Rating: 
Summary: A Period Piece
Review: "Saturday Night Fever" started out as a low budget film by legendary John Badham and ended up being an unforgettable period piece nominated for Oscars and selling more soundtrack albums in history. A tale of a paint shop guy who blows his money on the weekends to become a local legend on the disco floor, John Travolta nailed the role dead on. Although gritty with language and scenes that some might consider offensive, it is a true life tale of the mid seventies in New York City. Some call it the revival of the movie musical, but it's much more than that. Ultimately a story of one man's growth into adulthood through misled love and the confusion of youth, this freinds and family story rings true to the bone. Fueled with the dance beat of that generation and climaxed with the writing and singing skills of the Bee Gees, this movie is a classic representation of the times.
Rating: 
Summary: More relevant after all these years
Review: After reading all the reviews, the one by Gareth from Disco Mountain hits it right on the head. I loved it when it came out almost 25 years ago, I think it's a masterpiece now. There's no dead space in that movie. When you consider all the issues raised, it's astounding that more people don't see the authenticity and humanity within all the flaws of the characters. What Badham did was create a seamless integration of many contemporary themes, and they still hold today in some other neighborhood anywhere in the world. First, it has some of the most natural dialogue ever written. Gritty and powerful and sexy. When I first saw it, I reacted to it with passion. Today, I see the brilliant writing and directing, and those issues! feminism, racism, class consciousness, family dysfunction, religious uncertainty, teenage angst, the inevitable changes encroaching the neighborhood. And all these social commentaries to the beat of nonstop, exhilirating music. The apathy and despair in the family scenes alone go right to the gut. I know these people! Finally, blend that in with those great Brooklyn accents, the dancing, Travolta and company, and you've got one of the most authentic movies made in the last 25 years.
Rating:
Summary: Boogie Time Capsule
Review: I haven't seen this movie since it played in theatres in the 70's and I enjoyed it more now than then. What AMERICAN GRAFFITI did for my parents, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER does for me: it's a film that captures a moment in time. From the flashing dancefloors of the disco to the posters of Farrah Fawcett and Lynda Carter in Tony Manero's bedroom, this film is a snapshot of the 1970's.Back then, I couldn't believe how quickly people turned on disco music. When the bottom fell out in 79-80, it was if a law had been passed and strictly enforced that disco could bring about serious persecution. SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER became a joke and was quickly dismissed.
I'm glad to see it get a great new DVD edition and that people are giving the film and the music another look and listen. John Travolta deserved his Academy Award nomination and you'll especially think so after watching the VH-1 BEHIND THE MUSIC segment in the extras (why not just put the whole show on instead of "highlights"?).
I believe the vibrant soundtrack is still the best-selling soundtrack of all time and it's easy to see why after watching the film. A lot of tacky, terrible movies tried to cash in on the dying disco craze, but SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER created it and is still the only film I remember worth seeing then and now.
Rating:
Summary: The Disco Era Classic Film
Review: In 1977 not everybody knew what the innovative disco music was, and to what extent night clubing was going on. This film depicts John Travolta as Brookyn's Tony Manero, hero to the dance floor. His dead end job at a paint store makes him live for The Saturday Night disco scene. Travolta meets Karen Gorney and enters a dance contest with her but she refuses his sexuall advances. Gorney sees herself going to Manhattan to move on with her life. Travolta sees her as a snob. One local girl played by Donna Pescow likes Travolta but is pushed away by him for Gorneys character since she's a better dancer and Pescow is considered boring. What underlies is Trvoltas often at odds relationship with his family. Racial gang wars and a friend you can't help but wonder about his sexuality. Not only did this movie imitate the era, it influenced the next seven years with it's record selling soundtrack and the great timing in which some of the best nightclubs in America remained open. The movies message is vague but lets you fill in the blanks as Travoltas (Manero) becomes fed up with his existing lifestyle. Moviegoers became so enthralled with it, it would continue into the mid 80's. A PG version was recut to feature the dancing and less social conciousness with virtually no explicit language. This movie had one of the biggest impacts of late 70's films!
Rating:
Summary: Cool Disco classic
Review: Seeing John Travolta dance is quite a treat. It's almost hard to imagine now that John Travolta could do what he did during the late '70s. The music was cool too, being a fan of almost all kinds of music (including oldies/disco) the songs, especially the Bee Gees songs, really captures the fun of what music used to be. I also like this film because I also like to dance, so it stimulates my interest in that aspect. Although I like the film, I also would not show this to a younger audience because of the graphic scenes of sex, violence, and family dispute. The darker side of the film does exist, the reality of how hard life could be when living in poverty and the abuse and mistreatment of women sends out a strong message to the audience, but suprisingly even with this, it still has that tint of hope for a brighter future for John Travolta's character which makes you want to believe he can escape his bondage of his troubled life and start fresh to a new beginning. So this isn't your typical feel good dance movie. It is still a classic although it shows the darker side of American pop culture in the late '70s. The film sends out a lot of messages, both the positive and negative , but the parts I want to remember most about the film is the parts when John Travolta hits the dance floor, it's magic.
Rating:
Summary: YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN' YEAH!!!!!
Review: I LOVE JOHN TRAVOLTA WHAT A WONDERFUL MOVIE AND THE BEE GEES, TAVARES, AND OTHERS HAD REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SOUNDTRACK I LOVE THIS MOVIE IT SHOWS EVERYTHING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE, FAMILY LIFE, MEN, WOMEN, SEX, SUICIDE, SELF-ESTEEM , BUT MOST OF ALL DANCING AND HOW GOOD MUSIC IS AND HOW WELL WE ALL CAN DANCE THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE AND I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LIKES THE BEE GEES, TAVARES, JOHN TRAVOLTA, DANCING, SINGING, AND DISCO, TO BUY THIS ALBUM AS WELL RIGHT ALONG WITH THE SOUNDTRACK I LOVE THIS MOVIE THIS MOVIE IS GREAT I LOVE ALL THE DANCING. I LIKE JOHN'S [appealing] STYLE AND HIS WALK AND THE WAY HE DANCES AND EVERYTHING IT IS A GOOD MOVIE. I SUGGEST ANY JOHN TRAVOLTA FAN TO BUY THIS MOVIE.
Rating:
Summary: Still Potent After All These Years
Review: How is it possible that a film made in 1977 and so entrenched in the disco era does not seem at all dated? Yes, this movie has lots of disco music and many dance numbers that seem silly by today's standards, but it also tells a great story of a young man trying to escape from his dead-end existence. This story is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago, and the acting (especially Travolta and Donna Pescow) is superb. People too young to have experienced the '70s will probably find the disco dancing amusing, but Travolta's talent as a dancer as well as an actor really is magical to watch. The DVD transfer is beautiful, and the music--no, disco doesn't ... anymore--sounds terrific. Unfortunately, this movie has developed a reputation over the years for being cornball, but it's anything but. Don't forget, John Travolta was nominated for an Oscar for this role. If you've never seen it, give it a try--you might be surprised. If you've seen it before, check out the new DVD. It'll have you doing the Electric Hustle in your living room!
Rating:
Summary: Still Flaming Hot
Review: Unfairly dismissed by many viewers today as a relic of the disco era, "Saturday Night Fever" should more properly be remembered as the classic coming-of-age tale in which John Travolta exploded onto the big screen. The actor's character, Tony Manero, is a nineteen-year-old Italian-American still living with his family in Brooklyn who is stuck in a dead-end job and hanging around with a group of old friends who (like himself) have no real hopes or ambitions for the future. Manero's only true talent - and his escape from the world around him - is his prowess on the dance floor. It's a tricky role - the outwardly racist, sexist, homophobic, immature Manero is not the most sympathetic of characters - but Travolta imbues him with a aura of underlying decency and vulnerability that causes the audience to identify with him and ultimately, cheer for him. It's truly a knockout performance ... one that deservedly netted Travolta an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and won him the top male acting award from the National Board of Review. The 25th Anniversary edition DVD offers home viewers a great video and sound transfer. A VH-1 "Behind the Music" documentary offers an interesting look at the troubled production history of the film, as well as some interesting insights into the movie's impact on popular culture. Regrettably, the disc does not include the Original Theatrical Trailer; I found myself curious to see how the distributor (Paramount) promoted this film to theatregoers. This one minor flaw aside, the DVD offers a solid presentation of this 1977 classic, and is a video worthy of repeated viewings. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Admit it
Review: You liked this movie when it came out. And John Travolta's dancing was possibly the coolest thing you'd ever seen. Then came the disco backlash and it suddenly was uncool. Which is unfair because this movie is a classic of time and place, despite it's technical flaws (the occasional visible boom mike, obvious reuse of 2nd unit dance footage, and conversations where lips aren't moving.) Not for nothing was this the late, great Gene Siskel's favorite movie instead of say, Roller Boogie or Can't Stop the Music. I was going to write about some of the best scenes from this movie but who HASN'T seen it? Instead, let's just focus on this DVD. It does have some extras which are always nice but they are on the skimpy side. There are 3 deleted scenes that are largely throw-aways. I'm curious why they didn't include the extra footage they used for the PG version which includes more dance scenes. There is a decent VH1 Behind the Music episode about it. If you saw it when it was on, then there's no reason to see it again; although it does have some fabulous rehearsal footage of John that's definitely worth viewing. The best of the bunch is director John Badham's commentary which is very good and exactly what a director commentary should be-peppered with amusing trivia (e.g. the lady who played Travolta's grandmother kept presenting him with scenes she had written to beef up her part), technical details, and wry humor. And plus you have a true screen classic on DVD. Re-watch it after all these years and still discover something new to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Any night fever
Review: John Travolta makes his starring film debut in this film as Tony Manero,a paint store sales associate who during the day is at the store and is at the real non-existent 2001 Odyssey discotheque and nightclub at night. Karen Lynn Gorney is Stephanie Mangano,a girl Tony meets at a dance studio. They'd later go to 2001 Odyssey together. Tony still lives with his mom,dad and his little sister in Brooklyn and in the last scene,announces to Stephanie his plan to move to Manhattan where she lives. Tony's buddies went with him to the nightclub also. Tony loses his job at the paint store after he takes a day off against his boss's authority. Tony is later reinstated. John Travolta was the star of TV's "Welcome Back Kotter" when he made this film. It wouldn't be long after wrapping up this film that he'd do his next starring film "Grease" with singer Olivia Newton-John. The soundtrack album is the biggest-selling in pop music history thanks in part to 5 songs on the album by the Bee Gees. Their composition IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU,was recorded by Yvonne Elliman. The Bee Gees would later record the song themselves. However,there are 2 versions of MORE THAN A WOMAN on the album,recorded by the Bee Gees and Tavares. Get a load of,in one of the first scenes,Travolta strutting while simultaneously eating two slices of pizza! The Matrix in Bay Ridge,Brooklyn now stands where 2001 Odyssey did. In addition to the Bee Gees,we hear great songs by K.C. and the Sunshine Band,Kool & The Gang and even the Trampps' DISCO INFERNO(10 minutes and 52 seconds in length on the album). Director John Badham later directed Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn in BIRD ON A WIRE. There's also in the film,Donna Pescow as Annette,who was Tony's girlfriend before Stephanie and Martin Shakar as Tony's minister brother,who quit the priesthood and returned home. After its theatrical release 26 years ago,SNF remains one of the most popular all-time films.
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