The Rewatchables - ‘Grease’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Amanda Dobbins

Episode Date: August 15, 2022

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Amanda Dobbins record the most systematic, hydromatic, and ultramatic podcast ever after rewatching the 1978 classic ‘Grease’, starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockhard Channing. Producer: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bill Simmons podcast returns on Sunday night, August 21st. If you missed me, go check out Bill Simmons interviews. The ringer.com. That is where we put seven years of the best interviews I've done, all split up into their own podcast, which you can find on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Bill Simmons, the interviews. Go check it out.

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Save at Whole Foods Market. We're also brought to you by the Ringer podcast Network where you can find the big picture with Amanda Dobbins. She's on this podcast. You can find Bachelor Party and Ringer Food with Julia Lipman. She's on this podcast as well. It is the 249th movie that we've done on the rewatchables. It's a big one.

It's one of the biggest movies of the entire 1970s. So what are we have in store for you for number 250? Well, I'll tell you this. It's just going to be me and Chris because those were the original host. This is the reason we started the pot. I have a little treat for Avi, though. All of the movies that we've done,

249 in all, plus the rewatches of heat. We did that three times, departed twice, Titanic twice. We're unleashing all of them. You can find them on all platforms in celebration of the 250th movie that we've done on the rewatchables, which we will be putting up on Monday night, August 22nd. But in the meantime, if you missed anything,

this podcast started, I think spring of 2017, and we've been cranking it out ever since, much like Chris Ryan cranks out to watch. But if you've missed any movies, we've done a lot. Sometimes we'll get requests, hey, why I've been doing Shawshank yet? It's like, oh, we did it. Go back.

Go look at the archives. We still have a bunch of movies in the bank, but for the most part, there's some great ones that we've done. They're all split up. So anyway, wherever you get, your podcast, go check it out. The rewatchables. This is the 249th movie that we've done. I'm super pumped. Give me some Greece lightning, baby. This is John Travolta, the sensational star of Saturday Night Fever

in Greece. Green is lightning and you're burning up the border of my. John Travolta. Olivia Newton-John. Greece rated PG All right Amanda Dobbins is here First time in the rewatchables in a while This is great. You're back.

I'm back. I'm thrilled And I'm thrilled to see both of you though. As you said, Bella, I wish it were under slightly happier circumstances. Yeah, Juliet Limon. Hey. Three in a row for you on the rewatchables. We're doing this.

We're doing Greece today because Olivia Newton John passed away at age 73. This was on the list. I was actually going to do this movie. at some point over the next seven or eight, and now it got sped up. Listen, I was eight when this movie came out, and she immediately became one of the iconic females of my childhood. This is one of the biggest movies of my entire life.

It dominated this summer. It has lived on ever since in a way that I think is pretty unusual. Like you talk about Star Wars and, I don't know, Titanic. There's only been a couple that just get passed down. Amanda, you just had a young fledgling child. I did. Is that six months old? Five and a half months old?

Yeah, he's six months. Greece will be happening, I don't know, maybe age three and a half, age four, age five, somewhere in there. I think pretty early because I've thought a lot about the movies and I'm going to show to my son and how I'm going to do it. And I think musicals are a good start because, I mean, Bill, you have a lot of experience, but you don't have to sit through the whole thing. you can just watch the musical numbers for like three and four minute segments and they're colorful and things are moving it's sort of like an action sequence

and so I think that's a good place to start and I think also that is part of the reason that Greece has become such a phenomenon because the music itself had a life independent of the movie and you like everyone, whether you're performing the song at a wedding or a bar mitzvah or you're watching it and you're just like,

I'm just going to wait. till they do, you know, the hand jive. I'm just going to wait until Rizzo sings. One more thing. It's like increments that you can hold on to and sing a thousand times, which I definitely did. For the ADD generation, it's great because every five minutes there's a new song, basically. It's also rooted. It's 1958, so there's a timelessness to it that when they go backwards in a movie, it's just kind of frozen in that period of time. It does. I mean, 1958 now, how many of that is 42 plus 20? That's over 60 years.

That's about as much math as I can do, Juliet. But I'm a generation older than you. You both grew up with this movie, even though it had already been out for a while. It passed through the whole VHS, cable, DVD, Blu-ray, streaming. It's hit every checkmark of that. I think what surprises me the most, and I can't wait for Julie. his take on this is just how famous Travolta seems in this movie.

We'll talk about Olivia Newton in John in a second. This is just like, he's just, smoke is coming off him in this movie. And he's coming right off Saturday Night Fever. And he just seemed like the most famous person in the world after this movie came out. He's unbelievable in this.

His dancing is just so propulsive and honestly, like, exhilarating. It's unbelievable. When he's dancing on the bleachers, there's like, there's like no one else in the world. There's a lot of other.

people on screen, but they all just fade away because his presence is so dominating. It's unbelievable. Last week, Jody Walker and I did a pod on Ring or Dish about the 15th anniversary of the Hairspray musical. And we talked a lot about John Treberlton then. And it's pretty amazing how he has just been this consistent musical presence for so long, despite the fact that he himself has had a pretty weird trajectory as a celebrity and just like been through a lot. But when you watch him, in Greece, like, it all just fades away. It's, like, so transporting every time. It's, it's absolutely unbelievable.

I mean, yeah, even in Pulp Fiction, which is not a dance movie, but there's, you know, a dance scene that's huge. I don't think any actor has successfully leveraged dance more than him. And it's weird because this movie coming out right after Saturday Night Fever, there's almost, you can't compare it to anything. Yeah. You know, it would be like if somebody won the Super Bowl and the NBA title. in the same year. He's in the two biggest

phenomenons. For me growing up, the soundtrack of Rocky, the soundtrack of Saturday Fever, and the soundtrack of Greece became three of the most played albums of my entire childhood, not just in my house, but just in general. They were I think two of the 12 biggest albums

back to back in a row that he was attached to. But, Amanda, do you think for people like us Travolta's kind of weird trajectory over the years and the up and down and all the different hairdos and, you know, some of the strange things that he's been involved with. I have been able to divorce all of that when I watched Saturday Night Fever and Greece.

What is it like for you? Oh, 1,000 percent. And I was going to ask you whether, when you say Travolta, is Greece first or is Saturday night fever first for you in your head? Or are they just together? They're together, but I think Saturday Fever is more of a Travolta movie because in this one, and one of the reasons you're doing it is, Olivia Newton-John is so great in this movie. I was thinking there in that last scene,

which is clearly going to win most rewatchable when she puts on the leather and they do the year the one that I want. They're just so great in that scene. It's unbelievable how there's been a million musicals since that. Nobody has ever been better at a musical scene, I feel like, than those two in that scene. They just have it.

It's a great song. The dancing's great. The chemistry is unbelievable. Everything about it is just perfect, and it's a credit to both of them. Yeah, and I've watched it so many times. I know every single move. But I was just going to say that because of my age and Juliet, I'm curious whether you feel the same way. This was my first Travolta. Saw this like well before Saturday Night fever. Definitely saw this before Pulp Fiction, even though I think I probably saw them around the same time just because of my age. And this is it. Travolta is as much Danny Zuko to me as he is, his own other person. So yes, I can completely divorce them. It's a little bit like the Leo Titanic

phenomenon where obviously Leo has gone on to like a really illustrious career, one of the great movie stars, one of the great actors of our generation and the fact that he's Jack and Titanic, you know, and could have had room on the float or whatever. He just exists separately for me.

You know, there's Jack and then there's Leo. And I feel the same about Travolta. I think a funny thing about Travolta is he is an amazing standout in ensembles because like the so many of the movies that he you know dominates like i guess he's more dominant in saturnite fever like bill said but like i grew up in a welcome back cotter household so i remember greece and welcome back catter basically together like um you know the theme song of welcome back codder

and and just like the whole like crew like my dad is from brooklyn and you know went to high school in brooklyn and everything so um that and then pulp fiction and just like so many of the movies that Travolta has really famous for. There's other people in them that are really good. And it's kind of interesting that he can be both such a huge presence while also contributing to an ensemble like that.

I think that's also pretty rare. Yeah, so I grew up with him in Boy in the Plastic Bubble, which was a really iconic TV movie, and then Welcome Back Cotter, which was one of the biggest shows of the mid-70s. And he's Barbarino.

He does Saturday Fever. None of the kids were allowed to see it. So Greece was the first Travolta movie I actually saw in the theater. And the same thing with, I think the answer to what's the bigger Travolta thing. I think Saturday Night Fever was more important for him. But I think Grease is the movie just because when people see it. Like Amanda's son isn't going to see Saturday Night Fever, I hope, until he's like, at least a teenager.

But Greece, everybody sees. And then you throw into the whole school play aspect of it. Like my son's school last year, they did Greece as the school play. And it just feels like Greece is this machine that is unlike, there's got to be less than 10 movies ever that are like this. I think Star Wars is like this. There's been a couple others. But Greece, I just feel like we'll always live on as long as we have movies and music and everything, right? Yeah.

I think also for young girls, it's like music to sing with your friends. Like when I was growing up, me, my camp friends sang the songs together and like would divide the parts up. And I think that's also timeless. And especially if you're doing it in school. And learn the dances. and then also be the pink ladies for Halloween. A lot of built-in Halloween costumes in this one. So, Bill, as you were talking about Saturn Night Fever,

I do think I would be more inclined to dress my infant child as John Travolta in Saturnate Fever before the greasers, just because it would be funny. You know, I'm going to turn that one around for a while. Well, I was thinking yesterday, I was trying to figure who are the two, who are the most white-hot, famous actors of my lifetime? people that just like they actually caught fire they were so hot and really there's only been too

it's Travolta in 1978 because he's got Saturday Night Fever gets nominated for the Oscar it's revives the disco trend he becomes the biggest young star in the world and then immediately Greece in June 1978 and there's just nobody bigger than him and I think Leo's the only other one I went through every I went through all the movies I went through all the actors Leo by like month five a Titanic is the only one I've ever seen that felt that famous. So you mean like the instant fame? I was going to, I thought you were going to say Tom Cruise. Yeah.

Who did you think? Tom Cruise. Yeah. The thing with Cruz, though, is it was incremental because he had risky business and then Top Gun and Rain Man. It kind of built throughout the 80s. It wasn't something like this where it was just like this was all anyone was talking about for months and months and months.

I don't feel like Cruz, Top Gunn was a big movie. It wasn't anything close to Greece. Just wasn't. I think Juliet and I inherit Tom Cruise as like a crude fame. You know, I didn't become aware of him until 92. And then he is sort of like a huge deal. Well, you think about like within a year, he goes from Barbary and on Welcome Back Cotter, heartthrob to the single biggest movie star we have. Right?

Yeah. And Leo, same thing. Leo goes from everybody loves this guy, great young actor. to he is the biggest star we have. He's so big he has to disappear. I think that's the only two times that's happened, at least since I've been alive. Can I just say one other thing? I know this is

playing to type, the type being myself, but I also George Cloody did something kind of similar, leaving ER and then becoming a movie star. But his movie, he never had the movie, though. That's true. If he had left ER and immediately done some massive movie, I actually think you're right. I think it could have happened for him.

And I guess he was a little older, or his fan base was older. Because another thing about the Leo Travolta comparison is just the passion that young girls, not even like teen girls, tween girls projected upon these people, whether in 1978 or, you know, in 1992 when we all inherited the VHS cassette. I think that's just one other Travolta wrinkle for me and Amanda, which is he, when, like, we first started watching Greece as kids, he was really famous for Look Who's Talking, which was like a really weird.

phenomenon of like there's the guy in this family movie. There's three of them in four years. And like, Kirstie Alley was like really famous having nothing to do with cheers to meet Amanda. Meanwhile, we're also watching Greece. And so it was a real, it's like there's a real like timelessness John Chavolta as well because you can experience him basically at any time in the last, you know, whatever 50 years and Greece is a part of it plus whatever he's doing currently. There was this whole teen heartthrob era that was part of my child. And it was like David Cassidy and Partridge family. Some people you probably don't even know.

And Leif Garrett, the Hardy Boys, that was a show. It was Parker Stevenson and Sean Cassidy. And it was they had all these magazines and they were geared toward young girls. And Travolta was the biggest teen heartthrob of all of them. This is even before Saturday Night Fever and Greece. Barbarino became the guy and the character. And he became the breakout star of that show. And that was when Robert Stigwood, who we did a documentary about for Music Box.

He just signs him to a three-picture deal. He's like, this guy's an absolute megastar. I'm locking this guy down to three movies. The Rolling Stone, which is really in its peak here in the late 70s, this movie comes out. This is how they start the cover story about Travolta in 1978. This is the opening paragraph. It's clear the instant John Travolta lopes into the Imperial Gardens on Sunset Strip,

clear even then during his stunning opening Saturdays, Night Fever Walk, he will be revered forever in the manner of Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and for the same reasons. This is the opening paragraph from Rolling Stone. But that was it. That was the ground that he ascended to. It was like Elvis and James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. And then that's what made the rest of his career so interesting where it's like, you know, moment by moment comes out six months later, it bombs. You have Urban Cowboy, which is, he's back, blowout, great critically acclaimed doesn't do well. And all of a sudden the slide starts.

Within two years, he's doing staying alive and perfect. And it's like Travolta's busted out. He's done. And that was it. It flamed out, which never happened to Leo. That's true. I mean, James Dean and Elvis based on Saturday Night Fever, that's a big shot to call in Rolling Stone. It was after Saturday Fever and Greece, though.

Well, no, I know. I mean, we weren't there. I guess Juliet and I, we were not there in the moment. And so experiencing, like, the word of mouth and the, like, the hand-me-down of the Troultta phenomenon is different than the Tiger Beat of it all. But I'm just saying that that's, like, a big call that they made. What do you think of that call, Juliet? James Dean, Elvis, John Travolta?

I understand it based on the movies. Like, I think they were really going for that in Greece. So it's sort of, like, that was the teen idol plus the talent from Saturday Night Fever was kind of like handed to them. So I actually kind of understand why you would say that at the time. I think it's just, it's really hard for me. When I watch his movies, all the other John Travolta stuff dissolves. But when I think about him, I don't think about him now as like this just incredible seminal talent. Like I think about him as a really weird celebrity who said Adele DeZeme when to refer him to Odina Menzel. Yeah. Well, one good way to think about him in this

movie and Saturday Favorite 2, I guess, is like what other actor the last 50 years? Would have been as good in those movies that brought all the stuff to the table that Travolta did. That's where it gets hard. I don't think the choreography in Greece works without Travolta is incredible, incredible talent. I think there's just some of it that would be cheesy or, like, seem not that inventive, but he's so good that it doesn't matter. So, like, I think he really makes that aspect of it. I got one answer for the dancing, which is the obvious Patrick Swayze comparison. And we'll talk more about that.

But first of all, I don't know whether Patrick Swayze can sing or even do a credible Elvis expression. Could he? I don't think he ever did. I just think he wrote a song for during dancing, but he didn't sing it. So I think that answers it. Do you want me to sing it, Juliet? Hungry eyes? No, he did, she's like the wind.

Patrick Swayze sang that one. Right. Oh, yeah, he did sing it. And he wrote that too, right? Yeah. The chorus was, She's like the wind in my dreams. Okay. It's a really good scene when he's leaving the resort.

I think Swayze is a decent call. He has the pelvis. But he doesn't have the body for it. The lankiness of John Troultza, I think really some of the leg work. I just don't think Swayze can do. Are you guys, I have to ask it, are you guys attracted to John Troultta in this movie? No. No.

Do you think it's because of all the John Chirvolda baggage? Yes. Yeah. I don't want to step on some of my other categories or takes, but I think there's also a competitor in Greece who's very appealing that I know Juliet feels the same way. Oh, we're going to get to that. I'm with you on that. Well, I'll tell you this. I was eight when Greece came out. I was attracted to a living in John. And she's still throwing 100 miles an hour on every rewatch. I didn't know who it was. I think for most people, they just know she was some singer in Australia who was a pop star. but I don't think she was really that famous. And then this movie made her, this was it. I mean, she had a better run than I think people remember musically. Like, I remember the physical song, the Let's Get Physical was like one of the biggest

songs of that year. And it was kind of the forefront of the aerobics craze. And there are some other ones with her. But it's just, it's really hard to separate her from this movie. And I think, you know, when she passed away this week, it was the first thing. It was in the first sentence. And her and Chavalta link together. Chavolta does the Instagram post.

It's hard to separate them. It's hard to separate her from the movie. And she had a good career. But this movie, I think, was first sentence for her. Based on the entertainment industry, what was she getting more money off of? Residuals from physical or residuals from Greece? I don't even know what her residual deal was with Greece. But, man, if you're getting residuals from Greece, that's a lot of buddy.

Probably making more off physical, even though Greece is much bigger phenomenon. The physical is big. Well, I remember they did the sequel. It was kind of the spiritual sequel. It was called, like, just the two of us, something her and Chavolta. Yeah. Saw it in the theater. It was like, oh, they're back.

And it was just bad. It was disappointing. But it also spoke to, like, when you catch lightning in a bottle and the chemistry that they had. And it's weird because I have some Sandy takes coming later. But her in that last scene is just the last 12 minutes of this movie when she transforms. It's just, it's out of control. So that speaks to you, that makeover. Oh, yeah.

Okay. I'm excited to talk more about that in another category. I also like, I don't think they do this enough of movies. And you see this in the research where she tried to have an American accent and it didn't work. And they were like, fuck it. Let's make it so that she's from Australia. It's like, yeah. That would have said Black Cat with Chris Hemsworth.

Sure. Like they made, they had them from the Bronx. It's like, why? got an accent. Just have them from the country he's from. I thought that was really smart. Yeah. So, like, what was the pipeline of Australia to Southern California in the late 50s? Was that common? I don't think it was, yeah. I don't think it was a lot of them. So with Livy New and Janet, it never really translated to movie stardom. I'm not sure it should have. I think musicals probably were the best thing. She's also a little older when she does this.

She's, I think, 28. So if you don't capitalize it. on that right away. In general, though, 1978, Greece, Animal House, Superman, Jaws to Halloween and the Deer Hunter all came out this year, and it was still somehow not as good of a year as the year before. One of the interesting Greece things, though, there was this whole nostalgia

thing going on with the 50s that really started with 72. I made a list. It's like, so Greece the musical, which comes out in 72, American Graffiti, Godfather 2, Happy Days, Laverna and Shirley, Greece the movie, Animal

House, the Buddy Holly story, Shannana, American Hot Wax. There was an Elvis revival. There was a Sinatra revival. And if you want to psychoanalyze it, America in the first part of the 70s is so messed up from all the assassinations in the 60s, the Vietnam War, Watergate, Nixon.

And all of a sudden, we just go backwards. Happy Days in Laverna and Shirley were the two biggest shows, I think, at the same time. Right. In 76 or 77, they're both set in 1955 or 58, whatever it was. And I think Greece, that's the part of Greece that I think gets lost over the years is, for some reason, people just wanted to go, they didn't want to be in the year they were in,

they wanted to go backwards and go to this other time. But I don't know, did that translate to you as you saw it next generation? I think the BG's opening the movie with the animated sequence and that song, well, right after they're on the beach, really highlights that. I think the first time I saw it, I didn't get it. But, you know, in many subsequent watches, the, the, um, compare the, just like the juxtaposition of that BG song with then everything else that's happening, it really reminds you that this is like a throwback and not actually from the 50s.

Yeah. I had no knowledge of that, at least until I was a grown up. So the first, what, 15 years that I was watching Greece, I do think this is how I learned about the quote 50s. Yeah. You know, because I, like, happy days was. on Nick at night, I guess, and I saw some of it, maybe even a little Laverne and Sheridan. But that whole nostalgia wave bill about the 50s that you just mentioned, Greece is really the

only artifact that, like, I really engaged with. And it's probably how I learned about Elvis, or even got into like some of the Elvis musicals and like, Bye Bye Birdie, all of that others, 50s-esque stuff that this movie is, like, referencing. I only learned about through Greece. So, yeah, I guess I kind of thought that this is what the 50s was like for like, which I don't know, is that good? Is that bad? Is this, do you guys think that this is like a celebratory movie about the 50s or did you

pick up on some of the satire of it? I think it's celebratory with satire. A little like back to the future comes out in 84 and that ties into some of this too, right? But I think over and over again, we just saw people going backwards. Then in the 90s, the movies started to get a little more critical of the 50s. Sure. Movie like Pleasantville. Yeah.

Which whatever's going on in that movie. But that was like the next iteration of it. So the musical was written in 1971 by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It went off Broadway a year later. And Alan Carr, one of the producers' movie, caught it. And went after the rights, waited for them to, laps, got them for 200k, brought it to Stigwood. And by the time this comes out, this is the highest grossing musical ever.

The soundtrack was the second highest selling album of 1978. It's one of the 20 biggest albums even now. It won an Oscar nomination for hopelessly devoted to you, which has an interesting story at the 51st Academy Awards. The soundtrack is just ridiculous. It's, and it's held up, I think, in a really nice way, even in the iTunes era. $6 million budget made $366 million,

not counting all the ancillary stuff from VHS and everything else. Our guy, Raj, Raj has been on a cold one on the rewatchables for like six in a row. Three stars from Raj. He called it an average musical, pleasant and upbeat, and plastic.

He thought Travolta's Elvis-inspired performance was the highlight but thought Greece saw the material as silly camp. This was very polarizing with the reviewers. Pauline Kale called it a Clutzberger. Yeah. She did not like it. No. I don't think though, as sometimes this happens with the biggest movies,

sometimes the reviewers don't really see where this is going. Well, respectfully, this was not a movie made for either Pauline Kale or even Roger Ebert. And I think at the end of the Ebert review, he's like, it's not as good as Saturday. night fever, right? Yeah, no kidding. And so, I mean, well, to you, Bill, and to Roger Ebert, but to me, Greece was like a magical world of movement and music and swirling. And so it had a different objective.

It wasn't supposed to try to win an Oscar. It was just supposed to be entertaining to people of all ages. Right. But especially to people who are like eight and nine, which is, I think when Greece is handed to people, right? Like, I don't know. Juliet, do you remember the first time? you saw it? I don't. I had a sock hot birthday party when I was like six though, so I think it was

probably before that. But serious reviewers are not kind to movie musicals. It doesn't really matter how good they are. So, you know, by being a movie musical, there's just like these serious reviewers bring skepticism to it. And like, they just don't understand that sometimes people just want to have fun when they go to the movies and bop around. So, you know, sorry, Raj. As Amanda said, not for you. I think most people, don't even remember when they first saw this movie. Because as Amanda said, it just gets handed to you. And at some point, it's just in your life and it's on.

I don't remember the first time I watched it with my kids. I remember seeing the theater, leaving the theater being like, oh, my God, I'll live you, and John. What's her next thing? When's that happening again? Yeah. My kids, though, I don't remember. It was just on.

I do remember going to a birthday party. My friend Trish, and it was a Greece-themed birthday party. and I had never seen it. And I remember that feeling of everyone else was like, oh, my God, you don't know about Greece. I must have been like six or seven because Trish was an elementary school friend. And I learned about Greece. And then, as I said to you guys, I pursued this friendship primarily to be able to have access to Greece whenever I wanted because my parents were not really buying that VHS for whatever reason. Maybe they thought it was a little too sexy for me at age six or seven, which we can discuss.

But yeah, it was like being inducted into this club of being like, oh, yeah, Greece. This is the thing. You should know about it. Well, it's a club that will continue for as long as we have devices that play movies. Yeah. Wherever that goes to the future, maybe at some point there will be hologram grease or who knows. Who knows what my kids' kids will be watching Greece on, but they'll be watching Greece. We're going to take a break and then we have a lot to get through the categories.

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Pick up these ma'ample. fly. Most rewatchable scene. Question, do the opening credits count as a most rewatchable scene? I feel like they do. They do. I think that it's just a fantastic opening credit sequence. Danny, is this the end?

Of course, love. It's only the beginning. Don't be a slop. Don't get a job. Go back to class. You can pass. And to start the day off nice and fine, I'm going to play a new old favorite of mine.

It's a fantastic opening credit sequence. but it doesn't really make any sense. Like, I really like it, but it doesn't make sense with the movie. It doesn't even evoke the 50s, doesn't evoke like 50s animation, right? Like, it's very 70s. Amanda, counter. So I used to fast forward through this as a child. I was like, I don't want to watch this.

Like, I just want all the people singing and dancing. But I have rewatched it a couple times as an adult. I think it's very good. And I think it also kind of, it doesn't make sense with the. movie or at least an eight-year-old interpretation of the movie. But it does provide sort of a key to like the more satirical aspects of what this movie is doing and how it's like trying to comment on the 50s. How much it succeeds is a different conversation. I think it's really good and clever. So here's here's my defense, Juliet. Okay. This is the only way they can root it in

1978 for people. So they get Barry Gabe to sing Greece. Great song. They have the cartoon. It looks, and then all of a sudden at the end, it kind of veers back into 1958. I think it was a way to make it accessible. My son, who came and went during the movie last night because he's a bunch of times. But the opening scene, he was like, this song's banging.

I love this song. It really is good. It has nothing in common with the rest of the movie. All right, we'll put that in what stage the best. First rewatchable scene, Summer nights. Yeah. It's a killer.

It's a killer. At me a blast. Summer loving. I made a girl crazy for me. It's a killer. Every time. Oh my God. The split screen at the end.

The back and forth. Just kind of a perfect musical. The moment in the bleachers, when Travolta starts combing his hair and they're all like shimmying to the side as combing incredible stuff. I think it's one of the most iconic scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

Like I just think it's like imprinted on my brain. It is makes me smile. Seen it a million times. Everyone can recognize it. It is so good. Like I don't even know how to express how good it is. I'm not a musical guy as you as you both know. I think this movie's incredible.

I've seen it a million times. times. I think that scene is incredible. It's just, it's so perfectly done because it's in the first 10 minutes of the movie and it sets up the whole premise. It sets up how talented both of them are. And it's just you can't do a better job in four minutes, just establishing what your movie is. It's also really well choreographed and really well shot. And I am sorry to turn into Sean Fantasy here, but we can talk a little bit. As the movie goes on, I read that some of the choreography was kind of done same day or on the fly. And you can kind of see that in terms of the fact that some people just aren't on screen while they're doing their dance moves, but not in summer nights.

You can see everyone. You got the bleachers. You got the lunch scene. When they're skipping, the camera goes with them. It's beautiful. The bleacher choreography is unreal. And the way that the guys all move together is so well done. It's perfect.

Yeah, you're right. They clearly spent the most time on that scene Probably of any scene in the movie Next one I have is the look at me I'm Sandra D Stocker Chanting in the bedroom Here's your toothbrush Oh thanks for Richie

I'm sorry to be so much trouble Oh it's okay This goody two shoes makes me want a box It won't go to bed Iconic Really good I wanted a little more when Sandy comes out of the bathroom though

and realizes they're making fun of her, they just kind of cut away. But I think that song's good. Yeah, it's a great one. Greased lightning. Wow. But this car could be systematic. Hydromatic.

Ultramatic. Woo! What could be Greece lightning. Green lightning. We'll get some overhead lifters and four belt quadts, oh yeah. Rod to yell. Incredible. So good.

Good story behind it, too, which I'm sure we'll talk about. Yeah, let's do it now. Travolta just stole this. Stole the song. Stole it from Kinnaki, Jeff Kanoi. This was, if you look at the movie, everybody's got their one solo, and this was supposed to be Kinnikki's song. And Chivalta's like, if I'm doing this movie, I'm getting Grease Lightning, because he knew

it was one of the best ones. And Conaway was apparently bummed out about it. Yeah. In a stage musical, it is a Kinnaki song. And to add insult to injury, Jeff Kanoi injures his back, which leads to his lifelong drug addiction. Right. It's really like.

So many else. He injured his back during the filming of it. Yeah, that's tough. Listen, on the one hand, it sucks that Jeff Conaway didn't get his own song, especially when Stocker Cheney got one,

frigging Dede Khan got one, everyone got one. On the other hand, Chivalta's lights out in this. He's so good in this song. It's like, can you really argue with it? And it's like he needs an up-tempo song.

I mean, he has summer nights and he shares it with Olivia Newton-John, but otherwise, Sandy is a ballad. Everything else is kind of like, he's not really singing. He needs the number. It was the correct call for the movie. Jeff Conaway was never the same literally after the call.

Well, that is sad. Well, I think it also just speaks to John Travolta's familiarity with the material. He had been in the touring company for this. So he's been playing Danny Zuko for several years or a year or whatever already. I have this won't win most rewatchable scene. But I like both diner scenes. And as my daughter said, I wish there were more diner scenes. It would have maybe they could have added like two more.

I wish there were more diners like this. Like let's just open up a frosty palace or that's what it's called, right? Like just I would be there every day. Bring it back. I have the first diner scene followed by the sports additions. I love watching Travolta play sports. The unintentional copies off the charts. Travolta try to play basketball.

He tries to wrestle. We get to see him hit a baseball, which was, like kind of fairly convincing and finally ends up with track, but that whole montage is pretty good. The, um, Rizzo revealing her pregnancy. What is with you tonight?

I feel like a defective typewriter. Huh? I skipped a period. Do you think you're peachy? I don't know, big deal. What's it? Kincki? No, you don't know the guy.

Hey, Riz, look. But, Liz, it's okay. I caught him in Fontaine, trying to put an assortem of my cult at the dance. Hey, Marty, you ain't going to tell nobody. about this, right? Oh, sure, Riz. Look, I'll take it to the grave, okay? To the drive-in, the game of telephone that goes where... Oh, right, yeah. Kinniki finds out even for Rizzo, and then that leads to Sandy, which I should

mention is my wife's favorite performance of this movie. She loves the Sandy. Some people, that's like the stealth zag against the rest of the takes of the movie where they say they like Sandy the Moat. My wife is one of those people. I like that song, but it doesn't hold up to everything else. That was my take. She just likes the performance. Yeah. Why?

Yeah. I was going to do, oh, Sandy. You know, there are so many, like, ballad moments that I'm fighting the urge to sing at the top of my lungs, but have really stayed with me. And Sandy Baby is one of them. So. I am proud of all of us for not singing too much. I also think you can make a case. Travolta invents rap during this song.

Okay. Probably not. But let's hear it. Okay. I should save this for the hottest take. He's like, sand it. He does that whole, like, weird bottle log in the middle. Might have been the first rap song.

The car race is just so ridiculous and stupid. I love it. I can't get enough for it every time. I love singing the Lillard River. And then the winner for me, the year, the one that I want, and then the ending. The last 11 minutes of this movie

are just can't miss. That would be my most rewatchable. Did I leave anything out? Yes. Did you skip the entire. entire bandstand sequence, including the hand drive? Okay, cats throw your mittens around your kittens. And away, I think that's number two.

I agree with you. The dance is amazing. Oh, my God. Bill, you just made a face like you don't like that. This is on par with you not liking the Twist and Shout sequence in Ferris Bueller. Listen, these are suggestions and thought starters. Okay. The band dance scene, I don't know, could have used an editor is my take. wow. I think sports could have used an editor. I mean, we'll come back to that. But like,

Julia, you and I run the same page. I just like see your multiple sports from a comedy standpoint. It's a two minutes that you just, if you, you know, if you miss 90 seconds of it, you're good. Well, guess we'll talk about that later. So hand jive, you're in on it. I do like the actual hand jive scene is good. I should have put that in. Oh my God. I just don't like all the lead up to the band stand. Oh, but that's when they actually, they play a hound dog. They play. I really like tears on my pillow. I would like to participate in one of those dance. you know, where they all line up and then you kind of should be down the... Also, those magic changes is a great song.

That's the biggest flaw of the movie versus the musical is not having that song be more primary. I love that song. That's essential to the dance as well. So what do you have for most rewatchable, Amanda? I mean, you're right that it's the one that I want. Like, that is, but hand drive is definitely the whole band's dance sequence is number two for me. What do you got, Juliet? it's definitely summer nights i can't believe you think you're the one that i want is better i'm actually

shocked by that the choreography is much much better in summer nights like there's nothing there's not even close it doesn't just like a better song i i really like the last number of course summer nights is the number one karaoke song a perfect opening but just in terms of the number of i can do the whole dance from you're the one that i want right now that's because the choreography is not that good that's right and it was made up the day of and you can tell. But I've watched it a million times. I guess it's more iconic. Again, in my heart, the dance sequence is the dance off is the best for me. But, well, I'm a guy and like most men, the answer is you're the one that I want. Okay. Okay.

What's age the best? Sandy's virginal clothes. I think they did a good job of like those little yellow. Did people still dress like that? Is that a wrap? Unfortunately. You know who does is Megan Markle? She wears sweaters on her shoulders without putting her arms through all the time and jackets as well. Yeah. I have for what stage is the best, Travolta's hair combing, which he just wove into these different scenes. I think he was always really good at that.

What's age the best, the official premiere after party was at Studio 54, which has to be in the running for most 70s moment we could have had. Amazing. I really like the bad guy's car. What's the bad guy's name in this movie? Crater? Crater? Yeah. Craterface?

I like this car. Not nice. Yeah, that wasn't like the nicest thing. The Jeff Conaway, we mentioned how Greece Lightning got stole from him. But according to a Vanity Fair 2016 article about Greece, he eased his pain by seducing a parade of extras. stalker Channing who got actual hickies from Conaway during the hickie scene because they wanted to be realistic. She said about him, he was really feeling his oats. We used to joke all the time because

his trailer at lunchtime was really rocking. So just quite a movie experience for Jeff Conaway. His song gets stolen. He hurts his back. He's having sex in the trailer. I don't know what's going on. In addition to the extras, didn't he also have a thing with Patty Simcox or whoever plays Patty Simcox? I read that as well. I think he had a thing with most of the females of the movie. Understandable. I get it. Yeah, I get it.

I have Patty Simcox for What's Age the Best. I think that's a great, annoying, like high school character that's been ripped off since in lots of different ways. Yeah. Prototypical. How about the LaBomba cameo? Sure. Good to hear that one.

Yeah. So here's a Woodsage the Best. hopelessly devoted to you written and recorded after the movie wrapped because Olivia decided I don't have a solo. Can we get a solo in there? And the director, they conceived of the whole song. They wrote it and then he figured out a new scene. So that's why nobody else is in that scene. And it's in the same location, but they shoehorn that in it works. Usually that's a disaster. I know. It's shocking. It's shocking that it worked. But I think the kiddie pool at the end's really funny. Add to it for me.

Can I ask also, why is she dipping the stationary that she's given into the kiddie pool? Okay, great. It might have been some cocaine behind the scenes during some of the decisions for that scene by the production staff. Morewood's age the best. I like this era of greasy

hair, leather jackets, and white t-shirts. Like, we always have these stuff from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, when does this era come back? When the guys just start wearing leather jackets and white t-shirts again? Is this just gone? You guys were talking about it on the top gun rewatchables in terms of it's a it's a different look but it's not dissimilar. The building blocks are the same. The jeans, the leather jacket,

different cut, the white t-shirt. There is something sort of timeless about it, but not really timeless, but of that era that still is relevant now, I guess. And everybody cared about their car. Yeah. Cars are a big thing. Drive-ins. milkshakes. Simple times, Juliet. Women have co-opted this look. That's the thing. It's not like the leather biker jacket is like a woman's staple now.

I think it's just changed. Well, they co-opted in the movie too. The number of times that a woman is wearing someone else's jacket in the 50s, like what is that about? You know, like were women not given sweaters and coats? Unless you made your own for the pink ladies? Like, they're always wearing one. It seems unnecessary.

You had to be in a nonviolent gang like the Pink Radies. So this whole story is aged the best for me. The director, Randall Klazer, he caught an infection in his foot because the water in the Los Angeles River was so disgusting. And this is from Vanity Fair. He was resting in his trailer when Travolta walked in to give him a Scientology touch assist. Oh, boy. Using his index finger, he touched Klazor in various places. he said over and over, feel my finger.

Klezer would respond, yes. Travolta would answer, thank you. This went on for an hour. Klezer said, I was lying there with this fever, and he's poking me and poking me and poking me, and I'm like, yes, I feel it, thank you. Then he left. The next day I was better,

and of course he claimed it was because of the touch assist. I mentioned this story only because John Travolta, I think was always kind of insane. I don't think fame drove him to any point of insane. I think it was kind of already always there lurking. I haven't heard of a touch assist since. So this is also pretty illuminating for me. It's a good story.

It's essential to understanding John Travolta, I think. It's only this and Mr. Miyagi saving Daniel son's hurt knee and the end of karate kid. The only two touch assists, I can remember. He should have worked for sports teams. It could have been like an NFL trainer on the side. Amanda, what other what stage the best do you have? Danceoffs and movies? dance competitions in movies.

Anytime people got to train. Well, I guess they don't really practice in this one, which is another thing I'd like to talk about. But everything from Pulp Fiction to like bring it on to you got served to all the like, I think you could count step up in this even though it isn't that an audition rather than a competition. But you know what I'm saying. Step up too has a pretty good dance off. Yeah, that's right.

Anytime people got to compete through dance or. show their true character through dance, I'm here for it. I should have ID Juliet better at the top of the pod. This really is like having Zach Loewan to talk about NBA advanced metrics over the last 15 years. Julia can just casually grab any musical or another step up too. I should have sold you better. I'm sorry, Juliet.

It's a bad promotional job by me. Any what stage the best for you other than? Yes. That very specific spot in Maloney. boo that has been in so many movies and music videos. It is iconic, immediately places you into this very cinematic world that is also real. Also, those rocks have not eroded. They still look basically the same.

So that's wonderful. I don't know if you guys caught this. Barney's Beanery being a big part of that animation. I did. Yes. And Barney's Beanery is still around. Still cranking. Proliferating. There's more than one.

And I was just like, yes, this is a great depiction of driving through L.A. and Sunset Boulevard. Here's the thing about Barney's Beanery, though, because there's one in Terminal 2 at LAX that I just always think is going to be in an alternative place to get coffee. I think of it as a Starbucks affiliate now or, you know, similar. And it's not. It's a sit-down diner. That's very confusing to me. Totally.

But when I saw that, I think I noticed that for the first time this morning. I was like, oh, Barney's Beanery. Cool. But, yeah, there's a lot that's aged well. Some quickie words. The Kid Cutty Pursuitive Happiness Award for Best Needle. drop. The very beginning of you're the one that I want. I got chills.

When they're bringing Sandy around and there's a little like guitar twang. It's like, wait, what's going on? And then all of a sudden he sees her and we're off. Sandy. The Big Cahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drake, obviously the strawberry milkshake. Of course. I mean, what's better than somebody dumping a milkshake? We had this on Camp I, Me Love. Amanda Peterson dumps the milkshake on the wet car.

I just love when a milkshake looks delicious and then gets dumped on somebody. I'm always in. The Den of Thieves Benny Hanna Award for scene stealing location. So it's between the diner and just L.A. River is always a great location for movies. I think for me it's L.A. River, which does look any different other than it's probably more disgusting than it was in 1978. Yeah. I think also to the next generation, it's now a big part of Stranger Things because they have that big scene there. I think the drive-in's really cool. They don't idea it in the same way,

but just the idea of like a real live drive-in, it's just fantastic. The Great Shock Order Award for most cinematic shot. Obviously, the split screen at the end of summer nights. Split screen in 1978, no small feet. Okay. It went wrong a lot. It's evident in the graphics.

What about Olivia Newton-John sitting on the L.A. River alone? Yeah, that's my vote as well. Oh, that's good. That's better choice. All right, fine. the Butch's Girlfriend Award for the weak link of the film. This goes to the ages of some of the, quote, kids in this movie, which is the thing that drives my kids crazy. Like, my daughter is going to be a senior in high school this year.

So she's watching this now. Sandy's showing up for senior year and she's in the same age. Stocker Channing's 33 in this movie in real life. She's as old as a senior and a freshman combined. Yes. Michael Tucci's 31, Jamie Donnelly's 30, Annette Charles, 29, Olivia is 28, Jeff Connoe, 26, Dedy Conn was 25, Trowalto was 23. And as always said during this movie, are these kids supposed to be my age? Like, it's just, it's the flaw of the movie.

And this movie, you know, we all love this movie, but then people are too old. You don't notice when you're like eight, because when you're eight, everyone who's older than you just looks older, you know? Like, you don't, like, you can't discern the difference in ages. But as an adult, it really is. I think it, like, changes the tone of the movie. And that's how I think you can argue, like, it's a little self-aware. It knows it's making fun of itself because these people look so old. There's like, but, yeah, they're not, they're not teenagers.

It's silly. One of them, one of the three stooges friends. Mm-hmm. Legitimate looks like he's 40 Sunny. With the guy with the curly black hair. Yeah, sunny. Crater face also like 45 and not taking care of himself.

Yeah, very true. What's age the worst? Olivia Newton-John's movie career. Disappointing considering where I think I could have gone. You know, I was thinking about it. The rom-com era hadn't happened yet. We're still, you know, when Harry met Sally is still 19. We don't have that run of 1990s movie.

I think if the 1990s infrastructure's in place, she's clearly ripping off rom-coms there for, I think, four years at least. Right? Yes. Absolutely. Grease 2, I think, is a what's age the worst, even if it did give us Michelle Pfeiffer. There's a zag where people claiming to like grease 2. I was there when Greece 2 came out for the entire 80s.

Nobody liked grease 2. Okay. It's a TikTok thing, right? Yeah, there's been a belated. No, no, Greece 2 wasn't that bad. I'm not a part of it either, Bill. I support you. Greece 2 is bad.

Greece 3 almost happened in 2002. D.D. Khan, Olivia New John and John Travolta were all pushing for it. And it was going to be the original cast and characters many years later. Thank God. All I could say is, thank God. What was going to be set in like the late 70s? Like, please, no. Morewood stage is the worst.

So what was likable about? Rizzo again? This was going to be my hot take. Oh, wow. Okay. Go ahead. You want to do it now? Go ahead, Juliet.

Rizzo sucks. She's not nice. She is very cold. She's only vulnerable when she's singing alone. There's just not much redeeming about her. And so I don't really understand. She's like much more akin to Regina George than to like some kind of like galvanizing force. Yeah.

And Regina George rules. Not of teens. No, she doesn't. Come on. She's mean. Do you think she was mean because she was 33 and she couldn't believe she was still in high school? Well, she keeps getting passed over for other girls. That probably sucks.

But she just, she's not fun. Like, that's like, that's just a problem is that they don't seem like a fun group to be with is the pink ladies. I just what, man, I would have made her more likable. There's like three fixes they could have made to at least make me like root for a tiny bit. I accept the argument that the pink ladies kind of suck or aren't cool. I also don't think that T-Bers are particularly cool. That's an interesting thing. Like, none of these so-called, like, hip groups are groups of people that I would want to be associated with.

Yeah. But Rizzo as the mean girl, she is, like, a pretty good mean girl. And then she gets, like, the one redeeming song, which I think is very effective. So I can accept her as sort of maybe not the villain, but like the queen bee. But, you know, and to me, the problem is the followers, much like in mean girls and in high school. But fine. Regina George. Yeah, exactly.

Virginia George is the better version. The looking under girl skirts and the bleachers has really aged well. It's tough. Maybe a choice that wouldn't be made in 2022. The diversity of this movie is, uh, is, uh, is. non-existent, but it's 1978 and Rydell High, the middle of nowhere. I get it. The Sandra D. Frankie Avalon, Shana, American Bandstand,

all of those kind of references just for people in 2022. You're just not getting who Troy Donahue is and shit like that. But it is part of what makes this movie great. So the original treatment of this movie, which was submitted to the studio in December, 1976, Alan Carr's original vision included Danny Zucco as a bus boy and gas station attended doing a song called Gas Pump Jackie. Paul Lind was the principal. Tiger Star Mark the Bird Fidrich was the school baseball hero.

Donnie Osmond was Teen Angel and the Beach Boys did Greased Lightning. And there was a scene where Paul Lynn was dressed like Carmen Miranda. And they workshopped it and workshopped it. it landed in a better place. But gas pump jockey just sounds iconically awful. That's hilarious. And then Alan Carr post-Greece cranks out. Can't Stop the Music. One of the biggest bombs of that whole generation. Greece too, another bomb. Where the Boys are, horrendous. Some movie called Cloak and Dagger. And then was the producer of the 61st Annual Academy Awards. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. Featured, Rob Lowe as Snow White, the most famous terrible Oscars moment ever.

And then Al-O-Kar's his career is over after that. Yeah, tough stuff. So really the pinnacle of Greece, then it all went sideways. Juliet, more, what's aged the worst? I think Jan, her personality being eats a lot, is just kind of weird and has no depth. Like, and just, you know, that's aged really poorly for me. That was the most glaring one that I had. Yeah.

They don't develop it. I would like to add car racing technology or just, you know, the drama of the car race now that we live in the era of F1, it's not really very exciting. Or fast and furious. Yeah. That's true. They're not going very fast or really doing anything impressive. They're just, and it doesn't look like they're going fast. They're just kind of, you know, trundling along and then turning around.

I wondered if this was the slowest car race on film of all time. Also, Travolta makes the inexplicable decision to drive up the side of the L.A. River, which is all that's going to do is slow you down. I just didn't understand that at all. Physics don't agree with that. Yeah, you're right. The car race is bad. The sports scenes are bad.

predictably it's a musical. Okay. All right. We're going to take a break and then more categories. All right. So the Ron Burgundy Flute Award for Best Time for a P-break. Beauty School Dropout's about to start. I'm going to go make some popcorn.

You're so angry. You're outrageous. I'm so angry. I'm going to make popcorn. Sorry. The minute I rewatched it, I was like, I know Bill is going to say that this is the P break and I'm going to have to throw a fit. I love Beauty School Dropout.

I have rewritten the lyrics to Beauty School Dropout to sing to my son. I didn't even know I was doing it. I just kind of did. It's great. It's great. like old school movie making and like a throwback to all of the musicals of the 50s that that I really enjoy Bill. You know what?

It's America and it's my opinion. Okay. Well, I think Juliet and I share a different opinion. What is it? The sports scenes. The sports montage. Okay. They're funny, but you don't need it.

It's really long. I was like, wait, this is still going on. I think it best embodies the flute scene because it's so long. You could still get the humor and take like a 45 to 60 second break. I can't get a. enough of Tramol to playing sports. I don't know why. I think it's so funny when somebody can be so coordinated as a dancer and just can be completely

non-athletic at the same time. It makes no sense. I wanted to see him play hockey, soccer, just keep rolling off sports. Water polo would have been fun. Water polo. Did they have a cool? That would have really stretched their ability. At Rydell High?

Cinematography. Yeah. Was there a better title for this movie? The kids and I were flow. around summer nights last night, just what that would have been like if the movie was called summer nights. I mean,

most of the movie is not in summer nights, though, so I don't think it would have really captured all of it. I don't think Greece is great, though. What is, why is this movie called Greece? Why is the musical called Greece? Is it because they have grease in their hair?

What is it? It's a 50s reference to greasers, and it's like a throwback to that, and also the hair stuff, too. Yeah, I don't mind it. I like the title of grease. Best quote, did you guys have best quote? Well, there's a couple that I think John Travolta just sort of co-ops.

Like when he, there's a couple that I know we can't give him credit for, but I would like to when he says, for example, sloppy seconds ain't my style. I think that introduced sloppy seconds to me as a child. Interesting. Did he invent sloppy seconds with that? Yeah. Very possible. He also says, that's my name, don't wear it out, which is like something that people repeat a lot when I was a kid as well. So he's got some really important lines.

And that's another part of his lore. Rizzo says flog the log at some point, which I think got co-opted. I like when Rizzo says, true love, didn't lay a hand on you. Sounds like a creep. I thought it was a good quote. But this movie's not a ton of quotes. What about it? Stud.

Tell me about it stud. Yeah. The Stephen A. Smith ought to take a word. Big topic last night in my house. Okay. You asked if Rizzo sucked, which I think for the most part she did. Did Sandy kind of suck? Not Olivia Newton-John, the performer, but Sandy, the character.

Other than the fact that she was super cute, what was, what about her made you fall head over heels? She was, had no sense of humor. She seemed constantly surprised by anything. Super sensitive. Didn't put out, notably. a mega prude. Very bad at cartwheels. Other than the attractiveness, what else did she bring to the table?

There was one glimmer at the end of your beloved sports montage when they're on the track where they're kind of like joking around together and there's like an easiness and a fun to it that I think showed perhaps they did have a real chemistry that we just didn't get to see because it's an action-packed hour and 50 minutes. You know, we mentioned this with the school test pod last week. The scene on the dock with Frazier and Damon, how important that scene was, just to have those guys hanging out for three minutes and like, oh, these guys are really friends. This movie is missing like a two-minute scene with Sandy and Danny. We're like, oh, I get it.

This is why maybe they could have replaced the sports scene with that. Something maybe at the diner where they could have gotten two more minutes together. But it's hard to make the case for Sandy until she shows up in the weather outfit. They're like, oh, I get it. I have a proposal. Can I run something past you guys? Yeah. What if you make the animation sequence truly first?

I don't know why it's second. And then you give them a more substantive beach scene instead of just like splashing around. Might have helped. Yeah. Did you guys read the online theory that Sandy dyes? It's like the top gun. It's all a dream theory. But the theory that's probably in answerable questions.

Oh, sorry. I don't mean to step on it. No, let's do it now. Yeah. So that she like, some or some sort of. of water accident during that opening sequence. Well, the wave hits them on the rock. Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, and so that everything else is like Sandy's dream of what high school would be like. And then the last scene when they're in the car is her like ascending to heaven. It's pretty good. It like explains why she's not a particularly developed character. And you're really just, you're like watching the movie and learning about this high school like through Sandy. She like doesn't have a personality because she's sort of like, the lens through which you're like,

oh, look at these cool people and what's going on. But yeah, I don't think she sucks. I just think she's just all poodle skirt, you know, and no substance. Well, my favorite person in the world, Zoe Simmons, flat out said Sandy sucks last night. She just was completely out on her. On your dying theory,

so that would tie up some loose ends to this movie. Like, for instance, I was going to do this pick a dixie. we can do it now. You're in L.A. for the summer from Australia. You were supposed to go back. But now, no, we're actually going to stay. Right. What?

No idea. It's 1958. It's not like people like, oh, my dad just got this new job of this hedge fund and they combined with this tech firm and we're going to be, and we're doing these microchips from Australia. Now it turns out he's going to have to stay in L.A. What possible job turn would have happened that would have kept the Australian dad? Plus, we never meet the parents.

That's another like missed opportunity to this movie. We could have met her weird Australian family. Right. I want to talk about the parents, but why do we think she's in L.A. for the summer in the first place? Like, what do we think his job is? Is it military? And so he comes for the summer? Also, is he Australian or was he, like, posted to Australia?

for a while, she's raised there enough to get the accent and then possibly brought back. And then I feel like military is the only 50s explanation that makes sense in terms of- Very possible. Yeah, but also it doesn't make sense. I think part of like the reason why doesn't make sense is because how they changed it from the musical, where she was a Polish-American and it was in Chicago, like trying to explain her Australian-ness, which to, you know, your point earlier, introduce some plot holes. Yeah.

You don't have a hot steak, right, Amanda? I have one that my heart's not really in it, but I know it'll make you mad, so should I share it? Yeah. I think Sandy looked better before. Yeah, I'm not even...

Okay, I don't like the perm. I don't like the perm. I don't think it's good. That's all I have to say. Horrible take. I thought about the perm, though. I think it also would just be a wig. We know that Frenchie has a lot of wigs,

since she asked Frenchie for help. Okay. But yeah, it's like swept up in a way. I definitely think the 50s look like with the bangs are a wig, because how else are you maintaining? Some of the, also the bangs look different in every scene. Yeah, okay. Dare I say this is the greatest section of casting what-ifs we've had

in 249 rewatchables movies. Wow. Wow. Travolta suggested the director in Olivia Newton, John. Travolta revealed Linda Ronstat was seriously considered for Sandy. He revealed that 20 years after the movie. I mean, she had an amazing voice and was really pretty in 1978. I think she could have pulled off Sandy. I'm glad they went with Olivia New John, but I think Linda Ronstadt could have done it. Just a totally different energy. I mean, that's a different movie. Different movie. They also considered pretty seriously Carrie Fisher and

Susan Day, and Marie Osmond allegedly almost took the role before she realized the character transform to a rebel. I don't 100% believe that story. Because if you knew anything about Greece, you know the character transforms at the end. It seems like Marie Asman is trying to associate herself with Greece after the success. I'll tell you both after 249 movies that have done the rewatchables, I've learned to suss out the half-ass internet research bullshit. She turned down grease to do going coconuts. I'm just not buying it, Marie.

I think it looks great for you to say, yeah, I was going to do Greece, but I'm not buying it. Newton John took a reduced asking price because she was pretty successful at that point but wanted star billing with Travolta. Smart. Lucy Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball

and Desi Ernest, was supposed to be Rizzo and was dropped from consideration, allegedly, when her mother called Paramount because she was furious that they wanted Lucy Arnaz through a screen test and flipped out and was like, I used to own that studio, my daughter's not doing

a screen test. So they got rid of her. They got Stocker Channing instead. Who was an Al-Ancar Talon-Aging client. So it was definitely an inside job because she was too old. Henry Winkler turned down Danny Zucco because it was too close to the Fons said later he regretted the decision.

That was that that almost broke my brain. Yeah. Can he dance? I wasn't aware of his dancing prowess. The movie's worse if Fonz's is Danny Zucco. So much worse. It's just too weird. No.

That's a no for me. I love the Fonz, but it worked out for everyone, I think. Agreed. He's also like five, six, isn't he? Yeah, he's short. And Travolta's taller. But we should mention in 1978, the Fons was the biggest TV star in the world.

So it's actually a bigger movie. If it's Travolta and the Fons in the same movie, it's somehow even a bigger movie than a movie that made a ton of money. Elvis Presley was being considered for the role of Teen Angel, and then he died as they started to make the movie. but they felt like they had a chance to get him. Elvis Presley being in this movie

would have been unbelievable. That means Bill's not taking a pee break for that scene. I was going to say, y'all you'll sit through it. Yeah, Elvis is in it. I'm not peeing and making popcorn during that. Lorenzo Llamis was the last-minute replacement for Stephen Ford, Gerald Ford's son, who developed stage fright shortly before the filming

and backed out. There was no real role. But, Juliet, what did Stephen Ford eventually end up in? What was this big movie break? I don't know. Wasn't it when Harry met Sally? Wasn't he Sally's boyfriend? Oh, I don't think I realized that.

Wow. Oh, Joe? Having sex on the kitchen floor? Joe? That is Gerald Ford's son? That's Stephen Ford, right? Wow. Julie's looking this up.

Yeah. It is. I did not know. Me neither. That's incredible. I never knew that. Just when I thought Juliet knew every single piece of when Harry met Sally. the legends they always end up letting you down.

This is my favorite one. I gave you the Fonz. I gave you Gerald Ford's son. I gave you Elvis. I gave you Linda Rodstadt. Porn star, Harry Reims, was originally signed to play Coach Calhoun. Coming off of Deep Throat, 1972, he was the first, like, famous porn star of the 70s,

and he was in, and then Paramount nixed it, and they made Sid Caesar do it instead. But fortunately, Harry was able to play a, coach and Debbie does Dallas. But this Harry Reams was devastated. He felt like this was going to allow him to cross over into non-porn films.

And this would have been his big break. And the fact that Harry Reams was almost in this movie, again, broke my brain. I had three brain breaks during this. Elvis, Defonds, and Harry Reams. So yeah, great casting wittiffs. The Ruffalo Hannah Rubeneck Partridge overacting award.

They knew and they let it happen. happen. Don't you call me, lady. I come in here. I give these things to you. Give it all you got. I treated you like a son. You fucking stand me in the heart. Fuck you. What do you think? And I'll tell you who I thought, but what do you think? So you mentioned Sid Caesar. I think you're either in or you're out on Sid Caesar. I personally am in, but I could see where perhaps one would not be. However, I actually think it's D.D. Cohn as Frenchy. I know that she's like kind of owned this the most, but I just think that she doesn't do it for me. I'm always very aware of the D.D. Cone moments.

I have Vince Fontaine, the national bandstand host. Wow. I like the lecturist national bandstand host. I thought he really doubted up in ways that I thought were bizarre. He does a handsprink into the frame. I thought that was pretty impressive. He's just openly hitting on the high school kids. For me, it's the T-birds, the three stooges, calm down.

You know, like, I understand that you're there to provide, like, comedic relief of a certain type, but, like, let's chill out. Fair. The Teddy KGB Award for actor doing his own thing. In this case, for me, goes to, uh, goes to cha-cha. Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah. Chacha. I don't know what movies she's in, but I think she thought it was the one that Harry Reams was going to be in.

She is completely out of control. Chewing gum. She looks like she's 45. I just don't know what's going on with Chachot. A great 45. She looks fantastic. Fantastic. She's not a high school student though.

No. Also, when she begins the race and she like throws her arms back after she drops the scarf, it's just, it's a lot. She was suffering an ectopic pregnancy when that happened. So I don't want to hold it against her too much. But it's a weird moment. Best that guy award. I mean, this movie came out 45 years ago, so everybody's that guy at this point.

But I do think Dedy Khan, this is a good spot for her because she just became Frenchy. You couldn't see her in anything else. She's just, oh, that's Frenchy. There's no way to break out of that. It's a good one. Who do you have for Deanne Waiters Award for Best Heat Check? I like Blanche, but it's a lot. Blanche calm down.

I would say after she's dragging Tom along with her in the dance scene, I'm just sort of like, all right, Blanche, take it down. I thought Patty Simcox is in there. Not a lot to work with, but I thought she was able to do a lot. And then the Vince Fontaine, I think, could also be eligible. Sure. What do you have Amanda? Is Jeff Conaway eligible?

He is not eligible. Okay. Then I think Patty Simcox. You could have Frankie Avalon. to. Yeah, Patty's in there. Recasting couch. So, crater face, can we just rethink this for a second? Sure. Why have the 45-year-old unattractive bad guy in this where you could have, like, can I offer you, Richard Gear?

Mm-hmm. Can I offer you Tom Barringer? You know, is there something to him not being hot, though? Like, is there a reason why this person should not be attractive? Because those two guys are, like, are very classically handsome. And I do think there's something to his, like, bulliness being that he's not, like, smooth, like, John Travolta. You think this is Travolta being like,

I'm only doing this movie if the bad guy is super ugly, and I get to do grease lightning. And those are my two demands. Even before I knew that John Travolta stole a song from Jeff Conaway, I always felt like there was a real tension between them. I mean, there's, like, you know, the Rizzo Love Triangle or whatever. But what if Jeff Conaway is actually crater face? And he's the villain of the movie, and they're actually, like,

Oh, interesting. enemies. I mean, it's a smaller role, but not singing either way. But I feel like he looks more like a crater face to me than a number two. Yeah, but then you don't get him dancing because Crater Face doesn't have any, he's not in any of the musical numbers. I guess he is at the dance off and is pretty good at it. Here's my question. Is Craterface supposed to be a Rydell High student? Does he go to Rydell? No, he's go somewhere else. Okay. I think they're just like, but they're obviously both in L.A. But yeah, he just, the scorpion, the derivation of the scorpions

is very unclear. Okay. Thank you. Can I give you one more recasting couch? Sure. I'm really proud of it. Carrie Fisher's Rizzo. Yes. I like it. Yeah. A lot more charisma. She's almost like veering into more of the Blues Brothers, Carrie Fisher.

Right. Little gritty, little badass. Maybe we didn't know she had it in her coming off of Star Wars. I was thinking of Marine when Harry Met Sarah. element, Sally. That would be a great Rizzo. Yeah. How fast internet research, the director took a lot of liberties, including moving this from Chicago to Philadelphia because he was from Philadelphia. They did overrule him on his choice of a theme song when they shoehorned Barry Gibb in there and he was pissed off about that.

We didn't mention this yet. Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into her leather trousers at the end of the movie because a zipper broke. Also, the owner of those, leather trousers is Sarah Blakely, who founded Spanx. She won them at auction. And funny enough, I would say, like, outside of just like the underwear that holds you in, the signature Spanx item is pleather leggings, which are surely inspired by this movie. So comes together. There's a deleted scene of Rizzo and Kinneki getting into a heated argument before the diner scene,

which, this was in the research. was described by one crew member as being much grittier and looking like something Martin Scorsese would have directed? I'm sure it did. Exactly like it. No, what's going on there? The camera work on this movie is really at that level. The opening beach scene, the Malibu Spa, Julia mentioned, is the Leo Carrillo State Beach. The ride-of-high scenes were shot at Venice High School.

The drive-in movie scenes at Burbank Pickwick Drive-In, which no longer exists. mentioned the LA River, and then the carnival scene was at John Marshall High School. They had to blur a whole bunch of Coca-Cola signs in this movie because Pepsi was a sponsor, which is pretty funny. Coca-Cola was in the scenes and you can't see it.

There was a closing scene where Danny and Sandy Kiss that was removed from the finished print and they lost it, and it's only available in black and white, and the director wanted to put it back in at some point and they couldn't get the right thing for it. Where do you stand on the 2006,

Live TV adapted special star Julian Huff and Vanessa Hudgens Juliet Couldn't be happier that you asked Thank you so much You're welcome I'm a big Aaron Tbait fan So when he was Danny Zucco

I was excited Also I think the directing of that Is like really excellent It's just like a really It's by far the best executed TV musical It's directed by Tommy Kale Of Hamilton fame among other things

And And it features Boys to Men and Jesse Jay doing the opening song, which is actually really good. I mean, you know, trying to redo Greece is stupid. This is so iconic. But if you're going to, this had some good aspects of it. So I enjoyed it. I mean, it's also, I've talked about it a lot. Like, Greece Live was something that I really discussed very much.

So it had an impact. I enjoy Jesse Jay. Yeah. So this is in the research. Jeff Conaway, so infatuated. with Olivia Newton-John, he couldn't interact with her and was tongue-tied and then married her sister, Rona. Incredible.

So weird. That's the thing that actually happened. So weird. What a movie experience for Jeff Conaway. I mean, you're a gamut of emotions all the way around. The dance contest was filmed during the summer with no air conditioning and was like apparently insanely hot. You mentioned the leather jacket auction.

And then The Wiz came out in 1978 too and was a bust commercially and critically. So Greece won the Whiz. Now the Wiz has had a little bit of a comeback. All right, we're going to take a break, and then we'll hit the rest of the categories. We'll be done. All right, Apex Mountain. Dare I say, nobody was higher on Apex Mountain than Travolta after this movie. I think he could have made any movie after this, and it would have been greenlit.

Literally anything. He could have named the movie, the genre, the director. He could have picked the cast. I think even more than Leo and Titanic. I just think there's no better definition in Apex Mountain, which is what is so funny about what his next movie was,

which was moment by moment with Lily Tomlin, which is one of the worst movies of the last 50 years. It was the third movie in his contract. It is just absolutely abominable and should not have been the choice.

But anyway. And his path after that is just totally screwy. There's no other streak. There's no other like ascension. It's just, It's wacky. So I agree with you.

Olivia Newton-John. I would say yes. I think the physical moment is more sustained and there's like more around it though, right? But the physical moment doesn't happen without this. That's true. Okay. When did let's get physical come out? I want to say 81?

Yeah, I think so. It's a great song. Craig, do you know this song? Yeah, I know it a little bit. Craig, do you know about jazzercise? I do, yeah. It's one of the fun. funniest videos ever with how just insane it is.

Yes. I liked her little hairdo aerobics thing too. People doing push-ups. It's great. I don't understand what's going out of that video. Jeff Conaway, I think, is also on taxi when this comes out. I think he had just started on taxi. One of my favorite shows as a child.

Taxi is an amazing show. It's on Pluto. Pluto is running old TV shows. and you can step into some taxi and see Danny DeVito. It's amazing. A Merrillou Henner throwing a thousand miles an hour. The Great Judd Hirsch. Christopher Lloyd.

I love that show. Tony Danza. It's amazing. That show's awesome. It's tonally pretty unique. It's excellent. Yeah, it was unlike any other sitcom by far. Yeah.

It was just trying to do something completely different. It was James L. Brooks, who's been on the rewatchable sponge types. Is this Apex Mountain for musicals? No. No. No. No. No.

I mean, are we talking musicals, movie musicals, or just like musicals in general? Musicals. I cannot give this movie Greece apex mounted for musicals the entire genre. I'm sorry. What's a bigger musical than Greece? Le Mise. Phantom of the Opera. Hamilton.

On its way. Yes. How about movie musicals? No. Singing in the Rain, Sound of Music, West Side Story. Sorry. I know those are old movies. This is a row back to the 50s for a reason.

It's one of the biggest movies of all time and one of the most seen movies of all time and it's still lived on to this day. I guess that's not Apex. The definition of Apex Mountain is after this movie, what was the juice? So I guess you're right. But I think this is the most seen musical ever. I don't know. I mean, maybe. but like nothing else really took pieces from it.

Like Greece takes pieces from other musicals. Like Greece is like, I think even Randall Klazer said, like some of the way that he shot Summer Nights is based on West Side Story and like all of the motion in that. So I just don't think you can give it to it. Okay. The nostalgia for the 1950s,

I think Happy Days is still apex month for that. Robert Stigwood, yes, because he has Saturday Night Fever than this in a row. and did the deals where he owns all the soundtrack stuff. He has his artist and the thing. I mean, he just was crushing it. How about extreme makeovers? What about Clueless?

I think Ty and Clueless is one that is really high out there. It's not quite as extreme, but it is good. Dance contests? Maybe. I'm trying to think. In movies? I think so. Yeah.

I think in movies, yes. Okay. Thunder Road. Would you go with the Thunder Road in this movie or the Springsteen song? I'd go Springsteen. I would also go Springsteen. Drive-ins? Drive-in movie scenes?

Oh, definitely up there. Yes. I think yes. That swings. That's pretty iconic. Yeah. About girls name, Chacha?

Yeah. Yeah. Any other Apex Mountains? Sandra D. Yeah. Sandra D is a good one. Men's gymnastics? Gets a big look.

I think that's American Anthem with Mitch Gaylord. All right. Fine. What about John Marshall High School? John Marshall High School is really famous. It's in a lot of movies. I think it's either this moment,

like this scene and sort of the way that it shows off the hills behind it. I'm a little biased. I used to live really close to it. It's either that or off-referred to on this podcast is where Leonardo DiCaprio went to high school. So when Leo was in high school? Or is it in this movie?

What's the location for John Marshall High School? It's in Los Phyllis. It's off of Griffith Park Boulevard. I think it's this movie. Yeah, I do as well. Hall of Fame plaque. Was this movie the movie they would put on their Hall of Flame Pack? I say no for Chivalta.

I still think it's Saturday Night Fever. But I think it's yes for Livy Newton, John. Absolutely. I agree with that. Did you have a best racehorse name for this from this movie? I have hopelessly devoted. Oh, that's a good one, right? Yeah.

Here comes hopelessly devoted. I've got a couple. Yeah. National bandstand. Hmm. Pink lady is honestly like probably. Oh, for a Philly. Yeah.

Yeah. And, you know, Kinnicky. It's just like there's always one really weird horse, you know, in the lineup. where you're just like 80 to one odds. Like, sure, I'll put my money on Kinicky. No problem. I like that. That's good.

Those are good. Picky Knits. It's a really fast nine months. I mean, no joke. Really fast. Yeah. We do nine months in about two days. Mm-hmm.

Does the national band stand? Was that the prom? I guess so. Or fills in for it? We'd have no holidays. We just zip. through. There's no context for how long. Danny and Sandy, were they kind of dating there? Were they not? How long were they not talking? Right. Yeah. All of a sudden, we're at graduation. Does anyone go to

college? There's no college conversations. Yeah. I'm not sure why they had them graduate at the end, why they just didn't have it, like be like November and then end of football season or something like that. You could have packed us in the three months. I think we're probably good. This one, So Danny sees Sandy, right? He's in love with Sandy. And then he sees her and she's going to his high school. But he's so desperate to impress his friends. He just throws Sandy into the dumpster immediately in front of her and embarrasses her.

Who would do this? How is that the best way to play this? I don't know. I mean, high school boys are really dumb. But this is the, of any movie in a high school, any high school decision for somebody you like, this ranks way up there with dumbest. Right. Yeah. He's also supposed to be like the tone setter for the group. He's like the leader, right? Yeah. Which Danny does not really demonstrate innate like mean guy, queen guy abilities. You know, like because a true leader of this group would understand, oh, I can play this to my advantage. I can make this like the cool thing that everybody wants to be a part of. But he's a little. beta in that sense.

I'm with you. Well, then he dumps her at the bandstand dance. He all of a sudden, chachas in Sandy's spot. And he just lets that happen too. It's like two unforgivable sins to Sandy. I don't know why she still likes him. And then she accepts the ring at the drive-in very quickly after she's like really mad at him.

And that had happened. It doesn't make any sense. I have a lot of picking that's related to this incident. Go. I mean, are we just not enforcing. any rules during the bandstand competition? Like, what's going on? That's the most obvious.

It is very clear that at one minute, it's Sandy who's going to win the competition, and then they replace cha-cha. Like, we have a lot of observers. It's on film. Is no one saying anything? I don't really get it. It's a great point. Also, was that the plan?

When you read about the discussions around that scene, it makes it seem like that was always the plan for John Tramold to win. But for, for Dan? Nizuco to win. But we don't know him to be competitive. I mean, he's just trying to, like, beat people up. I don't know. His competitive spirit comes up a lot in this movie, and I don't really buy it. Agree. Some of the, for a nitpick, some of the lip syncing is just way, way comically off.

Yeah. You know, like almost feels like they're not trying. The ending, look, if Sandy didn't die, why does the grease lightning car go in the hair like a spaceship? What's happening there? Why did that happen? They're just so happy. There's some, you know, high school heaven. I have Travolta smoking, a recurring theme with him of, he was just a terrible smoker.

Tom Cruise, the worst smoker we've ever had of any famous actor. But Travolta smoking is pretty bad. He lets that, like, kind of dangle. And then he grabs it around from the side with his two fingers. And it's just, you could just tell he's never actually smoke cigarettes. Yeah. Not like somebody like, if Chris Ryan's in the movie, Chris Ryan, be way more authentic. That would be great. Let's make Chris Ryan a teabird.

If you have best cigarette smoking and movie, De Niro's a 10. De Niro and heats like just a 10 out of 10. Travolta's a one and a half and cruises a one. The football stuff in this movie, I don't know what's going on. And it's clear that once again, the sports movie coordinator was very needed. But it's clear nobody who made this movie had ever seen a lick of sports ever. The basketball scene, I don't know what's going on there. It's like a just five guys

So the basketball and Travolta comes in They're playing three on three But everybody's on the same team I don't know what's going on there It's pretty rough Any other nitpicks? Sandy takes her shoes off While watching the race

Once she's sitting on the L.A. River And I'm just like why it's not remotely close to the beach But like who like sits down And takes their shoes off When they're sitting on concrete Someone someone got a foot infection Doing just that

On during the filming of this movie I have one which is I just don't understand why Frenchy couldn't have waited until graduation to join beauty school. I mean, it's literally

like two days as Bill just mentioned in the timeline. Let's just wait, you know? Let's get that diploma. And then my other is just, you know,

like reasonably, how far is the beach? They keep talking about the beach like this mythic place, you know, where like Danny and Sandy went for the summer. Like, I was at the beach.

Oh, Amanda, come on. You live in L.A. You know, that people are like, the beach. I never go there. It's so far away. But this was filmed in Venice High School. It's not far from the beach. I know. You have to think they're in Los Felice

or Pasadena somewhere. So the beach seems further. I still go to the beach. But, you know. But you know that most people don't. Maybe that's a nitpick for the city of Los Angeles. But that's the thing. When you live in L.A. It's ruined 902 and O in a lot of ways, the reruns. They're just flying around.

The opposite problem. Yeah. It's ridiculous. Next category is sequel prequel prestige TV all black cast are untouchable if you're going to remake this. I think the all black cast would be really interesting. My entire family said they would give it a whirl. Sure. Yeah. So there you go.

It would be a different picture of the 50s, but like maybe like a slightly more interesting one. Maybe it's the 90s. Who knows? Just one Oscar who gets it. I think it's Travolta. Yeah. If we can only hand out one Oscar for this movie, I think, I think Travolta gets it. That's probably right.

Probably unanswerable questions. What were the pink ladies exactly? Did they have fights? Was it just a jacket? How did you get into the pink ladies? They seem awfully willing to just pull Sandy in. Yeah. Did they feud with other gangs in the school?

Amanda, what was happening? I mean, I don't know. I do think they're kind of losers a little. I don't really like hanging out with them. And that's why I think like the plastics from mean girls. like are good similar reference. You know, we were pink on, is it on Wednesdays?

Wednesdays. Wednesdays. Yeah. Yeah. They, I don't know. They were pink. I would not want to be a pink lady.

I'm with you. It is arbitrary, but I think girls do this in high school. Maybe because they've seen Greece. But when I was in high school, like people just assigned their friend groups like titles and like names. And then, you know, membership was arbitrary.

So I actually think it's kind of realistic, though we can't answer the question. Well, that leads to my next time to answer to a question. Julia, what would have been your gang in high school? So I kind of had one because I was not in the A squad. There was an A squad. I was not in it. So we used to joke that my friends thought we were the B squad.

Oh, interesting. Self-deprecating joke title. Yeah, look at the A squad now. Look who won. Look who won the long game. Juliet did. another in answerable question, there's a prevailing fan theory

that there are worse things I could do, the Stacker, the Rizzo song, is about abortion. Do you guys believe this? So this is another problem with the timeline. Like, when is Rizzo finding out that she's missed her period versus when she finds out

she's not pregnant? There's just a lot of questions there. I think that it's probably supposed to be like open-ended because this movie is from 72, right? But the musical is 72, yeah. Yeah, and so, you know, Robbie Wade was in 73, so it's still illegal. So I think it's intentionally big.

Okay. Any other in answerable questions? We covered all the other ones I had already in the pod. I got one, and this is inspired by a piece by Rich Jeswiak, who wrote for Jezebel. So did Danny and Sandy have something? sex at the beach? I think no, because he's trying so hard. I'd say no.

Yeah. Okay. The argument, which is that in addition to the possibly Sandy, like having an accident at the beach, but like the waves and that the beach references like code, certainly 50s movie code for like having sex, you know? And it's like the way in those movies they would like cut away and it was like implied. Oh, really? And yeah, kind of like it.

In a similar way to, like, maybe an abortion is applied, but it could be implied that something went down there and then. He does imply it at the beginning of the movie. Yeah, of course. I mean, she was Australian. The Australians in the late 50s were really, really pushing the envelope. But in every other scene, she's holding him back and being like, no. So, like, once you cross that Rubicon, are you really pulling back like that?

Yeah, if she's a prude, then why did she have sexual... She has an image to maintain at school. You know, it was supposed to be one magical summer. I know, but then he gives her the ring to be like, and she's like, oh, you do respect me. Like, he's just doing all of the things to convince her. Maybe she has some regrets. I don't know.

I'm just throwing it out there. Maybe Sandy is more complex than we think. Related. One more unanswerable question. I never knew about this beach thing. Yeah. And I think it's like. So when the wave comes in, that's supposed to be this like.

So it's pulling the blanket over you like on TV? Yeah. And it's like, and it's supposed to reference. Like specifically, I think it's from here to eternity when they're like making out in the way, you know, that very famous scene that is like definitely supposed to be them doing a bit more, if you will. Yeah. Related to this. Is Kinicky a virgin before he has sex with Rizzo? Because he gets the condom out, you know?

And then the condom like breaks thing. And he's like, I bought it when I was 12. So he's never had an opportunity to use a special condom. Yeah. Canicky is being presented as this swordsman. Right. But is he not? Is this his first time?

That's a great question. Okay. All right. It wasn't Jeff Conaway's first time on the set. No, it wasn't. I'll tell you that much. That trailer was rocking. Oh, my God.

Love Jeff Conway. R-I-P. Best double feature choice with this movie. I bet we have three different picks. I pick Saturday Night Fever. I really want to watch it after watching this. Oh, I picked that too. Okay.

Great. Would you go Saturday Fever first, then Greece, or would you flip it? I would go grease first. I would start with the light and then go to the dark. I feel like that's hard the other way around. I have a different one just for a variety. I think Saturday Night Fever is the obvious answer.

I think you could throw dirty dancing in as well. And I mentioned Patrick Swayze, but I think it occupies a similar dance movie VHS rewatch like object of fascination, certainly for young girls. But it's like a little. little bit older. Like, I feel like in a lot of ways you graduated from Greece to...

There actually is an abortion in it. Dirty dancing. Yes, there is. I love dirty dancing. I love it more than Greece, actually. It's a great movie. Swayzy. Really?

Wow. This was a good song. Why did he sing more? It's not a good song, Bill. It has a hundred and 18 million views on YouTube. I think that final dance scene where he's in the aisle and they're finally doing it is like one of my favorite things to ever happen in my life. It's an exhilar rating.

Oh, my God. Good. I always do the final dance. And this year somebody told me not to. Sorry. That's a different podcast. Did we do dirty dancing on rewatchables or no? No.

I don't think we've ever done it. We did ghosts, but no rewatchables. I think this year is 35 years. Didn't it come out in 1987? Yeah, it is 87. No, we should probably do dirty dancing. Okay. What piece of memorabilia would you want from this movie?

There's a lot of candidates. You know, the T-bird jacket's iconic, but I love that varsity sweater at the end that he's also wearing. Those are my two choices. Travolta's T-Bird jacket or letter jacket sweater. I like the T-Birds. I would take the game-worn, movie-worn,

Trevota T-Bird's jacket. Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. That's good. D.D. Kahn's wig, rank and last. The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson. You have to be a bad girl to keep your man happy.

That's what I learned from Greece. Oh, my God. Yeah, it's kind of true. Yeah. That's the lesson. That's the takeaway for all the young kids watching this for the first time. I mean, also, I agree with Rizzo.

There are worse things she could do than sleep with a guy or two. Yeah. That's worse. That's fine. Also, I just want to say, turning your teasing comb and go back to high school,

good life advice, even if you're peeing, you know, Bill, and you didn't catch it. Good one. Who won the movie? It's got to be Troultta. Travolta. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I think Olivia Newton-John also really benefits from this. And as we saw this week, it really stayed with her whole career. But yeah, Travolta. Bonus question. Are people watching this movie 50 years from now? I say yes. Yeah. I think it's like this, Toy Story, Star Wars. I think there's some. Whereas like other ones I think will fall aside. Like Rocky will, Rocky's too slow. Rocky will lose its momentum. And, some of the 70s Godfather, I think will stay. Yeah.

But the pacing of it and the songs help break it up. Yeah. There's probably only 10 movies that'll still be watched 50 years from now from the 70s by mass people.

It's the Titanic of the 70s. Yeah. Titanic's how I feel. So, yeah. So I think people will still be watching Titanic and I think people will probably, if they're watching movies,

we'll still be watching this. All right, before we go, producer Craig Horubeck. who is half the age of this movie, almost. Yeah, pretty much. Your thoughts, Craig? I love Greece. I'm kind of a sneaky movie musical guy.

Oh. Yes, Craig. Recognize that about myself after watching it. But I don't know. I like you guys, I had no idea when I saw it for the first time, but I've seen it a ton. There's just something special about these types of movies where they're like obviously cheesy, but it kind of somehow makes them better. And you just kind of buy into it.

Travolta has, I was talking to Liz last night about this. There's something so weird because I asked. Liz's the same question, are you attracted to Travolta? And she was like, no, but he's so charismatic. And we were talking about how nowadays in movies, I can't remember the last time I saw a movie with an actor on screen and I'm like, wow, he is like sweeping me away. And Travolta is ridiculously charismatic. And I don't see it a lot anymore. You don't feel that way with Chris Evans? I don't. And the gray man? No. Wait, I have one picking, or unanswerable question. I don't know which one.

the start of this movie, they all gather after summer on the first day of school. And there's a group of friends, supposed to be a group of best friends. And they're asking each other, how was your summer? Is the implication that they don't hang out once over summer and they have no idea what goes on? This is a great question. And none of them can make it to the beach. Aren't they all hanging out every day and every weekend? How do they not know about Sandy?

Did John Chonchville to go live on the beach in a tent? Like, how do they not know what any of each other did over the summer? Maybe they went to camp. maybe they weren't home. All of them? Everybody leaves? Maybe. But they didn't mention their camp friends.

That's true. They're focused on the new year being seniors. Well, so I think the three Stooges guys were all in jail. I think Kinicky was working ahead of Delhi. He was trying to make money for the school year. And Chivalto is just off. They don't see anybody. Yeah.

Okay. That's it. Yeah, I don't know how they protect their turf if none of them are together over the entire summer. No wonder Craterface had such a big impact. It's fine. Were these groups popular? They didn't have a ton of friends. Nobody came to the car race.

They're not. A lot of bad hangs in this group. Wouldn't it have been like 100 people at the car race if it was like the two most popular groups facing off? No one is there. They're not. They're like trying to, you know, make something of themselves for the fact that they don't,

aren't liked by anybody else. They would have been better friends with the football team if they were trying to be more popular. Yeah. Was it realistic back then that jocks were not as popular as the quote-unquote greasers? I think it was. realistic, actually. When did that flip? Based on the movies. Probably the 70s. When sports became more popular, like, on television? Because all the idols that everybody had in the

50s were like the James Dean types. Right. And like the rebels. And that was just kind of how that decade went. Then I think it flips in the 60s. These were good ads, Craig. Once again, you've about done yourself. Great job. Amanda, Juliet. Great to see. Amanda, great to have you back on the rewatchables. Good to see your face. It's so great. It's great to see you. I missed you all. This podcast was produced by Craig Horace. And we will see you next week for the 250th movie. It's just me and Chris Ryan. That's it. Okay, going back to the basics. We'll see you next week.