Disco inferno

In celebration of the quarter century since a trim John Travolta made sauntering with a can of paint in hand chic,' Paramount Pictures has released a revamped DVD of the classic Saturday Night Fever, which greatly improves on the films original Dolby sound. Also, the new DVD has some commentary from director John Badham, three deleted scenes are added as are highlights from a VH1 "Behind the Music" episode on Fever.

For those not familiar with the movie, it is a popular belief that the film is lighthearted look at Disco dancing. Hardly! As the actual time the film spends in Brooklyn's Odyssey: 2001 dance club is actually pretty minimum.

The film is a raw look at the post-Vietnam days of the '70s when hoards were escaping to local dance complex's to escape the reality of gas and energy shortages, skyrocketing unemployment and the lingering embarrassment of the Watergate scandal.

Travolta's character, Tony Manero had a kind of dead-end existence in his paint store job and an association with a rough nowhere crowd that would be unlikely to see their mid-20's.

The highlight of their week is popping pills and booze and then "blowing it all" at the Odyssey followed by some borderline psychotic dancing on the outer structure of the

Brooklyn Bridge.

While at times, Manero seems no more mature than his quartet of friends, he is much deeper and intelligent than he (wants too) let on. Though his profanity and racist

comment disguise it at times, there are subliminal messages that realizes his behavior is

taking him nowhere.

Through some unexpected good advise from his brother (who returns home after leaving the priesthood) his boss (You can't f*** the future Tony. The future f***'s you!") and even his name dropping snobby (yet insecure) dance partner Stephanie (who bluntly tells him: "You're a clich?©.' You're no place. On your way to nowhere."

Travolta's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for 1977, and it is apparent that it was well deserved. While overlooked, supporting performances from

Donna Pescow (as the infatuated Annette) and Barry Miller who gives up a tragic and

comic performance as Travolta's tormented pal who is tortured by his girlfriend's

pregnancy (and steals the scene from Travolta in the films climax at the

Brooklyn Bridge).

Also, look for a cool cameo from then-unknown Fran Drescher, who boldly asks

Travolta's character to dance with the daring question: "Are you as good in bed as you

are on the dance floor?"

The film is a prime piece of late '70s pop culture and really should be stuck in a time vault as it was the most accurate portrayal of the era.

Fever's sequel, Staying Alive, which came out five years after the original, has been critically lambasted since its original release. While seeing the ultra macho Manero dancing in some bizarrely choreographed Broadway play seems kind of out of character (and would have earned the wrath of his Brooklyn-ite friends from Fever), it is interesting to see what became of Manero and to witness his maturity as he puts his crude and violent days behind him.



Disco Nights CD Series

The music that was officially pronounced dead in 1979, has proved to have a stating power that no one could have envisioned. The racks at Tower and Virgin overflow with Disco compilations and the number of "Disco" themed parties are reportedly greater than ever.

While picking out the best compilation is no easy task, one can rest assure that there is a prime series of CD's that captures the heart of Disco better than any other compilation.

The aptly titled Disco Nights (Unidisc) is a seven disc series (also, the first four discs are available in a special Box Set) that has picked out the best dance tunes of the genre and even harks upon some classic and forgotten dance gits from the early 1980s _ when the "Disco" label was dropped and rechristened as "Dance Music."

Not just a collection of standard and overplayed Village People and Bee Gee's songs, Disco Nights is a hodgepodge of the best of the mirror ball movers.

Amongst the sets highlights are: Carol Douglas' dated but still effective Doctor's Orders; Jocelyn Brown's magnificent "Somebody Else's Guy;" a couple from one of the

archangel of Disco Sylvester _ "Do You Wanna Funk" and "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real." Another highlight is the former denizens of New York's CBGB's, Blondie (Call Me and Heart of Glass"), who Disco laced hits gave them major mainstream success but forever banished them from their original Punk crowd; and, Machine whose sole chart entry, "There But for the Grace of God Go I" is possibly the only song of the Disco era that could be described as a protest song (which is exactly the opposite message of Disco). It works surprisingly well with a pulsating beats and sharp lyrics so rich that would still be _ if released today _ a major hit.

Yes, the set does included a lot of the more mainstream hits _ "I Will Survive," "Turn The Beat Around," "Le Freak," and mandatory sides from KC and the Sunshine Band _ but it is the most well rounded sets available and certainly worth owning as a record of one of pop music's most enduring legacy.