This time you won’t need to whistle it discreetly, humming the tune inwardly or even pretend. The Sing-a-along version of Grease is an invitation to let your hair down and sing at the top of your voice in the cinema hall: on this occasion, forget the thoroughly comprehensible and justifiable “ssh” of those cinema-goers who actually want to enjoy the movie but often find themselves sharing the room with an audience of people who think they are in their living room and, therefore, are entitled to express their comments and opinions aloud.
There is no need to remind you of that: Randall Kleiser’s Grease made history. Released in 1978 on the wake of the success of Happy Days and Saturday Night Fever (thus consolidating John Travolta’s fame), it is a revival of the 50’s and all its icons and references: rock ‘n’ roll and cars, used for speed races or to host romantic encounters. Despite the naïvety of the plot – a rose-tinted love story filled with optimism – and of the direction as well as Olivia Newton-John’s weak dancing skills, songs like You're The One That I Want, Summer Nights and Greased Lightinghave won over viewers of different generations (including ours given the numerous staging productions).
Not to mention Travolta’s Fonzie-esque spunky look: white or black T-shirt, leather jackets, jeans and, of course, brilliantine or the Pink Ladies’ signature outfits: pantacollants, plunging necklines, heels, shorts and backcombed hair-dos in stark contrast with the style sported by Newton-John-Sandra Dee – flared skirts, twin sets, ballerina shoes, bob and fringe.
Lastly, two animal comedies. In Mark Water’s Mr. Popper’s penguins, Jim Carrey is a real-estate broker from New York who sees his life changing completely after he inherits six penguins. In Frank Coraci’sZookeeper, Kevin James plays an unlucky in love zookeeper who gets dating tips from the animals, in the hope their love rules will work out also for him.