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1978
Paramount 110m
The first 8-track soundtrack I ever owned, Grease holds a special nostalgic place for me. A frenzy of teenage sugar-high hormone driven choreography matched to a great score to boot, this rock-and-roll spin on the
screen goes from poodle skirts and soda shops to black leather and pelvis-thrusting numbers, leaving you wanting to go out and purchase your own soundtrack to sing along and mimic to.
Grease is the all-time favorite and biggest grossing movie musical in history, spawning a generation that fell in love with the spark-flying duet of Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. There's a great number that alone makes the movie
"Greased Lightning" that shows off Travolta's singing talents and dance moves on testosterone overdrive.
The innocent girl next door, Australian lass Sandy (played by Newton-John) meets greaser loverboy Danny Zuko and the two fall into the perfect summer romance that must end as Sandy's summer vacation ends. But their paths cross again, when she fatefully ends up at wacky Rydell High where Danny's caught up in maintaining his coolness as the leader of the pack of greasers including sidekick Kenickie (Jeff Conway) who call themselves the T-Birds.
Sandy soon learns bad girls have more fun and get what they want. So she gets in with girl club Pink Ladies led by tough chick Rizzo (Stockard Channing) and beauty-school sweety Frenchy (Didi Conn) who transform her into a hot babe that'll make Danny's head spin. Meanwhile, Danny tries to win his summer sweetheart back by trying out for the track team and trading in his black leather for a varsity jacket.
Great fun to watch on the big screen, Grease is even better on a balmy night in the park. Just like being at the drive-in. Bring your dates and soda pops. And be ready for a wacky ride.
-- Gloria Tai
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