DVD
Saturday Night Fever
BIG Home Video, Rs 499/-
Director: John Badham
Cast: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow

Originally released in December 1977, Saturday Night Fever is best remembered as the classic coming-of-age movie in which John Travolta exploded onto the big screen and became a household name. Fuelled with the dance beat of that generation and the writing and singing skills of the Bee Gees, the soundtrack is the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time while the film helped popularize the disco movement.

Tony Manero (John Travolta) is a 19-year-old Italian-American living with his family in Brooklyn and stuck in a dead-end job as a paint-store clerk. He lives for Saturday nights at the local disco, where he hangs around with a group of friends who like him have no real aspirations for the future. Tony becomes a local legend thanks to his stylish moves on the dance floor, much to the chagrin of his family members. His walk, talk, dress style and his hairstyle are important to him. At home, he fights with his father and has to compete with his family’s starry-eyed view of his older brother.

Tony wants to be the king of the disco floor under all circumstances. He dumps his girlfriend Annette (Donna Pescow) for a social-climbing Manhattan secretary Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney) to compete in the annual dance competition. But gradually, Tony becomes disillusioned with the life he is leading and he and Stephanie decide to help one another start afresh. The dance competition is coming up; Annette still loves Tony. What does Tony do?

It’s truly a knockout performance by Travolta, one that deservedly netted him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Although slightly gritty with language and scenes that some might consider offensive, it is a true-life tale of the mid-70s in New York City.

Released as a 30th Anniversary Edition DVD, the movie is a cinematic view of the 70s disco era, portraying the fashions, disco and aspirations of an underground culture. And the music is to die for.

Look out for the mini photo booklet that contains snapshots of the movie.