Studio 54

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In late 1970's New York, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were two lower middle class college graduate friends, who had separate idea about the career paths they wanted to carve out for themselves. But eventually, they came together to spearhead what would turn out to be their most spectacular endeavour: Studio 54, the Manhattan nightclub that pushed the boundaries, and was a spectacle like no other. But unlicensed drinking, drugs and tax evasion resulted in the pair's imprisonment, and the demise of the club. Upon their release, they attempted to relive their former glory, until Rubell's death in 1989 from AIDs.

For those who weren't around to actually experience it first hand, the iconic Studio 54 has generated a kind of mythical quality about it that film has tried to capture, with even a 1998 film starring Mike Myers made about it. It defined the disco era, and evoked a genuine sense of glamour and wonderment that imitators have failed to capture, whilst also simmering in an underbelly of excess and debauchery that was equally integral to its nature (and was eventually its undoing.) Its overwhelming appeal was to the gay and transgender community, who were persecuted mercilessly on the New York streets, but who discovered a community of acceptance and love inside, both in the spirit of the people and the music.

Despite being the closest of friends, Rubell and Schrager are still portrayed as polar opposites, Rubell a wild, crazy closet homosexual who lived like any moment could be his last, while Schrager is a more practical, level headed guy who oversaw the more grounded side of things. With this in mind, it is overwhelmingly Rubell's influence that shines most brightly in the club, injecting the flamboyance that only a gay mind could muster, and still made it so iconic after so many years. Theirs is a true life tale that wouldn't have been as good if it had been made up, and understandably set the template for many fact based films.

Director Matt Tyrnauer manages an impressively condensed 98 minutes to fit in this illuminating real life tale of triumph and tragedy, filled with a pulse pounding soundtrack that may make you want to dig out your old records afterwards. ****

For me, who never (unfortunately) got to experience Studio 54, this documentary provides a unique insight into the phenomenon. Unique insights are provided in this film, particularly with contributions from surviving creator Ian Schrager. In combination with archival recordings, his and others' information, the result is thorough.

However, one thing annoyed me when I watched the documentary; the unique images from the nightclub change so quickly that it is difficult to see them properly. It's a shame, because the nightclub could show the A list of celebrities who visited the nightclub to enjoy a fantastic night on the town. It might also have been great if some of these celebrities such as Diana Ross, Grace Jones or Elton John could have contributed with why they also chose Studio 54. But in any case, a well-made documentary that provides insight and learning about the famous nightclub.

I've seen a lot of documentaries on Studio 54. For the most part, they have been exercises in schadenfreude (I'm way more punk rock in my musical tastes than disco). I've always disliked Studio 54 for how it discriminated against "the common" person. This documentary, however, really humanizes Ian Schraeger. This is not a documentary of hero worship, and I appreciate how Rubell and Schraeger are portrayed, with both their talents and warts. Overall, I very well done documentary.

Fairly routine talking head doc about the brief life of the crazy club that people still talk about. Some neat archival footage, but overall there's not THAT much to talk about. 3 years of debauchery then jail time. What you get is a bit of stretched out run time, but still ultimately interesting enough to make it worth checking out.

Matt Tyrnauer's fine documentary about the famed NYC Dance Club. I liked that they didn't make it simply about the "glory days" of the club (complete with wall to wall disco music; The tunes are there, but, they are tastefully integrated). It is more a portrait of club owners Steve Rebell and Ian Schrager with Studio 54 as the hook. The fact that Schrager is there to tell the story (although, he remains coy about certain details) is what elevates above other docs on the club, and it will likely remain the most definitive movie on the club for that reason.

Also, credit that it doesn't spend the bulk of its runtime covering the 'glory days' and the celebrity culture aspects (although there's plenty of both). It shows the birth of the club all the way from it's conception to the fall - and even afterwards.

P.S. Bonus points for largely respecting the Aspect Ratio of most of the vintage footage.