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Staying Alive | |
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Directed by | Sylvester Stallone |
Screenplay by |
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Based on |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Nick McLean |
Edited by | |
Music by | |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 96 minutes [3] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $22 million [4] |
Box office | $127 million |
Staying Alive is a 1983 American dance drama film and the sequel to Saturday Night Fever (1977). The film was directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-produced and co-wrote the film with original Fever producer Robert Stigwood, and writer Norman Wexler. Staying Alive stars John Travolta, reprising his Saturday Night Fever role as Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Julie Bovasso, Viktor Manoel and Kevyn Morrow.
The title comes from the Bee Gees song of the same name, which was used as the theme song to Saturday Night Fever and is played during the final scene of Staying Alive.
Staying Alive was theatrically released on July 15, 1983, received universally bad reviews, and is the oldest film to hold a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, Staying Alive was successful at the box office, earning $127 million worldwide on a $22 million budget. The film also featured the song "Far from Over" by Frank Stallone, the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone. "Far from Over" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cashbox charts. Along with Homefront (2013), this is one of only two films that Stallone wrote without starring (although he has an uncredited cameo appearance).
Tony Manero, a former disco king, is living in a Manhattan flophouse, working as a dance instructor and waiter at a dance club, searching for a big break in the modern dance productions on Broadway. The break from his Brooklyn life seems to have somewhat matured Tony and refined his personality, including his diminished Brooklyn accent, an avoidance of alcohol, and less use of profanity. Other attitudes remain unchanged, such as his disregard for his girlfriend, the forgiving Jackie, who is a dancer and rock singer. Tony maintains some of his other macho double standards, such as seeing other women but being offended if he sees Jackie with other men.
Tony watches a show that features Jackie as a dancer in the chorus but focuses on the lead, English dancer Laura. He pursues her with seduction in mind and spends the night with her. He is annoyed when she dismisses him afterward, not understanding that she intended their encounter to be a one-night stand. Laura coldly justifies her treatment by saying that "Everybody uses everybody" and implies that Tony used her in order to get a dance role in her upcoming show.
Unable to trust Tony, Jackie breaks up with him. Jackie, Tony and Laura then all audition for the Broadway production, Satan's Alley. Jackie and Tony land small roles, and Laura is cast as the lead female dancer.
Tony begins to realize how callous he has been to Jackie and walks from Manhattan to his old Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn in the middle of the night. When he visits his mother and apologizes for the troublemaking ways of his youth, she points out that his selfish behavior as a teen helped him escape a dead-end life in Bay Ridge. Tony feels better and heads back to Manhattan to repair his relationship with Jackie. His hostility and distance from the arrogant Laura increase as the production progresses.
Tony decides to take a shot at replacing the male lead of Satan's Alley and requests Jackie to help him practice the number. Laura is disgusted when Tony succeeds and openly displays her resentment at having to partner him in the show. They cannot hide their chemistry on stage, though, which pleases the show's director Jesse.
Satan's Alley sells out, and the cast takes the stage to a standing-room-only crowd. The first act is a success despite Tony's disregard for the script when he kisses Laura at the end of their number. Jesse blasts Tony backstage, telling him to take his personal war away from the production. Laura seems to offer a truce when she asks to see him after the show to "clear things up". Aware of her manipulative ways, Tony coldly tells her that he has other commitments, and Laura snidely responds that he lacks star quality.
The second act is a dazzling display of dance and special effects, and Tony abandons the script near the end of the show. He hurls Laura away and gives way to his frustration in a solo dance. He then holds out his hand to Laura with a command to jump, and she leaps in his arms for a climactic finish to the show.
Tony celebrates with his jubilant castmates and reconciles with Jackie. He then leaves the theater and struts through Times Square, beaming with his newfound success with the title song playing in the background.
Richie Sambora appeared in an uncredited role as a guitarist of the local band, in which Jackie and Carl also perform. [5] Sylvester Stallone makes an uncredited cameo appearance as a man on the street, whom Tony bumps into.
Some of the cast from Saturday Night Fever were to reprise their roles but ended up removed from the final cut: Donna Pescow appeared in the audience at Tony's Broadway debut, and Val Bisoglio appeared briefly as Frank Sr.[ citation needed ] His scene was deleted, and the film instead vaguely implies that he has probably died.
Saturday Night Fever producer and writer Robert Stigwood and Norman Wexler started planning a sequel soon after the original film came out in 1977, due to the film's success. They came up with the title Staying Alive, and Wexler wrote a script. Travolta was open to the idea of a sequel, but did not like the pessimism of the script, thinking that his character, Tony Manero, needed to see more success as a dancer. [6] Stigwood and executives from Paramount Pictures spent the next several years trying to convince Travolta to film the script as written, but with no success. [6] The project was considered abandoned, but then, in 1981, Stigwood met with Travolta to get Travolta's views on how a sequel should go. Travolta stated that he wanted Manero to attempt a dance career on Broadway and end up in a leading role due to his talent. [6] Wexler wrote another script based on Travolta's ideas, in which Manero becomes a Broadway dancer but remains in the chorus. Travolta agreed to participate in the film, though he preferred an ending more like the one he had envisioned: he agreed that Wexler's ending was a more realistic outcome, but felt that it would not be sufficiently exciting for audiences. [6]
It was then time to find a director for Staying Alive, and Travolta, who had just seen the film Rocky III (which Stallone wrote, directed and starred in), told his agent that he wanted a director who could bring the energy and pacing of that film to Staying Alive. To Travolta's surprise, Paramount, with the help of then-studio chief Michael Eisner, was able to bring in Stallone himself. [6] Travolta told Stallone about his idea for a happier ending, and Stallone rewrote the script to more closely match Travolta's vision. Stallone also made the Manero character more mature – given that the character was now six years older than in the original film – and made the film's language tamer than that of the first film, to ensure that it got a PG rating. [6]
Under Stallone's supervision, Travolta spent five months doing rigorous training to develop a dancer's physique for the film, losing 20 pounds (9.1 kg) in the process. [6]
Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
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Soundtrack album by Bee Gees and others | ||||
Released | 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1977 ("Stayin' Alive"), 1983 in Middle Ear Studio (Miami Beach, Florida) | |||
Label | RSO Records | |||
Producer | Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson, Johnny Mandel, Bruce Stephen Foster, Stewart Levine, Tony Marolda, Randy Bishop | |||
Bee Gees chronology | ||||
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Singles from Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
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The soundtrack album was released in 1983 and is performed mostly by the Bee Gees. Five new Bee Gees songs were on Side one, with Side two featuring songs by other artists which were mostly written by Frank Stallone, brother of the film's director, Sylvester Stallone. The album reached No. 14 in the United Kingdom, No. 6 in the United States, No. 1 in Switzerland, and No. 2 in Italy and Japan. The Bee Gees songs were released under RSO.
All tracks on Side one are written and performed by the Bee Gees. "Stayin' Alive" was shortened for the album. The full song is used in the film.
Two songs featured in the film, "Waking Up" by Frank Stallone and Cynthia Rhodes and "The Winning End" by Joe Esposito, do not appear on the album. [9] “Waking Up," with Rhodes' vocals removed, was released as the B-side of the single "Far from Over." An excerpt of a third duet with Frank Stallone and Cynthia Rhodes, "Hope We Never Change," is featured in the film.
All tracks on Side one are written and performed (as the Bee Gees) by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Woman in You" | 4:04 |
2. | "I Love You Too Much" | 4:27 |
3. | "Breakout" | 4:46 |
4. | "Someone Belonging to Someone" | 4:26 |
5. | "Life Goes On" | 4:26 |
6. | "Stayin' Alive" (edited version) | 1:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Far from Over" | Frank Stallone | 3:56 | |
2. | "Look Out for Number One" |
| Tommy Faragher | 3:20 |
3. | "Finding Out the Hard Way" |
| Cynthia Rhodes | 3:33 |
4. | "Moody Girl" |
| Stallone | 4:08 |
5. | "(We Dance) So Close to the Fire" |
| Faragher | 3:45 |
6. | "I'm Never Gonna Give You Up" |
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| 3:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
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1. | "River of Souls" |
| Bee Gees | 6:57 |
Chart (1983) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [10] | 28 |
US (Billboard 200) [11] | 6 |
Year | Title | Artist | US | US AC | US R&B | US Dance | UK |
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1983 | "The Woman in You" | Bee Gees | 24 | - | 77 | - | 81 |
"Someone Belonging to Someone" | 49 | - | - | - | 49 | ||
"Far from Over" | Frank Stallone | 10 | - | - | 43 | 68 | |
"I'm Never Gonna Give You Up" | Frank Stallone, Cynthia Rhodes | - | 16 | - | - | - | |
"Look Out for Number One" | Tommy Faragher | - | - | - | - | - | |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [12] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
France (SNEP) [13] | Gold | 100,000* |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [14] | Gold | 10,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [15] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [16] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Venezuela | — | 113,000 [17] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Staying Alive was a commercial success. The film opened with the biggest weekend for a musical film ever (at the time) with a gross of $12,146,143 from 1,660 screens. [18] [19] Overall, the film grossed nearly $65 million domestically against its $22 million budget. Worldwide it grossed $127 million. Though the domestic box office intake was less than the $94.2 million [20] earned by Saturday Night Fever, the film nevertheless ranked in the top ten most financially successful films of 1983.
Staying Alive was universally panned. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 0% of 30 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "This sequel to Saturday Night Fever is shockingly embarrassing and unnecessary, trading the original's dramatic depth for a series of uninspired dance sequences." [21] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 23 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [22]
Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times, who had praised Saturday Night Fever, called the dance productions in Stayin' Alive "laughably gauche", especially the final number, which he mocked for including "fire, ice, smoke, flashing lights and laser beams". Ebert added that what the film most lacked was "the sense of reality in Saturday Night Fever... There's no old neighborhood, no vulgar showdowns with his family (he apologizes to his mother for his "attitude"!) and no Brooklyn eccentricity." [23] In 2006, Entertainment Weekly dubbed Staying Alive the "Worst Sequel Ever." [24] Many critics were unanimous in agreeing that the film did not contain the grittiness and realism that was possessed by Saturday Night Fever.
The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book, The Official Razzie Movie Guide , as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made. [25]
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | "Far from Over" Music and Lyrics by Frank Stallone and Vince DiCola | Nominated | [26] |
Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actor | John Travolta | Nominated | [25] |
Worst Supporting Actress | Finola Hughes | Nominated | ||
Worst New Star | Nominated | |||
Grammy Awards | Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special | Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Vince Dicola, Joe "Bean" Esposito, Tommy Farragher, Bruce Stephen Foster, Roy Freeland, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Tom Marolda, and Frank Stallone | Nominated | [27] |
Young Artist Awards | Best Family Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Nominated | [28] |
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man who spends his weekends dancing and drinking at a local discothèque while dealing with social tensions and disillusionment in his working class ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn. The story is based on "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", a mostly fictional 1976 article by music writer Nik Cohn.
Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards. Stallone is one of only two actors in history to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades.
The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies: Robin's clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The group wrote all their own original material, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists, and are regarded as one of the most important and influential acts in pop-music history. They have been referred to in the media as The Disco Kings, Britain's First Family of Harmony, and The Kings of Dance Music.
Saturday Night Fever is the soundtrack album from the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. The soundtrack was released on November 15, 1977 by RSO Records. Prior to the release of Thriller by Michael Jackson, Saturday Night Fever was the best-selling album in music history, and still ranks among the best-selling soundtrack albums worldwide, with sales figures of over 40 million copies.
Robert Colin Stigwood was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer, and impresario, best known for managing musicians such as Cream, Andy Gibb, and the Bee Gees; theatrical productions such as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar; and film productions, including Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
Finola Hughes is a British actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film Staying Alive.
Frank Stallone Jr. is an American actor and musician. He is the younger brother of actor Sylvester Stallone and has written music for Sylvester's movies. His song "Far from Over" appeared in the 1983 film Staying Alive and was included in the film's soundtrack album. The song reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received a Golden Globe nomination for Stallone, while the album itself, consisting of Stallone and various other artists, received a Grammy nomination.
"Night Fever" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever on RSO Records. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. The song bounded up the Billboard charts while the Bee Gees’ two previous hits from Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were still in the top ten. The record debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #76, then leaped up 44 positions to #32. It then moved: 32–17–8–5–2–1. It remained at #1 for eight weeks, and ultimately spent 13 weeks in the top 10. For the first five weeks that "Night Fever" was at #1, "Stayin' Alive" was at #2. Also, for one week in March, Bee Gees related songs held five of the top positions on the Hot 100 chart, and four of the top five positions, with "Night Fever" at the top of the list. The B-side of "Night Fever" was a live version of "Down the Road" taken from the Bee Gees 1977 album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live.
"Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in December 1977 by RSO Records as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It is one of the Bee Gees' signature songs. In 2004, "Stayin' Alive" was placed at No. 189 by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The 2021 updated Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs placed "Stayin' Alive" at No. 99. In 2004, it ranked No. 9 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In a UK television poll on ITV in December 2011 it was voted fifth in The Nation's Favourite Bee Gees Song.
Cynthia Rhodes is a retired American actress, singer and dancer. Her film roles include Tina Tech in Flashdance (1983), Jackie in Staying Alive (1983), officer Karen Thompson in Runaway (1984), and Penny in Dirty Dancing (1987).
Julia Anne Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen, and television.
Staying Alive or Stayin' Alive may refer to:
Makin' It is an American sitcom starring David Naughton that aired for nine episodes on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 to March 23, 1979. It also aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from March 21, 1979.
Saturday Night Fever is a 1998 jukebox musical based on the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Its book is by Nan Knighton, and the songs mostly consist of songs that were featured in the film's soundtrack, which in turn were mostly written and performed by the Bee Gees.
"The Woman in You" is one of five songs the Bee Gees contributed to the film, Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. It was their most recent song on that time to reach the Top 40 on Billboard Hot 100 chart until 1989's "One".
Tony Manero is a 2008 Chilean drama film directed by Pablo Larraín about a 52-year-old man in Santiago in 1978 who is obsessed with John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever. It won the top prize at the 2008 Torino Film Festival and was Chile's submission to the 81st Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2009 it won the Golden Tulip at the Istanbul International Film Festival.
Tony Manero may refer to:
Norman Wexler was an American screenwriter whose work included films such as Saturday Night Fever, Serpico and Joe. A New Bedford, Massachusetts native and 1944 Central High School graduate in Detroit, Wexler attended Harvard University before moving to New York in 1951.
The Eyes That See in the Dark Demos is an album of demos by Barry Gibb created for the production of Kenny Rogers' 1982 album Eyes That See in the Dark. Originally circulating as a bootleg, the collection saw a legitimate release on iTunes in October 2006.
Night fever may refer to:
... the 22 Jun 1983 Var announced premiere events in Los Angeles at the Chinese Theatre on 11 Jul 1983, and in New York City at the Ziegfeld Theater on 13 Jul 1983 ...
If you look real close, you can catch Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) in Frank Stallone's on-film band ...