Presented in widescreen the digital transfer looks far crisper then on most films released today, to the point that every light in the crowded disco shines as if it were brand new. This is not the first time Saturday Night Fever has been put out on DVD, but it might be the most complete edition put out so far.
This special edition DVD takes the fan not only inside the production of the film but adds a level of audience participation as well. If the viewer clicks on the “Fever Challenge!” a Dance Dance Revolution style game comes up on the screen. Together, with the help of the DVD, the viewer learns the same disco moves used by John Travolta in the movie.
If you are not an expert after you have finished playing with that Fever feature you can get a special personal lesson from dance instructor John Cassese. This DVD seems geared almost specifically for dancers and those obsessed with the disco movement. Having both the personal dance instruction and the computerized game version of the same concept is just redundant and unnecessary.
Those that grew up on the film will especially love the featurette that comes with this DVD collection. After 30 years seeing the key members of the film (excluding Travolta) is a bit of a surprise…they got really old. Though not present a good portion of the featurettes, many inevitably focus on Travolta and deal with his blossoming fame. There is defiantly a sense of hero worship with some of the lesser-known cast members and I suppose who can blame them.
By far the most annoying part of the disc is the “70’s Discopedia” feature. An option to turn on and play simultaneously with the movie, the Discopedia works as sort of a 70’s pop culture trivia guide. Unfortunately the pop up windows take up a large chunk of the screen and block key scenes filling them with a lot of useless information. Many of the Discopedia entries were only mildly associated with the movie, an aspect that will probably greatly confuse the viewer.
Historically the film has great significance and even those who lived through that generation and say they hated the film still went to see it numerous times in theaters. There is defiantly an attraction to that time and place, we can all relate to the films inner struggle.
The real question becomes whether or not it makes sense for the viewer to buy a film that, with so much attention on it already, has been released many times before. This is at least the third time the film has been put out on DVD. If you are a hardcore disco fanatic and grew up on this film then you should defiantly go out and buy this disc. If you are just the occasional fan of the movie there are plenty of other, cheaper ways of watching the movie. Either way the time has come for Saturday Night Fever to have another round on the dance floor.
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