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".
Review of Road Games
