits-- but what carries the thing is Stacy Keach as Quid. He feels very likeable and real, and his loneliness makes him a poignant figure amid the mystery and suspense going on. Director Richard Franklin also knows how to craft a great suspense scene, of which there are a few here. It's not a surprise when one learns that Franklin directed PSYCHO II just two years after this.

Not amazing, but a decent way to spend a quiet evening.

I mean, it's really not very good

[RNMorton · 7/10 · 27 October 2018]

But just the same, like Cherry Falls, I found myself irresistibly drawn back to it time and again the other night. Keach is an American truck driver down under, Curtis (looking pretty darn good) a coy rich kid on the run. Some of the plot is just plain stupid or unbelievable, and Keach's talking to and otherwise entertaining himself while solo on the road goes beyond annoying and into the next category, but there's chemistry between Keach and Curtis that goes above all that in the end (barely). Better than watching a test pattern for those old enough to know what that is.

One for the road ..*gulps* [+67%]

[arungeorge13 · 7/10 · 21 February 2021]

An engaging road thriller helmed by Richard Franklin, Roadgames keeps everything on the move: the plot, the characters, and the lovely Australian milieu. There's a serial killer on the prowl, and our leading man Pat Quid (an artsy American truckie), with his new load of pork, is travelling across the outback with his adorable pet dingo. Pat is quick to connect the dots (regarding a murder) when he witnesses certain incidents from his truck and during conversations with people he meets. Jamie Lee Curtis shows up as a mysterious hitchhiker a good 3 quarters into the film, adding further layers to an already-intriguing plot.

The storytelling style is reminiscent of Hitchcock's and it's no surprise that Richard Franklin went on to direct Psycho 2 after Roadgames. Stacy Keach gives Pat enough nuance for us to care for his character's eventual fate. Curtis, for the relatively little time that she gets, owns the screen completely. The music (by Brian May) during some tense moments threw me off a bit but the performances had me invested throughout. Franklin stages thrills well (the service station scene is a standout) and that's one of the film's biggest pluses. I watched it for the first time in 2021 and still enjoyed it!

"Just because I drive a truck does not make me a truck driver."

[utgard14 · 8/10 · 23 July 2014]

Truck driver Pat Quid (Stacy Keach), transporting meat across Australia, believes a suspicious van driver he continually sees on his trip may be responsible for a series of hitchhiker murders. Along the way Quid picks up a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis) and tells her his suspicions. The two try to track the van driver while Quid becomes the police's number one suspect for the murders.

I think Richard Franklin is one of the more under-appreciated directors from the '80s. He made several interesting films before fading into mediocrity in the '90s, a fate that befell many '80s directors. There's a strong Hitchcock influence throughout Franklin's work, including this film, which should come as no surprise for the man who would go on to direct Psycho II. For his part, Stacy Keach carries the movie with ease. He reminds me of some of the protagonists from great Hitchcock thrillers who were normal, easy-going guys that were thrust into dangerous plots. This is easily the best performance I've seen from Keach. Jamie Lee Curtis is likable in her small part as the hitchhiker, a role similar to the one she played in The Fog the year before.

I've always enjoyed this movie. It's a fun, suspenseful thriller with a good cast and some dark humor. One of the better "killer on the road" movies I've seen.

must watch road thriller

[vishnurkonline · 7/10 · 31 August 2018]

If you like movies like breakdown you will love this movie. The tension build up slowly till the end. kind of get a feeling like watching hitchkok movie.

No, not for me...

[paulclaassen · 3/10 · 29 October 2021]

I was looking forward to this trucking road movie with big names like Stacey Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis. However, this cat and mouse thriller was highly disappointing.

The premise was good. The first few minutes grabbed me and it had me invested. I was curious to see what would happen next. This was when the film started dragging, though. There are characters that served no purpose - except for making up screen time. The character actions, reactions and motivations were also not believable. There was so much talk that I eventually became bored.

Keach stars as a truck driver, Pat Quid, who becomes suspicious of a man he calls 'Smith or Jones'. Very little is known about this character, but we safely assume him to be the killer and the antagonist. There's no misdirection here - what you see is what you get. Jamie Lee Curtis is Hitch (or Pamela). I didn't find this character intriguing at all and in fact didn't really care about her. It would have worked better if she was closer related to Quid, instead of simply a stranger in the form of a hitchhiker.

The film's climax had me raising an eyebrow - once again questioning the character actions. Oh, and by the way director Richard Franklin, I didn't like the way the Dingo was handled!! At times the chain was so tight around this poor dog's neck, with Keach pulling on him, that the dog was clearly in agony. Shame on you!

Would I watch it again? No.

The E String Murders? A Playful Psychocomedy

[DJBlackSwan · 8/10 · 2 December 2005]

Alright, already! Enough with the Hitchcock, please.

If I read one more review of Road Games with the words "Hitchcockian" or "homage to Hitchcock", I'm going to scream, and it will not be out of Psycho.

Let's start with something else. Road Games is labeled as a Thriller and can be found in the States in the Action section, but it's got a comedic script and Brian May's aloof, campy score. And yes, the early genius of Jamie Lee's comic finesse.

Only problem is, Quid talks entirely too much; to himself, to his dog, to anyone within earshot who will listen to his Chaucer and Bronte quotes, or judgment calls on other motorists. Unfortunately for you, as the captive audience of Road Games, you don't have a choice.

He gets his comeuppance by two female smartasses, both of whom give as well as they take. Keach seems to have fun riffing off of straight shooter Marion Edward ("Sunny" Day -- did they really dress her in a Santa Suit?) and America's Sweetheart of Sarcasm, Jamie Lee Curtis ("Hitch"). Hitch. But of course.

The score also quotes liberally, from the obligatory nods to Bernard Hermann, to Elgar to Holst to Copland to Wagner to John Williams. Oh wait, that's not a very long span, is it? Suffice it to say you'll get lots of military marches and funny malaprop film western pastorales.

One musical element that provides much of the humor, at least to musicians, is the recurring character of the guitar, whose steel strings are used as murder weapons. (As someone already noted, Keach goes to bed with a guitar and walks away at the end with a mandolin.) The Mozart Harmonica Concerto offers a silly and decent lampoon.

Add some swell POV shots, the backdrop of the Australian desert, some raw meat sight gags, a hazardous looking finale, and you've got a fairly watchable movie. 8/10.

Australian film ride that definitely deserves a viewing hitch

[tonypeacock-1 · 7/10 · 28 November 2020]

Little known 'Ozploitation' film from 1981 that I stumbled upon when looking at the filmography of actress Jamie Lee Curtis!

Australian road movie from 1981 about a trucker transporting meat from Melbourne, Victoria to Perth, Western Australia. Quite a distance over several time zones. Why meat? A butchers strike is the reason.

Stacy Keach plays the trucker 'Kit Quid' who we see come across several strange characters on their journey including a mystery green van over and over. All while a mystery serial killer is on the loose across Australia.

The film has all the usual road movie genre tropes and some that have been used since in movies like No Country For Old Men and Road Kill/Joy Ride.

Australia with its thousands of miles of outback wilderness makes for a good location that sets it apart from the usual U.S. locations of such films.

The film reminded me of the early Mad Max films not only because of some desolate outback locations but because of the period the film was produced and the soundtrack from composer Brian May.

Jamie Lee Curtis actually didn't appear until about 35 minutes in. She plays a young 'hitch' (hitchhiker) who joins Kit in his suspicions of the green van.

The film has been compared to an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and indeed director Richard Franklin followed up this film with Psycho II, a sequel to one of Hitchcock's most famous films.

A film that has slipped under the radar somewhat. A line I have used on a few films over the years but surprisingly I have never heard or seen this film over the years despite an interest in Australian cinema and television.

I would definitely put this in my top ten Australian films having seen it.

Weird Aussie B-grade Thriller

[o_s_k_r · 5/10 · 14 June 2022]

So much weirdness on the screen here. For some reason I was expecting a horror.

Here's what makes it weird:

1. An American truck driver in the Australian outback. How did he get there? Was there some truck driver exchange program in the 70s?

2. Jamie Lee Curtis, also clearly American, apparently the daughter of a diplomat. Surely it's a big coincidence they're both American? How come they don't talk about it? And why does she have such a limited role in this movie?

3. The protagonist has a dog that everyone including him mistakes for a dingo. It's clearly just a red heeler, and NOT a dingo. He seems to be otherwise well informed. How come none of the other characters tell him?

4. Most of the movie is just this truck driver talking to himself. Yes, probably 66% of the entire movie is set in the cabin, with the driver talking to himself. It's like a soliloquy movie. He mostly talks in daydreams, idle thoughts and creative riffs.

5. The music is incredibly off target. Harmonica, middle of the road, easy going stuff. The sort of music that simply doesn't exist in Australia. The theme is repeated often and it always, every single time, feels weird against the Australian scenery.