Evolvist
Joined Mar 2002
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews32
Evolvist's rating
I believe that this was the first movie that I saw in the theatre when I four-years-old. (My second movie was Star Wars-also in 1978-then the Muppet Movie, and then I am sure the next was Popeye). The baby sitter took me to Saturday Night Fever, and I remember my legs fell asleep sitting in the seat for so long. I viewed the movie again tonight, and this time nothing fell asleep.
Despite the fact that the lead actress was completely the wrong chick for this film, and although the movies ending was sort of lackadaisical; nevertheless, the acting was all pretty honest, nothing was forced, and the film flowed very, very well. Coupled with the fact that the soundtrack is superb & the dancing was top-notch it tells us a lot about how we took a relatively cool style of music and mistreated it with coked-up lifestyles and loud polyester. Sure, it might look cool en-retro; however, asked someone who lived the discotheque life and they will grin and bow their heads in shame.
This is really a fun movie that actually contains substance.
I think Saturday Night Fever deserves a lot better rating than most IMDB users give it. As for me, I am going to break out my platform shoes and give it a solid 8/10.
Despite the fact that the lead actress was completely the wrong chick for this film, and although the movies ending was sort of lackadaisical; nevertheless, the acting was all pretty honest, nothing was forced, and the film flowed very, very well. Coupled with the fact that the soundtrack is superb & the dancing was top-notch it tells us a lot about how we took a relatively cool style of music and mistreated it with coked-up lifestyles and loud polyester. Sure, it might look cool en-retro; however, asked someone who lived the discotheque life and they will grin and bow their heads in shame.
This is really a fun movie that actually contains substance.
I think Saturday Night Fever deserves a lot better rating than most IMDB users give it. As for me, I am going to break out my platform shoes and give it a solid 8/10.
Helpful•11
The songs are wonderful (all but the `Sandra Dee' number), the scene with Travolta trying out for the different sports is top notch, and this musical/movie has been an inspiration for many. The last 15 minutes of the movie is pure musical brilliance (except for possibly the dumbest scene in musical history: when the car started to fly). Personally, I had not seen this movie in 18 or 20 years, and I must admit that it has tarnished quite a bit for me over time. In fact, I can only give it a 6.8/10
Bottom line, I think most people must have a sentimental attachment to `Grease' in order to like it after all these years. Too much fluff for me, but I can see why people dig it. Not that I cannot get into syrupy type movies; however, I found myself loathing the parts where it sounded like everyone talking at once. There was very little breathing space and only so many leather jackets and 30-year-old teenagers the eye could take. Also I am more of a film-as-art critic than I was the first million times I saw `Grease" )back in the early eighties).
Don't get me wrong. I mean, I am of the generation in which this movie came out; nevertheless, I have since become a firm believer in keeping stage productions off the silver screen. Combining the two genres has done nothing but muddy the waters a bit. It is like 99% of the time when a band covers a song it is never as great as when the original artists did it. What's more, it does not really seem like art to me when a Director or a Producer takes an existing stage production and trys to pass it off to the film crowd as something new. If all it takes to make a box office smash is to take someone elses work, add a few extra lights, nifty camera angles, and a few big names, then hell, I want a piece of that action! It is a lazy man's game and it does not support artistic integrity. A case in point, take any opera, film it, put it on DVD...a few people will buy it, but most of the purist will snub their collective noses at it. Then again, the movie going public (in general) do not SEEM to be so pure in the search for excellence in their chosen genre. *NOTE* I am not so much talking about "Grease" here, but a certain movie named after the Windy City, that won a best picture Oscar. What a travesty But, hey, if people never mixed different styles of art together then we would not have nearly half the music that we have today so who am I to complain?
Nonetheless, as pure film/art I think `Grease' would have been better off on Broadway. And I bet John Travolta was not even driving that car in the big car race scene (ha) (Not really funny).
Fun to watch 68% of the time. 6.8/10
I could say so more, but nobody reads this stuff anyway.
Don't get me wrong. I mean, I am of the generation in which this movie came out; nevertheless, I have since become a firm believer in keeping stage productions off the silver screen. Combining the two genres has done nothing but muddy the waters a bit. It is like 99% of the time when a band covers a song it is never as great as when the original artists did it. What's more, it does not really seem like art to me when a Director or a Producer takes an existing stage production and trys to pass it off to the film crowd as something new. If all it takes to make a box office smash is to take someone elses work, add a few extra lights, nifty camera angles, and a few big names, then hell, I want a piece of that action! It is a lazy man's game and it does not support artistic integrity. A case in point, take any opera, film it, put it on DVD...a few people will buy it, but most of the purist will snub their collective noses at it. Then again, the movie going public (in general) do not SEEM to be so pure in the search for excellence in their chosen genre. *NOTE* I am not so much talking about "Grease" here, but a certain movie named after the Windy City, that won a best picture Oscar. What a travesty But, hey, if people never mixed different styles of art together then we would not have nearly half the music that we have today so who am I to complain?
Nonetheless, as pure film/art I think `Grease' would have been better off on Broadway. And I bet John Travolta was not even driving that car in the big car race scene (ha) (Not really funny).
Fun to watch 68% of the time. 6.8/10
I could say so more, but nobody reads this stuff anyway.
Helpful•04
And that's the little mean/green Oscar that lives in a garbage can and not the golden-boy Oscar that lives on caviar and talent. I mean, Pacino use to be quite talented; but he has been playing the exact same role since the `Scent of a Woman' wafted down the Hollywood hills and was never smelt again. Now all I smell is trash. I pray that the man will one day snap to it and re-invent himself, because the same fire that made him so great throughout the 70s and 80s has long vanished.
Enter `The Recruit.' I give this movie a 5.2/10 and that is only because after the first 10 minutes the movie got interesting. However, I lost complete interest 45 later. I have to admit, Collin Farrell will be interesting to watch in the future, but the future can never save the present (therefore, so much for that notion).
God help me! And I love spy/ C.I.A / F.B.I films! Nevertheless, I have seen better film on my tongue in the morning.
Maybe I am not being fair. Maybe I just want the old Al Pacino back. Then again, maybe this movie just plain sucked. I don't know anymore. All I have to say is:
`ATTICA!!!!'
Enter `The Recruit.' I give this movie a 5.2/10 and that is only because after the first 10 minutes the movie got interesting. However, I lost complete interest 45 later. I have to admit, Collin Farrell will be interesting to watch in the future, but the future can never save the present (therefore, so much for that notion).
God help me! And I love spy/ C.I.A / F.B.I films! Nevertheless, I have seen better film on my tongue in the morning.
Maybe I am not being fair. Maybe I just want the old Al Pacino back. Then again, maybe this movie just plain sucked. I don't know anymore. All I have to say is:
`ATTICA!!!!'
Helpful•02