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Amazon.co.uk Review
Studio 54 is no Saturday Night Fever--more like Sunday Morning Hangover. This portrait of the legendary Manhattan disco and its colourful cofounder, Steve Rubell, plays like the outtakes of a much more interesting film—where are the sex, the drugs, the classic disco music? (It shouldn't surprise viewers that Miramax and writer-director Mark Christopher had a falling-out over the final cut of the film; Miramax prevailed.) Considering that the essence of Studio 54 was about the rich and beautiful, it seems a bit unwise to focus on the poor and only somewhat beautiful, namely Shane (Ryan Phillippe), a Jersey boy who gets taken in by the razzle-dazzle of the disco era. Crossing the river, Shane finds another, more exciting life at Studio 54 as a shirtless bartender, and soon finds himself partying with the crème de la crème--and smitten with comely soap star Julie (Neve Campbell).
The permutations of the story are familiar, but too many elements are missing. Most of Phillippe's performance seems to have ended up on the cutting-room floor (although his chiselled torso gets maximum exposure), Campbell's role is basically a glorified cameo and Breckin Meyer and Salma Hayek, as Phillippe's only true pals, are wasted. The one true gem of the film, though, is Mike Myers' take on the late Steve Rubell, an inspired high-wire performance that balances humour and tragedy without ever giving in to camp or pathos--his drunken proposition of Philippe is a minor treasure. The soundtrack does feature some unknown chestnuts and a few new remixes, including an inspired disco version of--believe it or not--Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind". --Mark Englehart
Product Description
Netherlands released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), Dutch ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Mark Christopher wrote and directed this look back at the Disco Era when the popular Studio 54 was at its apogee in the late '70s. With obvious comparisons to Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997) and Whit Stillman's The Last Days of Disco (1998), the story introduces working-class 19-year-old Irish-American Shane O'Shea (Ryan Phillippe), who has lived with his father and siblings since the death of his mother when he was 12. Shane quickly rises from busboy to bartender at Studio 54, co-owned and managed in a paternal manner by entrepreneur Steve Rubell (Mike Myers). Busboy Greg Randazzo (Breckin Meyer) and Greg's wife, Anita (Salma Hayek), the club's coat check girl, become Shane's new friends, and he encounters the possibility of romance with soap star Julie Black (Neve Campbell). The story spans the summer of 1979 until the decline of Studio 54 a year later with IRS investigations, followed by the arrest and jailing of Rubell. Costumes by Ellen Lutter capture the glitter and glam-glitz of the period.
...Studio 54
...Studio 54
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
54 is a film of outstanding emotional depth. It focuses on the efforts of a young out-of-town boy trying to make it big. The setting is the club Studio 54, where drugs and sex are the norm, if you know the right people. It is a portrayal of the rich and careless, in a world where anything and everything is available for the right price. We see the main character's rollercoaster ride up into the heady heights, and his ultimate inner struggle with morals and sensibilities. An outstanding film, containing all the right ingredients for a fascinating insight.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Studio 54 was an amazing interaction of exhibitionism, disco and showmanship. The film views it from the level of the busboy and hat-check girl as the usual young hopefuls rub up (in more ways than one) with fame. At times it has a Boogie Nights feel to it, not as sad certainly, but the same feeling of a strange family created out of hope and disillusion. Given the whole concept of disco is fairly vacuous in terms of defining lives the film does an admirable job; and lucky old Mike Myers to play Steve Rubell, an excellent role despite him looking like André Previn's naughty twin brother.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This glitz `n' glamour black comedy drama charting the life of the most popular nightclub in the world takes place in the late 70's where only the pretty in pink were allowed in and the prettier in pink get picked to work there... Ryan Phillippe plays a hunky teenager who's first night at the club ends up in him becoming a bartender, its there he is introduced to a world of sex, drugs and all-night every-night parties, an unrecognisable Mike Myers is great as the nightclubs enthusiastic gay owner while the visuals of the movie are simply dazzling, so visual you will feel like you are on drugs yourself yet underneath all the glitz lies a pretty empty film underneath.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great movie
Loved this movie when i first saw it on Sky, only remembered it a few weeks ago and had to re live the 54 dream!
Published on 14 July 2009 by NL Martin
Interesting flick about the legendary nightclub
Studio 54, the New York nightclub that had its heyday in the late 70's and early 80's, now has a cult status. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2008 by LXIX
Not as good as it should have been
I'm a huge fan of the mythos of the origial Studio 54, but unfortunately Miramax wouldn't let Mark Christopher have the final say. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2007 by A. C. Williams
One of the mest soundtracks ever
The movie is not a documentary but a character driven film, which quite good. It captures the sentiment and aura of the place and era. The soundtrack is simply unbelievable. Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2007 by C. Konstantino
54
Ryan Phillipe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell and Mike Myers star in director Mark Christopher's bold but frivolous chronicle of the infamous 1970s nightclub Studio 54 and it's a... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2006 by Dave Kraven
Quick Reviews!!
The story of the World's Greatest Club, 54 deals more with the lives of the club's employies and fans rather than with the club and the scandal surrounding it. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2005 by carlosnightman
crash baby crash
Lightweight and sachcharine sweet protrayal of 70's disco scene.
Films like Boogie Nights and the total 70's classic Saturday Night Fever are what this film could have been if... Read more
Films like Boogie Nights and the total 70's classic Saturday Night Fever are what this film could have been if... Read more
Published on 14 July 2005 by Kitty Boo-3
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