Tell me about it, Stud (Grease (DVD))

Member Name: Glory_FishesII

Product:	Grease (DVD)
Date:	27/01/05 (5742 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I love it

Disadvantages: I'm a wee bit geeky about it

Introduction -------

Most people have seen ''Grease'' at some point or drunkenly sang along to the megamix of the soundtrack that they play in cheesy clubs, when that bloke you've been avoiding all night is determined to be the Danny to your Sandy. You see Danny and Sandy are the filmatic equivalent of bangers and mash but in a much more kitsch way. In fact, Sandy and Danny even inspired the video for Kylie and Robbie's 'Kids'.

I have had the same VHS copy of ''Grease'' since I was twelve. I can even spot when TV channels edit out a single line as I know the script so well, so be prepared this opinion may get more than a little geeky.

----- Main Cast

John Travolta ---- Danny Zuko
Olivia Newton John ---- Sandy Olsson
Stockard Channing ---- Betty Rizzo
Jeff Conaway ---- Kenickie
Barry Pearl --- Doody
Michael Tucci --- Sonny LaTierri
Kelly Ward -- Putzie
Didi Conn - Frenchy
Jamie Donnelly --- Jan
Dinah Manof --- Marty Marischino
Eve Arden --- Principle McGee


Set in the opening of senior year at Rydell High School in 1959, this musical follows the lives and loves of a gang of friends, who have practically become like family to me. Most people would mention the main characters of Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton John).

Randall Klieser directs the film with such pep, you forget that the ''kids'' look way older than their supposed eighteen years of age.. This film could easily have simply a case of charting the on -- off relationship between Danny /Sandy and their counterparts Rizzo /Kenickie , which are played with tenderness and humour, but this film is more about boy meets girl. It is ultimately a film about friends, long before Central Perk even opened it's doors and yes they all date each other or have crushes on each other its just the hair is slightly more kitsch to say the least.

When Leo Balmudo ''Craterface'' (Dennis C Stewart) leader of local rival gang The Scorpions, challenges Kenickie to car race at Thunder Road, there is more than just ''pink slips'' (car ownership papers) at stake -- it is a matter of honour and drastic action is needed to transform the wreck that he drives into something ''ultramatic''.

The girls equally have a lot at stake when TV station KZAZ decide to film ''National Bandstand'' at Rydell High.... and the rivalry rears it's head in the shapely form of Cha Cha Di Gregorio (Annette Charles).

The TByrds are a basically a bunch of losers who spend their time looking up to Danny and his best mate Kenickie (Jeff Conaway). But there is a real sense of friendship between them all... as they ritualistically tease each other throughout the film, the same can be said of their female counterparts The Pink Ladies, who are led by Kenickie's on and off ''squeeze'' Betty Rizzo. All the ''gang members'' bring a sense of naivety -- from the belief that it takes fifteen minutes to ''make it with a chick'' that is discussed with such bravado by the TByrds, to the shock Marty( Dina Manof) feels when she finds the leader of National Bandstand, Vince Fontaine (Edd Byrnes) putting aspirin in her drink at the end of year dance.

--- Performances

Travolta and Newton John do give fun performances as the ''summer romance'' that may die, with Travolta perhaps earning more brownie points due to the comedy aspect of his portrayal of Danny's being torn between the girl and his gang. I always laugh at his attempt to act cool when he bumps into Sandy and her jock date Tom Chisum (Lorenzo Lemas) at the Frosty Palace, the fast food joint where all the hip kids hang out. Saying that Olivia is suitably prissy and pure as the virginal Sandra Dee, but perhaps the thing I love about this film the most is the supporting cast.

Eve Arden (Principle McGee) and Dody Goodman (Blanche) act as perfect foils to each other as the Head of Rydell and her inept secretary. In fact the staff of Rydell are all seemingly hapless as Coach Calhoun (Sid Caesar) has yet to ring that victory bell for the school's football team.

It is easy to see why Stockard Channing is still collecting acting awards today at the age of sixty. Her portrayal of the sassy Rizzo has equal measures of guts and sensitivity and Jeff Conaway is equally as charming as Kenickie but has yet to achieve significant recognition.


Given that this is a musical and Olivia Newton John was primarily a singer at this time, it is good to see that she is more than matched by Channing and Travolta's individual vocal efforts.

The Music ----

Yes, yes Andy Gibb wrote the theme and Frankie Avalon crooned on ''Beauty School Drop Out''.... BUT......

As the film was based on the stage show written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, there are a variation of songs used on the soundtrack, with the stage version having ''It's raining on prom night'' (which is playing on the jukebox when Sandy and Danny have their conversation about Tom Chisum), ''Freddy My Love'' sung by the character of Marty and ''These Magic Moments'' performed by Doody. In fact Louis St Louis, the music consultant not only wrote ''Sandy'' but also sang in the orginal play production.

John Farrar, who penned ''Hopelessly Devoted to You'' and ''You're the one that I want ''is a long time collaborator of Olivia Newton John and was brought in to showcase her talents.

What I like about the soundtrack is the humour and the emotion in the songs. I'm sorry but nothing beats belting out ''Hopelessly Devoted to You'' or ''There are Worse things I could do'' when you are feeling a little glum. Some of the numbers a very face paced and almost relentless in their enthusiasm such as ''We Go Together'' and ''Greased Lightening'' furthermore the handjive number performed Sha Na Na ( A popular 70's band) as Johnny Casino and The Gamblers is almost exhausting -- Just trying to copy the routine burns quite a few calories I can tell you.

There is also some vintage numbers on the soundtrack including ''Tears Of My Pillow'', ''Hound Dog'' ,''Blue Moon'' and ''La Bamba''

The cast were supported by a vast array of professional dancers and Patricia Birch's choreography really does work in the musical numbers, with Kenickie, Sandy and Danny perhaps being the most impressive er movers of the main cast.

---- Summary.

I think this is a great family film and although it has been rated PG for mild language and sexual references it is about as inoffensive as entertainment gets.
The script and songs compliment each other as do the main and ensemble cast members.

Highly recommended.

Did you know???? ------

Jeff Conaway was married to Olivia Newton John's sister Rona for five years.

Stockard Channing was 34 when she played that part of Rizzo.

John Travolta played the part of Doody during the Broadway run of the show -- while Danny was played by Barry Bostock of Brad in Rocky Horror Picture Show ''fame''

Dinah Manof and Lorenzo Lemas were the only actual teenagers in the cast as they were both nineteen at the time.

John Travolta's sister Ellen was a waitress at The Frosty Palace.

Michael Biehn of ''Terminator'' played a jock called er Mike in the film.

Olivia Newton John used to date the Beegees brother Andy Gibb.

The ''hickie's from Kenickie'' that Stockard Channing sports are the real thing thanks to Jeff Conaway.

The sequence for the song ''Summer Nights'' took two weeks to film.

The clingfilm like material they are wrapping the car in during "Greased Lightning'' is called Saran Wrap in the USA and is a reference to the fact that it was often used for a substitute for condoms during the 1950's.

Rydell High is actually two schools as the carnival scenes were filmed on the sports fields of John Marshall High School and Venice High School is used for the opening back to school scenes, track and field scenes.

Venice High School has been used as the set of a number of films including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2 and Matchstick Men. Britney Spears also filmed the locker scenes of ''Hit Me Baby One More Time'' there.

Kelly Ward and John Travolta had worked together before ''Grease'' in the TV Movie '' Boy In The Plastic Bubble'' and this was also directed by Randell Klieser

Leonardo Di Caprio attended Venice High School.

Didi Conn used to do some of the voices on TV cartoon series ''The Jetsons''

Jamie Donnelly is the only cast member to reprise her stage role of Jan for the film version of ''Grease''

Sandy's surname was changed from Dumbrowski to Olsson for the film whereas The TByrds were known as ''The Burger Palace Boys'' in the play.

The character of Jan dates Roger The Rump during the play version as Putzie was invented for the film

Grease (1978)
Directed by Randall Klieser
Wrtten by : Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (play)
Adapted by Robert Stigwood
Screenplay by :Bronte Woodward
Running Time :110 mins
Cert: PG

Various ''Grease'' merchandise including a no frills VHS video cassette (£9.99) can be found on www. Amazon.co.uk including the original soundtrack interactive karaoke DVD's , song books.



Sources:

www.greasemovie.com
www.movie-locations.com
www.venicehigh.net
www.idmb.com
www.funtrivia.com

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