Roadkill

1989 "A rock'n'road movie about a girl who learns to drive."
6.7| 1h25m| en
Details

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.

Director

Producted By

Mr. Shack Motion Pictures

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Also starring Valerie Buhagiar

Reviews

ShangLuda Admirable film.
Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
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.
AJ Milne Rough and raw in the best sense. Delightfully quirky, damned funny, with the odd, faintly haunting moment worked in. My thought a few years ago, seeing it in a video store was, okay, I remember it got my attention first time round in the theatre, but this was ten years ago; what happens if I rent it and see it again?Answer: it holds up quite well. Yes, the very raw (read 'cheap') production values shine through everywhere; this is part of the fun, after a while. The rough black and white footage makes rural Northern Ontario look properly bleak (and occasionally sinister -- hey, I grew up there; and trust me -- it's appropriate), and, at times, coldly beautiful. Buhagiar is deliciously bemused throughout as the stranger in a (very) strange land, and McKellar's wannabe serial killer is an absolute scream (listen for the line about upward mobility, hockey, crime, and weak ankles; I'll avoid spoiling it for you).It's probably blasphemy to some fans' ears to say it (it's McDonald, it's rock 'n roll, and you're not really supposed to take any of these things too seriously), but on some levels, this is almost a film of substance despite itself, if you go looking for it. Again, it's partly the atmosphere: the melancholy question -- "whatinhell are we all doing here anyway, and exactly why are we bothering, again?" -- a question naturally posed by the area -- works its way in at the edges of the frame. The response of the lead singer of the fictional "Children of Paradise" -- to shut up entirely, and suffer the absurdity of it all without comment, from behind haunted, hollow eyes -- actually makes a fair bit of sense, given the environment.The dialogue is weak through much of it, and not always much helped by the sometimes amateurish delivery, but there are some brilliant moments. Co-writer McKellar, who, in my view, hit his stride with the quietly apocalyptic (see it; I'm not explaining here) *Last Night*, was still working on his game here (and McDonald, honestly, I've always found a little lean this way). But there are definite flashes of great things to come.The soundtrack's got an eclectic thing going for it. As with all three films in the loose 'trilogy' this one started (see also Highway 61, Hard Core Logo), this is a film about rock 'n roll, and is something of a document in this respect -- it features songs by the Cowboy Junkies, the Ramones, and Nash the Slash, to name a prominent few.Overall, a strange sort of Northern Ontario travelogue -- but not exactly the Chamber of Commerce version. More the "come here if you like cold bleak scenery, and consider running over animals a sport" version. Highly recommended, if you're looking for something distinctive, memorable, and frequently, amusingly quirky.
Thaleia An interesting look at one woman's journey of discovery, Ramona must find the ambulatory band, Children of Paradise, in order to find herself. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Ramona meets a cab driver without a brain, a film-maker without a heart, and a serial killer without courage. In leading them to their own paths of personal growth, she discovers her own. An excellent, little film that is worth checking out though it may be difficult to find outside of Canada.