After years of quietly percolating and first being announced back in 2020, a Dirty Dancing sequel is finally, officially headed toward the movie release calendar. Jennifer Grey is set to reprise her role as Baby, and on paper, there’s a reassuring creative team in place for a legacy sequel that needs to balance nostalgia with a genuine reason to exist. Still, as exciting as the news is, it also comes with an unavoidable ache: a Patrick Swayze-sized hole that no sequel can truly fill.

Per a press release, Lionsgate has lined up producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson (the duo behind The Hunger Games films), with Kim Rosenstock tapped to write the script, and Grey is also executive producing. As excited as I am to hear we’re heading back to Kellerman’s for “one more dance,” it’s impossible not to feel the Patrick Swayze-shaped absence hanging over the whole thing. Swayze died in 2009 at the age of 57 after a nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, but his presence is baked into the movie’s heartbeat. If this sequel can find a way to honor his legacy while giving Grey something meaningful to play beyond a greatest-hits victory lap, it could be special.

Grey has been open about how personal the role of Baby remains decades later, and why it’s taken her so long to feel comfortable revisiting the character. Rather than framing the sequel as a quick victory lap, she described it as a long-gestating idea that required the right collaborators and perspective. She told the outlet:

Jacobson echoed that sentiment, calling Dirty Dancing a rare kind of film whose emotional pull hasn’t faded with time. He added:

Still, even with that level of care and enthusiasm behind the project, there’s one unavoidable hurdle. How do you make a legacy sequel to one of the most iconic romance films ever without its leading man? Dirty Dancing was always about Baby and Johnny, and that dynamic is impossible to replace. We’ll see how the filmmakers navigate that challenge soon enough, but no matter how strong the final film turns out to be, I already know I’ll be feeling Patrick Swayze’s absence the entire time.

Dirty Dancing remains one of the best ‘80s movies and one of the greatest love stories ever committed to screen, and you can constantly rewatch it. However, they decide to move forward, I am excited that Grey is involved and that the project seems to be in very capable, reverent hands. Until then, we can always revisit the original, which is available to rent with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

James Cameron is a filmmaker who will go down in history as the writer and director of some of the greatest films of all time. He's made so many hit movies it’s almost hard to count, but he thinks the list should be even longer, as Cameron recently claimed credit for writing the surfer crime movie Point Break.

In a recent interview, Cameron claimed credit for the film, saying that he “got stiffed” by the Writers’ Guild when it came to credit on the movie. The actual credit went to screenwriter W. Peter Iliff, but speaking with EW, you won’t hear him complaining. Iliff confirms that Cameron did work on the film and says he has nothing but respect for the Avatar director. The screenwriter said…

Iliff details the story of Point Break, which he wrote based on an idea from filmmaker Rick King, with Ridley Scott originally attached to direct. The movie would then jump around studios, and lose Scott to Black Rain, before it ended up at 20th Century Fox with Kathryn Bigelow directing.

Bigelow was married to James Cameron at the time, who was on the same lot making The Abyss. Iliff is honest that Cameron and Bigelow wrote the “production draft” of the script based on his original screenplay. One moment that Cameron specifically added was apparently the famous scene of Keanu Reeves' Johnny Utah jumping out of a plane after Patrick Swayze’s Brodie without a parachute.

As far as who gets the credit, the Writers’ Guild of America determines credit by having a jury of other writers review multiple drafts of the script, in order to determine who contributed what and decide how many of the authors should receive credit for the final product. W. Peter Illiff received sole screenplay credit, with Illiff and King receiving Story credit.

I’m not sure anybody would blame Illiff for being frustrated by Cameron’s recent comments that he deserves credit for writing the film. However, that doesn’t appear to be happening. Illiff, who says he hasn’t seen James Cameron in years, doesn’t appear to be bothered by the issue. He continued…

Illiff would go on to write the Harrison Ford-led Patriot Games and Varsity Blues, both the film and the follow-up TV series. James Cameron would go on to direct three of the top five highest grossing movies ever made. It seems everything turned out fine for all involved.

There are few actors who pulled off looking cool as effortlessly as the late Patrick Swayze. Appearing in some of the best ‘80s movies (and even some great ‘90s flicks), the actor/dancer/badass played so many iconic ass-kickers that are still held up high all these years later. James Dalton, Bodhi, Johnny Castle, and countless other iconic Swayze roles were just so dang cool. But I’ve long wondered, would any of those guys wear underwear, like, willingly?

To answer the question I’m sure so many are asking (or at least wondering why I’m thinking about this), I don’t think the main characters from Road House, Point Break, Dirty Dancing, and others would find a need for underwear. Let me explain.

Johnny Castle (Dirty Dancing)

Johnny Castle spends his days and nights dancing, lives in a shack, and looks like the distant cousin of Darry Curtis from The Outsiders, so there’s no way the hearthrob from Dirty Dancing subscribes to the idea of underwear. They just don’t suit him or seem like something he’d care about (or care to wash). Plus, he’s the very definition of cool in this movie that spawned one of the most memorable music moments of the ‘80s.

James Dalton (Road House)

Another Swayze role where the main character is still the hottest man in town despite living in a shack, James Dalton in Road House is probably the late actor’s most badass role. I don’t know about you, but Dalton just doesn’t give off those “I wear underwear like a normal guy” vibes. As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone (including Terry Funk) is wearing briefs or boxers in this one.

Bodhi (Point Break)

Considering Bodhi “Bodhisattva” spends most of Point Break surfing and robbing banks, there’s no way in hell this radical dude is subscribing to the concept of underwear. You can’t take part in some of the best beach scenes or pull off an all-time great heist when you’re stressing out about whether or not you put the briefs in the wash the night before.

Truman Gates (Next Of Kin)

There’s probably a good chance you’ve either never heard of or seen Next of Kin, an underrated and overlooked 1989 action thriller starring Swayze and Liam Neeson. In this one, Swayze plays Truman Gates, a former US Army Airborne Ranger who left his roots in Appalachia to become a Chicago cop. That combo leads me to believe that Truman wouldn’t actively choose to wear underwear. Sure, he probably had a pair, but they weren’t worn willingly. This is even more true for Neeson’s Briar Gates.

Darry Curtis (The Outsiders)

Having to spend every day taking care of his troublesome younger brothers, Ponyboy and Sodapop, I don’t see Darry Curtis having time for underwear in The Outsiders. Sure, he definitely needs them in his line of work (and extracurricular activities), but greasers don’t really play by the rules of society.

Jed Eckert (Red Dawn)

One of the most patriotic American movies ever made (I mean, John Milius directed it), Red Dawn is loaded top to bottom with some real ass-kicker characters. At the top of that list is Jed Eckert, the young patriot who would led the Wolverines as they utilized guerilla warfare against Soviet-led forces. I’m not saying patriots don’t wear boxers, but there’s not much time when you’re hiding in the mountains and planning an attack to save your community (and country).

Pecos Bill (Tall Tale)

Remember the 1995 fantasy film Tall Tale? In this oft-forgotten ‘90s kids movie, Swayze plays American folk hero Pecos Bill as he and other tall tale icons help a young boy save his town. Bill, being a fictional cowboy instrumental in Western expansion and all, just doesn’t give off boxer or brief vibes. Maybe a union suit with some flaps, but I’m not so sure.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this random, rather unnecessary, and utterly ridiculous breakdown of fictional characters who may or may not wear underwear.

There are a number of what are considered the best ‘80s movies that I feel like I’ve seen a thousand times — The Blues Brothers, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Field of Dreams, to name a few — and there are, admittedly, some that simply passed me by. Then there’s Dirty Dancing. I actively avoided this romance for most of my life (for reasons I’ll get into later), however, when I saw that it was coming to the 2025 Netflix schedule, I figured now might be the time.

I may have never seen Dirty Dancing, but I don’t live under a rock, either. I was aware of the “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” quote and the iconic lift executed between Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze that is one of the most memorable music moments of the decade. Other than that, though, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I fired up my Netflix subscription to partake in Johnny and Baby’s love story.

Why I Actively Avoided Dirty Dancing For So Long

While Dirty Dancing is likely one of the ‘80s and ‘90s movies that wouldn’t be made today due to the age difference between Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze’s characters, that definitely wasn’t what kept me from the 1987 classic. (There were a lot of problematic ‘80s movies, so I try to just be happy that times have changed.)

My reason was more personal. Dirty Dancing is centered around Frances “Baby” Houseman and her family at the upscale Kellerman’s resort. Baby’s sister just so happens to share the same first and last name (though spelled differently) as my own sister.

This became an issue particularly when we were in college — I’m a year older, so we were there at the same time. Her friends would call me “Lisa’s sister” before a lightbulb would inevitably go off when they made the Dirty Dancing connection:

Please, make it stop.

I would hear, “It’s Baby!” shouted from across the Quad. People I barely knew would ask me if someone had put me in a corner. And because Dirty Dancing is one of those movies you can watch over and over, I feel like this happened in cycles anytime one of them got the urge for a rewatch.

Those days are long gone, though, and I felt like I could safely stream the movie without having an infantilizing nickname thrust upon me. So I dove in.

Baby Addresses Her Nickname Immediately In Dirty Dancing

The whole “Baby” thing was a big deal to me, obviously, since it kept me from watching one of the best dance movies ever, and I love dance movies. But it hadn’t occurred to me that the movie itself would address the 17-year-old being too old for the nickname. I was super surprised when Jennifer Grey’s character not only mentioned it, but she did so in her very first line of narration:

Sure, it’s subtle, and it really doesn’t come up again until the very end of the movie, when Johnny Castle introduces Baby as his dance partner for the last dance of the season, but I appreciated it either way. It was so meaningful in Johnny’s speech, too, as he said:

OK, is it bad that I’m unbothered by their relationship? Let’s not dwell too long on that question, and I’ll move on to something else that stuck out to me about Dirty Dancing.

I Was Underwhelmed By The ‘Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner’ Moment

I think this is a case where the quote has become bigger than the movie moment, because for as often as I’ve heard, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” I was expecting it to be a bigger deal. I don’t think Baby’s parents were trying to keep her in a corner (though she conveniently happened to be in a corner when Johnny said it).

I understand the sentiment that Baby should be allowed to live her truth and not make herself small, but I didn’t even feel like the dancing was the problem to Baby’s parents — they just didn’t want their underage daughter spending the night with the 25-year-old who “entertained” all the wives at this rich adult version of summer camp. (But THEY used HIM!) Are we really villainizing ole Jake and Marge for that?

I expected to see way more stifling of Baby’s dreams, and if I'm honest, more actual corners.

Some quotes I’d like to retroactively nominate for Dirty Dancing’s most well-known line:

• I’m doing all this to save your ass. What I really wanna do is drop you on it.
• This Danish is pure protein.
• God wouldn’t have given you maracas if he didn’t want you to shake ’em.
• I carried a watermelon.

I don’t even understand the Danish one, but it sure made me laugh. This movie’s full of good quotes, but I’d only ever heard the most famous one.

The Actual Dirty Dancing And Soundtrack Are Magical

I may have been unimpressed with the movie’s signature line, but I had the exact opposite reaction to the musical elements of Dirty Dancing. I sang along to all of those ‘60s bops, starting in the opening credits with The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” to Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” all the way to the moment I’d been waiting for in “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

Despite having seen clips and recreations of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey’s dance over the years, it was so satisfying to watch it in context, and I couldn’t believe when I read that the actress had refused to do the iconic lift until the day it was filmed. It certainly didn’t look like their first day doing that.

I also loved the after-hours dirty dance party that Baby infiltrated with her watermelon. If your movie is called Dirty Dancing, you better provide, and director Emile Ardolino and choreographer Kenny Ortega definitely did, gifting us with lots of hip-grinding and impossibly flexible dancers.

I’m Glad I Finally Allowed Dirty Dancing Into My Life

All in all, I actually loved Dirty Dancing. From the story to the romance to the dancing and the music, it really did exceed my expectations, and I can see why it is listed in so many “Best” lists when it comes to ‘80s movies and dance films.

I can’t say I regret waiting this long to watch it, though, because maybe one of the things I loved most about my experience is that I don’t have to worry about anyone calling me Baby. Dirty Dancing is available to stream now on Netflix.

Some stories mellow with time; others get the ending they deserve. As the cult classic To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar hits its 30th anniversary, John Leguizamo is looking back at the long-discussed tension with his co-star, Patrick Swayze, and how they finally settled it before Swayze’s passing in 2009. With that, Leguizamo discussed the specific logistics that were involved in making the reconciliation happen.

John Leguizamo explained that he and Patrick Swayze weren’t able to reconnect face-to-face in order to make amends. However, as the veteran actor wen ton to tell PEOPLE, they found a way to close the loop, thanks to a bit of help:

The friction between the two Wong Foo stars wasn’t exactly secret. By the Moulin Rouge! veteran’s own telling, his improv-heavy approach clashed with Swayze’s stick-to-the-page style back in 1995, a mismatch that sometimes bled from the work into real life. Leguizamo has since admitted he can carry a grudge and even jokes:

Perspective is a powerful thing and, now, after 30 years, John Leguizamo feels comfortable admitting that maturity isn’t his strongest quality. What stands out today is the grace found in the epilogue. Instead of a flashy reunion photo, we witness a very Hollywood-style reconciliation.

This softens the narrative surrounding a film that has only grown in prestige over the years, as it was one of the earliest mainstream movies to celebrate drag culture and the LGBTQ+ community. Patrick Swayze’s Vida Boheme, Leguizamo’s Chi-Chi Rodriguez, and Wesley Snipes’ Noxeema Jackson transformed what could have been a typical road comedy into a heartfelt and culturally impactful story, making it a film that continues to be rediscovered by new audiences every few years.

The Mario Bros. veteran actor hasn’t kept his affection for his Wong Foo family quiet. He says he’s still in touch with Blythe Danner (“one of the greats,” in his words) and remains close with Snipes, as it’s one of his best performances, praising his co-star for both talent and character. He now speaks about those relationships with nostalgia and gratitude, which makes for a nice bookend to the less flattering old headlines.

If you’re feeling the pull to revisit the movie, and why wouldn’t you, because it's one of the best movies of the '90s, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is currently available to purchase or rent with a Prime Video subscription.

As for John Leguizamo's professional life, his latest project, the crime drama Smoke, landed on the 2025 TV schedule earlier this year, and all episodes are available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Hollywood is full of countless stories of actors who almost played iconic roles. Will Smith has played a lot of major parts in big tentpole franchises, but he has turned down just as many if not more roles that could have potentially made him an even bigger star than he already is. However, not every story you hear about a famous actor turning down a role is true, and Kevin Bacon is putting one such story to rest.

The story, as it has gone for many years, is that while the late Patrick Swayze was the first choice for the lead in one of the best '90s movies, Ghost, by the movie’s writer and producer, Bruce Joel Rubin, others were less sure that the Dirty Dancing actor was the right choice. As a result, several other actors were considered and even offered the role of Sam Wheat in Ghost. Kevin Bacon is one of those who reportedly turned down the role, but the Footloose star recently told Business Insider that’s not what happened. Bacon said…

In Patrick Swayze’s autobiography, he mentions that Ghost director Jerry Zucker wasn’t so sure about him. He lists Bacon among a list of actors, which include Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin, who were “under consideration” for the part. Tom Cruise was also reportedly considered. Swayze doesn’t claim any of them were offered the role. It’s possible that over the years details have gotten confused. Bacon may have been considered as a possible star, but without ever being offered the part.

For his part, Kevin Bacon indicates that had he been offered Ghost, he almost certainly would have taken it. We can probably take him at his word. Nobody would necessarily fault him for not taking the part had it been offered, lots of stars have been in the situation of saying no to big movies. Bacon is far from the only one who is reported to have turned down the role, and if even only some of those names are accurate, several major stars did turn down Ghost.

It’s a good thing for the rest of us that he did. Even Kevin Bacon recognizes now that had Patrick Swayze not starred in Ghost, the film might never have become the massive hit that it was. Ghost was the number two movie at the domestic box office in 1990, and the film ended up winning Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar. Bacon would go on to star in the cult classic Tremors the same year Ghost was released.

The movie is so iconic that it was in line to get a remake with Channing Tatum announced last year. While we haven't heard much about the project since then, considering how popular the first film was, finding a cast the second time around probably won't be much of a problem.

The 2024 movie schedule’s version of Road House is still rocking months after its release, and fans are getting a kick out of this action-packed remake of the Patrick Swayze classic with their Amazon Prime subscriptions. There have also been a lot of comparisons between the two films, as viewers work to spot moments that pay homage to the ‘80s flick. Now, one of the 2024 movie’s stars, Lukas Gage, has revealed the moment from the OG that he wished was in the project, and I agree with him.

There are tons of differences between the two versions of Road House, and as Gage told JoBlo they wanted this movie to be more of a reimaging than a remake. However, there was still one scene from the OG flick the actor who plays Billy the bar security boy wanted in the Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor-led movie, as he told the outlet:

In the original Road House, there’s a fight that features Patrick Swayze’s James Dalton in a brawl where he rips his hand across his adversary Jimmy’s throat before kicking him into the water. It’s an epic moment, and as Gage pointed out, it would have been fun to recreate that in their movie. 

However, there was one scene that was kind of close to it, as Gage and his co-star Daniela Melchior, who plays Ellie, went back and forth saying:

• Daniela Melchoir: We have the throat punch!
• Lukas Gage: We have the throat punch, but yeah.

There was indeed a throat punch, and it was epic. In the movie, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dalton asks Billy to take care of a violent patron in the bar, and Gage throws a punch that hits the guy right in his throat. 

However, while there was that little instance and he would have loved to see the exact moment from the OG in this new movie, both actors made clear points that they didn’t want to compare the two projects while they were making it. 

This effort worked in their favor, because there are a lot of reasons why this year’s Road House is better than the original, and there are tons of new details in Doug Liman’s remake that are worth noting. Plus, Road House did crazy numbers on Amazon, proving that there was (and still is) major interest in the movie and the story of Jake Gyllenhaal's Dalton. 

Now, Road House is getting a sequel, which means they have more opportunities to tell the tales of Dalton and co. while paying homage to the world Patrick Swayze led in the ‘80s. Also, this upcoming movie gives the crew a chance to act on Gage’s request and get a good “throat-grabbing bit” into the project. I’m sure both the actor and fans of the OG would appreciate it. 

Patrick Swayze wasn’t an actor that was going to be nominated for a bunch of big awards but he was in some absolutely great films. Several of the best '80s movies and best '90s movies include Swayze, from The Outsiders, to Dirty Dancing, to Point Break to Ghost he was in a lot of movies that people love and love to rewatch. Even Swayze’s widow will sometimes rewatch his films, and she has her favorite moments just like the rest of us.

Lisa Niemi Swayze recently spoke to People where she admitted that she’ll sometimes watch her late husband's films. She’ll catch them on TV now and then and end up watching them. And it turns out she sometimes gains a new appreciation for the films. She said that she rewatched Road House some time ago and was actually surprised at how much she enjoyed it. She explained…

Road House is pretty campy, it’s hard to argue that, but the movie struck a chord with many fans as it’s one of Patrick Swayze’s best movies in the eyes of many. Swayze passed away in 2009, but movies have lived on. It’s certainly popular enough that it generated a recent remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, a movie that was so popular in its own right that a Road House sequel was just given the green light.

While Patrick Swayze’s widow may have developed a newfound love for Road House, her favorite line in the movie is actually spoken by Sam Elliott, when he tells Swayze’s character how “fucked up” he is. For Lisa Niemi Swayze, it seems the line is emblematic of why Road House works so well and people love it so much. She continued…

Technically, Lisa Niemi Swayze is misquoting the line slightly, though she says she saw the movie years ago, so that’s not a shock. Elliott actually says “Well Amigo, you’re all fucked up, aren't ya?” The sentiment in the line is what matters, and it is delivered quite well. Check out the full scene below.

While the new Road House reviews were solid and it was certainly popular, and in some ways was better than the original, it will be some time before we really know if it will be as meaningful as the original. There is some real love for that film, including from Patrick Swayze’s widow, who appreciates the film and what it is.

Patrick Swayze has an ironclad legacy. After the actor's tragic passing in 2009, he’s been remembered not only for his incredible work in some of the best '80s movies, like Road House and Dirty Dancing, but he has also been well regarded as a collaborator and strong, steady presence on a film set. However, not all of Swayze’s co-stars meshed perfectly with the Point Break actor. A recent interview with John Leguizamo had the actor confessing he had a complicated dynamic with Swayze, and his comments didn’t go over well with the late actor's admirers. Now, Swayze's brother is speaking out. 

What John Leguizamo Said About Patrick Swayze

In an interview with Andy Cohen on Radio Andy, Leguizamo talked about his diverse career, as well as the big names he’s gotten to work with over the years. When the topic of Patrick Swayze came up, Leguizamo got candid about clashing with the star on set. He used some unflattering language, suggesting that their conflict had more to do with Swayze’s need for control than Leguizamo’s unpredictable acting style. The Power actor said this about working with his co-star on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar: 

Clearly, there was a difference in work styles on set, and that led to maybe a less-than-ideal working environment. 

The movie in question has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years, with it being an early mainstream film to celebrate drag culture and the LGBTQ+ community. 

While we don't know what specifically caused this tension, Leguizamo’s comments were rare, and definitely different from most flattering anecdotes about Swayze.

Patrick Swayze's Brother Responds

While Leguizamo did preface his comments with respect, saying that he loved Swayze, this still wasn’t received so warmly. Sean Swayze, the Ghost actor’s brother who also works in the entertainment industry, revealed to TMZ that he did remember having conversations with his late brother about Leguizamo. 

Sean was able to confirm that the actors did indeed clash on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. However, he did protest his brother being labeled as difficult, as Sean had never heard of an ill word spoken about Patrick Swayze on that set or any other. 

Sean Swayze also recalled meeting Leguizamo later on at a party for the film What Dreams May Come, and claimed that his own personal experience with the Romeo + Juliet actor was also not pleasant. This heavily suggests that Sean believes that Leguizamo was the instigator in disagreements between the To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar co-stars. 

While details of Sean Swayze and John Legiuzamo’s unsavory interaction were not reported on, it doesn’t seem like this beef will be dissipated anytime soon. 

Even though there was some conflict behind the scenes on To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, the film remains a favorite of many. You can check out Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo putting their differences aside for the film now by streaming it now for free on Tubi. It features one of Wesley Snipes' best performances, so check it out while you can. Cinephiles should also check out our feature on other great movies that are streaming now for free online. 

In taking on the role of Elwood Dalton in the Road House remake, Jake Gyllenhaal follows in the footsteps of one of the most beloved actors who ever lived – Patrick Swayze. The late Swayze – who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 – notably played the iconic role of James Dalton in the 1989 OG flick. While the two lead characters have their differences, their key similarity is that the two bouncers are both capable fighters. So that begs the question of who would actually win in a fight. Well, Gyllenhaal weighed in on that subject, and his funny response actually makes sense. 

This is a fair discussion to have and, on the surface, it would seem hard to narrow down a clear victor. I mean, James certainly knows how to handle himself whenever he’s in a scrap. This 2024 remake, though, shows that Elwood is just as (if not more) formidable due to being a UFC veteran. The question of a brawl between the two was floated to Jake Gyllenhaal while he was speaking with Collider. The star began his argument by humorously quoting a crucial line from the 1989 movie, before making his point: 

I have to say, this is a reasonable response. First off, it’s comically perfect that the actor would quote the OG flick when sharing his argument. As he goes on to say though, the era in which the supposed bout would take place could mean a lot. Technology, as far as when it comes to fight training, has evolved considerably, and Elwood is likely the beneficiary of that. So, if he were to cross paths with James today, he’d likely have the upper hand. However, without all of that in the heart of the ‘80s, I’d probably put my money on Elwood’s counterpart to win. With that being said, the Nightcrawler alum add the following thought: 

That’s a solid piece of wisdom to live by but, when it comes to movies, there are definitely instances in which there’s a winner. The actor no doubt knows that but is probably just being cheeky. Either way, I do appreciate that he’d seemingly prefer the characters have a kumbaya moment as opposed to coming to blows. 

The new movie, which is available to Prime Video subscribers, sees a ripped Jake Gyllenhaal play an ex-MMA fighter, who becomes a bouncer at a rough roadhouse in the Florida Keys. While there, he ends up helping to keep the establishment out of the clutches of a greedy businessman and the gang of bikers in his employ. Critics have been somewhat mixed on Road House, though the general consensus seems to be that Conor McGregor steals the film. Many argue that Gyllenhaal deserves more credit for his performance as well.

All in all, the funny and bone-crunching flick differs from its predecessor in a number of ways, and that’s arguably what makes it fresh. There’s also a lot of pleasure in seeing Jake Gyllenhaal’s Elwood beat thugs with ease. Of course, we’ll never get to see the character go toe-to-toe with Patrick Swayze’s Dalton. But, in all honesty, that’s probably a fight best left to the imagination. 

Anyone who’s yet to see Road House for themselves can stream the 2024 movie schedule release on Prime Video now. That same membership will also allow you to check out the 1989 classic as well.

There was a time when music videos were as important as the radio in promoting the hottest artists and songs of the day. Back in the '80s and '90s, MTV was one of the most powerful cultural forces in the country, and that was reflected in how many stars you can spot in videos from the day. 

Sometimes, they were already huge stars, like Robin Williams and Chevy Chase, other times, they were actors looking to get their break and now, years later, we can marvel at their humble beginnings. This is a list of famous people in videos from the zenith of MTV highlights both.

Alicia Silverstone - "Cryin'"

Alicia Silverstone first got famous for starring in videos, specifically Aerosmith videos. The Clueless star appeared in three videos for the Boston rockers, the first for the song "Cryin'", then later showing up in the videos for "Amazing," alongside Dazed & Confused cast member Jason London. Silverstone's final appearance, and maybe the most famous video, was for the song "Crazy," alongside Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. 

Courteney Cox - "Dancing In The Dark"

One of the most famous examples of a star getting her first break in a music video is, of course, Friends star Courteney Cox in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The video, which came out in 1984, was directed by Brian De Palma and, according to Cox, she was one of several women Springsteen could have picked out of the audience, and it was random that he chose her. What kismit! 

Cindy Crawford - "Freedom '90"

Director David Fincher, who has had quite an amazing career in film, started in music videos. One of those videos, George Michaels' "Freedom '90," was challenging because Michaels told Fincher he wasn't going to appear in the video. Fincher decided to cast a bevy of famous supermodels to lip-sync the song, including Cindy Crawford in a bathtub. 

Eva Mendes - "Miami"

In 1998, a young actress from Miami was cast in a video for the Will Smith song, "Miami." Eva Mendes had starred in one direct-to-video movie at that point and was that actress. It would be another three years before her breakout role in Training Day. It's a brief moment in the video, as she drove her convertible next to Smith's on the causeway to Miami Beach.

In 1993, Janet Jackson was on top of the world. Her fifth album, janet. was another huge hit, selling millions of copies, partly on the strength of the single, "That's the Way Love Goes." Little did anyone know at the time that one of the extras in the video would go on to a career that eclipsed even Jackson's, a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez. 

Matt LeBlanc - "Miracle"

Bon Jovi's "Miracle" is, let's be frank, not the New Jersey legends' best work. One thing they did get right was the casting for the video. Matt LeBlanc was a young actor and model just starting out on a career, so while his job is really only to look good in this video, he certainly does. It would be a few more years before America was introduced to his comedic chops too. 

Hugh Laurie - "Walking On Broken Glass"

By the time Hugh Laurie appeared in the video for Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992, he was already very famous in the UK. It would be a few more years until the legendary TV show House would debut in the US, making Laurie a household name on both sides of the pond. John Malkovich also stars in the video, reminding fans of his role in Dangerous Liaisons. 

Angelina Jolie - "Wondering"

Angelina Jolie was a model in Hollywood from her teen years on, so it's no wonder she would have a few videos of her resume, including The Rolling Stones' video for "Has Anybody Seen My Baby," but it is surprising to see her in a video for the Athens, GA-based jam band Widespread Panic's song "Wondering" from 1993. Jolie also appears on the cover of the band's album Everyday, which includes "Wondering."

Zooey Deschanel - "She's Got Issues"

Zooey Deschanel is as successful in music, with her duo She & Him as she is on the big screen, so of course she has an early credit in a music video. Deschanel appears with fiery red hair in the video for "She's Got Issues" by The Offspring. 

Naomi Campbell - "Is This Love"

Bob Marley died over four decades ago, but his legacy is as big as ever, with the release of the biopic One Love in 2024. Back in the day, the reggae superstar filmed a video in London for his song "Is This Love" featuring a couple of local kids, including a 7-year-old Naomi Campbell!  

Macaulay Culkin - "Black Or White"

Michael Jackson redefined what a music video could be with "Thriller" and after that, he often released short films that were much more than just a song, and often they had big stars in them. For "Black or White" in 1991, MJ brought in Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt to play father and son, for example. 

Christina Hendricks - "One Hit Wonder"

Long before Christina Hendricks hit the big time with her role in Mad Men, she was a model and struggling actor in the '90s. One of her earliest roles, way back in 1998, was in the video for "One Hit Wonder" by Everclear. Luckily for all of us, that wasn't her only hit. 

Matthew McConaughey - "Walkaway Joe"

Alright, alright, alright, we'll concede that Dazed and Confused is what made Matthew McConaughey famous, but before that, he appeared in Trisha Yearwood's video for her hit "Walkaway Joe," playing the titular character of the song. 

Wesley Snipes - "Bad"

For the second single, "Bad" from his album of the same name, Micheal Jackson teamed up with Martin Scorsese to make an 18-minute short film for the video. In the video, Jackson famously has a dance-off with his rivals in a New York subway station. One of the baddies is none other than Wesley Snipes, who only had a few credits under his belt previously. 

Patrick Swayze - "Rosanna"

Toto's song "Rosanna" is famously about Rosanna Arquette. Less well-known is that if you watch the video closely, you'll notice a familiar face as one of the West Side Story-like dancers. Patrick Swayze, one year before his big break in The Outsiders is one of the dancers. In an even cooler bit of trivia, another one of the uncredited dancers in the video is Cynthia Rhodes, who would co-star as Swayze's first dance partner, Penny, in Dirty Dancing. 

Elijah Wood - "Forever Your Girl"

Elijah Wood has been working in Hollywood forever. He started as a child actor in films like Back to the Future II and The Good Sun, but before those even, he had a part in Paula Abdul's video for "Forever Your Girl" in 1989. 

Chevy Chase - "You Can Call Me Al"

Chevy Chase was one of the biggest stars on the planet in 1986 when he starred in the video for "You Can Call Me Al" with his buddy Paul Simon. It is, no lie, one of Chase's best performances, and it's impossible not to crack up at his facial expressions and physical comedy in the video. 

Johnny Depp - "Into The Great Wide Open"

Johnny Depp has always wanted to be a rock star, so it was a great move by Tom Petty to get him to play the part of one in the video for "Into The Great Wide Open" in 1991. The video also stars the legendary Faye Dunaway and Gabrielle Anwar. 

Jennifer Connelly - "I Drove All Night"

The late, great Roy Orbison found almost as much fame after he died as he found in life. Two albums of all-new songs were released posthumously and one song, "I Drove All Night," released in 1992, featured Jennifer Connelly alongside Jason Priestly, in the video, along with Orbison in grainy images of an old TV appearance. 

Kirsten Dunst - "I Knew I Loved You"

Does anybody remember the band Savage Garden? The Aussie duo had a string of huge hits in the late '90s, including the song "I Knew I Loved You" which features Kirsten Dunst as a woman on a subway with whom the lead singer, Darren Hayes, is in love. 

Robin Williams - "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Bobby McFerrin's 1988 song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has to be one of the most surprising #1 hits of all time. The song was huge when it came out, and went on to win three Grammys. Someone must have had an inkling though, because superstar Robin Williams co-stars in the video with McFerrin. 

Kim Basinger - "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

Tom Petty made some legendary videos during his career, but the strangest has to be the one for "Last Dance With Mary Jane" which features Kim Basinger playing a corpse, dressed up as a bride. Great song, but a very weird video.

Keanu Reeves - "Rush, Rush"

1991 was a big year for Keanu Reeves. Not only did he star in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Point Break, but he also appeared as a James Dean-like character in the video for "Rush, Rush" by Paula Abdul. 

Eddie Murphy - "Do You Remember The Time"

In case you've forgotten just how huge Michael Jackson was in the early '90s, remember there was a time he could premiere a video on MTV, BET, and Fox all at the same time. The video starred Jackson, of course, along with Eddie Murphy and Iman as ancient Egyptian royalty. Magic Johnson also appeared. 

Katie Holmes - "Tongue Tied"

Katie Holmes' career was just starting to take off in 1999 with her starring turn on Dawson's Creek. She also found some time to appear in the video for the song "Tongue Tied" by pop punk band Eve 6. It's not the last time Holmes has appeared in a video, either. A year later, in 2000, she starred with Micheal Douglas and others in a Bob Dylan video. 

Winona Ryder - "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"

By far the award for the strangest appearance on this list goes to Winona Ryder in the video for Mojo Nixon's song "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child." Leave it to the late Nixon for coming up with the most ridiculous premise for a song, then landing a star like Ryder to star in the video in 1989, the same year she appeared in Heathers. 

RuPaul - "Love Shack"

If one were to guess which 1980s video to expect a RuPaul appearance, the smart money would be a B-52's video. That's exactly what happened in 1989 when RuPaul popped up very briefly in the video for "Love Shack" as a dancer and partygoer. He wasn't close to famous yet, but he was good friends with the band and he fits right into the campiness of the video. 

Benicio del Toro - "La Isla Bonita"

Benicio del Toro made his big screen debut in 1988 in Pee Wee's Big Top, but a year earlier, he was one of the extras in the video for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita." He is way in the background and can only be clearly seen in one shot, but when you watch the video, it's unmistakenly del Toro. 

Liv Tyler - "Crazy"

According to Liv Tyler, she didn't meet her biological father, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, until she was eight, and didn't know he was her father for another few years. Still, by the time she starred in the video for "Crazy," they had developed a healthy relationship, and the video, in which she co-stars with Alicia Silverstone, launched her career.

Captain Lou Albano - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"

Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest breakout stars of early MTV and for good reason. The low-budget video for her debut single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" featured a quirky cast that included her mother (playing her mother), her lawyer, and wrestling star "Captain" Lou Albano as her father. It's a video as fun as the song and it was played on repeat in those early MTV days. 

John Goodman - "Wild Wild Life"

The song "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads was part of their soundtrack for the David Byrne-directed film True Stories. For the video, he recruited some of the people who appear in the film, including John Goodman, who lip-syncs along with the song in a karaoke bar. 

LeVar Burton - "Word Up"

LeVar Burton first found fame as Kunta Kinte in Roots, one of the most memorable performances by any actor, ever. About a decade later, between Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton popped up in the video for "Word Up" by Cameo, playing a police officer trying to arrest the band. 

One video we left off this list because it's just too big a list on its own is the video for Ghostbusters which, in addition to the stars of the film also includes Chevy Chase, Danny Devito, Peter Falk, Al Franken, John Candy, and more. It's all too much to add to his list of some of the coolest appearances of stars in music videos! 

Her new action-comedy-romance The Fall Guy may be winning over moviegoers' hearts after its premiere last week at SXSW, but star Hannah Waddingham seemingly only has eyes for one man: Patrick Swayze.

The Ted Lasso actress joined Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt—fresh off their hilarious Oscars "feud"—as well as fellow The Fall Guy cast members Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke to debut the stunt-heavy film at Austin’s Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, March 12. Adapted from the 1980s TV series of the same name, the movie follows a stunt performer who steps up to find a missing actor from his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut to save the whole production. 

But while they were promoting that great movie, Waddingham and the rest of the actors talked to Letterboxd about other film titles that they personally love. While Hannah touted the greatness of classics like 1999's The Green Mile and 1985's Back to the Future (also a favorite of her co-star Ryan), her sheer passion for one film in particular stood out:

Waddingham, of course, is talking about the iconic 1987 romantic drama Dirty Dancing, which followed a young woman, Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey), who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) while vacationing in the Catskills for the summer with her family. 

One of the best '80s movies of all time, Dirty Dancing is an enduring favorite thanks to the sizzling chemistry between Swayze and Grey, who both earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances, as well as the movie's memorable dance numbers, including that iconic lift. And it cemented Patrick's place in the pantheon of cinema's all-time greatest heartthrobs—the actor would go on to make viewers swoon even more in the 1990 romance-thriller Ghost and was named People's "Sexiest Man Alive" a year later. 

Tragically, the world lost Patrick Swayze to pancreatic cancer at age 57 back in 2009 but it's clear that love and admiration for the actor deservedly continues all these years later, especially in the Waddingham household. You can make like Hannah W. and have yourself some alone time with Swayze's eternally hot Johnny Castle by streaming Dirty Dancing with a Hulu subscription. And if they ever do make that long-rumored Dirty Dancing sequel, maybe famous superfan Hannah Waddingham can join Jennifer Grey for some dance lessons at Kellerman's—after all, the multi-talented actress knows her way around a song-and-dance number.

If you want to see Hannah Waddingham, Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and the rest of that star-studded cast get up to some action fun (and, apparently, break some Guiness World Records) in the upcoming 2024 movie The Fall Guy, the comedy hits theaters on Friday, May 3rd on the 2024 movie release schedule.

The Road House remake has been making many headlines in recent weeks due to a lot going on behind the scenes, making it one of the more talked about films on the  2024 release schedule. Things have gotten so crazy that the movie itself has been largely overshadowed. But as we approach the film’s World Premiere (prior to it becoming available with an Amazon Prime subscription), Jake Gyllenhaal is thinking a lot about the original film's star, hoping he would have liked the movie they made.

Patrick Swayze starred in the original Road House back in 1989, the movie would go on to become a cult classic. He would then co-star with Jake Gyllenhaal in another cult classic, Donnie Darko, in 2001. Darko was one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s early starring roles, and in a post on Instagram, he says Swayze was very supportive of him when he was starting, which he has always appreciated. Gyllenhaal wrote…. 

The Road House remake details reveal some key changes to the story, Gyllenhaal's character is a former MMA fighter before he becomes a bouncer. The location of the bar he works in has been moved from Missouri to Florida. The core story about a bouncer who runs afoul of the local criminal enterprise does seem to be intact.

Road House will see its world premiere at the SXSW Festival this week, the only theatrical exhibition the film will see. A great deal has been made of the release plans of the movie. Director Doug Liman will not be in attendance at the premiere, as he has published an open letter explaining that he is protesting Amazon’s decision not to give the new Road House a theatrical release, a move that has led to its own controversy as some have suggested Liman is being disrespectful by airing these issues publicly. Amazon is also being sued over the film by the writer of the original. 

One certainly hopes the new Road House will live up to the original. One can imagine that if Patrick Swayze were still with us he would have had a small role, or at least a cameo, in the remake. If the fans who loved the original appreciate the remake, there’s a good chance Swayze himself would. We’ll find out how those fans feel when the Road House release date arrives on March 21.  

It’s rare for a TV show to celebrate its 20th anniversary and still be on the air, but NCIS is one of those lucky few. Two decades ago, just a few months after being established in a two-part backdoor pilot on JAG, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team started leading their own stories on CBS. But before Harmon was selected for the role, it turns out Harrison Ford and some other A-listers were tossed out as options for bringing the special agent to life.

This was revealed in an oral history published by THR commemorating NCIS’ 20th anniversary, with Charles Floyd Johnson, executive producer on JAG and NCIS, recalling the process of how Gibbs was cast. After Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment president, commended the JAG writers for writing “real people,” Johnson said:

You have to remember that the TV landscape looked a lot different in the early 2000s compared to now, in that it was rare for a thriving movie star to agree to star in a TV show. At this point in time, along with retaining his well-deserved popularity as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford was also appearing in movies like What Lies Beneath and K-19: The Widowmaker. Peter Golden, the former head of CBS casting, acknowledged this in the article, noting how even if the chances weren’t good for looping in someone of Ford’s caliber, that didn’t stop the people behind a show like JAG from putting him on “the list.”

But it didn’t just end with the man who’s now playing Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Susan Bluestein, the NCIS casting director, didn’t recall Harrison Ford being thrown into consideration, she did remember plenty of other noteworthy names, saying:

All these men would have been major scores for NCIS, and to be fair, some of these actors did go on to lead/play important roles in TV shows, including Baldwin in 30 Rock, Bacon in The Following and City on a Hill, and Swayze in The Beast right before he died. Charles Floyd Johnson also mentioned that Silence of the Lambs and Daredevil’s Scott Glenn was considered “very strongly” for Gibbs, and Susan Bluestein added that he was being considered for Donald “Ducky” Mallard too. Ultimately Glenn, as well as  passed on participating in JAG and NCIS, and while Andrew McCarthy of St. Elmo’s Fire fame also talked with co-creator Donald Bellisario about playing Gibbs, nothing ever came of that.

As far as Mark Harmon goes, he was already a well-established TV presence from shows like St. Elsewhere, Reasonable Doubts and Chicago Hope, so leading a procedural was well within his wheelhouse. Bluestein also had history with Harmon, having cast him to play John Dillinger in a TV movie about the outlaw, and Golden recalled, once the actor met with Bellisario, they “hit it off.” Harmon would go on to play Gibbs for 19 seasons of NCIS, exiting in the episode “Great Wide Open,” and he also made four guest appearances in the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans.

It remains to be seen if Mark Harmon will ever reprise Leroy Jethro Gibbs, especially considering that as of this past July, there’s allegedly some behind-the-scenes drama around his potential NCIS return. Still, if you’d like to view any of the hundreds of episodes he did appear in, those can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. NCIS itself has been renewed for Season 21, and while we wait for concrete details about what it holds in store, look through our 2023 TV schedule to see what’s currently airing or will be soon.

Keanu Reeves has played a number of iconic roles in his career, but before he was John Wick or Neo he was Johnny Utah. While maybe not his greatest movie, Point Break is something of a cult classic that has a lot of fans. Reeves appeared alongside the late Patrick Swayze in that one, and during a recent AMA Reeves called out Swayze saying that working with him was the highlight of the film.

A fan on Reddit recently asked Keanu Reeves what his favorite part of making Point Break was. Rather than pointing out a particularly memorable scene or revealing a hilarious outtake, Reeves said that what he remembers most about the film was working with Swayze and the example that he apparently set. The actor stated… 

In 1991 when Point Break was released, Patrick Swayze was the undeniable star of the film. While Keanu Reeves certainly wasn’t new to the industry by any means, he was years away from the massive popularity he would eventually achieve. Swayze was at the height of his popularity, having just come off Ghost with Demi Moore prior to the release of Point Break.

When Keanu Reeves calls Patrick Swayze an inspiration, he may not be speaking simply in a generally positive sense. There are a lot of people who probably use the words “gentleman,” “pro,” and “movie star” to describe Keanu Reeves today, he seems to be one of the more generally well-regarded actors in Hollywood today, not simply a good actor but a pretty good guy as well. It’s possible that Reeves learned a thing or two from Swayze during this production. 

Patrick Swayze passed away in 2009 from pancreatic cancer. His death was certainly a shock to a lot of fans and friends. At 57 years of age Swayze certainly had potentially decades more of work in front of him and plenty of fans who wanted to see that. While we’ll never see Patrick Swayze again, we are seeing an example of just how much of an impact his work had on Hollywood. Jake Gyllenhaal is currently at work on a remake of Road House and a sequel to Dirty Dancing is also in development. There has also been talk of a remake of Ghost in recent days.

Whether either of these films will make reference to Swayze or his characters remains to be seen, though that seems all but assured for the Dirty Dancing sequel, part of what will draw fans to these new movies is the memory of what came before. It sounds like Keanu Reeves himself will probably be checking them out. He was as big a fan of Patrick Swayze as anybody. 

It must be unbelievable for Jennifer Grey and fans of Dirty Dancing to realize it's been 35 years since this romance drama introduced audiences to a very sexy form of movement. It’s also a tragic thought to think about how the male lead in the movie, Patrick Swayze, passed away at 57 from pancreatic cancer. As the 62-year-old actress took a trip down memory lane by watching herself with Swayze in Dirty Dancing, she recalled how it feels watching the two of them together.

Time may have passed, but the memories Jennifer Grey has of playing Baby in Dirty Dancing appear to still touch her heart. While appearing on a morning show, Grey told People what it was like rewatching an old clip of herself with the late Patrick Swayze.

It’s astonishing to see Jennifer Grey watch Patrick Swayze with such delight now considering they didn’t take well to each other during filming. But that was over three decades ago, so it looks like she prefers to celebrate and honor the man he was. Patrick Swayze was a talented actor who not only could make fans and kids bust out to those Dirty Dance moves, but could also bring you to tears in roles like in The Outsiders and Ghost. Swayze also showed off his machismo in action movies like Road House and Point Break. People of this generation, unfortunately, missed out on a true on-screen presence. By looking back at his classic movies, we are honoring his memory well. 

If you’re looking for a new dance movie for this generation, you’ll be happy to know it’s been confirmed Dirty Dancing 2 is a go. The “very tricky” challenge to this sequel will be replacing the giant hole that Patrick Swayze filled in the classic ‘80s movie. Jennifer Grey has said that there will only be one Patrick Swayze and one Johnny Castle. Despite the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star reprising her iconic role, she's stated this will be a standalone movie of its own. The question on my mind is whether or not Grey will attempt to do her famous lift again and maybe not wait until the first day of filming to try it again. We're ready to see any of the moves she has. 

Patrick Swayze not being in the sequel may be a big difference between the two movies, but there will still be some things that remain the same. New details about the Dirty Dancing sequel reveal we’ll see the return of the Kellerman’s resort, as well as some familiar characters from the original movie. What I want to know is, who will be the lucky man dancing with this Golden Globe-nominated actress? Whoever they cast as the male lead for this next movie would have to be someone who can bring out that same romantic, rhythmic chemistry that Swayze brought out in the first movie.

Decades later and Jennifer Grey is still reliving her Dirty Dancing days by taking part in the new sequel and rewatching the classic dance film. Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’re up to speed on what movies are worth watching this year.

Channing Tatum’s recent efforts in Hollywood have been about giving his fans more of what they’d expect from his line of charming and handsome entertainment. The 2023 new movie releases already have at least one film that fits this particular bill thanks to next month’s debut of Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Well, loyal fans of Tatum had better prepare themselves, as the actor’s announced he’s remaking Ghost, and they’re probably as sold on the prospect as I am. 

During an entertaining and pottery-enhanced interview with Vanity Fair, Tatum randomly let slip that his production company Free Association actually has the rights to the 1990 Patrick Swazye/Demi Moore love story. He didn’t include many other details, but here’s how Channing Tatum teased his version of Ghost: 

Those changes apparently allude to what the interview cites as “problematic stereotypes” that the Magic Mike star is looking to correct in this reboot. That alone makes Ghost ripe for a remake, but that’s not why I’m sold on the movie. Honestly, I’m surprised a new version of this movie hasn’t already happened, especially with Tatum connected to its very fate.

Channing Tatum’s best movies have basically proven him to be the modern incarnation of Patrick Swayze. Between helping originate the Step Up series of dance-centered romance and taking on everything from dramas like Dear John to his contractually obligated G.I. Joe movies, Channing Tatum has established the same sort of range that the late Dirty Dancing and Road House star did back in the day. 

Square at the center of the Patrick Swayze-verse was Ghost, the 1990 hit that was part romantic drama, part supernatural thriller, with a little bit of comedy and sexiness thrown into the mix. Just as that equation was the right vehicle for Swayze to further diversify his resume, it’s definitely a formula that sounds like it hits all of Channing Tatum’s sweet spots. 

Again, hearing Tatum and Ghost in the same sentence feels like a bolt of lightning. It’s matching the perfect lead with the right project, already conjuring images of how good it could be. The actor’s fans would even have to admit that when the mention of pottery above came into play, the first thought that came to their minds was Channing Tatum and a random scene partner reenacting that still very influential Ghost scene. Yes, I’m going to include that clip below, because I’m not a monster. 

The most action that Ghost has seen in the decades since its 1990 release was a Broadway adaptation that opened (and closed) in 2012. That happened roughly around the time Channing Tatum’s career was starting to really pick up steam, as The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike all debuted throughout that same year.

How did not one studio executive stop and think about a Tatum-fronted Ghost remake after those movies basically laid out the breadcrumbs needed to sell this project?  Answering that question doesn’t matter, as Channing Tatum is now developing that remake of Ghost with his own production company. Unlike Tatum’s experience with G.I. Joe, he won’t have to ask to be killed off in order to avoid sequels. 

It’s going to be very exciting to see how this clear fan of the Patrick Swayze classic is going to update this romantic classic. For now, if you want to catch some more Channing Tatum action, you can check out the trailer to Magic Mike’s Last Dance ahead of its February 10th arrival in theaters.

Following Dirty Dancing getting a prequel in the form of 2006’s Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, as well as being remade in 2017 as a critically-underwhelming ABC TV movie, the 1987 original is getting a direct sequel all these years later. Shortly after rumors of another Dirty Dancing movie started circulating, Dirty Dancing 2 was officially confirmed in 2020, although sadly Jennifer Grey will not be accompanied by Patrick Swayze this time around because he passed away in 2009. To that end, Grey has addressed why losing Swayze makes tackling the new Dirty Dancing movie “very tricky.”

While talking about her experience on Dirty Dancing with EW to commemorate the movie’s 35th anniversary, Jennifer Grey briefly chatted with EW about Dirty Dancing 2. Along with confirming the upcoming movie’s script is being worked on and that shooting will kick off in spring 2023, Grey addressed how the sequel will feel both familiar, but also need to stand on its own, which is especially key because Patrick Swayze is no longer with us. Grey explained:

The original Dirty Dancing followed the story of Jennifer Grey’s Frances “Baby” Houseman, a young woman who goes vacationing with her family at Ketterman’s in the summer of 1963 and meets Patrick Swayze’s Johnny Castle, a dance instructor at the resort. Baby takes over as Johnny’s dance partner for a performance, and as they practice their choreography, the two fall in love. Spoiler warning for a 35-year-old movie, but the story concludes with Baby and Johnny nailing their climactic lift (which Grey refused to until the day that scene was shot) in the performance and then dancing with everyone else at Kellerman’s while "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" played.

If Patrick Swayze were still alive, I imagine Dirty Dancing 2 would have either shown us that either Baby and Johnny were still together all these decades later, or the story would have depicted these two reuniting after their original relationship didn’t work out. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing Swayze and Grey together again, and Johnny Castle understandably won’t be recast for Dirty Dancing 2. So yes, Grey and the other people behind the sequel are threading a fine line between honoring what came before and making sure this new movie is worthy enough to stand on its own merits. Fingers crossed they accomplish this goal.

Outside of the above details Jennifer Grey provided, Dirty Dancing 2’s plot is shrouded in secrecy, but behind the scenes, Long Shot’s Jonathan Levine is directing the feature. The sequel is set to come out on February 9, 2024, but if you’re curious about what movies will be arriving sooner than that, take a look at the slated 2023 movie releases.

Jake Gyllenhaal seems to be on a bit of a remake kick right now. His last two movies – Antoine Fuqua's The Guilty and Michael Bay's Ambulance – are both English-language versions of overseas films, and now the actor is set to tackle a redo of a beloved Patrick Swayze movie. Amazon Prime Video and MGM are now in the process of developing a new version of the 1989 film Road House, and not only is Gyllenhaal attached to play the lead role, but Doug Liman has come aboard to direct.

Liman most recently made the COVID heist feature Locked Down and the Tom Holland/Daisy Ridley sci-fi thriller Chaos Walking, but he's probably best known for his recent collaborations with Tom Cruise – making the time loop thriller Edge Of Tomorrow with the Top Gun: Maverick star in 2014, and reuniting with him in 2017 for the based-on-a-true-story thriller American Made. In addition to working with those mentioned, the filmmaker has worked with a lot of other movie stars – including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Matt Damon – but Road House will be his first time working with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Directed by Rowdy Herrington, the original Road House tells the story of James Dalton (Patrick Swayze), a bouncer who moves from New York City to a small town in Missouri to take on the head security job at a rowdy bar called the Double Deuce. In addition to Swayze, the film co-stars Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Kevin Tighe, and Ben Gazzara.

This is not the first time that MGM has tried to develop a remake of the 1989 movie, having previously hired controversial filmmaker Rob Cohen to direct a version about a decade ago, and planned a different gender-swapped version starring Ronda Rousey back in 2015. Considering that this version of the project is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month, it seems fair to say that the combination of Jake Gyllenhaal and Doug Liman, not to mention the partnership with Amazon, has been the key to finally getting the project into production.

As far as upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal movies go, the actor has completed his work on Guy Ritchie's upcoming thriller The Interpreter, and he is providing a voice in the upcoming Walt Disney Animation Film Strange World, which will be in theaters on November 23. In addition to Road House, he is also attached to a number of other projects, including the post-pandemic action film The Division (co-starring Jessica Chastain) and the comic book movie Prophet (from Extraction director Sam Hargrave).

If you've never seen Road House and want to check it out before the new version, you have multiple digital options. If you have an AMC+ subscription, you can check it out via Amazon or The Roku Channel, and it's also available through Philo. You can also rent and/or purchase the movie through Google Play, Apple, and Vudu.

Dirty Dancing is a movie that teaches audiences what physical chemistry looks like between two people – the way that two bodies can be in sync with each other through the beautiful expression of dancing. We remember the film for the insane spark between actors Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, the quotable “No one puts Baby in a corner,” and the infamous lift scene. Believe it or not, however, Grey actually refused to do the iconic lift with Swayze until the day it was filmed.

In the final scene of Dirty Dancing, the characters of Johnny and Baby share a steamy dance in front of everyone at Kellerman’s resort, ending with Johnny climatically lifting Baby. Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey has been spilling out a lot of secrets about her time in Hollywood with her new memoir Out of the Corner. She shared one of the book’s revelations during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, telling the titular host that she was scared of performing the scene right up until it was shot. Said Grey, 

According to Insider, the iconic 80’s star writes in her memoir about the intense fear she had doing that one move. Jennifer Grey practiced the lift twice and finally did the move once. While Patrick Swayze would reassure her that he was a reliable partner, it still didn’t stop her fear from setting in. 

What she was most afraid of is probably pretty obvious: that paralysis, some broken bones, or even sudden death could occur if this move was done wrong. When re-watching the scene, you would never know how scared Jennifer Grey was undertaking this challenging dance move.

Luckily, the lift ended up being a success – so much so that fans clearly have felt more confident than Grey about mastering this iconic scene themselves. If you must try this at home, I recommend picking a partner you trust wholeheartedly… and a have a net hanging just in case.

Jennifer Grey has dated Hollywood hunks like her Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-star Matthew Broderick and she even had a relationship with Johnny Depp. However, one of those hunks was not Patrick Swayze. The Dirty Dancing star spoke to People and said that she and the Ghost hunk were not a natural match with each other, which caused tension being forced to portray being in love for a movie. 

They didn’t even get along when they were both in 1984’s Red Dawn three years before. Sadly, Grey told People she wishes she could apologize to the late actor, who passed away at age 57, for her past treatment of him. It’s a tragic feeling when you wish for a second chance.

It may be 35 years since Dirty Dancing first entered our screens and hearts, but people of this generation have a chance to see the magic continue. The sequel to Dirty Dancing has been confirmed with Jennifer Grey coming back in her memorable role as Baby. The death of Patrick Swayze clearly means that Grey will need a new leading man. At the end of The Drew Barrymore Show episode, the 62-year-old actress jokingly hoped that Harry Styles could be the one.

While Styles may be a bit inappropriate choice to be Jennifer Grey’s leading man, maybe the former One Direction singer could have a leading lady of his own for the film? Guess we’ll see what the sequel has in store for us.

You can currently watch Dirty Dancing with a HBO Max subscription as well as read Jennifer Grey’s memoir Out of the Corner, which is on sale now. 

A good love story can transcend genre, and this weekend in movies on Paramount+, you can check out the supernatural romance The In Between. The movie starring Joey King (who's right off of wrapping up The Kissing Booth trilogy) and West Side Story’s Kyle Allen tells a young love affair that becomes stuck between the living and the dead. CinemaBlend spoke to the filmmakers about the influences for the new release, and yes, Ghost is involved. 

When speaking with the film’s writer Marc Klein, who previously wrote Serendipity and A Good Year in the early 2000s, he shared how he arrived at creating a coming-of-age romance cross paths with contacting the supernatural. In his words: 

When 1990’s Ghost came out, it was a huge success and it remains an iconic part of cinematic history today. I mean, most of us can’t even talk about taking a pottery class or hear the song “Unchained Melody” without referencing it. For Marc Klein, Ghost was important to him upon its initial release and has remained so for many years. The In Between writer continued to CinemaBlend: 

On a personal note, Marc Klein lost someone close to him, and it led him to delving into the world of the supernatural, especially in terms of how people speak to the dead or perceive the afterlife. Amidst his own journey with these big ideas, he conceptualized The In Between. In the movie, Joey King and Kyle Allen’s Tessa and Skylar are teens who fall in love, but unfortunately a car accident ends in tragedy for Tessa and she attempts to reconnect with him from the “in between.”

Given The In Between has deep roots with Ghost, director Arie Posin shared with us the key references to the 1990 classic they put in the movie. He explained: 

Ghost became synonymous with The Righteous Brothers’ version of “Unchained Melody,” which was recorded in 1965 by the group after the song was previously written for the 1955 movie Unchained. Ghost popularized the oldie in the ‘90s, so when it came to picking a signature song for The In Between, the filmmakers decided to do a nod to this by picking another older tune. The song they chose was 1988 INXS song “Never Tear Us Apart.” 

The In Between reviews are in, and the movie has received mixed ratings from critics. You can check out the movie now with a Paramount+ subscription. Check back here on CinemaBlend for more exclusive interviews about upcoming movies. 

Mild spoilers below for the fourth episode of Yellowstone Season 4, so tread carefully if you haven't yet watched.

Anytime Taylor Sheridan makes an appearance on Yellowstone as horse trader Travis Wheatley, you know it's going to be a damned good time. After dropping some of the best lines of the season so far in multiple episodes, Travis delivered quite a few more whoppers in Episode 4 as he and Jimmy bonded somewhat during their trip to the 6666 Ranch in Texas to help set up the impending 6666 spinoff with Jefferson White starring. During one scene, Sheridan also tipped his hat to the upcoming prequel spinoff 1883 in a fun way.

After Travis makes it abundantly clear why Jimmy will never be allowed to drive that particular pickup truck on that particular drive, the horse-riding maestro drops a memorable quote from the somewhat influential movie Road House, and goes on to call it the best movie of all time. (Jimmy’s probably lucky Travis didn’t make him feel even worse for not immediately recognizing it.) And while that already might have been enough to spark fourth-wall conversations, Travis flat-out name-checks Sam Elliott:

So, even though 1883 hasn’t yet premiered on Paramount+ and Paramount Network, and thus hasn’t yet canonically established Sam Elliott’s rootin’est-tootin’est cowboy Shea Brennan into the Yellowstone-verse, we are living in a world where Elliott will exist on two different planes. He is a legendary actor to Travis and others, much like he is in our world, and he will also be portraying the person responsible for getting John Dutton’s ancestors to the Montana land that would become the family’s expansive ranch.

Yellowstone wrapped up most of its filming in late 2020, long before the 1883 prequel announced that Sam Elliott was cast alongside Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. However, part of the reported reasons why Season 4 took so long to debut on Paramount Network had to do with additional scenes being shot. So at this point, it’s unclear whether or not Taylor Sheridan was already aware of Elliott’s prequel involvement at the time when that scene was filmed. 

But I think I’d prefer the idea that Sheridan definitely knew about Elliott serving such a pivotal role for the Dutton family so long ago when he talked about Road House and made everyone think of the iconic actor rocking Patrick Swayze’s mullet. That makes things more interesting in the long run, because now I want one of these two ideas to happen:

• John Dutton pulls out some old family photo albums and comes across some portrait featuring James and Margaret Dutton along with Shea Brennan, and Travis walks by and notices it, and then everyone starts talking about how much Brennan looks like Sam Elliott, complete with The Big Lebowski references. 
• It's revealed that there's a time machine somewhere on the Yellowstone ranch, and someone goes back in time and gets James and Margaret Dutton to watch Road House, and they call in Brennan and his mind is, like, totally blown. By the time travel. But then also by seeing a man that looks exactly like he does.

Whether or not that ever happens, we’ll just have to wait and see. But be sure to check out Yellowstone every Sunday night on Paramount Network at 8:00 p.m. ET, and tune into the 1883 premiere when it debuts as a simulcast across both Paramount Network and Paramount+ on Sunday, December 19. 

The following contains spoilers for the ending of Free Guy.

Free Guy is getting a lot of positive buzz both from fans and critics. Everybody seems to like the new video game inspired film. It's a movie with a ton of humor but also a surprising amount of heart. Ryan Reynolds' Guy may not be "real" even within the context of the movie, but he's a character that everybody, the other characters in the film and the audience, comes to care about. How Guy's story would ultimately end was important, so much so that the ending of Free Guy was once very different, but changed thanks to...Patrick Swayze?

Free Guy's writer Matt Lieberman recently told Collider that in the original ending, Guy actually got the girl. Guy and Millie (Jodie Comer) stay together, as far as an AI and a gamer can, anyway. However, Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy both felt that the movie needed a "Ghost moment," referring to the 1990 Patrick Swayze drama. In that movie the two lovers have a moment of final goodbye that allows them both to move forward, and that's what Free Guy eventually got as well. According to Lieberman...

In the version of Free Guy in theaters Guy and Millie (Jodie Comer) both realize that they're relationship could never work, and both are happy to move forward. While it would have been perfectly normal to see our hero "get the girl" in the end, the fact that the hero is a video game character and the girl is not would have potentially made things a little weird. As Matt Lieberman said, seeing a person have an "extended stay" in a digital world in order be with their NPC boyfriend is something that might not ultimately end up feeling quite as romantic as it seems.

In the end, the audience ultimately wants to just see these two characters happy, and that's what they get. Guy reunites with his best friend and they go off into the sunset together. And Millie realizes that there's a real life person who has feelings for her, and that she feels the same way.

It's a good place for all the characters to wrap up their story, assuming, of course, that this actually wraps it up. The word is that Disney is already talking sequel to Free Guy and thus maybe we will see where things go from here. Maybe Guy will fall in love after all.

Even if you've never settled in to watch a full episode of Saturday Night Live, there are so many sketches which have become major touchstones in pop culture that you've probably seen or heard about them over the years. You've seen at least a little of Wayne and Garth. You've become acquainted with Maya Rudolph as Donatella Versace, Beyonce, and Kamala Harris. And you have, almost certainly, seen snippets of cast member Chris Farley and then host Patrick Swayze as they audition to be Chippendales dancers. But, former SNL writer Robert Smigel recently had to defend Farley's legendary Chippendales sketch.

Robert Smigel, who was known for his "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts on Saturday Night Live and is most famous for voicing Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, appeared on The Howard Stern Show and was asked about the well-known sketch. Apparently, some people have not been happy about it during the intervening years, and while Smigel said he thinks it's a great sketch, he was "in a debate about it" recently, as some people think it led to Chris Farley's death. Here's what Smigel told Stern:

I've seen the Chris Farley / Patrick Swayze Chippendales sketch many times over the years, and it has never occurred to me that anyone would have had any serious problem with it. From what Robert Smigel discussed with Howard Stern, though, the thought of some has been that Farley, who did not look anything like your standard Chippendales dancer, doing a sketch (which you can still watch online) where he disrobes and gyrates alongside Swayze (who absolutely did look like a typical male exotic dancer) was a sure sign that Farley felt bad about himself and was ready to demean himself for millions.

Sadly, Chris Farley died of a drug overdose in 1997 at the age of 33, only a couple of years after leaving SNL behind and embarking on his film career, and there are some people who seem to think that the Chippendales sketch (which aired on October 27, 1990) was an early sign of trouble for one of SNL's biggest stars. As you can see from watching him beside Patrick Swayze, however, Smigel is correct that Farley did what many would call a fantastic job of showing that he could move basically just as well as Swayze, who had been an actual professional dancer.

Smigel went on to explain why he thinks so many people really love the sketch, adding:

Luckily, Chris Farley's legacy lives on in the great comedic work he did both in film and on SNL, and he can be remembered for the joy he brought to so many fans during his short time in the spotlight.

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Netflix has films that appeal to horror junkies, thrill-seekers, even hopeless romantics, and so many other movie genres. Its wide selection of movies is what makes it one of the most popular streaming services. And if you’re a fan of dance movies, then Netflix has plenty, including their latest film Work It.

Work It stars Sabrina Carpenter, Liza Koshy, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Jordan Fisher. The film follows teen Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) as she forms a new dance group in order to impress an admissions representative at Duke University. The film takes a similar path as other dance movies: a studious girl spends her entire high school life studying, then she discovers the power of dance. Work It has all the ingredients of a fun dance movie, including the learning how to dance montage.

If you’ve already watched Work It, and are now in desperate need of some more dance movies in your life, then I have a few suggestions.

Save The Last Dance

What It's About: Julia Stiles plays aspiring ballerina Sara, who moves to an inner-city after her mother dies in a car accident. Sara gives up her dancing dreams because of the accident, that is until she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who helps her find her love of dancing again.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Save the Last Dance are kindred spirits in that they are both about teen girls who find their rhythm while falling in love. Unlike Quinn, Sara has a dance background, so dancing is already part of her nature, but she also must learn the complicated hip hop dance style.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Rent It here.

Leap!

What It’s About: Leap! is an animated film featuring voice acting by Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff, and Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s about two orphans who run away to Paris. There, Félicie (Fanning) starts to train to become a ballerina.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Leap! is a lighthearted dance film that also revolves around someone who doesn’t have any formal dance training, but gets mentorship from a fallen expert. Félicie and Quinn both train and find their groove and achieve their dance dreams. For Quinn it’s winning the major Work It competition, for Félicie, it’s to perform alongside principal dancers.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Footloose

What It’s About: Dancing is outlawed in small-town Bomont, Oklahoma, but rebel Ren (Kevin Bacon) refuses to just live a life without dancing and rock music. Footloose’s cast includes Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The original film was released in 1984, and a remake was made in 2011.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Footloose and Work It highlight the power of dance and its symbolic tie to freedom and passion.The teens in Work It and Footloose discover their true identities through dancing.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

Center Stage

What It’s About: Center Stage follows several young dancers as they try to prove themselves at a prestigious dance academy. It details the personal and professional struggles they undergo to be considered one of the best ballet dancers. Much of Center Stage’s storyline revolves around Jody (Amanda Schull) not quite fitting the dance mold, but having a strong desire to prove herself. Center Stage’s cast includes Zoe Saldana, Peter Gallagher, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Susan May Pratt.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Center Stage both include a cast of real professional dancers, as most of the main cast of Work It has experience in dancing as well as acting. Jordan Fisher even won Dancing with the Stars. Both films are also underdog stories told in the dance world.

Stream on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Battle

What It’s About: Battle is a Norwegian drama about Amalie (Lisa Teige), a rich girl who has her life turned upside down when her father loses his entire fortune. Amalie and her father have to move to a rougher area. Amalie still keeps her dance dreams, but ends up practicing in a free dance studio where she meets Mikael (Fabian Svegaard).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Battle very much feels like a Norwegian Saved the Last Dance, so it’s all about a girl who is used to structured dancing finding a passion for hip-hop and the cute guy who instructs her. Work It also feels like a younger sibling to Save the Last Dance in how it takes a girl used to structure and discipline and allows her to find the beauty of listening to her heart and the beat.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Dirty Dancing

What It’s About: Dirty Dancing is a romantic movie about a resort dance instructor falling for one of the girls vacationing there. Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) get to know each other and start to fall in love through dancing, but Baby’s father doesn’t trust Johnny, especially because he comes from a working-class family.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It plays up how Quinn and Jake (Jordan Fisher)’s attraction grows every time they dance together. Dirty Dancing and Work It demonstrate the seductive nature of dance and how it can create authentic chemistry between people.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

You Got Served

What It’s About: You Got Served is a dramedy about a street dance crew that battles other hip hop dancers. The dance crew has ups and downs before they try to win the big prize at the major dance competition hosted by MTV. You Got Served’s cast mainly consists of B2K band members, including Marques Houston, Omarion Grandberry, J-Boog Houston, Raz-B Thornton, and Lil Fizz Frederic. Steve Harvey also appears in the film as Mr. Rad, the owner of the club where many of the dance battles take place.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: You Got Served is a bit more serious than Work It but they’re both overall fun dance movies that don’t take themselves too seriously. Each film also has the power of friendship and being there for one another as one of the driving themes.

Stream it on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Dance Academy: The Comeback

What It’s About: Dance Academy was an Australian teen series that aired from 2010 to 2013. In 2017, it had a continuation movie that followed some of the main characters from the series trying to make it in the dance world. The Dance Academy: The Comeback cast includes Xenia Goodwin, Alicia Banit, Jordan Rodrigues, Dena Kaplan, Thomas Lacey, and Keiynan Lonsdale.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It had a subplot about ambitious dancers trying to prove themselves to get into top-notch dance programs and universities. If Work It only focused on that aspect, then it would probably have a more similar plot to Dance Academy: The Comeback about the journey of young dancers. Both films also share Lonsdale as an actor.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Fame

What It’s About: Fame follows a group of New York City teens as they attend a performing arts school. It follows the students from freshmen to senior year. The Fame cast includes Gene Anthony Ray, Irene Cara, Debbie Allen, and Lee Curreri.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Fame depicts various art forms and shows the obstacles that come with being an artist. It mixes these issues with typical teen problems, like meeting parental standards. Work It dealt with Quinn’s struggle to please her mother, while also feeling the draw towards dance. Fame and Work It share in that they don’t just address the struggles of a career n the arts, but also typical teen everyday difficulties.

Rent it here.

Bring It On

What It’s About: Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) has just become the cheer captain of the cheerleading squad the Toros. The Toros have won multiple national titles, but Torrance learns that they have won most of them by stealing dance moves from the Clovers team. Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union also star. Bring It On later inspired a franchise of sequel films.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Bring It On is more of a cheerleading movie than a dance one, but they both deal with characters who have to start from scratch and find their own style of dance to compete on a grand scale level against a much better team.

Rent it here.

Strictly Ballroom

What It’s About: Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote Strictly Ballroom, an Australian romantic comedy about Scott (Paul Mercurio), a professional ballroom dancer who loses his partner and must train a newbie, Fran (Tara Morice) to compete in a major championship.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: If you were charmed by Quinn and Jake’s dance romance, you’ll be even more dazzled by Fran and Scott’s love story. Strictly Ballroom is a quirky dance movie that has a similar tone to Work It in its playful nature, but also passion and excitement for dance.

Rent it here.

Step Up

What It’s About: Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan star in Step Up as Tyler and Nora, two dancers from different backgrounds forced to pair up. Of course, after a combative partnership, they learn to understand each other and work together, and also fall in love. Step Up eventually had five spin-off films (and counting).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Step Up and Work It both highlight how dancing can break down barriers and help people form bonds. They show how dance is universal and how the combination of dance styles leads to really fun final dance numbers.

Rent it here.

Billy Elliot

What It’s About: 11-year old Billy Elliot dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Billy has to hide that he takes lessons because his father and brother disapprove of his dream. Jamie Bell plays Billy.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Billy finds himself not being supported by his father because of how a boy ballet dancer will look to others. Quinn faces some similar parental disapproval from her mother, who believes she should just focus on her school work. Billy Elliot and Work It both end with the parents seeing the error of their ways and learning to support their children’s passions.

Rent it here.

Flashdance

What It’s About: Jennifer Beals plays Alex, a young woman who dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Flashdance and Work It both focus on young women who have no professional dance training, but their determination allows them to try (and succeed) to compete when they go up against more seasoned professionals. Both films are also about taking chances, even when the odds seemed stacked against you.

Rent it here.

Work It is a cheery dance movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, allowing it to hit the right notes and beats. The films on this list have a similar love of dance spirit.

Stream Work It on Netflix.

There is a tremendous amount to love about the original Zombieland, but certainly high on the list of great things is the legendary cameo made by Bill Murray. It truly comes out of left field, and while relatively brief in the grand scheme of things, it's at the center of one of the movie's most hilarious sequences.

What you may not know, though, is that it wasn't always going to be Bill Murray playing that part. Because screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick weren't entirely certain that they would be able to get the actor for the part, they wound up developing many iterations with many different stars. One, for example, was the late, great Patrick Swayze, and now that version of the script has been revealed in full.

It's never been a secret that Patrick Swayze was written into an early Zombieland script, as Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick were talking about the potential cameo even before the movie was released back in 2009, but now we know exactly how the alternate version of things was going to play out. With people worldwide stuck inside during Covid-19-related social distancing/quarantine, the writers have done their part to keep movie-fans entertained by posting actual script pages from the Swayze draft.

Prefacing that the version featured some switched-up characters names, as Tallahassee was originally Albuquerque, Columbus was Flagstaff, and Little Rock was Stillwater (fans will note how that creates a little Easter egg in Zombieland: Double Tap), the first page of the draft once again finds Woody Harrelson's character leading the pack in fandom, expressing that Patrick Swayze was his hero going back to his first time seeing The Outsiders as a kid:

Unfortunately, we learn on the next couple pages that Tallahassee/Albuquerque's Patrick Swayze worship couldn't outlive the release of Dirty Dancing. The group searches the house to clear it for zombies, with Columbus/Flagstaff pairing off with Little Rock/Stillwater, and Tallahassee/Albuquerque going with Wichita. They each discover that Swayze is a big fan of his own work, while there is some creepiness happening.

Upon discovering a potter's wheel and some clay, Tallahassee/Albuquerque then gets a special opportunity to reenact a scene from Ghost in Patrick Swayze's house... but things don't exactly go as planned:

Unlike the Bill Murray version, where it turns out that the Ghostbusters star is only pretending to be undead, Patrick Swayze is actually a zombie in this version of Zombieland. A fight scene breaks out, and it's one that manages to include references to Point Break, Dirty Dancing, City Of Joy, and even Father Hood.

Sadly, Patrick Swayze became unavailable to do the Zombieland cameo because he became sick, and he died just a few weeks before the release of the horror comedy.

There story doesn't end there, however, as the Patrick Swayze script wasn't the only drafts that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick put together as a backup plan. The writers have been continuing posting these alternate versions to social media, and you can follow them to see the posts in real-time, but when they are done we'll also have a full round-up for you detailing how Zombieland could have been very different.

Before Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were the toast of Hollywood thanks to their successful script for Deadpool, they had actually written several successful films. One of these was the hilarious Zombieland. The movie’s most famous scene includes a cameo by Bill Murray, who is living life pretending to be a zombie in order to avoid becoming a real one. It turns out that in the original script, that sequence played out very differently.

The two writers were guests on the Q & A Podcast and discussed the evolution of the scene. Numerous drafts were written with different actors in mind, but each turned the men down. Even Bill Murray was hesitant at first to take the part. It turns out, Murray didn’t see much for him to do in Zombieland. This is because the sequence was going to lean very heavy on action, and less so on comedy.

To be sure, there’s still a pretty funny joke in the idea that Bill Murray, or any other celebrity, is somehow the most vicious, violent zombie that the team has come up against, but it wasn’t really enough for Murray. However, the actor was willing to talk to the writers about the script, and they were able to make the changes that the actor wanted, which transformed the scene into what we know and love today. The writers confess that it’s possible that the more action-oriented script may have been the reason that nobody else seemed to be interested. However, none of them ever explained what their problem with the original screenplay was, so the writers couldn’t make the changes that they needed to. Luckily, the necessary rewrites were done, and we got a very memorable scene as a result.

Bill Murray wasn’t actually the writers' first choice. The scene had originally been written with Patrick Swayze in mind, complete with Dirty Dancing and Ghost references. Unfortunately, the actor became unable to work due to cancer prior to the beginning of filming, and they were never even able to offer him the part.

Do you prefer the scene as it was done, or would you have preferred Bill Murray, king of the rage zombies?

Don’t do it, Hollywood. Don’t ever try to remake Road House. It’s perfectly perfect, in its own glorious, 1989 way. It’s bad enough that we lost Patrick Swayze. Trying to remake one of his most iconic roles for a cheap paycheck would only tarnish… oh, wait. What? You want to cast Ronda Rousey as Dalton? Oh Hell yeah, I’m all in!

Variety reports that UFC destroyer Ronda Rousey will star in MGM’s planned reboot of Road House, flipping the script (from a gender perspective) and casting her as the bouncer with a brain who is hired to clean up a rowdy, road-side watering hole. And really, the only people who would have any problem casting Rousey as a tough-as-nails bar bouncer are those who’ve never seen the lady fight. She routinely devastates anyone stupid enough to step into the ring with her. Sure, most of her film roles have made cheap gags at the expense of her fighting abilities. (See her in Furious 7 or Entourage, where she played herself and beat the shit out of Turtle.) But pairing her with Road House feels like a clever way to both provide Rousey with a vehicle AND to approach a nostalgic remake from a fresh, innovative perspective.

Released in 1989, Road House starred Patrick Swayze as Dalton, a sensitive but capable bouncer who kept things in order at the titular joint be relying on a simple philosophy: "Be nice. Until it’s time to not be nice." The film co-starred Sam Elliott and the beautiful Kelly Lynch. Just ask Bill Murray, who loves calling his old friend Mitch Glazer (aka, Mr. Kelly Lynch) every time Glazer’s wife’s sex scene with Swayze comes on basic cable.

The film industry has been trying so hard to make Ronda Rousey work on screen, even though they have to work around her professional fight schedule. Her roles, as I mentioned, have focused on her ability to beat the shit out of people. And yes, Road House will do more of than, but with a philosophical twist. (We hope, anyway. Variety says that the project is out to screenwriters now, so we’ll see how close to the original movie this reboot gets.)

For the time being, we guess that casting Ronda Rousey in a Road House reboot takes her name out of the running to play Carol Danvers in Marvel’s planned feature-length take on Captain Marvel. So, who should play that role?

It’s a known fact that the 1989 classic, Road House with the late Patrick Swayze is the manliest thing ever put to celluloid in the history of modern civilization. Women and young children have been known to grow hair on their chests and develop deep voices after a single viewing, due to incidental microwaves of testosterone emitted by the film. Yet, it seems that the New York Police Department, in light of the incident which claimed the life of Eric Garner, are using a scene from Road House as a training tool to teach officers more effective ways of dealing with irate people.

According to a report from The New York Post, the NYPD has instituted a $35 million, mandatory 3-day training program designed to teach its 22,000 participants that, as an instructor states, "You have to have a thick skin." The scene that was apparently utilized in the NYPD course depicted Swayze’s "professional cooler," Dalton, giving a room full of clueless bouncers in a Missouri bar a lesson about the 3 simple rules stating when etiquette begins and ass-kicking commences.

The showing of the scene (provided above) reportedly elicited laughter from a less-than-receptive audience of police officers. According to one of the program's participants at a Police Academy,

While, it is, indeed, Hollywood fiction, it would hardly be the first instance when a training course decided to take one day to phone things in with a movie, carting in a heavily-strapped-down, too-small TV running off an old VHS. The fact remains, fiction can be useful in a demonstrative capacity. Of course, what figure in fictional history can better teach people how to have a thicker skin than the smooth, mysterious stranger simply known as Dalton? He's a deceivingly calm, sophisticated, karate-trained New York bouncer who heads to the Midwest to beat rowdy, inebriated inbreds to a pulp and rip out a man’s throat with his bare hands. (The guy had it coming, though.)

Yet, the idea that the NYPD training program uses Road House, when said out of context, sounds pretty absurd; especially since the course comes at a $35 million price tag. It almost seems akin to some feckless company’s panicking HR department throwing the entire office into a sexual harassment seminar after somebody’s butt got accidentally grabbed, where they are forced to watch some badly produced video insultingly demonstrating what NOT to do in the office. (Although, news footage of Mel Gibson might suffice in that scenario.)

While it may be the case that New York mayor Bill de Blasio has thrown quite a lot of taxpayer money into what’s looking to be simply an expensive assurance made in the name of public relations, we can at least concede that Road House has plenty of teachable tidbits. Most noteworthy among it, is the time-tested mantra stating that "It’s a job. It’s nothing personal."

Dirty Dancing was an iconic '80s movie set in the sizzling '60s, and yet it is a timeless romance. For proof, check out this incredible vid of a baby Swayze following the star's Johnny Castle moves with a sharp eye and fast foot! And as you well know: Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

This little dancing dynamo's name is Charlie, and clearly he has a deep appreciation for the power of Patrick Swayze. Who could blame him? Those hip wiggles and bad boy bravado provided a groundbreaking moment in the lives of countless teen girls. But for this little boy, it's been an inspiration to dance!

This kid kills me. First off, observe the way he struts across his living room's carpet, attempting to mimic the confidence of Johnny Castle as he struts on the stage toward his lady. Charlie goes still during close-ups or flirtations with Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey in her most iconic turn). He may still be at that age where girls hold no allure... or, worse yet, cooties! But when director Emile Ardolino cuts to a wide that shows Swayze's feet in action, just watch Charlie spring to life!

This kid's got rhythm! This kid's got moves! We'll be counting the days until he ends up on Ellen. But things get next level when Johnny Castle springs from the stage. Charlie doesn't even need to look at the television anymore. He knows this part by heart the way most kids today know all the words to Frozen.

Dear Charlie's parents: You're doing everything right.

Buzzfeed contacted Charlie's mom, Laine Kristina, who first Tweeted this vid. She was kind enough to give a little bit of background on how her little boy became a Dirty Dancing die hard. As one might predict, Dirty Dancing is one of her favorite movies. So when it was being shown at a Knoxville revival screening, she and her husband were quick to attend. Loving all things dance, Charlie insisted to see it for himself the following day. It would be the first of many watchings.

Kristina said of the precursor to this vid, "He has probably watched it only 10-12 times. He loves to dance and cannot sit when he is watching a music video or anything with dancing in it. He immediately gets up and starts copying all of the moves. It started when he was three and Michael Jackson died and he started watching his videos."

What do you do when your three-year-old is obsessed with doing the dance from "Thriller?" You make him Michael Jackson for Halloween and share his routine of course! Check out Charlie's first dance vid below:

Other movies we'd suggest for Charlie's continued dance education include: Singin' In The Rain, Footloose, Billy Elliot and Step Up. Have any others that are musts for this budding dance master? Share them in comments!

We all know that two wrongs generally don’t make a right, and this next bit is definitely going to challenge the elasticity of that saying. MGM is taking the remake trend to extremes by offering up to the gods the cult action thriller Road House, arguably the most memorable example of a guy-friendly performance from Patrick Swayze. (I mean yeah, Red Dawn, but Road House!) Neither Christopher Nolan nor David O. Russell is taking this one on, though, and the job has gone to Rob Cohen, arguably best known for bringing The Fast and the Furious into the world.

It would be nice to sit here for a couple of hours wondering why anyone thinks Road House is so complicated a movie that it can’t just be replicated in a different way that doesn’t involve remaking it, we won’t. Instead, I’ll just toss it out there that the movie Cohen directed before F&F was The Skulls. We really don’t need this remake.

But it’s coming, according to TheWrap, with a screenplay written by Michael Stokes, who is currently developing another Cohen project, the action movie Crash Bandits. Otherwise, however, he’s written a line of B-movies, including the upcoming Infiltrators, which he also directed. Maybe it’s not worth reading too much into Stokes’ work, as the original film was definitely a B-movie that just happened to have a couple of movie stars in it, and one of them ripped another man’s throat out. But I don’t see how that particular jolt of lightning can possibly strike twice. I mean, just look at this. Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen Swayze rip throat before.

Nobody fights like this in movies anymore; only in professional wrestling. The basic story of the film, a man with a past gets a job as a bouncer at a rowdy honkytonk, is easy enough to replicate with all variety of backstory going into it, but you can’t match these fights.

Cohen, who is currently filming the Blumhouse Productions thriller The Boy Next Door with Jennifer Lopez, was last responsible for 2008’s needless The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and last year’s completely ludicrous Alex Cross.

Let’s not forget that other Swayze-starring cheese-fest getting remade: Point Break. Let us know in the poll below which one sounds better to you, and try not to punch your electronic devices in the process.

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Actress and current Dancing With The Stars contestant Kirstie Alley is making the rounds to publicize her new memoir The Art Of Men, and given the title, it’s not exactly surprising her love life is generating the most headlines. Apparently, she snuck two affairs with A-list Hollywood actors under everyone’s noses. The first was with Patrick Swayze while the two worked on the miniseries North and South, and the second was with John Travolta on the set of Look Who’s Talking.

Speaking to Barbara Walters in an interview with ABC, the actress said neither of the affairs progressed beyond kissing, but she seriously considered giving it a go with each long-term. With Swayze, she was apparently in talks with him to divorce their spouses but ultimately felt too bad for his wife. With Travolta, she apparently still considers him the love of her life but opted to go the friends route, though don’t take that as evidence of his alleged homosexuality. If Alley is to be believed, he’s straight as an arrow…

Alley feels healthier and better about herself since she shed seventy pounds on Dancing With The Stars last year. She’s currently competing in the show’s all-star season alongside many returning favorites. As for The Art Of Men, it was officially released yesterday and is available for purchase now.

Some people like mustard, others ketchup, still more barbeque sauce, the occasional fat guy might even go with mayonnaise, but I've always preferred the ruggedly tangy Swayze. Singing, dancing, beating the hell out of Roadhouse patrons, it's the condiment which does it all, pleasing the taste buds and remaining trapped between this world and the next like the Norse God of pillage-happy, tortured, yet changeable grown up Abercrombie models. Everything's just better with a little Swayze. Can you honestly name me one film worse because of his aww-shucks grin or punishing roundhouse kicks? Nope. Doesn't exist. Now, that's not to say Swayze is Midas-like, or even Tom Brady-esque; think of him more like Luis Guzman or Robert Horry. Film's marginally-talented Jack-Of-All-Trades, cobbling together a bit of brute lumberjack force with dollops of dreaminess and surfing skill to propel films which should have been little more than temporarily relevant for two box office weekends in February into cult classics cleaning up at low-budget rental places from now until NetFlix out-conveniences them out of business.

But what would the cinematic world have been like with unlimited Swayze at every filmmaker's disposal? The man wasn't like Samuel L Jackson; he didn't miraculously shoehorn himself into nine films a year. Hold onto your butts, readers----it's the seven films which could have been most improved by a little Swayze.

The Sound Of Music

Character He'd Play: George Ludwig von Trapp

Final Product With A Little Swayze: Hide from the Nazis? Swayze may have also played the Colonel as a stern, domineering, emotionally distant father figure, but there's no way in hell he'd have sauntered off after the singing competition to hide in a nunnery. Strap a gun on Liesl and order her on standby; the Von Trapp's owe their father 50 Nazi scalps.

The Hangover

Character He'd Play: Black Doug

Final Product With A Little Swayze: You know how it sucks Jackie Gleason never got to play opposite Jerry Seinfeld in some uproarious farce and Rock Hudson never got to woo Sarah Jessica Parker in some crummy Romantic Comedy? Well, it's my one big regret Swayze never got to square off against the physically imposing Dr. Ken. And he could have done it here as Black Doug, a shady acquaintance of Zach Galifianakis who lets himself get kidnapped without so much as breaking a nail. Bad form.

The Royal Tenenbaums

Character He'd Play: Narrator

Final Product With A Little Swayze: None of this Wes Anderson wordplay bullshit. Sure, Swayze would talk about the bizarre love quadrangle between Margot, Richie, Eli and Raleigh, but he'd drop the pretentious eccentricities and explain the whole subplot in six words. Never put Margot in a corner; and never underestimate the refreshing honesty in a man impressed with his own three syllable words.

It Takes Two

Character He'd Play: Harry Butkis

Final Product With A Little Swayze: I suspect Swayze may have shied away from this role because of its minor scope in proportion to the film at large, but Johnny Castle running a scam where he adopts children to work in his scrap metal yard sounds like comedy gold to me---or at the worst, a Children Of The Corn army that could easily win Mortal Kombat and save the realm for the next dozen years.

The Gold Rush

Character He'd Play: The Fugitive

Final Product With A Little Swayze: Originally clocking in at over an hour and a half, Charlie Chaplins' 1925 movie The Gold Rush would obviously become a short---or a midlength like The Pilgrim because no one would buy Swayze's fugitive being duped by some homeless asshat shoe-eating drifter. Think Cabin Fever if Bruce Lee was committing the murders and the Hayes Code was still in effect.

Mean Girls

Character He'd Play: Regina George

Final Product With A Little Swayze: Something tells me Miss Kady Herron would think twice before swapping Vida Boheme's lunch with a Caltene Bar. Besides, you haven't seen catty girl-on-girl backstabbing until a six foot tall Drag Queen, pissed off over having to study for a Calculus test, three-way call attacks you as punishment for getting the attention of her ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels. God, he and Regina would make some sexy babies.

Clue

Character He'd Play: Mr. Body

Final Product With A Little Swayze: Maybe, Mr. Body killed the cook! Yes! How? With a flying elbowsmash off the stove, that's how. Patrick Swayze may not have been known for his pratfalls or farce comedy work, but I'd buy him blackmailing some of high society's finest for being thoroughly unAmerican. Fake deaths, secret passageways, cheap glances at Yvette's cleavage, Clue could have easily gone from damn good to unequivocally mesmerizing with this shrewd casting choice. Maybe the producers were worried audience might not have thought Mrs. Peacock, a Senator's Wife in her sixties, capable of candlesticking the Swayze to death in the hall.

It’s been coming for awhile now but I think we’ve all done our best not to think about it. Today though, Patrick Swayze lost his nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He’s dead at 57.

A few weeks ago I sat down to watch Road House for the first time. That’s right, I’d never seen Road House. I was only twelve when it hit theaters in 1989 and movies about shirtless bar security weren’t exactly my thing. But what’s interesting about Road House, and for that matter all of Swayze’s movies, is the way he stood out, no matter was going on around him. Road House is a ridiculous movie, the epitome of cheese. Every moment of it’s ridiculous and so is Swayze’s character, Dalton. But Patrick just goes with it, rides it, embraces how ridiculous it is and in his own way makes it even more ridiculous, until there’s this point when it’s gone so far it’s like he laps himself and suddenly it all makes sense.

Alright, maybe that doesn’t quite sound like the ringing endorsement I was going for.

Was Patrick Swayze a great actor? I don’t know. Probably not. But who really cares? The guy was an icon of the 80s variety, bigger than life and better than whatever you might envision him as. He was the kind of actor Matthew McConaughey wishes he could be. When Patrick Swayze whipped off his shirt it meant something. In later years he became almost a punchline, but even when you made fun of Swayze there was always this strange tinge of respect behind it.

He’ll probably be most remembered for Ghost or Point Break, but pick a genre and Patrick Swayze has done it. I’ve always loved him best in Donnie Darko as the town’s motivational speaker and pedophile, a subtle subversion of his own legendary persona. Or maybe I’ll remember him most for that genius Saturday Night Live Chippendales sketch he did with Chris Farley. Farley got all the laughs, but Swayze was the perfect straight man. Strange to think that now both of those wonderfully talented performers are now gone.

He was last seen in his own television show, The Beast. Swayze worked right up till the end, stayed relevant right up till the end. How many other 80s names can say they’ve done better? How many other actors could have still pulled off a mullet? Almost none. There will only ever be one Patrick Swayze.