Great movie - not sure why it wasn't more popular.

Rating: 6/10 (9 April 2010)

When I first watched this movie, I just knew it would be one of those films I would watch every couple years and it would never grow old to me. This made maybe my 10th viewing and I still enjoyed it.
Studio 54 in the late seventies was THE place to be, clubs weren't as relevant as they are nowadays and even so 54 was the kind of place that people off the streets could hang out with movie stars and rock singers, anyone who was anyone had to be there. It was ran by a man named Steve Rubell and he was somewhat of a god in that world. Everyone wanted to be his friend, and he just wanted money, sex and drugs. He was embezzling money from his own company and not letting the IRS find out about it, but when word got out his place was shut down quickly and he went to jail.
Ryan Phillippe plays Shane, a character based on Tieg Thomas, a bi-sexual party boy who became a bartender and a star because of his time at 54. Shane however was straight and fell in love with a soap star on this movie and he and the girl he falls for have to realize that life and love is more important than selling yourself out.
Side note...there is another director's cut of this film out there based more on Tieg's life having lots more sex and bisexual encounters, director Mark Christopher may release it anytime, he got lots of clearance for the DVD release, but there's still lots more to be seen on DVD.
Mark did a really great job directing this movie film and with all the lights and action going on in the club he captured the right things at the right times, his use of slow motion is perfect. He is mostly famous for doing gay cinema and shorts like those seen on the "Boys Life" series, and his work here far outshines those.
Acting wise this was a gem. Ryan Phillippe is a good guy, I have met him and he's such a great guy in person that I could never judge him on film, but I will say he did a great job and thats not biased, he's nothing at all like the cocky Shane character he played here and he did good with the Jersey accent. Mike Myers may have did his best acting job ever here, we've all seen him do these crazy characters such as Austin Powers but here he's playing a real person and this movie is not at all comedy and he pulls off a serious acting job, it is so hard to believe this is Mike Myers. Neve Cambell also did her best work here in my opinion, early in her career but trying to play an older more sophisticated Jersey girl in the New York circle. Other great actors included Breckin Meyer, Heather Matarazzo, Ellen Dow and Sela Ward. Salma Hayak was the balance though, that girl cant act in a movie unless Robert Rodriquez is directing her.
Of course disco was the music of this time, and I thought the music here was very fitting, the songs were as important as anything when one of your stars is the club and the dance floor. Nice original music too, and glad to see a Bachman-Turner Overdrive thrown in the mix.
Great movie I recommend it to drama lovers, bio-pic lovers, disco lovers and just anyone looking for a way to kill an afternoon enjoying a film. 6 out of 10 stars.