Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1526889
R O A D H O U S E | P E R S P E C T I V E 4 5 box-office disappointment initially, Road House achieved cult classic status, adored by millions. This success exemplifies Joel's deep insight into creating pop culture phenomena. As a high school senior in 1989, I saw this film with four friends and we reveled in its campy, so-bad- it's-good action/thriller vibe. We, much like Roger Ebert, found ourselves laughing throughout. The film was packed with music, humor and classic bar brawl scenes—elements that electrified our moviegoing experience and perfectly captured its essence. When I learned that Doug Liman was directing the remake of Road House in the spring of 2022, I was intrigued. Having previously collaborated with Doug on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, I knew he was the right director to bring that special balance of action and comedy. Joel Silver was on board as producer, and Jake Gyllenhaal was cast as the lead playing Dalton. With a strong need to get going, Doug and Joel brought me into the fold and we were off to the races, imagining a new world for the remake of Road House. Departing from the original film's setting, the writers placed the updated Road House in a remote area at the end of the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. The fictional 'Glass Key' would echo the secluded, rustic vibe of Jasper, Missouri, and reflect behaviors of a small town steeped in its own form of backwoods history. Operating from the initial location in the Dominican Republic, the film's objective was to evoke the old-world charm and forgotten essence of the Florida Keys, crafting gritty, realistic settings. We faced several obstacles, including the Dominican Republic's unpredictable weather and a notable absence of American-style infrastructure. However, the stunning blue-green Caribbean waters and lush tropical landscapes offered a pristine canvas, allowing us to meticulously design and construct our envisioned settings from scratch within the DR's jungle terrain. Fight Club The production's hiding-in-plain-sight fight club is the scene that opens the film and puts the audience down a long road to nowhere in the middle of North Dakota. Oil rigs churn in the distance and there is a bustling parking lot in front of a derelict metal fabrication warehouse. This environment initially posed one of my biggest concerns as the decision was made to base the film entirely in the Dominican Republic. Tropical Florida Keys, yes…but, barren high plains of North Dakota, no. This was certain to be a challenge. In my typical filmmaking process, I used Google Earth to explore potential locations. However, I encountered limitations with its international coverage, especially the inability to access detailed street views. Despite this, I discovered vast sugar cane fields intersected by straight, two-lane roads that looked promising. On one such road, alongside railroad tracks, the production found a weathered cane-loading station set on a flat stretch of compacted dirt, ideal for constructing a partial warehouse. This site effectively served as the exterior for the parking lot and entrance to the interior fight club, located elsewhere. For the final touch, visual effects would add oil derricks in the background to emulate a North Dakota setting. A. ROAD HOUSE EXTERIOR. ILLUSTRATION.