I didn't think the death of Patrick Swayze would get to me as much as it did. I forgot all the great movies he starred in that I absolutely love. He was an incredible dancer, but still a tough guy and through his entire career seemed just like a really down to earth kind of guy.
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Okay, so I am going to show my age here but when I was a kid back in the 80's I remember reading The Outsiders and falling in love with the book. When I read in my issue of Tiger Beat that they were making a movie of that book, well, I just about fell over myself trying to find out everything about the cast. At the time, all I cared about were the cute boys that the movie had-Patrick being one of them. When it finally came out I tried to act as intellectual as a 13 year old  with a rainbow shirt could act and praised the director for staying so close to the book. The movie tells the story of The Greasers and The Socs and the conflicts they have between them on a social level. Once Johnny and Ponyboy kill a Soc they go on the run and actually learn a little about life. The end fight scene is an over the top war against the two groups. Sure there are lots of corny lines in the movie (Matt Dillion, I'm looking in your direction -"Let's do it for Johnny!) but this movie is a classic and the story holds up against time.

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One year older, still in the Red Scare  (did anyone else on the east coast have to do atomic bomb drills?) and  the movie Red Dawn was thrust upon us. The Russians were our enemy and they decide to take over the US-only a group of teenagers could save the day and fight them off. Really? Seriously-did the writer actually know any teenagers? You can barely get a teenager to mow the lawn, let alone save the world. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, a group of teenagers save the US. This movie is so gung ho Americana that it's a little embarrassing if it weren't so cheesy.

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So, years go by, I'm getting out of my teen years and a movie like no other burst into my life. That movie is Roadhouse. Oh laugh if you must, scoff if you will, but this movie is so awesomely bad that it's good! Besides a total kick ass Patrick Swayze, you have Sam Elliott-that's right. Sam Elliott. My husband swears at any given minute if Sam Elliott came through the door and asked me to run away with him, I would. I plead the 5th on any reply. Patrick plays Dalton, a bouncer that comes to a small town to clean up the local bar. In the process of lifting the bar to true 1980's standards, Dalton makes the local bad guy mad and fights ensue. Lots of fights. Patrick kills a guy with his bare hands-HIS BARE HANDS!  Apparently someone on the Spike Channel loves the movie as much as I do because it is on every weekend.

Now I know I didn't include Dirty Dancing or Ghost and that might make a few of you mad. I swore to myself that after hearing my mom sing "Time of my Life" for a whole summer that I would distance myself as far I could from Dirty Dancing. As for Ghost, I just can't do it-sorry. I love bad movies but I just can't do it.

Patrick did so many other great movies and shows up to his untimely death. He will be missed greatly. Sure he had his demons and had his share of real world problems but brought lots of joy to lots of people around the world and for that, I say thank you Patrick.