DVD Patrol: Toddster, ES staff remember Patrick Swayze
By Todd Campbell
Correspondent
Movies all have in some way given everyone some type of feeling – everything from the thrill of the action movie with a great chase to that special connection between two people that might make someone cry. There have been many actors and actresses who have been able to do this over the years. Someone who has been able to do exactly that was Patrick Swayze. As many know, for the past couple of years, Swayze has been battling pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, Swayze lost his valiant fight against the disease earlier this week. Many know what it’s like to lose someone to cancer. I know since I lost my Mom earlier this year, where it played a factor in her passing.
To honor Swayze’s life, the Toddster has assembled a very special group of Patrollers to talk about their favorite Swayze films and the feelings and emotions that they might have had when seeing this great actor strut his stuff on screen. Hopefully, a few of these movies may have made you feel a certain way at one time or another. Enjoy!
MELISSA STAGNARO
“Roadhouse”
As a teenager, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect man than a handsome hero with rock hard buns, a penchant for philosophy, an oh-so-mysterious past and the ability to kill a man with his bare hands. Where did I get such a notion? From watching Patrick Swayze in “Roadhouse,” of course.
While my high school friends were mooning over “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” I just couldn’t get enough of “Roadhouse.” For those sheltered few that haven’t had the privilege of seeing the 1989 film, it’s a sort of Old Western meet A-Team action flick which sees Swayze as a mysterious bouncer named Dalton who teams up with his mentor (played by the legendary Sam Elliot) to come to the rescue of a seedy bar and a small town being held over the barrel by a corrupt businessman.
I wore out my VHS copy of the movie long ago, but never fear, it still plays often enough on late night cable that I can get my fix when the need arises. Because, if I’m honest, that’s still pretty much my idea of the perfect man, at least in theory.
Whether it’s “Roadhouse,” “Dirty Dancing” or any other of his many works, there is no doubt that Patrick Swayze shaped many an adolescent fantasy, setting the bar high for all others who came after him. Men of his caliber, both on and off the screen, are few and far between.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the Swayze family for their loss. I hope they find some small solace in the fact that he will be remembered by many.
TYLER MURPHY
“Red Dawn”
The Red Dawn is filled with the silky plumes of gently descending soldiers dangling from their chute’s threads like well armed communist puppets.
The year is 1995 and the now-landing commandos can been seen gathering their ranks through the sixth grade math class window along the Oxford Middle School’s sports fields. Bullets fly from the Reds’ machine guns, shattering the glass and striking down my math teacher and several of the more obnoxious students. The survivors dive beneath our chairs and all appears lost when suddenly he appears in the doorway. It’s Patrick Swayze.
I stutter from below my desk, “My God Pat, the Commies are invading! What do we do!?”
“C’mon! We’re all going to die, die standing up,” he fiercely retorts.
I rise proudly from my desk and just as I’m about to join Patrick and head to the hills of McDonough to start a guerilla resistance against occupation, named after the Blackhawks, I’m suddenly interrupted by the most horrifying sound imaginable.
“Uh, Mr. Murphy, you seem to be wandering. Maybe your attention would stay better focused if you showed the class how to do the next problem on the blackboard.”
Having watched the 1984 cold war propaganda flick the night before, I began to reintegrate from imagination to reality. In the movie, Swayze’s named Jed Eckert, the location Colorado, the school’s mascot the Wolverines, the U.S.S.R. currently nonexistent and my math teacher very much alive.
I’m convinced though that the personality traits of the actor and character were identical. If any actor could raise resistance to the Soviets, surely it must be Patrick Swayze, a hero in form and presence. “Red Dawn” is my favorite movie starring Swayze and the first I remembering seeing. Swayze, forever known to me in my younger years as “That guy in Red Dawn.”
JEFF GENUNG
“Dirty Dancing”
Perhaps the definitive movie in the Patrick Swayze oeuvre (I’ll leave “Point Break” for someone else), “Dirty Dancing” is a classic that hit all the right notes, literally – misty, water-colored memories of summer camps in the Catskills, the lure of forbidden staff-guest love, the stern Jewish doctor dad (a brilliant Jerry Orbach), the skanky girl who got the abortion, and of course, the sheer genius/insipid bonus of “She’s Like the Wind” by Swayze himself on the soundtrack.
Part comedy, part cheesy drama, “Dirty Dancing” was pure fun. Swayze and Jennifer Grey had amazing chemistry, especially if you weren’t a fan of the Pachanga. Who couldn’t identify with Baby Houseman’s awkward teen angst ( “I brought a watermelon”) as she struggled to free herself from parental expectations and take a walk on the wild side with Johnny Castle, Swayze’s just-edgy-enough-to-be-sexy-but-still-non-threatening (he did wear a lot of black) breakthrough role.
By the time summer winds down at Kellerman’s in the grand finale, it’s hard to imagine anyone not grooving in their seats as Johnny triumphantly declares, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” dragging her from her wallflower seat and making her dance ... dirtily. The Time of My Life, indeed.
MIKE McGUIRE
“Ghost”
Patrick Swayze was a special actor. He might be the only one who’s known for his dancing ability and tearing out a guy’s throat with his bare hands. And everyone loved him because after watching his movies you knew he could do one and believed he could do both. What talent, what class. He was a hit with the ladies, respected by all the guys. And for good reason.
“Ghost” was the first movie that ever made me cry. The next was “Borat,” but for entirely different reasons. This flick was everything. Funny. Sad. Intense. Scary. Hokey. Spiritual. I will admit the pottery wheel part was a little awkward once I actually thought about it. Other than that, it is a classic. Chick flick. Man flick. Whatever. The fact is: To this day I try to lead a good life for the sole reason that I don’t want to be dragged to hell through the sewer by groaning shadows.
PATRICK NEWELL
“Saturday Night Live”
My first glimpse of Patrick Swayze came in a co-starring role in “The Outsiders,” a movie adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s late-’60s novel. The movie was shown during my English class in high school, and Swayze was in a cast of future stars including Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon and Emilio Estevez.
An unknown actor, Swayze’s star would soon shine bright on its own, and he received his breakout role in “Dirty Dancing” in 1987. The movie was a hit across America, and Saturday Night Live swooped Swayze up as a guest host that same year.
Forever and always, Swayze’s turn as a prospective Chippendale dancer alongside the late Chris Farley is the singular defining image I have of Swayze – and Farley for that matter.
On the left of the screen we saw a buff Swayze with his six-pack and rhythmic gyrations. On the right was the frenetic – and surprisingly nimble – Farley, all 280 pounds of jiggly fat and bluster.
The two dancers embraced and congratulated each other after their performances. Swayze, playing it straight, was oblivious to Farley’s obesity, and expressed his sorrow for Farley after the behemoth was eliminated by the judges.
The seriousness of the judges, Swayze, and Farley through the entire comedy bit was pure brilliance.
TODD CAMPBELL
“Point Break”
Everyone knows that special feeling they get when they are doing something they like. Whether it’s sitting at a keyboard writing about something they love, doing something they love like dancing or biking, or even surfing. “Point Break” tells the story of a team of bank robbers led by a surfer named Bodhi (Swayze) who have pulled off a series of successful heists and they are being tracked by FBI Agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) who suspects surfers may be pulling them off. Swayze gives us a performance with a sense of control that you may think he is reckless, but is actually in control the whole time and knows exactly what he’s doing. He goes after what he wants and does what he wants at the same time. This movie showed a sense of calm that you didn’t know the actor had. Seeing his cat and mouse game with Reeves was a great way to shake you up at times, too. One of my favorites.
I hope you enjoyed everyone’s thoughts on their favorite Swayze moments and movies. All the movies mentioned here are available on DVD now. Swayze will always be in our minds and our hearts.
Correspondent
Movies all have in some way given everyone some type of feeling – everything from the thrill of the action movie with a great chase to that special connection between two people that might make someone cry. There have been many actors and actresses who have been able to do this over the years. Someone who has been able to do exactly that was Patrick Swayze. As many know, for the past couple of years, Swayze has been battling pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, Swayze lost his valiant fight against the disease earlier this week. Many know what it’s like to lose someone to cancer. I know since I lost my Mom earlier this year, where it played a factor in her passing.
To honor Swayze’s life, the Toddster has assembled a very special group of Patrollers to talk about their favorite Swayze films and the feelings and emotions that they might have had when seeing this great actor strut his stuff on screen. Hopefully, a few of these movies may have made you feel a certain way at one time or another. Enjoy!
MELISSA STAGNARO
“Roadhouse”
As a teenager, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect man than a handsome hero with rock hard buns, a penchant for philosophy, an oh-so-mysterious past and the ability to kill a man with his bare hands. Where did I get such a notion? From watching Patrick Swayze in “Roadhouse,” of course.
While my high school friends were mooning over “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” I just couldn’t get enough of “Roadhouse.” For those sheltered few that haven’t had the privilege of seeing the 1989 film, it’s a sort of Old Western meet A-Team action flick which sees Swayze as a mysterious bouncer named Dalton who teams up with his mentor (played by the legendary Sam Elliot) to come to the rescue of a seedy bar and a small town being held over the barrel by a corrupt businessman.
I wore out my VHS copy of the movie long ago, but never fear, it still plays often enough on late night cable that I can get my fix when the need arises. Because, if I’m honest, that’s still pretty much my idea of the perfect man, at least in theory.
Whether it’s “Roadhouse,” “Dirty Dancing” or any other of his many works, there is no doubt that Patrick Swayze shaped many an adolescent fantasy, setting the bar high for all others who came after him. Men of his caliber, both on and off the screen, are few and far between.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the Swayze family for their loss. I hope they find some small solace in the fact that he will be remembered by many.
TYLER MURPHY
“Red Dawn”
The Red Dawn is filled with the silky plumes of gently descending soldiers dangling from their chute’s threads like well armed communist puppets.
The year is 1995 and the now-landing commandos can been seen gathering their ranks through the sixth grade math class window along the Oxford Middle School’s sports fields. Bullets fly from the Reds’ machine guns, shattering the glass and striking down my math teacher and several of the more obnoxious students. The survivors dive beneath our chairs and all appears lost when suddenly he appears in the doorway. It’s Patrick Swayze.
I stutter from below my desk, “My God Pat, the Commies are invading! What do we do!?”
“C’mon! We’re all going to die, die standing up,” he fiercely retorts.
I rise proudly from my desk and just as I’m about to join Patrick and head to the hills of McDonough to start a guerilla resistance against occupation, named after the Blackhawks, I’m suddenly interrupted by the most horrifying sound imaginable.
“Uh, Mr. Murphy, you seem to be wandering. Maybe your attention would stay better focused if you showed the class how to do the next problem on the blackboard.”
Having watched the 1984 cold war propaganda flick the night before, I began to reintegrate from imagination to reality. In the movie, Swayze’s named Jed Eckert, the location Colorado, the school’s mascot the Wolverines, the U.S.S.R. currently nonexistent and my math teacher very much alive.
I’m convinced though that the personality traits of the actor and character were identical. If any actor could raise resistance to the Soviets, surely it must be Patrick Swayze, a hero in form and presence. “Red Dawn” is my favorite movie starring Swayze and the first I remembering seeing. Swayze, forever known to me in my younger years as “That guy in Red Dawn.”
JEFF GENUNG
“Dirty Dancing”
Perhaps the definitive movie in the Patrick Swayze oeuvre (I’ll leave “Point Break” for someone else), “Dirty Dancing” is a classic that hit all the right notes, literally – misty, water-colored memories of summer camps in the Catskills, the lure of forbidden staff-guest love, the stern Jewish doctor dad (a brilliant Jerry Orbach), the skanky girl who got the abortion, and of course, the sheer genius/insipid bonus of “She’s Like the Wind” by Swayze himself on the soundtrack.
Part comedy, part cheesy drama, “Dirty Dancing” was pure fun. Swayze and Jennifer Grey had amazing chemistry, especially if you weren’t a fan of the Pachanga. Who couldn’t identify with Baby Houseman’s awkward teen angst ( “I brought a watermelon”) as she struggled to free herself from parental expectations and take a walk on the wild side with Johnny Castle, Swayze’s just-edgy-enough-to-be-sexy-but-still-non-threatening (he did wear a lot of black) breakthrough role.
By the time summer winds down at Kellerman’s in the grand finale, it’s hard to imagine anyone not grooving in their seats as Johnny triumphantly declares, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” dragging her from her wallflower seat and making her dance ... dirtily. The Time of My Life, indeed.
MIKE McGUIRE
“Ghost”
Patrick Swayze was a special actor. He might be the only one who’s known for his dancing ability and tearing out a guy’s throat with his bare hands. And everyone loved him because after watching his movies you knew he could do one and believed he could do both. What talent, what class. He was a hit with the ladies, respected by all the guys. And for good reason.
“Ghost” was the first movie that ever made me cry. The next was “Borat,” but for entirely different reasons. This flick was everything. Funny. Sad. Intense. Scary. Hokey. Spiritual. I will admit the pottery wheel part was a little awkward once I actually thought about it. Other than that, it is a classic. Chick flick. Man flick. Whatever. The fact is: To this day I try to lead a good life for the sole reason that I don’t want to be dragged to hell through the sewer by groaning shadows.
PATRICK NEWELL
“Saturday Night Live”
My first glimpse of Patrick Swayze came in a co-starring role in “The Outsiders,” a movie adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s late-’60s novel. The movie was shown during my English class in high school, and Swayze was in a cast of future stars including Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon and Emilio Estevez.
An unknown actor, Swayze’s star would soon shine bright on its own, and he received his breakout role in “Dirty Dancing” in 1987. The movie was a hit across America, and Saturday Night Live swooped Swayze up as a guest host that same year.
Forever and always, Swayze’s turn as a prospective Chippendale dancer alongside the late Chris Farley is the singular defining image I have of Swayze – and Farley for that matter.
On the left of the screen we saw a buff Swayze with his six-pack and rhythmic gyrations. On the right was the frenetic – and surprisingly nimble – Farley, all 280 pounds of jiggly fat and bluster.
The two dancers embraced and congratulated each other after their performances. Swayze, playing it straight, was oblivious to Farley’s obesity, and expressed his sorrow for Farley after the behemoth was eliminated by the judges.
The seriousness of the judges, Swayze, and Farley through the entire comedy bit was pure brilliance.
TODD CAMPBELL
“Point Break”
Everyone knows that special feeling they get when they are doing something they like. Whether it’s sitting at a keyboard writing about something they love, doing something they love like dancing or biking, or even surfing. “Point Break” tells the story of a team of bank robbers led by a surfer named Bodhi (Swayze) who have pulled off a series of successful heists and they are being tracked by FBI Agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) who suspects surfers may be pulling them off. Swayze gives us a performance with a sense of control that you may think he is reckless, but is actually in control the whole time and knows exactly what he’s doing. He goes after what he wants and does what he wants at the same time. This movie showed a sense of calm that you didn’t know the actor had. Seeing his cat and mouse game with Reeves was a great way to shake you up at times, too. One of my favorites.
I hope you enjoyed everyone’s thoughts on their favorite Swayze moments and movies. All the movies mentioned here are available on DVD now. Swayze will always be in our minds and our hearts.
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