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Road Games
Road Games
Actors: Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marion Edward, Grant Page, Thaddeus Smith
Director: Richard Franklin
Genres: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
PG     2003     1hr 41min

Stacy Keach is Pat Quid, a lone trucker who plays games to keep his sanity on long hauls through the desolate Outback. Jamie Lee Curtis is a free-spirited hitchhiker looking for excitement with a game of her own. And somew...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actors: Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marion Edward, Grant Page, Thaddeus Smith
Director: Richard Franklin
Creators: Vincent Monton, Richard Franklin, Edward McQueen-Mason, Barbi Taylor, Bernard Schwartz, Everett De Roche
Genres: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 06/10/2003
Release Year: 2003
Run Time: 1hr 41min
Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 19
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

A very suspenseful vehicular stalker movie
cookieman108 | Inside the jar... | 02/08/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"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"
One more Jamie Lee Curtis horror flick makes it to DVD!
Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 04/15/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."
Clever and intriguing
William | Australia | 04/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"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!"
Oldie but goody
Chrissy K. McVay | North Carolina | 02/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"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"