Patrick Swayze Tagged Articles at Cinematical

When I first heard the news that Patrick Swayze had passed away at age 57, my first two thoughts were as follows: Point Break (1991) and Donnie Darko (2001). Those were my two personal Patrick Swayze cult classics, the ones I own on DVD, the ones I can watch again, anytime. But the next thing I saw was a tribute on morning television, and the main clips came from Swayze's biggest hits, Dirty Dancing (1987) and Ghost (1990), two films I do not own on DVD and do not particularly care to see again. Then I looked him up and saw a cornucopia of other titles, ranging all over the map, including a bunch of stuff I had never heard of. There were two I reviewed as a critic, the awful Green Dragon (2001) and the very cool 11:14 (2003).

There was an early appearance, along with a handful of other rising stars in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983). There was a Golden Globe nomination for the campy To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). There was a failed bid for Oscar glory with Roland Joffe's City of Joy (1992). There was a British comedy that seems pretty popular in England, Keeping Mum (2005). There were some cheesy 1980s action films, like Steel Dawn (1987) and Next of Kin (1989). Then, further down the list, I noted two more films of a different nature, Red Dawn (1984) and Road House (1989). I saw Red Dawn so long ago that I can't remember any of it, and I have never seen Road House, but they are on my radar as much-loved cult films in other quarters. From the looks of them, however, they probably fall somewhere between the "cheesy" and "so-bad-it's-good" categories of cult films.

Recently, the National Enquirer swore that Patrick Swayze had taken a turn for the worse and was heading home to die. I didn't write it up because I didn't want to believe it, and comforted myself in the fact that the Enquirer is far from a reliable source for information. However, while he may have been valiantly fighting pancreatic cancer and working until almost the end, now the AP reports that Patrick Swayze has passed away at the age of 57. In a statement released by publicist Annett Wolf: "Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months."

Swayze's career started back in 1979, when he played Ace Johnson in Skatetown, U.S.A. But it wasn't until The Outsiders in 1983 that he started to make the waves, stealing young girls hearts with his portrayal of Darrel Curtis. Then came Red Dawn, Youngblood, and the epic miniseries North and South, each paving the way for the film that made him an indelible icon, a man we would never forget -- Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing. Pulling Baby out of the corner, he became a tried and true star. Ghost, of course, followed soon after, and then things petered off. But he didn't stop working. He had an amazing stint as the eerie Jim Cunningham in Donnie Darko, and even as he fought the cancer, he showed up in Powder Blue and The Beast. He seemed unbeatable...

Patrick, you're missed ... and this is for you ...

Dirty Dancing, The Time Of My Life

The ol' quote goes: "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." These days, however, it might be more appropriate to say that nothing can keep Patrick Swayze down. The actor's initial cancer reports sounded so very grim, but there Swayze is, looking pretty darned healthy and kicking the big C right in the keister.

He's currently filming the A&E series The Beast in Chicago, and now insiders have told the Metro that he may go back to the role that made him uber famous. The insider said: "It's great news that Patrick is so well and there are lots of offers for him. Everyone wants him to star in a Dirty Dancing sequel. It's just a matter of him making his mind up."

We should take this with a grain of salt, but for once, I'm not totally against the news. If done right, and with a lot of the actors from the original, it could be great to watch them dance again. But then I get to thinking about WHEN it would have to take place. It's been 21 years since the original, which was set in the '60s. So that means it'd have to be a flick taking place in the '80s...

Would you want to see Johnny Castle don a Flock of Seagulls 'do and dirty dance again?

Good news, Patrick Swayze fans -- he's one step closer to kicking cancer to the curb. Variety reports that the dirty dancer's pilot show about an unorthodox FBI agent, The Beast, has been picked up by A&E and that it will still star Swayze. Everything was up in the air when it was announced that he was fighting pancreatic cancer, but now insiders have told Variety that the actor's doctors have given him the thumbs up to continue working, just a few weeks after he announced that he was responding well to treatment.

Shooting the series should keep him pretty busy, but I wonder what this means for the rumor that Swayze would return to the world of Point Break for a sequel, should his health allow it. Will we be getting more Bodhi? I wasn't too keen on the idea in May, but it would be better than some other films that could try to grab him, like, say, that wretched Donnie Darko sequel that's in the works.

It's been a few months since we heard the sad and shocking news, in March, that Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, rumors have run rampant, both about his health, and about possible movie choices. Finally, we've got some legit news on the actor and his struggle with cancer.

He sent a statement over to People, which says: "Thought I'd give you guys a little update. Lisa and I have been back and forth from New Mexico enjoying the arrival of spring and new baby calves. This past weekend, we spent a fun time with friends in Reno for Lisa's birthday, where I took her jewelry shopping at Kenny G & Company and (we) were able to find her something really special and much deserved! In the meantime, I am continuing treatment at Stanford and the great news is I continue to respond well."

He's also looking pretty darned good too. The pic attached to this post is via the BBC, and shows Swayze at a basketball game last week. Best, and continued wishes to you, Mr. Dirty Dancer.

Warning: Video above contains foul language

It came as a shock in March to find out that Patrick Swayze was battling pancreatic cancer. Since then, there have been a lot of conflicting rumors and reports about his health, but now one is movie-related. Cinema Blend came across a news piece on Asian News International that Swayze would like to return to the sequel of Point Break, "if his health allows."

This comes on the heels of news that a sequel was on the way, so this could definitely be an example of wishful thinking. And hey, rumors that suggest the possibility of health, rather than death, are okay in my book. That being said, I don't think Point Break 2 is the next film I'd like to see Swayze in. If he's able to beat the cancer and get back to work, I'd love to see him cast in something that brings back the glory days of Swayze. We don't need questionable sequels; we need full-on and awesome Swayze.

Any ideas? What could bring Swayze back to form? Or, is a sequel of the gem above what the moviegoing world needs?

As Kim let us know last night, Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer. It's not a particularly easy sort of C to get over, but reports are saying that he's responding well to treatment. I hope so, as the world needs the Swayze. There have been some stinkers in his career, but there are also great gems. Like, oh, Dirty Dancing.

This is, in no way, a memorial, but rather appreciation of what makes Swayze so cool, and one of the reasons why I hope he's around for a long, long time to come. So, let's jump back in time to his special finale dance with Jennifer Grey. I'm usually not one for grandiose displays of affection, but this one I dig. It's one of the few "awh" romantic moments on screen that I think is natural -- both for the character and the situation. It's not breaking out into song randomly, but with a specific, thematic purpose. And really, it's nice to see an on-screen group dance where they all do their own thing, instead of magically falling into the same ultra-tricky dance moves.

Patrick Swayze, you rock.

Update: Swayze's reps hadn't commented more to Reuters at the time Moviefone ran their piece, but a reader kindly pointed us to this story on People that indicates a more optimistic outlook for Swayze. -- ed.

Well, this news is depressing as hell. Patrick Swayze, 55, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer., and has only a short time to live. According to a piece over on Moviefone, a rep for Swayze told the New York Post that the actor was diagnosed over a month ago. Swayze is perhaps best known for his leading role in Dirty Dancing, when his character, Johnny Castle, an older dance instructor, swept young and perky Jennifer Grey off her feet. My own favorite Swayze movies, though, are Red Dawn ("Wolverines!") and Ghost. The latter never fails to reduce me to a blubbering heap of tears, no matter how sternly I tell myself I won't cry this time.

I have no idea if Swayze reads Cinematical, but we would like to extend our condolences and sadness at this news, and wish him and his family well. I know we have lots of Swayze fans out there, so feel free to use this space to extend your own thoughts and well-wishes to Swayze. What's your favorite Swayze movie moment?

For a sizable amount of the male population, this is probably the best news they will hear all day. Us Weekly reports that Jessica Biel has agreed to appear nude in the upcoming drama, Powder Blue. Biel will star as a single mother stripping to raise money to save her terminally ill son. Joining Biel are; Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta (as Biel's father), and Patrick Swayze as the owner of the club where Biel works. Directed by Timothy Linh Bui, the story centers on four strangers whose lives intersect in strange ways on Christmas Eve. According to sources for Us Weekly, Biel will retain final say over what makes it into the movie, but, she has reportedly "signed a contract that explicitly details the bare minimum fans will see - including shots of her breasts and butt."

In the past, Biel had been unwilling to bare it all on screen -- much to the disappointment of many I'm sure. The actress had even commented that she had felt she had been overlooked for roles because of it. To be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about; especially if you remember Biel's controversial Gear magazine shoot back in 2000 -- it's not like the actress has shied away from showing a little skin. Although, Biel was quoted in that same Us Weekly piece as saying that her time as a Gear cover girl left her feeling "humiliated." Biel even recently told Australia's Sunday Herald, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with the extent of the nudity in Monster's Ball, I would be terrified of a role like that right now." So there really must have been something special about Bui's film to change her mind. Blue is currently shooting in Los Angeles and set for release in 2008.