Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Mike Myers, Sela Ward, Breckin Meyer, Sherry Stringfield, Ellen Albertini Dow

Director: Mark Christopher

Summary: A look behind the brightlights of the hottest nightclub ever. When Shane joins the queue for the club, little does he realise that he'll be plucked from the crowd and get a job behind the bar and become the nightspot's main attraction. Follow the rise and fall of this decadent empire.

This broadly drawn fable takes place at the height of legendary Studio 54's delirious heyday. A cast of attractive youngsters portrays fictionalized employees and clientele of the glitzy urban playland.

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Studio 54is no Saturday Night Fever--more like Sunday Morning Hangover. This portrait of the legendary Manhattan disco and its colourful cofounder, Steve Rubell, plays like the outtakes of a much more interesting film—where are the sex, the drugs, the classic disco music? (It shouldn't surprise viewers that Miramax and writer-director Mark Christopher had a falling-out over the final cut of the film; Miramax prevailed.) Considering that the essence of Studio 54 was about the rich and beautiful, it seems a bit unwise to focus on the poor and only somewhat beautiful, namely Shane (Ryan Phillippe), a Jersey boy who gets taken in by the razzle-dazzle of the disco era. Crossing the river, Shane finds another, more exciting life at Studio 54 as a shirtless bartender, and soon finds himself partying with the crème de la crème--and smitten with comely soap star Julie (Neve Campbell).

The permutations of the story are familiar, but too many elements are missing. Most of Phillippe's performance seems to have ended up on the cutting-room floor (although his chiselled torso gets maximum exposure), Campbell's role is basically a glorified cameo and Breckin Meyer and Salma Hayek, as Phillippe's only true pals, are wasted. The one true gem of the film, though, is Mike Myers' take on the late Steve Rubell, an inspired high-wire performance that balances humour and tragedy without ever giving in to camp or pathos--his drunken proposition of Philippe is a minor treasure. The soundtrack does feature some unknown chestnuts and a few new remixes, including an inspired disco version of--believe it or not--Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind". --Mark Englehart

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1998
Release Date:	August 1, 2005
Runtime:	89 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B E D 888412
Label:	Miramax
Keywords:	General, Four, Studio, Drama, Fifty, Elevation
Genre:	Drama