Wednesday’s Post

Managed to grab a little reading time today. I also have a few reviews to finish.

Sun was out today, so I had a little sit in the sun. Then I weeded the garden, well just the area round the roses.

Watched my favourite film again today.

Singing along to all the words 🤣

Released on June 16, 1978, Grease was successful both critically and commercially becoming the highest-grossing musical film ever at the time.^[3] Its soundtrack album ended 1978 as the second-best-selling album of the year in the United States, behind the soundtrack of the 1977 blockbuster Saturday Night Fever (which also starred Travolta)^[4] and earned the film its lone Oscar nomination for “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (which lost the Academy Award for Best Original Song to Donna Summer‘s “Last Dance” from Thank God It’s Friday at the 51st Academy Awards).

Plot …….

In the summer of 1958, local boy Danny Zuko and vacationing Sandy Olsson meet at the beach and fall in love. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy—who is going back to Australia—frets that they may never meet again, but Danny tells her that their love is “only beginning”. The film moves to the start of the seniors’ term at Rydell High School. Danny is a member and leader of the T-Birds greasergang, consisting of his best friend Kenickie, Doody, Sonny, and Putzie. The Pink Ladies, a clique of greaser girls, also arrive, consisting of leader Rizzo, Frenchy, Marty, and Jan.

After her parents decide not to return to Australia, Sandy enrolls at Rydell and is befriended by Frenchy, who considers dropping out of school to become a beautician. Unaware of each other’s presence at Rydell, Danny and Sandy tell their respective groups the accounts of events during the pair’s brief romance, without initially mentioning the other’s name (“Summer Nights”). Sandy’s version emphasizes the romance of the relationship, while Danny’s version is more sexual.

When Sandy finally says Danny’s name, Rizzo arranges a surprise reunion for the two, but Danny is forced to maintain his bad-boy attitude in front of his pals, upsetting Sandy, who storms off and begins dating Tom, a jock. Kenickie unveils the used car, Greased Lightnin’, that he plans on restoring and racing (“Greased Lightnin'”). Frenchy invites the girls to a pajama party, but Sandy falls ill from the sight of blood after getting her ears pierced by Frenchy, Rizzo starts to make fun of Sandy (“Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee”). While Sandy is outside, she soon starts to think of Danny, and how much she loves him even though he hurt her (“Hopelessly Devoted to You”). Rizzo departs to have sex with Kenickie, during which his condom breaks. The two are disturbed by Leo, leader of the T-Birds’ rival gang, the Scorpions, and his girlfriend Cha-Cha.

In an attempt to impress Sandy, Danny turns to Coach Calhoun to get into sports, eventually becoming a runner. He reunites with Sandy and they attempt to go on a date, but their friends crash it. Kenickie and a distressed Rizzo argue and split up. Left alone, Frenchy is visited by a guardian angel who advises her to return to school after a mishap in beauty class leaves her with candy-pink hair (“Beauty School Dropout”).

The school dance arrives, broadcast live on television and hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine, who flirts with Marty. Rizzo and Kenickie attempt to spite one another by bringing Leo and Cha-Cha as their dates. Danny and Sandy arrive together and dance well during the chaotic hand jive contest (“Born to Hand Jive”); just before the end of the contest Sonny pulls Sandy off the dance floor, and Cha-Cha cuts in to win the contest with Danny, causing Sandy to leave the event broken-hearted.

Danny tries to make it up to Sandy by taking her to a drive-in theater (“Alone at the Drive-in Movies”) but forces himself on her, causing Sandy to leave (“Sandy”). Meanwhile Rizzo fears she is pregnant after missing a period and confides in Marty, but Marty tells Sonny and he inadvertently spreads the rumor to Kenickie, the apparent father, though Rizzo denies this to him. At school, Rizzo is getting laughed at by other girls, and she soon realizes that she isn’t as tough as she seems (“There Are Worse Things I Could Do”).

On race day, Kenickie suffers a concussion when hit by his own car door, so Danny takes the wheel. He and Leo race until Leo crashes and leaves humiliated, with Danny as the victor. Sandy watches from afar, concluding she still loves Danny, and decides to change her attitude and look to impress him; she then asks Frenchy for help to achieve this goal (“Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee (Reprise)”).

On the last day of school, Principal McGee and her assistant Blanche sob about the departing class. Rizzo discovers she is not pregnant and reunites with Kenickie. Danny has lettered in track but is shocked when Sandy arrives dressed as a female T-Bird. In song (“You’re the One That I Want”), they confess their mutual love and reconcile. The class celebrates their graduation at the fair on school grounds (“We Go Together”). Sandy and Danny depart in Greased Lightnin’, which takes flight (“Grease”).

Then I watched Grease 2 …..

That’s not nearly as good

A sequel, Grease 2, was released in 1982, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeifferas a newer class of greasers. Few of the original cast members reprised their roles. As of 2019, an HBO Max series based on the film is in production.

Plot….. It is 1961, two years after the original Greaseended. The first day of school has arrived (“Alma Mater” from the original musical) as Principal McGee and her secretary Blanche react in horror as the students, among them the new T-Birds and Pink Ladies, arrive at high school (“Back to School Again”). The Pink Ladies are now led by Stephanie Zinone, who feels she has “outgrown” her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Johnny Nogerelli, the arrogant and rather immature new leader of the T-Birds.

A new arrival comes in the form of clean-cut English student Michael Carrington (a cousin of Sandy Olsson from the previous film). He is welcomed and introduced to the school atmosphere by Frenchy, who was asked by Sandy to help show Michael around. Frenchy reveals she has returned to Rydell to get her high school diploma so she can start her own cosmetics company. Michael eventually meets Stephanie and quickly becomes smitten with her.

At the local bowling alley, a game (“Score Tonight”) turns sour due to the animosity between Johnny and Stephanie. Stephanie retaliates by kissing the next man who walks in the door, who happens to be Michael. Bemused by this unexpected kiss, Michael falls in love with Stephanie so asks her out, but he learns that she has a very specific vision of her ideal man (“Cool Rider”). After realising that he will only win her affections if he turns himself into a cool rider, Michael accepts payments from the T-Birds to write term papers for them; he uses the cash to buy a motorcycle.

Following an unusual biology lesson (“Reproduction”) given by Mr. Stuart, a substitute teacher, a gang of rival motorcyclists called the Cycle Lords (most of whom are members of the defunct Scorpions) led by Leo Balmudo, surprise the T-Birds at the bowling alley. Before the fight starts, a lone mysterious (unnamed) biker appears (who is actually Michael in disguise,) defeats the enemy gang and disappears into the night (“Who’s That Guy?”). Stephanie is fascinated with the stranger. Meanwhile, Louis, one of the T-Birds, attempts to trick his sweetheart Sharon, one of the Pink Ladies and Stephanie’s friends into losing her virginity to him by taking her to a fallout shelter and faking a nuclear attack(“Let’s Do It for Our Country.”)

The next evening while working at a gas station/garage, Stephanie is surprised again by the Cool Rider, and they enjoy a romantic twilight motorcycle ride, which includes a kiss. Just as Michael is about to reveal his identity, they are interrupted by the arrival of the T-Birds and Pink Ladies. Before Michael leaves, he tells Stephanie that he will see her at the school talent show, in which the Pink Ladies and T-Birds are performing. Johnny, enraged by Stephanie’s new romance, threatens to fight the Cool Rider if he sees him with her again. The Pink Ladies walk away haughtily, but this has little effect on the T-Birds’ self-confidence (“Prowlin'”).

At school, Stephanie’s poor grades in English lead her to accept Michael’s offer of help. Johnny, upon seeing them together in a discussion, demands that Stephanie quit the Pink Ladies to preserve his honor (“rep”, reputation). Although still enchanted by the mysterious Cool Rider, interactions with Michael reveal that she has become romantically interested in him as well. Michael ponders over the continuing charade he puts on for Stephanie (“Charades”).

At the talent show, Stephanie and the Cool Rider meet up but are abruptly ambushed by the T-Birds who pursue Michael on their respective motorcycles, with Stephanie, Sharon, Paulette, and Rhonda following in a car. They chase him to a construction site which conceals a deadly drop, and the biker’s absence suggests that he has perished below, leaving Stephanie heartbroken and inconsolable. Johnny and his T-Birds remove the competing Preptones – preppie boys – by tying them to a shower pole in the boys’ locker room and drenching them. During the Pink Ladies’ performance in the talent show (“Girl for All Seasons”), Stephanie enters a dreamlike fantasy world where she is reunited with her mystery biker (“(Love Will) Turn Back the Hands of Time”). She is named winner of the contest and crowned the queen of the upcoming graduation luau, with Johnny hailed as king for his performance of “Prowlin'” with his fellow T-Birds.

The school year ends with the luau (“Rock-a-Hula Luau”), during which the Cycle Lords appear and begin to destroy the celebration. However, the Cool Rider reappears. After he defeats the Cycle Lords again, he reveals himself to be Michael. Initially shocked, Johnny gives him a T-Birds jacket, officially welcoming him into the gang, and Stephanie is delighted that she can now be with him. Michael and Stephanie share a very passionate kiss and he whispers that he loves her. All the couples pair off happily at the seniors’ graduation as the graduating class sings (“We’ll Be Together”). The credits start rolling in yearbook-style, as in the original film.