If actor and dancer Patrick Swayze was still on this earthly plane, he’d be celebrating his 70th birthday on Thursday, Aug. 18.
Those who’d like to pay homage to the Hollywood star can commemorate his memory that week by attending a Friday, Aug. 19 viewing of “Road House,” the 1989 action film that saw Swayze as a Ph.D.-educated head of bouncers at a roadside bar who protects a small town in Missouri by taking on a corrupt businessman played by Ben Gazzara.
Did I mention you’ll be watching the action unfold under the stars on top of the Bellingham Parkade? The event is part of “Summer of Swayze,” which commemorates the return of the Pickford Cinema’s Rooftop Cinema, back on the scene after a (sigh) pandemic hiatus.
“Rooftop Cinema is one of our most popular yearly events behind Doctober, so we were always planning on bringing it back,” Pickford marketing manager Gray Gordon said. “The question since we reopened, however, was always ‘when?’”
The time is now. The three-film series kicks off Friday, July 22 with a screening of “Dirty Dancing,” the 1987 romantic drama starring Swayze as a dance instructor at a resort in the Catskills who has a summer fling with Frances “Baby” Houseman — played with cunning insight by Jennifer Gray. If you’ve never heard the term “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” now’s the perfect time to see what all the fuss was about.
In between “Dirty Dancing” and “Road House,” catch a wave with “Point Break” on Friday, Aug. 5. In the 1991 crime drama, Swayze is a surfer/bank robber, and Keanu Reeves is the federal agent hired to go undercover to catch the bad guys. (Of course, he needs to don a wetsuit to do so.)
Gray said “Point Break” is actually what caught the Pickford staff’s attention when they discussed bringing back the Rooftop Cinema. Last year, it was mentioned it was the 30th anniversary of the movie directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and someone joked they should just play all Patrick Swayze movies. Thus, “Summer of Swayze” was born.
For those who’ve never attended one of the free Rooftop Cinema events, Gray said they have a lot to get excited about.
“The draw is, first and foremost, Patrick Swayze,” Gray said. “But also, the best 360-degree view of Bellingham Bay’s sunset between the mountain and the sea. People are driving up to watch sunsets at the Parkade all the time. But imagine (watching the) sunset getting to watch Patrick Swayze kick butt in ‘Road House’ while sipping on a Boundary Bay IPA. Perfection.”
For those disappointed that movies such as “Ghost,” “Red Dawn,” “Donnie Darko” or “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” weren’t on the lineup, Gray said it wasn’t easy to choose three roles that expressed Swayze’s artistic range while still playing all the hits. In fact, “Road House” wasn’t even in the initial lineup until they heard from a number of people who wanted it there.
Attendees will want to come early to the three events, which each kick off at 7 p.m. and include DJ Will spinning tunes, World’s Best Trivia emceeing the event, food, nonprofit tables, glitter tattoos, dancing and the sipping of Boundary Bay’s “Swayze Hazy” IPA. Before the Aug. 5 screening of “Point Break,” Bellingham’s most iconic drag queen, Betty Desire, will be entertaining the masses.
The events are free, but Gray said that doesn’t mean they’re easy to pull together.
“At the Pickford, these nights are all hands on deck,” he said. “Everybody — staff, volunteers — gets involved, and from picking the lineup to setting screen and sound up day-of, it’s an all-day affair.”
Attend “Summer of Swayze” at 7 p.m. July 22 (“Dirty Dancing”), Aug. 5 (“Point Break”) and Aug. 19 (“Road House”) on the roof of the Parkade, 1300 Commercial St. Films begin at dusk. Entry is free. Info: pickfordfilmcenter.org.
