Comments on: The Speech: Patrick Swayze’s Epic Bad-Assery (NSFW)

By: Eileen

Eileen — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:33:18 +0000

To Lisa Swayze was a angel god wanted to bring home. Lisa you know he is still watching over you…….Eileen

By: con ken

con ken — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:59:00 +0000

A man that has never cheated on his wife… In America, that is rare…
didn't hurt that he was cute, and looked and acted great in some movies…

By: Mrs. Right

Mrs. Right — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:16:13 +0000

Oh, I definitely need to see this movie again!

By: William_Z

William_Z — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:24:33 +0000

In pace requiescat.

By: Marja

Marja — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:54:02 +0000

He was manly, yet he could do a delightfully feminine drag queen too in 'To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar'. Damn good actor.

By: srhoades

srhoades — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:37:31 +0000

"Roadhouse" is the cheesiest movie of all time. "I used to f@$% guys like you in prison." Gee that says more about you than it does the Swazeman. Seriously, get the Rifftrax on this one folks — it's THE best one. On a more somber note, "Red Dawn" used to rank with "The Sands of Iwo Jima" back when I was a kid. The Swazeman will be missed.

By: L.B. "Oscar" Mayer

L.B. "Oscar" Mayer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:39:21 +0000

Road House – a rollicking good ride! Hats off, too, to Kevin Tighe as the owner of the bar who calls in his old pal Swazye to 'clean up Tombstone'.

By: Ken in Irvine

Ken in Irvine — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:20:41 +0000

Agreed John. I mentioned this in a post yesterday. Swayze's ability to sell the concept of Red Dawn (teenagers fighting off the Russians) is why that movie is a classic.

By: Ken in Irvine

Ken in Irvine — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:13:58 +0000

Yeah, you kind of butchered your excellent story. You really should create an account.

By: John Nolte

John Nolte — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:29:33 +0000

I look at acting in a very particular way… You have to ask yourself: "How many actors could sell that "My Way or the Highway" speech? I would argue, not many. Taking B-movie dialogue and selling it — making it 100% convincing is a unique gift and takes a real talent.

Could Swayze have played Hamlet? Doubtful. But could Kenneth Branagh pull off Dalton's speech? Equally doubtful.

So which is the better actor?

My standard is simply "convincing." If you don't break the spell while inhabiting a character, you're giving a great performance. By that standard (and it's a good one) Swayze was more consistent over the course of his entire career than Meryl Streep has been since 1996 — by a long shot.

And don't forget Red West in "Road House," one of Elvis's posse. He's the guy who gets his store burnt down. Terrific character actor.