Andy Warhol Loved It!
Added 9/1/2009
That's right, it's in the Warhol Diaries. Pop-Art Superstar Andy Warhol went to the premiere, and wrote, "I loved it" in his diary. Receiving two Golden Raspberry Awards, and notoriously dubbed as the "worst sequel EVER," over 25 years later, the debate rages on. Even though critics and some fans of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER hated it, it was one of the top grossing films of 1983.
This is one of those flicks that I watch every time they run it on TV. (Now I own a copy on DVD.) Even though I'm biased because I love almost anything 80's, I've always wondered what it is about this flick that makes me want to watch it again and again. (I'm sure I've watched this almost as many times as I've watched SNF.)
1. Like the late Gene Siskel, whose alltime favorite film was SNF (he even bought Travolta's white disco suit at auction), there is the male fantasy aspect of wanting to be the King of The Dance Floor. 2. It's Travolta as Tony Manero. He was cut, well oiled, and could dance like few actors of his generation could. Say what you want about his acting in this (I think he's great), his dancing in this film is amazing. 3. Even though the script is hammy and predictable, the characterization of Manero as the egotistical "p" hound is intact. "I thought I was being sort of charming..." The script is also funny, and has some great oneliners: "I guess I'll have to cancel that brain operation." 4. Two very hot actresses, Cynthia Rhodes (who does her own singing) and Britain's Finola Hughes in tight leotards perform some very sexy super duper slo-mo dance moves. If you appreciate kama sutra paintings, you're gonna love this flick. The routines are extremely sexual. There are a ton of tight butts, legs, and thighs floating thru the shots. Reason enough to give this Five Stars. 5. Great 80's Pop music from The Bee Gees, Cynthia Rhodes, and Frank Stallone. (Frank Stallone still has a great voice.) 6. A great climactic Broadway Dance sequence, well choreographed, and marvelously directed by Sly Stallone. (Everyone knows the story of Travolta crying when he saw the first cut of his solo dance number in SNF. The director John Badham had cut off Travolta from the waist down in the first edit of SNF. Travolta went into the editing room himself and recut the sequence using the master shots.) Say what you want about the camp and the script, Sly's direction is very very good here. Whether you prefer the disco dancing in SNF or the interpretive dancing in SA, the direction of the dance sequences in SA are just as good as the sequences in SNF. And, 7. This flick contains the Best Feelgood Final Movie Line EVER! (see below)
Yeah, the Broadway Show SATAN'S ALLEY is total camp, but it's a perfect slice of pure 80's Broadway dance extravaganza. This is one of those films that absolutely captures the 80's in all of its slick Pop Culture Flash. (Those that loath 80's Pop Culture should stay far far away from this flick. It's just oozes 80's Pop-Art sensibilites and dance.) A perfect time capsule of the 80's. It's now a part of Paramount's I LOVE THE 80'S DVD Series. And rightfully so.
IMHO, this is a PERFECT sequel to a Late 70's cultural phenomenon- SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. And, a wonderfully directed Pop-Art Dance Film. Guilty or not, if you love dance and the Tony Manero character, this flick is just a real pleasure. Period.
Makes a great 80's Double Feature alongside FOOTLOOSE or FLASHDANCE.
I only wish the soundtrack CD was still in print.
The lastest I LOVE THE 80'S DVD transfer has great 5.1 sound, good color timing, and looks great on my 51" plasma with some very minor adjustment. But, the print is a tad dirty and it could still stand a remastering job. There are NO extras. (Under PRODUCT DETAILS, Amazon lists 2 Discs for the entire I LOVE THE 80'S DVD Series. FALSE and MISLEADING! The entire Paramount Series are bare-bones Single Disc DVDs! Act accordingly!) Shamefully, there should have been a 25th Anniversary Edition, with a look back by the cast and crew. Here's hoping someone does justice to the 30th Anniversary Edition. Until then...
"I'm gonna strut."
Enjoy.
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You know what I wanna do?
Added 8/12/2009
Thank the Amazon reviewer for his d@mning review of this movie - should you dare to watch it, you may be pleasantly surprised! Both the women in Tony's life give excellent performances, one devoted and warm, the other chilly cool, rich, talented, fiercely independent. I thought Travolta was doing just fine in this role, which still seemed tailor-made for him and better than a lot of his 'come-back' movies in the 90s. Granted, the 80s broadway dance scenes do go on, but then.. so do I.
This movie went out of favor around the time of the "disco sucks" backlash that reared it's head a few years after the SNF and disco movement of the late 70s went out. Incidentally, now we know that disco is cool. Not that this movie is 'disco' - it's more akin to 80s pop and aerobics music (with several Bee Gees numbers in there just for perspective). I found Tony's girlfriend's performance of "Fadin Away" quite moving and could occasionally appreciate some of the over-the-top dance numbers as a slice of that era known as the early 80s. The first good half of the movie is pretty solid with a fair amount of sexual tension between Tony and the two ladies of the show. Tony's character having matured a bit is a refreshing twist, though he's still got 'the fever' thank God. Opening night on Broadway towards the end is a bit longish. You have to suffer though more bad 80s music, but a few heroic gestures in it all make things more or less right. With the Amazon review having prepared me for much worse, this movie wasn't all that bad.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The journey of Tony Manero
Added 7/25/2009
I absolutely loved Saturday Night Fever the first time I saw it on TV back in the late 80's. Everything was fresh, raw, and riveting. Ever since I've must have seen it over a dozen times. So to my surprise, a few years ago I discovered that there was actually a sequel called Staying Alive. So with some anticipation I finally viewed the sequel a couple of years ago.
At the end of my first viewing, I felt just bland towards this movie. Didn't hate it but wasn't too excited either. So before I wrote this review I wanted to catch the sequel a second time to refresh my mind and see if I could get a new perspective. This time I focused directly on the journey of Tony Manero and the results are somewhat positive.
Granted the skeletal structure of this movie does not break any new ground; however, it was still enjoyable to see Manero's character try so damn hard and evolve enough to get to a different level. Aside from Manero's journey though, the rest of the movie is still pretty bland. The characters, dialogue, music, atmosphere, etc are all lacking.
Some general observations/comments. The dance attires look ridiculous. It was funny seeing Travolta all ripped and sinewy; guess Sly must've put Travolta through his "Rocky Balboa" comeback workout regimen. The lead guy that got booted was one angry "queen". No special features save for the English and Spanish subtitles. Alright movie if you want to see the evolution of the Tony Manero character.
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Staying Alive
Added 7/15/2009
A curiously bad sequel to Saturday Night Fever, though interesting in it's failings. Tony Manero has matured past his coming of age education in the first movie and turns out to be a rather self absorbed, and largely unlikeable character. The dialogue throughout the film is ultra mundane. Everything about Tony's life seems ordinary, including his involvement in bland jazz ballet productions that seem inexplicably popular in the Staying Alive universe.
Having said that, Manero's star turn in the finale production, the astonishingly (and appropriately) titled Satan's Alley, has to be seen to be believed. It's a Springtime For Hitler moment. Sadly we're denied a scene showing the producers receiving lengthy jail terms.
The music is a series of forgettable numbers by an uninspired Bee Gees and the nepotistically employed Frank Stallone who contributes greatly to the overall ordinariness of the movie. The dancing is mostly a lot of leaping cut together in a way that was probably intended to look dynamic but mainly yields tedium.
To cap it all off, the film presents one of the stupidest endings in the history of cinema. Tony Manero struts. It's the ineptitude on display that renders this film surprisingly entertaining.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Service with a smile
Added 4/12/2009
I have searched for this movie for months and never found it until i came to amazon.com, I ordered this movie and it was in my mailbox within 4-5 days. It was in EXCELLENT condition!! I definetly plan to do business with this dealer again and I recommend that you do too!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Andy Warhol Loved It!
Added 9/1/2009
That's right, it's in the Warhol Diaries. Pop-Art Superstar Andy Warhol went to the premiere, and wrote, "I loved it" in his diary. Receiving two Golden Raspberry Awards, and notoriously dubbed as the "worst sequel EVER," over 25 years later, the debate rages on. Even though critics and some fans of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER hated it, it was one of the top grossing films of 1983.
This is one of those flicks that I watch every time they run it on TV. (Now I own a copy on DVD.) Even though I'm biased because I love almost anything 80's, I've always wondered what it is about this flick that makes me want to watch it again and again. (I'm sure I've watched this almost as many times as I've watched SNF.)
1. Like the late Gene Siskel, whose alltime favorite film was SNF (he even bought Travolta's white disco suit at auction), there is the male fantasy aspect of wanting to be the King of The Dance Floor. 2. It's Travolta as Tony Manero. He was cut, well oiled, and could dance like few actors of his generation could. Say what you want about his acting in this (I think he's great), his dancing in this film is amazing. 3. Even though the script is hammy and predictable, the characterization of Manero as the egotistical "p" hound is intact. "I thought I was being sort of charming..." The script is also funny, and has some great oneliners: "I guess I'll have to cancel that brain operation." 4. Two very hot actresses, Cynthia Rhodes (who does her own singing) and Britain's Finola Hughes in tight leotards perform some very sexy super duper slo-mo dance moves. If you appreciate kama sutra paintings, you're gonna love this flick. The routines are extremely sexual. There are a ton of tight butts, legs, and thighs floating thru the shots. Reason enough to give this Five Stars. 5. Great 80's Pop music from The Bee Gees, Cynthia Rhodes, and Frank Stallone. (Frank Stallone still has a great voice.) 6. A great climactic Broadway Dance sequence, well choreographed, and marvelously directed by Sly Stallone. (Everyone knows the story of Travolta crying when he saw the first cut of his solo dance number in SNF. The director John Badham had cut off Travolta from the waist down in the first edit of SNF. Travolta went into the editing room himself and recut the sequence using the master shots.) Say what you want about the camp and the script, Sly's direction is very very good here. Whether you prefer the disco dancing in SNF or the interpretive dancing in SA, the direction of the dance sequences in SA are just as good as the sequences in SNF. And, 7. This flick contains the Best Feelgood Final Movie Line EVER! (see below)
Yeah, the Broadway Show SATAN'S ALLEY is total camp, but it's a perfect slice of pure 80's Broadway dance extravaganza. This is one of those films that absolutely captures the 80's in all of its slick Pop Culture Flash. (Those that loath 80's Pop Culture should stay far far away from this flick. It's just oozes 80's Pop-Art sensibilites and dance.) A perfect time capsule of the 80's. It's now a part of Paramount's I LOVE THE 80'S DVD Series. And rightfully so.
IMHO, this is a PERFECT sequel to a Late 70's cultural phenomenon- SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. And, a wonderfully directed Pop-Art Dance Film. Guilty or not, if you love dance and the Tony Manero character, this flick is just a real pleasure. Period.
Makes a great 80's Double Feature alongside FOOTLOOSE or FLASHDANCE.
I only wish the soundtrack CD was still in print.
The lastest I LOVE THE 80'S DVD transfer has great 5.1 sound, good color timing, and looks great on my 51" plasma with some very minor adjustment. But, the print is a tad dirty and it could still stand a remastering job. There are NO extras. (Under PRODUCT DETAILS, Amazon lists 2 Discs for the entire I LOVE THE 80'S DVD Series. FALSE and MISLEADING! The entire Paramount Series are bare-bones Single Disc DVDs! Act accordingly!) Shamefully, there should have been a 25th Anniversary Edition, with a look back by the cast and crew. Here's hoping someone does justice to the 30th Anniversary Edition. Until then...
"I'm gonna strut."
Enjoy.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
You know what I wanna do?
Added 8/12/2009
Thank the Amazon reviewer for his d@mning review of this movie - should you dare to watch it, you may be pleasantly surprised! Both the women in Tony's life give excellent performances, one devoted and warm, the other chilly cool, rich, talented, fiercely independent. I thought Travolta was doing just fine in this role, which still seemed tailor-made for him and better than a lot of his 'come-back' movies in the 90s. Granted, the 80s broadway dance scenes do go on, but then.. so do I.
This movie went out of favor around the time of the "disco sucks" backlash that reared it's head a few years after the SNF and disco movement of the late 70s went out. Incidentally, now we know that disco is cool. Not that this movie is 'disco' - it's more akin to 80s pop and aerobics music (with several Bee Gees numbers in there just for perspective). I found Tony's girlfriend's performance of "Fadin Away" quite moving and could occasionally appreciate some of the over-the-top dance numbers as a slice of that era known as the early 80s. The first good half of the movie is pretty solid with a fair amount of sexual tension between Tony and the two ladies of the show. Tony's character having matured a bit is a refreshing twist, though he's still got 'the fever' thank God. Opening night on Broadway towards the end is a bit longish. You have to suffer though more bad 80s music, but a few heroic gestures in it all make things more or less right. With the Amazon review having prepared me for much worse, this movie wasn't all that bad.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The journey of Tony Manero
Added 7/25/2009
I absolutely loved Saturday Night Fever the first time I saw it on TV back in the late 80's. Everything was fresh, raw, and riveting. Ever since I've must have seen it over a dozen times. So to my surprise, a few years ago I discovered that there was actually a sequel called Staying Alive. So with some anticipation I finally viewed the sequel a couple of years ago.
At the end of my first viewing, I felt just bland towards this movie. Didn't hate it but wasn't too excited either. So before I wrote this review I wanted to catch the sequel a second time to refresh my mind and see if I could get a new perspective. This time I focused directly on the journey of Tony Manero and the results are somewhat positive.
Granted the skeletal structure of this movie does not break any new ground; however, it was still enjoyable to see Manero's character try so damn hard and evolve enough to get to a different level. Aside from Manero's journey though, the rest of the movie is still pretty bland. The characters, dialogue, music, atmosphere, etc are all lacking.
Some general observations/comments. The dance attires look ridiculous. It was funny seeing Travolta all ripped and sinewy; guess Sly must've put Travolta through his "Rocky Balboa" comeback workout regimen. The lead guy that got booted was one angry "queen". No special features save for the English and Spanish subtitles. Alright movie if you want to see the evolution of the Tony Manero character.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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