Movie Review: Grease Sing-A-Long Is Like A 'Glee' Mash-Up
June 17 2010, Published 11:05 a.m. ET
The Grease Sing-A-Long is like a mash-up between Glee, Dancing With The Stars and a karaoke machine.
Since the movie has been digitally enhanced, what strikes you immediately is how brilliant the color on the screen looks and how wonderfully campy the dialogue is.
The crowd goes wild when a 24-year-old John Travolta (Danny), wearing a Thunderbirds leather jacket, turns around and looks right into the camera flashing his baby blue eyes. By the reaction you would have thought you just saw Robert Pattinson (Edward) show up in Twilight.
RadarOnline.com was invited to a special screening on Wednesday, exactly 32 years to the day at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood. About half of the crowd proudly admitted that they’ve seen the 1978 classic more than ten times.
Grease is the highest grossing musical of all time. And, it’s still going strong. Director Randal Kleiser told RadarOnline.com it’s because of “the casting of John and Olivia (Newton John)--the chemistry between them--the music, we had many hit songs and the universal themes of high school and fitting in: the hip guys and the nerds--every high school has those.”
The cartoon animation for the sing-a-long version of the film is spectacular. This is so much better than karaoke.
The words come to life in the most creative way possible. For instance, for Beauty School Drop-out, computer generated brushes, combs and shampoo bottles float across the words.
There are moments during the movie that you’re compelled to get out of your chair and start dancing—like when Greased Lightnin’ comes on. There was a smattering of Pink Ladies in the audience. And, you might even spot someone with a pink wig!
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A crowd favorite was the Hand Jive. Movie animation showed the crowd how to master the hand signals.
Olivia’s Sandy is as beautiful and elegant as you remember. It would be hard to imagine anyone else in that role, but Kleiser revealed to RadarOnline.com that Carrie Fisher was up for the coveted part.
“We thought about, but she couldn't sing,” he said, “I went to see her when George Lucas was mixing Star Wars, but I couldn't tell from that whether she would be right for a musical comedy, but at the time we were also trying to get Olivia.”
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Randal says he doesn’t think the cult classic should be re-made, but if he had to cast it today—he says he would pick Zac Efron and Miley Cyrus to play Danny and Sandy.
And, Randal revealed exclusively to RadarOnline.com that tests are being done right now to possible convert the film to 3D.
The Grease Sing-a-long will only be shown in 18 locations including the Hollywood bowl on June 25. Randal reveals that Frenchie (Didi Conn) will be in attendance.
The film opens July 8. Go to www.GreaseMovie.com to see if its playing in their town. If it’s not, they can “Demand It” at Eventful.com/Grease.
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