Grease (1978)

No other musical beats this one! The cast is perfect, and it is very funny as well. Travolta is still a babe. Watching this movie, you will be singing the songs with everybody. Fun cast, great songs and appeal still make this a great film today. Grease is still the word!

Fmovies: 1978's Grease, in many eyes, is a classic film. It is adored by all ages, and it seemingly passes down from generation to generation with love. This is one of the first movies I remember that have a sense of nostalgia. This movie plays well with the baby boomers because it hearkens back to the 1950's, when love was swamped in innocence. This movie got the feel of the 1950's correct, I have been told. The clothing, the background music, the charm, the acting, and the overall look of the movie. The actual songs are 1970's rock'n'roll style, and they are wonderful songs. The tone of the movie is upbeat, fun, and innocent. It may be somewhat predictable, but the movie itself was made well.

There are a variety of reasons why I enjoy this movie. From the interpretation of the 1950's lifestyle to the wonderful tunes to the themes of true love-all of it elevates this movie into 'classic' territory. However, I am irked by a few things though. Mainly the age of the cast. Don't get me wrong, I think the performances are wonderful, but I despise when movies cast people in their late 20's or early 30's to play teenagers. Now some films can get away with it, but not Grease. You can tell that the people in the cast are not teenagers. Check out these ages at the time of movie release. John Travolta was 24, Olivia Newton-John was 30, and Stockard Channing was 34!!! But who am I to complain. This movie gave Travolta and Newton-John the career boost they needed.

As for the story, it's nothing new. The story is one that has been told to death, but it is all about how a story is told that can make or break a movie. This love story was told with a passion thanks to the high-spirited screenplay from Bronte Woodard and the energizing direction from Randall Kleiser. This musical starts off at a California beach in 1959. Complete opposite personalities have fallen in love. Greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and an Australian chick Sandy Olsson (Olivia-Newton John). After a summer romance expecting not to see each other again, both of them attend Rydell High unbeknownst to each other. They do their own things at first. Danny is a leader of a gang of greasers called the T-Birds and Sandy joins the Pink Ladies, led by the charming Rizzo (Stockard Channing). When they run in to each other for the first time, Sandy realizes Danny is a different man from the one she met at the beach. But will that stop her from getting back with Danny? Well, just watch the movie! Despite my concerns on the ages of the cast, I cannot deny how effective the performances are. In particular, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Travolta eventually became a major movie star, thanks to this movie. He knows how to sing and dance very well for an actor. It seems like he models his character off Elvis Presley. With the hairstyle and the black leather jacket, he seems to be Elvis-lite. He exerts fantastic chemistry with Olivia-Newton John. She also sang very well and her performance as the new girl in town is excellent. I liked the supporting cast very much. Stockard Channing did a solid job as the sex-happy leader of the Pink Ladies. Jeff Conaway as Danny's right-hand man, Kenickie. There are some veteran cast members who did a fine job particularly Eve Arden as Principal McGee and Sid Caesar as Coach Calhoun.

I was most impressed with Grease. I remember seeing it as a little kid and enjoying the music. But as a young adult, it resonates with me because it reminds me of my high school days. The music is great

I hated this movie when I was a teenager and I'm so pissed at myself because of that. Looking at this movie now in my 20's I can appreciate what a fun-loving view of life this provides. All the songs are of at least decent quality but three of them in particular are just amazing. This is hands down one of the better musicals out there. The choreography can't be more well done than shown here. It's funny because I liked "Saturday Night Fever" better when I was younger but now I don't care for that movie and the exact opposite happened with this one...go figure. Olivia Newton-John is just gorgeous, why she didn't star in many movies afterward I'll never understand and god what a voice!!! John Travolta was great, and everyone else (especially Stockard Channing) were all fabulous. Oh and if you ever go to a Karaoke night make sure you do the "Grease Megamix" sometime throughout the night as it'll get the crowd pumped guaranteed.

Final Synopsis:

Movies : I did see this when I was in high school because it was re-released in the late 90's in theaters but stupid macho me back then didn't care for it. This is one you can view easily on the silver screen and enjoy it just as much for a lot cheaper.

DVD Purchase : Couldn't resist for only $9.

Rental : This could easily be a once a year habit.

Grease fmovies. GREASE (1978) **** John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Jeff Conaway, Stockard Channing, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Edd `Kookie' Byrnes, ShaNaNa, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Ellen Travolta, Eddie Deezen, Lorenzo Lamas. One of the best Broadway musicals ever adapted for the big screen largely thanks to producer Allan Carr and director Randal Kleiser set at Rydell High circa 1950s with Travolta (in his other iconic role) as leather jacket wearing, hunky hood with a heart-of-gold Danny Zuko recalling his `Summer Nights' with Aussie sexpot Newton-John (in her sunny to sultry iconic turn) as goody-goody Sandy who learns some things from The Pink Ladies' tough yet tender leader Rizzo (Channing, ditto). Good old fashioned knuckle-headed comedy and toe-tapping tunes that will have you dancing and singing along to `Greased Lightning' (imagine Elvis doing this!) , the dance contest's hyper-paced `Hand Jive' sequence and the closer `We Go Together'. Title tune by Franki Valli. A film I've seen probably a hundred times and never tire of.

John Travolta and Olivia-Newton-John lead a terrific ensemble cast. Some critics called the sets "cheap" and the story "childish" but the movie-going public knew better. Severely cleaned up from the Broadway Musical Version, it boasts several songs custom-written for ONJ by her favorite tunesmith, John Farrar. Great personalities from the old 1950's include Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Edd Byrnes, and Joan Blondel. Yeah, the Greasers and their gals were not as clean-cut in real life as they are portrayed in this film. I remember "rumbles" with knives, but in those days, nobody ever brought guns to school. A stinging parody of "American Grandstand and Dick Clark" tops off the program with "Sha-Na-Na" singing their hearts out on glorious black and white TV. The "carnival" ending is really well-done. Yes, OLJ was sewed "into her pants" when she "comes out as a Greaser" in the song "You'll the One That I Want". Pure joy after 40 years! Unsurpassed!

This play turned movie is one my favorites. It has mostly anything you could ask for. Being a romance, comedy, musical and so much more, makes it unique. John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Didi Cohn, Jeff Conaway and so many more make this an all-star hit. This movie well illustrates what the 50s was all about. I must say, anyone who thinks its ovverrated or anything else bad must've not really thought and seen how amazing this classic is. I will keep and treasure my 20th anniversary DVD to share with my children, my children's children, and so on. The vocals in this film are outstanding, with the breath-taking voice of Olivia Newton-John, and John Travolta's rock numbers. Its a timeless hit that will have people enjoying it throughout the ages.