Van Nuys Blvd. 1979!

[Videoskooter]

Who remembers this Disco-ish movie?

[SandraDee]

I so love cruisin'.

[JussiK]

I remember watching this trailer in a cinema and deciding I should check the film out - which I did, alone. Everyone else I knew would not go near this sort of "summer fun" film in which vapid 30-somethings posing as 20-somethings ride in cars and go to an amusement park for pointless footage with nothing to do with the non-existent plot. But it's got disco scenes I yelled. My mates were right of course, these things were very rarely any fun and this film wasn't an exception. There was no gang violence to speak of and very little sex, and not so much dancing, either. Still, if I saw it I'd now buy the soundtrack in a flash. And the trailer looks charming doesn't it.

[markydefad]

I just walked the two blocks from the intersection of Van Nuys Blvd. & Ventura Blvd. to where I work and I didn't see anything remotely "cruisey" or "disco." Gas stations, banks and strip malls--that's what I saw. Pretty boring in 2009!

That movie looks majorly D-list. Crown International was a D-lister studio. But to each his own. :icon_eek:

I recently rented "Thank God It's Friday" because some of you seem to have such fond memories of that film--which I had never watched--and I thought it was pretty bad. :icon_confused::icon_question::icon_confused: Only poor Debra Winger and Jeff Goldblum were worth watching in this sad trying-too-hard-to-be-funny film. Sorry. :icon_twisted:

On the other hand, I also recently watched "Saturday Night Fever" and it was magnetic. Travolta was magnificent and I don't even like him. But the movie was electric. It has definitely held up over the years. And the director commentary by John Badham is very interesting.

[SandraDee]

I just walked the two blocks from the intersection of Van Nuys Blvd. & Ventura Blvd. to where I work and I didn't see anything remotely "cruisey" or "disco."

On the other hand, I also recently watched "Saturday Night Fever" and it was magnetic. Travolta was magnificent and I don't even like him. But the movie was electric. It has definitely held up over the years. And the director commentary by John Badham is very interesting.

Blanche, didn't you take Ashford & Simpson's advice that 'nobody walks in L.A.'? So agree with you re 'SNF'; I too watched it recently & for a relatively low budget flick it's a good film with fabulous acting & very poignant story. The most surprising thing is what good comedy timing John Travolta has in the scenes with his family - I don't think he displayed this in any of his other films (not the ones I've seen anyway) - he shoulda pursued more comedy material I think.

[markydefad]

Blanche, didn't you take Ashford & Simpson's advice that 'nobody walks in L.A.'?

I thought Dale Bozzio said that. As in Missing Persons.

So agree with you re 'SNF'; I too watched it recently & for a relatively low budget flick it's a good film with fabulous acting & very poignant story. The most surprising thing is what good comedy timing John Travolta has in the scenes with his family - I don't think he displayed this in any of his other films (not the ones I've seen anyway) - he shoulda pursued more comedy material I think.

Sandy, I was so surprised by how good I found "SNF" all these years later. It was gritty--and sexist and homophobic--and yet I thought it was just so true to its milieu that I was blown away. Great performances, direction and script. Only the vague ending somewhat disappoints--but in a hopeful way. I even thought Karen Lynn Gorney was really good this time around. Her career went nowhere but she was just right as a blue collar chick striving to move up the social ladder to Manhattan class & elegance.

Travolta had the role of a lifetime here. He was perfect in every moment.

[Videoskooter]

I can not believe this! Just by cruisin' YouTube Blvd. I found the theme track and it's a groove I was looking for some 10 years! The search was even one of my first posts ever on this board. This track is HOT!

[Skywalker]

9 years later, and my car was built in the Van Nuys Pontiac plant......
( it's no longer there....GM tore it down...:icon_evil: !)

[Nano]

Johan, the YT vid is no longer there but I'll take a guess. if your ex-mystery track is the first groove in the trailer it's a rare one... coz it's not in a disco record! but Rubén Blades & Willie Colón's "Plástico" from their excellent SIEMBRA album.

it's an ironic disco quote at the beginning of the song and they get the disco beat just fine :icon_cool:

[Videoskooter]

Nano, no, the song in the vanished YT vid, Ron Wright's 'Van Nuys Blvd." is not in the trailer and is very hard to find. It's a Eurodisco sounding track that was a small hit in Italy BITD.

OMG it's here:

[Nano]

oh! cool, I didn't know this one.