Dennis Quaid, The Big Easy

Dennis Quaid, The Big Easy - 1987

Two of my favorite things in the world - Dennis Quaid and New Orleans - what could be better?

Meg Ryan is a moron. Seriously - look at that man. How could she have possibly left Dennis Quaid? And for Russell Crowe??? Yuck.

I have been seriously enamored of Dennis since I first saw him in 1987's The Big Easy. I love that movie. J makes fun of me for it all the time. I have the movie on VHS, he got it for me on DVD, and I have the TiVO set to record it everytime it comes on. We just came home from dinner last night to find it on TV being recorded. Which put me in the mood to see it again, so I watched it tonight. (J made me change it last night so he could watch something else.) But he understands that Dennis Quaid is on my "list". Actually, he's probably five out of the ten spots on my "list"!

If you haven't seen it - go rent it. Or come on over - I'm happy to watch with you! It's set in New Orleans, one of my favorite places; it features great cajun music and Aaron Neville, one of my favorite singers; and it stars Dennis Quaid - what's not to love? Also in the movie are Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, and Ned Beatty. Quaid plays a slightly crooked NOPD detective who bumps heads with a high-strung prosecutor new to New Orleans, Ellen Barkin. It features one of the steamiest love scenes I've ever seen. Not graphic, not pornographic - just hot. Just the thought of Quaid asking "This? ...or this?" Sigh.

The movie may seem a little bit clunky, it's twenty years old, remember - it wasn't shot with CGI or anything of the sort. It's got a lot of stereotypes in it and it can be a little predictable - yet it's a steamy, stylish suspenseful movie that hasn't lost a thing in two decades. The zydeco music and the atmosphere of the movie bring New Orleans to life. It makes me yearn for jambalaya and crawfish étouffée, fried oyster po'boys and gumbo; zydeco on a washboard and BIG ASS BEER. Unfortunatley, some of that New Orleans is probably gone for good. Tipitina's and the French Quarter (both featured in the movie) are still around, but many of the other areas highlighted in the movie are gone for good.

The only thing that really bums me out is that there are no extras on the DVD. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If you decide to watch the movie after reading this - drop me a line, let me know what you thought.