Back in January, Road House director Doug Liman announced that he would be boycotting his own film’s SXSW premiere to protest Amazon’s decision to skip a wide theatrical run and release it straight to streaming. Liman signed on to remake the 1989 classic for MGM before that studio was purchased by Amazon, after which he claims the new management left the possibility of a theatrical run on the table. On principle, I’m with Liman on this. Far too many solid, commercially viable movies miss the opportunity to make a splash, culturally and financially, in theaters before they disappear into the sea of Online Content. It’s bad for theaters, it’s bad for talent, and it’s bad for cinema as a form.

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ROAD HOUSE ★ (1/4 stars)
Directed by: Doug Lima n
Written by: Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Austin Post, Conor McGregor
Running time: 121 mins.

Where Mr. Liman and I disagree is in the particulars of his argument. Liman hypes his Road House’s “groundbreaking action” and a performance from star Jake Gyllenhaal that is both “career-best” and “career-defining.” Without saying that the director........

© Observer