Roadkill

1989 "A rock'n'road movie about a girl who learns to drive."
6.7| 1h25m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 16 September 1989 Released
Producted By: Mr. Shack Motion Pictures
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A music promoter sends a young woman on a road trip in search of a band who hasn't been showing up for their gigs.

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Director

Bruce McDonald

Production Companies

Mr. Shack Motion Pictures

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Roadkill Audience Reviews

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
SnoopyStyle Ramona (Valerie Buhagiar) is a meek worker at a Toronto record label. The rock band 'Children of Paradise' has gone off the deep end in Northern Ontario. The record label chief wants to terminate their tour. Ramona insists on going north to find them for her job despite not knowing how to drive. It's a strange odyssey. The lead singer Matthew has disappeared. On the road, she encounters various characters including roadkill filmmaker Bruce Shack (Bruce McDonald) and aspiring serial killer Russell (Don McKellar).This is a black and white cult Canadian indie rock independent movie. It starts with a compelling guerrilla filming of the Toronto Passion Play. Director Bruce McDonald has a sizable supporting role. He's not a good actor but often, an indie can't find good enough actors. This does have the intriguing Buhagiar and the wonderful McKellar. She is able to hold the center and he has some brilliant turns. I wish he is in more of the movie. There is great indie music from the era and this is utterly memorable.
christianwb This is a totally awesome film. I first saw it when I was 17 and I have watched it many times since, each time gaining something new out of it. Surprisingly philosophical, "Roadkill" will make you think about life, purpose and the universe, it will also make you laugh and, yes, it will make you hum along to it's rocking soundtrack too. From the atmospheric black and white cinematography, to the evocative landscapes of Northland Ontario, to the magnificent, likable and witty character realizations, this is a seminal film that takes an original slant to what could have been a dried out and dusty subject; every member of the cast and crew give superb performances and I love them for it. Can you tell that I'm a fan? Don't, however, expect anything of the same high standard from the kinda sequel "Hard Core Logo", which I found to be pretty lame indeed. In sum, "Roadkill" rules and, to be honest, no sequel (no matter how 'kinda') could ever do it justice.
d_type This is one of those films I think I might end up spending the rest of my life trying to get a copy of. I saw it when I was about 18 by sheer luck of turning on the TV at the right time - late night when Channel 4 was still good (UK moan there, sorry everyone else). It is a superb film, one of those that lodges in your mind forever after one viewing. I don't want to risk a spoiler here, but it's a road movie OK? The journey is the story and all that. The central character is sympathetic and pushing her limits as a person but not lost and hopeless, the characters you meet along the way are all interesting and strange, pursuing their own fates. The photography (B+W in 1989), characters and plot give the whole thing an other worldly feel that is very engaging and for general not-corny quirkiness this film must rate highly. Also, the landscape of Canada (man-made and natural) plays a big part in what I remember of the film.
Infofreak 'Roadkill' is the second best Canadian rock'n'roll movie ever. The best one, in case you're interested, is 'Hard Core Logo'. Both movies are directed by Bruce McDonald, and it is a pity that very few people outside Canada are familiar with his work. (I'm guessing very few people IN Canada are either, but such is the way of the world...). McDonald's collaborator writer/actor Don McKellar went on to make the brilliant end of the world movie 'Last Night' sans McDonald, but the two make a great team, as this movie, and the equally original and quirky 'Highway 61' show. 'Highway 61's star Valerie Buhagiar also stars here, but in quite a different role, as Ramona, the inexperienced and tentative assistant of a sleazy rock promoter, Roy Seth (Gerry Quigley). Seth sends Ramona on an errand, to round up the Children Of Paradise, a flaky rock band who are making a mess of their tour, and losing him money. As she doesn't drive, she enlists the help of Buddy (Larry Hudson) a chatty cabbie with a million rock'n'roll anecdotes. Ramona and Buddy eventually lose track of each other, and she ends up lost and broke in Ontario, the Children Of Paradise's runaway lead singer nowhere to be found. Ramona's adventures continue, and she makes some strange acquaintances along the way, not least of which Russel the wanna-be serial killer (Don McKellar). This is a very strange, dark and (mostly) unpredictable low budget gem that should appeal to fans of odd films like 'Roadside Prophets', 'Motorama', early Jarmusch and the Coen brothers. It may not be a masterpiece but it's still an overlooked little beauty, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.