The ‘90s would-have-been cult classic directed by Mark Christopher has been extended and re-cut again for the die-hards. Lovers of feel-good, disco, Ryan Phillippe’s pouty baby face, glistening torsos and New Jersey accents will all enjoy it the second time around.
The story revolves around New Jersey pretty boy Shane O’Shea (Phillippe) who gets sucked into and spat out of the allure of Studio 54, the notorious New York City nightclub. It’s owned by the sleazy, Quaalude-popping Steve Rubell, played by Mike Myers, who is all at once at the centre of everything and horribly alone.
There are plenty of elements about this film that are still quite progressive. There is an MDMA-snorting grandma who loves saying the C-word. There are numerous gay love affairs, race issues, infidelity, palpable class struggle and a whole lot of coke-snorting.
The new edit reveals a lot of character flaws in Shane. He becomes an egocentric, talentless, lost young man who steals money, screws up his relationships, cuts off his family and doesn’t seem to care about anything except partying, the new cut embracing these self-destructive, apathetic qualities in the main character. It deals with tougher issues, like racism and drug abuse, none of it ending well, and all the while you’re sitting in your chair shifting around to some of the most stellar disco, waiting for the train to crash, waiting for a brilliant throwaway line from Myers. There are plenty.
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