Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

"Would ya just watch the hair!"

Of course, it's hard not to. However, John Travolta wasn't just a super-cool coif back in the '70s. He was a slicked-back superstar. Sure, there was The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. However, with Saturday Night Fever, Travolta was able to shimmy his way into households and into a career that's still going pretty strong over 30 years later.

In his first major film role, Travolta plays Tony Manero, a very Vinnie Barbarino-esque stud who works as a hardware store clerk by day. When he's not watching paint mix, he's watching it peel --  at his parents' house in Brooklyn. This is where he lives in the shadow of his brother and the disapproval of his father. Still, chicks dig him, and so do his band of brotherly buffoons. Why? Because despite being a total dope, the guy is a demon on the dance floor.

As if that wasn't enough, there are a lot of other subplots going on in Fever. Tony's got the hots for young dancer Stephanie (Karen Gorney), but not so much for good-girl-trying-to-go-bad Annette (Donna Pescow). Of course, there's a dance contest. However, there's also Tony's family strife, some kind of teenage race war, and a whole lot of drama. Overall, though, this guy is just trying to come of age, and look damn good while doing it.

Saturday Night Fever, the movie, spawned tons of satire as well as a multi-platinum soundtrack. There is something completely awesome about how Travolta dances his way through this movie. Whether it’s awesomely good or bad is up to you.

The Picture

For a 30-year-old movie, Fever looks as fresh as Tony's hairstyle. There are a few grainy moments and even a hazy shot or two, but it never detracted from the viewing experience. Overall, the 1.85:1 transfer is pretty flawless; the details were some of the best that we've seen on an older title. The best tidbits include the shine on Tony's shirts, shoes, and of course, his hair. The fleshtones are right on and the colors are dark, but exactly how they should be.

The Sound

There sure is a lot of flash, but make no mistake; Saturday Night Fever is all about the music. In fact, the film can't go for two minutes without having something from the super-sounds of the '70s blasting in the background. It's heavy on the Bee Gees, of course, which plays nicely through all speakers in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. That's not to say that there's nothing else going on here. Look for a lot of subtleties, from the subway sounds to the click of Tony's high-heeled dance shoes.

The Extras

No Travolta, no problem. It's kind of a bummer that the film's main focus isn't featured on any of the extras. However, there are a bunch of extras that should please most fans. If you already own the 30th anniversary DVD, there won't be many surprises. A few notable extras include the entire second version of the movie, which is complete with '70s pop-up trivia. For those looking for more info about the movie, "Catching the Fever" features 52 minutes' worth of small featurettes, with many of the film's stars -- sans Travolta, of course.

Final Thoughts

Saturday Night Fever ignited an era, a sequel, and even a superstar. However it is what it is. You are either going to love this movie or hate it. If you can get past the domination of disco and lack of Travolta-related extras, it's a no-brainer. Whether or not you still have your boogie shoes, you should be able to appreciate this classic on Blu-ray.

Where to Buy:

• Saturday Night Fever on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: John Travolta, Karen Gorney, Donna Pescow
• Director: John Badham
• Audio/Languages: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French), Mono (Spanish)
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: R
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: May 5, 2009
• Run Time: 118 minutes
• List Price: $29.99
• Extras:
• Commentary by Director John Badham
• '70s Discopedia
• Catching the Fever
• Back to Bay Ridge
• Dance Like Travolta with John Cassese
• Fever Challenge
• Deleted Scenes