Leofwine_draca Fans looking for standard slasher elements (i.e. nudity, gore, marauding and unstoppable killers) will undoubtedly be disappointed by this refreshingly different attempt at a serial killer film, which keeps the gore and violence to a minimum and mainly off screen (aside from the nasty but cheesy 'shock' scene at the film's close). Instead this is a film which concentrates on a battle of minds between the protagonist - taking the form of truck driver Quid - and the killer, played by a mysterious, little seen man in a green van. Franklin throws lots of ambiguity into his film, forever asking whether or not the green van man is the killer, and keeps us guessing right up until the end. It's one of those films where the protagonist ends up being blamed for the crimes and chased by the police, a plot element always overused but handled nicely here.With most Australian films I've seen, there has always been an element of quirky humour, and ROAD GAMES is no different. It's positively bursting with humour, most of it stemming from Stacy Keach's droll hero and his encounters with various bizarre folk on the road. I've always enjoyed Keach's performances and he gets to shine with a meaty role here, as the befuddled, yet obsessed truck driving hero, and he enjoys some fine interplay both with Jamie Lee Curtis, his pet dingo, and himself, chattering away on long distances of empty road. Keach's performance makes the film and cannot be undervalued. Curtis, on the other hand, only appears somewhat briefly in the movie, for about half an hour at most, and although her performance is as strong as always, her character is somewhat light on development. The film does have its fair share of plot holes and slow stretches, but the suspense, the script and the atmosphere keep it together nicely.Director Richard Franklin is obviously a big Hitchcock fan (no surprise that he made PSYCHO II a couple of years later) and litters his movie with Hitchcockian devices and references, which can be slightly overwhelming at times but which are for the most part entertaining. The set-piece that concludes the film, which sees Keach's truck, the villain and a police car driving into smaller and smaller roads before getting stuck, is ingenious and wildly different to anything else I've seen in a while, so it deserves kudos. Viewers who can get past the off beat humour and who can appreciate the mix between dark thrills and light-heartedness will enjoy this thriller, which is always good if not a great piece of entertainment. I for one thoroughly enjoyed it.

utgard14 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.

ehrldawg An Autrailian trucker movie. A trucker deals with life on the road in a Hitchcockian sorta way.This is an interesting look at truckin Down Under. Its a tad bit slow. The face falling from the ceiling of the trailer at the end of the movie didn't make any sense. But this movie wasn't a total waste of time. From the commentary, it sounds like the director needed more time and money to do some more work on the ending.Stacey Keech dives the Mercedes - Benz big rig.Stacey Keech is a permanent A list actor.Janie Lee Curtis is hot!!erldwgstruckermovies.com

The_Void Many films - from classics such as Dual and The Hitcher, to lesser known gems like Hitch-Hike and modern thrillers such as Roadkill - have shown cinema audiences that the road can be a great setting for a movie, but while Roadgames certainly has it's moments; it has to be said that isn't as good as some of those that have gone before and come after. Director Richard Franklin ('Psycho II') does a good job of implementing the loneliness of the road on the audience by way of keeping the focus on the main character - a weary trucker, and ensuring that we are drawn into his plight. The lead role is taken by Stacy Keach, who fits into the role of Pat Quid nicely. Quid is driving a truck across Australia, along with his pet dingo. He picks up various hitch-hikers along the way, and at one point stops at a hotel; where he witnesses a man take in a girl he saw on the road earlier. She soon disappears, and this coincides with reports on the radio of a serial killer stalking the same roads that Quid is driving. However, that isn't all Quid has to worry about; as the police are beginning to suspect him of the crimes...My main problem with this film is that it takes too long to get going, and once it does finally get itself into gear; the plot isn't overly interesting, and it all feels rather underdone. There are a number of small things that bring the overall rating of this film up; things such as the fact that the main character has a pet dingo gives Roadgames some extra character. The lead performances are good enough, with the previously mentioned Stacy Keach carrying the entire film on his shoulders for most of the duration. Keach is an underrated actor, and it's always nice to see him in films - even underdeveloped ones like this. Jamie Lee Curtis is his co-star and is decent enough in her relatively small role, while no one else is given the screen time to impress. The score is a little bit too playful and annoying for my liking, but it's not enough to spoil the movie. Roadgames does have a number of good set pieces and the way that the director builds the mystery is good - it's just disappointing compared to other similar films. I would, however, say that if you enjoy films of this nature; Roadgames is well worth a look.