Check out this movie if you want to see a low-rent pastiche of Saturday Night Fever. Gerry is our zero (sorry, hero) stuck in rainy, 70's, low-aspiration North London, dreaming of a way out. Yes, there's a dance contest ("North London vs South London" - Music Machine vs Idon'tknowtheotherone)..yes there's a mid-Atlantic voiced DJ, yes there's an arch bad-guy (the gap-toothed bloke who appears in Sade's Smooth Operator video, fact-fans) and, superbly, there's big-name star-quality in the shape of Patti Boulaye in a bronze Ford Capri MkII with a beige vinyl roof. This was before the glitzy glamour of imported European lager (ok, maybe Skol or Lowenbrau were a treat)...instead halves of bitter and cheesy chat up lines fired at the out-of-his-league "bird" - "Can I get you a drink?" "I'm alright thanks.." "I know you're alright, but can I get you a drink...?". Always a winner. A brilliant film. (Another lyric - 'Dancin' on a Saturdy night..hopin' that there won't be a fight..' They don't write em like that any more)
Review of The Music Machine
