Patrick Swayze is dead…

Posted on September 15, 2009 Written by ripitup

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Setting a news page as my homepage was a bad idea. I wake up, turn on my computer and bam! Something awful greets me. Today the first news I got was about Patrick Swayze’s death. I knew he had cancer and things weren’t looking good and everything; but I was really hoping that he would beat it. He didn’t and I am just one of the fans he left behind. You see, Patrick was one of the first actors I saw on big screen. My parents took me to see Dirty Dancing when I was 3 years old. Of course I don’t remember that but my out-going,dance-addicted, rock-n-roll loving nature and my soft spot for men who can dance, look good in jeans and leather- and are manly; yet still have that romantic nature- definitely developed thanks to that movie. Oh yes, Patrick’s character Johnny Castle ruined a lot of girls forever. He was hunky, had an amazing voice both speaking and singing- (songs he has written and performs are featured in the film). He was loyal to the girl he fell for her and well, he was cool!!! He was my fav. Johnny and I still take him over Johnny Depp and any of his characters anytime.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

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How many times have you seen this movie? I don’t remember but I never get tired of it. It’s not just about the romance. It is the fantasy of the sexy holiday fling and the even sexier concept of dirty dancing. It feels great. I used it to seduce, to be seduced, to pick up the boy I like…I use it to have fun when out with friends and to have a laugh. I do it at home to exercise and have helluva lot of fun doing it…I love the music, the time it represents…

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I don’t care how subjective it is going to sound but I’m going to have to refer to Jennifer Grey as the luckiest bitch of the 80s. Yes, of course I’m jealous that she starred in two movies with Patrick. But look at Dirty Dancing. Look at her, and the theme of the movie. She is not exactly one of the prettiest stars. I am not saying she was miscast, she definitely looked the part she was playing: innocent, idealistic (even bordering on naive), romantic. She was average looking and the fact that Johnny fell for her, is like the ultimate fairy tale. But I love dancing. And she got to dance with Johnny- and I am underlining this fact because Patrick is the dancer son of a dancer mother; married to a dancer. I would love to have been in Jennifer’s shoes…

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Oh yes: all my identities are deadly jealous of Jennifer: the dreamer/ the wannabe actress/dancer/movie-maker/writer/the woman…

And then..Ghost!!! You have seen Ghost. You must have had.

GHOST (1990)

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This is the story of Sam: A guy who loves his girlfriend (Demi Moore) but isn’t so great at expressing it. One day he is murdered by his best friend and remains existing as a ghost…Sam’s journey includes the things he does to try to adapt his form, the funny adventure he has to with the nutty medium (Whoopy Goldbeg) and the obstacles to protect his girlfriend- and of course the obstacles that get in his way. It is very funny and deeply emotional. If you can’t hear,touch or see someone how can you convince someone you exist?

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He has done other good stuff too that I enjoyed. He makes a wonderful, adrenaline-junkie bad guy: Point Break. The movie is one of my favorite action flicks. Keanu Reeves is the good guy, Patrick is the bad guy. Patrick’s team robs banks wearing president masks, right after the surfing season ends. Keanu learns how to surf and pretends to be one of the guys,as a required by F.B.I.

POINT BREAK (1991)

Sure, he had critically acclaimed roles in critically acclaimed movies. But these three, and especially the first two- are owned by him.

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I met Johnny Castle first. And I am still in love with both the movie and the character of Johnny. It is the type of movie most guys hate, the type of movie that has such a sexy male character that boys you know in real life are intimidated. Man seem like kids. When you meet guys who can not dance, you think “What the…?”…

Dancer,actor, singer… Patrick Swayze will always remain as that gorgeous guy who stole your heart when you were a teen and yet still remained as one of biggest crushed. You can grow out of a lot of things, but Patrick is not one of them.

Rest in peace. We miss you already.

The Deal with Christian Slater: Christian Slater Tribute and The Deal Movie Review

Posted on September 7, 2009 Written by ripitup

Christian, growiing up nicely — Christian Slater is growing up nicely,

I’m so living in the 90s when it comes to movies. I believe that’s when most of the great movies have been made. Feel free to disagree but for me that was a time when movies were at their best, especially when it came to entertainment; whatever the genre. That was also an era when I had many actors to follow the filmographies of. Christian Slater was denifinitely one of them. His name still draws me to the movie. I know I can trust him to make a good one. I know I will have fun.

Yes, I believe him to be cute. But we are not talking about hot, hot, hot. We are talking about a sort of unique, maybe quirky but totally appealing attractiveness. He carries on anger and angst very well,just as well as he plays the bad boy/bad guy. When he does get to play romantic, we girls feel lucky. He has that innocent, boyish charm- and he can be sexy at the same time. It is a dangerous and irresistable combination. Have you seen “Untamed Heart” ?

He skillfully plays a clueless, highly sensitive and an unintentionally reclusive young guy; who is in love with his co-worker (Marisa Tomei).

Bed of Roses (1996) with Mary Stuart Masterson

Or “Bed of Roses” ? Too romantic for your taste? But, hey- Christian has the ability to make you forget about your cynical side.

He is not a big guy, but he is nicely built and he sure can carry an action film. I absolutely love the John Woo flick “Broken Arrow”. Christian versus a psychotic John Travolta… What a team. Good vs. Evil, nuclear weapons…The works.

I don’t want to forget Basil, where he is the guy of my nightmares. Murder in the First is an excellent legal thriller/drama where he plays the dedicated lawyer of the abused Kevin Bacon…The list goes on so let’s come to this century, shall we?

I still watch the movie if Christian is in it. Yesterday I saw the 2005 ‘s : “The Deal”.

thedeal2005 — The Deal starring Christian Slater and Selma Blair

A thriller about big companies, oil deals and how far people will go to get what they want. Strategies, lies and deceptions – nicely written, beautifully acted: right up my alley.

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The Deal with Slater is that he can play the lead and be in a supporting role. He is in his 3rd decade of movies. He doesn’t mind getting ugly for a role (please check out “He was a quiet man” and you will know what I mean).

He can pull off any genre. But I guess because he is a bad boy in real life (I forget how many times he got arrested), when he plays a romantic role; he is at his best. Add some action to the mix. We have a talented and good-looking actor who can kick ass.

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All I can say to Chris is : Cheers and keep up the good work…

Other Christian Slater posts:

The Forgotten starring Christian Slater

Job Security? What Job Security?

ALIAS

My Own Worst Enemy

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The Answer Man starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham

Posted on September 5, 2009 Written by ripitup

Wow, Jeff Daniels has grown up!!! I don’t mean it in a bad way. Sure he has gotten a little old, hell- he is 54 now. But do you remember the 1994 hit Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey? Yep, Jeff was the other lead. So it is funny to remember that role. He has matured and this is a lovely romantic comedy. Although it is a little different than your typical rom-com. It has characters whose paths cross in funny ways yet it has dramatic elements. Jeff Daniels’ grumpy and edgy character Arlen Faber is good for laughs.

So Arlen Faber- as the opening credits tells us- has written a book called “Me & God” 20 years ago. The book has become a hit of hits, a life-changing book for many and Arlen has millions of fans all over the world. Yet the man is a mystery. He has never given any interviews and his picture was never shown anywhere so no one even knows what he looks like. We, the viewer, however know who it is. The book has given all the answers you might wanna know about life in general. So after the credits, one might expect a serene, confident and well, nice guy. Instead, we have an unpleasant, grumpy, and weird guy living alone in a huge house with signs attached on the rooms, describing what they are. He meditates all the time and reads self-help books but it doesn’t cheer him up.

Then there is Elizabeth (Lauren Graham)- a single, over-protective mother who runs a chiropractor’s practice. And Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci), who is a recently recovered alcoholic and the owner of the bookstore that will also be another character in the movie.

One day Arlen has to go to a healing center after an awfully funny back incident and there he meets Elizabeth. After that, we find a whole different Arlen. With Elizabeth and near her son, he is nice, fun and wise. With others, of course he is usually an ass but starts to develop a strange friendship with Kris as well.

You have quirky characters with problems. And Arlen seems to have a good reason for being the “ass” that he is. …

It is a good movie. It is fun and interesting and eccentric. It could have been a little longer and I wish Arlen had a different secret behind the book. But I certainly do not agree with the viewers that think the movie is a rip off As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson. What? We can’t have a weird guy and single mother in a story anymore? C’ mon…

Watch it. Sure, there will be things you wish had been done differently. The writer/director John Hindman has pulled off a decent movie that I find honest and real. 6.6 on IMDB. A heartfelt 7 from me!

Griffin & Phoenix starring Amanda Peet & Dermot Mulroney

Posted on September 5, 2009 Written by ripitup

I hate tearjerkers if I think that the storyline has been constructed to try and make the audience cry. You know the type. It feels artificial from the beginning to the end. Of course everyone has a different sense of what feels natural. Some find the love story in Titanic tragically beautiful and I, on the other hand, find it tragically boring. But with Griffin and Phoenix, I found a great emotionally intense drama whose strength came from the powerful acting performances of Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet.

Griffin is a guy in his late 30s/early 40s (whatever- he is just too young to die), and he has a terminal illness. He refuses hospitalization and tries to make the best of his remaining days. He makes amends with his two young sons who stay with their mom and stepdad, enjoys fixing his lovely car and being idle in general. One day he attends a conference and meets a young woman named Phoenix. They hit it off, although Phoenix seem indecisive about starting something. However once they start dating, they are inseparable. Phoenix doesn’t know about his condition. One day, she finds out a lot of books on dying and she storms off, outraged. He doesn’t understand what it is all about so refuses to let her go until she says what the problem is. It turns out that Phoenix has cancer, also incurable and she- unaware that he is dying too- thought he was playing some sort of joke on her. They are both crushed to find out the other is also dying. They have already fallen in love and this brings them even closer. So they are determined to make the best of whatever is left of their lives, together…

I love this movie. Yes, I love passionate love stories about couples who just get each other and have fun together and are just there for each other when push comes to shove. This is such a story. If course it is not an original concept. The movie itself is the remake of a 70s movie. But this doesn’t change the fact that it is heart-warming, touching and beautiful: It rises your spirits, restores your faith in love and life yet it upsets you- you have to just wonder why the concept of death exists at all. I am not giving away anything about the ending. But it is just very depressing when death comes so early and at a time when things are just right. The movie is fun, despite the illnesses of the two lead characters. But if a guy comes up and says it is a chick flick, I suggest he goes and has a heart transplant.Oh, and a brain too, while he is at it.