Grease

Previous Auto Racing Videos

Next Auto Racing Videos

Buy This Item Grease by Paramount  Available from Amazon  $14.98  on 8-27-2008     Riding the strange '50s nostalgia wave that swept through America during the late 1970s (caused by TV shows like <I>Happy Days</I> and films like <I>American Graffiti</I>), <I>Grease</I> became not only the word in 1978, but also a box-office smash and a cultural phenomenon. Twenty years later, this entertaining film adaptation of the Broadway musical received another successful theatrical release, which included visual remastering and a shiny new Dolby soundtrack. While this 2002 DVD release contains retrospective interviews with the cast and director Randal Kleiser, it's unfortunately full screen. As a result, the widescreen dance numbers are instead panned and scanned, destroying the symmetrical, lively choreography. A widescreen version is also available and is highly recommended because without the vibrant colors, unforgettably campy and catchy tunes (like "Greased Lightning," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want"), and fabulously choreographed, widescreen musical numbers, the film has to rely on a silly, cliché-filled plot that we've seen hundreds of times. As it is, the episodic story about the romantic dilemmas experienced by a group of graduating high school seniors remains fresh, fun, and incredibly imaginative. <p> The young, animated cast also deserves a lot of credit, bringing chemistry and energy to otherwise bland material. John Travolta, straight from his success in <I>Saturday Night Fever</I>, knows his sexual star power and struts, swaggers, sings, and dances appropriately, while Olivia Newton-John's portrayal of virgin innocence is the only decent acting she's ever done. And then there's Stockard Channing, spouting sexual double-entendres as Rizzo, the bitchy, raunchy leader of the Pink Ladies, who steals the film from both of its stars. Ignore the sequel at all costs. <I>--Dave McCoy</I> Reader Reviews John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in this '70s version of the '50s. Olivia came from Australia and won the hearts of music fans. "You're The One That I Want" is the hot number here. The pair dress in black. "Tell me about it, stud!" Grease appeals to successive generations. Male/female duos perform Summer Nights to karaoke tracks. The film exaggerates. There were no T-Birds or Pink Ladies where I was from. The cast of Grease was long since out of high school, ranging in age from 19 to 35.

Grease Available from Amazon Price: $14.98 Updated on 8-27-2008.

SPONSORED LINKS