The Music Machine

From the very outset this movie attempts to rip-off all that was hip and trendy in late 70's England. The title track "Music Machine/If you go I'll see you there/Down at the Music Machine" leads us mesmerisingly into a land of suburban high rise chaos where a working boy who wants to escape the grind of his daily life has only the local disco to look to. His chosen love is infatuated by the current disco king, so our hero decides to take lessons in order to impress her. Despite the thumping soundtrack it rapidly becomes obvious that the chosen actor actually cannot dance at all, so all disco scenes are shot showing only his face. Anyway, after a lot of minor plot detail he hooks up with a talented rich black disco dancer chick who helps him to win the local disco dance off. While his former infatuation is now begging to be his squeeze, he realises her shallowness and vanity and so devotes himself to things which matter more. Overall a pleasant pastiche of 70's England which can be seen again in the more modern Velvet Goldmine.

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)