Saturday Night Fever

(Note: This review refers to the Blu-ray version of the DVD.)

Between the disco moves and blue-collar dreams of "Saturday Night Fever" and the nostalgia kitsch and '50s rock 'n' roll sound of "Grease," John Travolta almost brought back the movie musical. "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) transformed TV star Travolta from "sweathog" to movie star, revived the dying disco fad, and turned polyester suits into the epitome of youth fashion. But behind the late-'70s kitsch is a drama of working-class restlessness that finds release and expression on the dance floor. The very next year, Travolta embraced retro-Americana with "Grease" (1978), a self-aware blast of bad boys, good girls (Olivia Newton-John in her quintessential film role), and goofball tributes to the old rock 'n' roll and doo-wop sound. Randal Kleiser directs with high energy and swathes of bold color, and the supporting cast includes Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar, and Sha-Na-Na.

The Blu-ray releases feature all the supplements of the previous DVD special editions: commentary by director John Badham on "Saturday Night Fever," sing-along subtitles for "Grease," and multiple featurettes and deleted scenes for both. There's nothing added for the Blu-ray.