And so to Swayze... His blond-barneted, conflicted-villain spiritualist is more inadvertently amusing than dangerously inspirational. But he deserves credit for subverting his good-guy persona so soon after Ghost – even if, Donnie Darko apart, it sadly didn't lead to better things.

Before this year's triumphant return with kinetic Iraq war docu-thriller The Hurt Locker, the same could have been said of Bigelow. Her subsequent offerings - Strange Days, the little-seen The Weight Of Water and K-19: The Widowmaker – seemed flat and uninspired compared to the terrific trilogy of Near Dark, Blue Steel and this, her undisputed classic.

Perhaps aware she might become pigeonholed as an action director or, worse, Cameron's protege, Bigelow still seems reluctant to make another all-out action picture.

But if she'd never set foot behind a camera again, her reputation is assured thanks to this heart-pumping, adrenaline-inducing, totally bodacious butt-booter. Surf's up, dude...