Skatetown USA

I never did understand why most audiences didn't go for XANADU. That movie had a huge cult following upon its theatrical release; while being considered a box office dud, it had the sort of presence that granted it an instant cult classic among musicals. I know tons and tons of people who love both the movie and the soundtrack dearly, and I've noticed that they are all the same personality I am--namely, folks who are starry-eyed by nature, have a strong sense of poetic beauty and grew up with before-Eisner Walt Disney movies.

Story has it that SKATETOWN, U.S.A. was deliberately pushed back a couple of years or so the moment word got out that XANADU was in the works, for apparently the makers of this flick didn't want to chance XANADU's destroying it. They needn't have worried. This thing didn't have a chance to begin with. SKATETOWN is far, far, FAR inferior to the wonderful and delightful XANADU. It doesn't begin to even hold a candle to XANADU, which lives up to its title.

And yet, SKATETOWN, U.S.A. is campy fun in its own way, a time capsule from the disco era that brings back memories despite obvious flaws in direction, choppy editing that insists on slashing the footage of some genuinely spectacular skating stunts before you can fully enjoy them, and a story that is nonexistant at best.

The music makes this movie, hands down. It has a wonderful theme song and original songs as well as a whole slew of disco staples that are now truly timeless classics. And of course all the skating is a blast. And gotta love that goofball D.J. with his sparkle afro!

There's one thing that seriously ruins my enjoyment of this film though. An annoying overweight worker at the snack bar who has a thing for hot dogs. This guy is just... seriously, he's disgusting! He's so gross and lacking in personal hygiene and basic cleanliness that... well, would *YOU* buy food from this guy? I swear, I lose all appetite (especially for hot dogs) upon seeing this guy in action. I'll be sitting there enjoying a wonderful skate dance set to gorgeous music, only to have the camera suddenly cut away to this jerk's gross antics. Edit him OUT entirely and this film would be much, much better and more carefree.

Oh, and you haven't lived until you hear this flick's answer to the question "You saved my life... Why?"

Alright, Star Wars was the movie for every other 7-year old at the time, as it was for me. But seeing this film after more than twenty years instantly invaded my senses. I smelled the popcorn, felt the heat of summer, and the heard handful of change my friends and I would use to get into the double features playing at a theater that has long since been bulldozed for a mega Gap store. It has all of the elements of a perfect summer movie. Action, romance, Maureen McCormick in tight shorts, Billy Barty in a characteristic though cliché tuxedo, and music. Plus, it gave us Patrick Swayze in his first screen role.

Now the plot is as formulaic as they come. Basically a dumbed down Romeo and Juliet on roller skates with bad disco on the Jersey Pier. Greg Bradford, who did nothing before or after this movie, is a young and studley out of towner whose sister, Maureen McCormick, takes him to the local skate, disco, super-rally-roller-rink where he acts like an a pathetically nieve boy next door type; but with blonde hair and biceps. No surprises when he falls instantly in love with the pettiest, most aloof girl in the joint. This ballerina on rubber wheels just happens to be the kid sister of Ace Johnson. Aka Patrick Swayze. ACE, isn't that a great name for the leader of a tough talking, fast moving, skate gang.? So, no surprises, Ace isn't thrilled with his kid sister and the new guy. There's a lot of empty threats from the Ace and members of the tough talking skater boys and notable appearances by Scott Baio who, as a friend of Maureen McCormick, tries to defuse the situation.

Of course he can't keep things from degrading, which they do, first into a "skate off" which might as well have been filmed on ice for how choreographed as feminine it was. And then it degrades further into a skate death match. Now this is where the movie is really trying hard to be as formula as possible without looking like they are trying to be formula. Now in a regular testosterone-machismo film, this is where the two can't back down let alone think teenagers would match up in a car race towards a cliff before they ditch at the last second and send their muscle cars over a cliff making us all cry. There are no cliffs in Jersey and this is a roller skate movie. The testosterone is tainted with estrogen, the pants are too tight, the skates are laced even tighter, and they race each other down a pier towards the Atlantic ocean on rocket powered skates. I kid you not.

I don't want to give away anything else, but I will say that the most challenging thing about this film is obtaining a copy. They never produced in on VHS. It hasn't been shown in years and years in a theater. Never shown on TV to my knowledge. And no plans for a DVD release that I have heard of. I just happen to have a bootleg copy that I had to sell my soul for. Cheers

Well as a former U.S. Marine and roller-skater myself, this film has considerable interest for me. I saw it twice when it first came out. After that, it was about 28 years, until I got my 16mm transfer DVD. Quality isn't the greatest but its good enough to bring back those memories, at least until it comes out on DVD or Blu-Ray DVD. Colors on the transfer are rather muted but I'm sure a Blu-Ray transfer from the original masters will really make this movie sparkle.

Of course those of us who saw Skatetown remember how cheesy this flick was. I won't repeat most of what already has been written but will post a few of my own observations.

One of my favorite sequences was the performance by a skating group known as the "Jerry Nifta Skaters", probably due to the cool remix version of the Jackson's "Shake Your Body" used for their performance (which played quite a bit at the Roller City 2001 rink in Riverside CA back then). Great skating but I kept wondering about the really gorgeous blonde girl in the group. She looked great, mostly a nice figure and wore a rather revealing top. Problem is she had almost nothing to reveal leading me to wonder if she's a he, or is she a tall 11 year old girl? Regardless, they put on a good show.

Of course Patrick Swayze does miracles for any film he's in, even this one in the role which can best be described as a cross between a tough gang leader and a totally gay male ice skater (no prejudice against gays here, just describing the point). But as a lot of us would say, c'mon now, a skating gang?? I see a lot of us Skatetown "fans" are wondering about the rink itself and did this rink really exist. I've seen comments that the rink was actually a specially constructed studio set and doesn't really exist. But some folks have stated that some scenes were filmed in a actual rink, including one claiming to be a extra and stating that a rink in Sherman Oaks, CA was used. Another stated that the Hollywood Palladium was used and from the interior shots I've been able to find, this makes sense. Hopefully if it ever comes out on DVD, the DVD will have some extras to tell us more about where this was filmed (unlike "Thank God Its Friday" DVD which had NO extras).

As for musical rights maybe holding up any DVD release, I'm not sure what to believe. Makes some sense but then again, "Saturday Night Fever" and "Thank God Its Friday" both had a lot of hit songs on their soundtracks and would have the same problem with musical rights. Yet both are out on DVD, albeit TGIF took a while.

When this movie first came out, no one knew that disco was only a few months (if not weeks) away from heading over the cultural cliff into total cultural disrepute. I'm sure the movie makers were disappointed that the accompanying roller disco "craze" was so brief and their movie didn't do so well at the box office.

To sum up, this movie is a definite 1979 time capsule with everything from disco music, to sparking white-afro'd DJs, feathered hairstyles of the day, girls in outfits that would have them barred from the rinks that I frequented in my youth, even in 1979 (I'd swear that a couple of those outfits were predecessors to Victoria's Secret skimpy 1-piece swimsuits), and a overabundance of pink and purple but that might be the muted colors on the DVD transfer.

Fair to say, Skatetown USA is becoming a true "cult classic", much like "Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Night of the Comet" which leads to hope that it will eventually be out on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Skatetown USA along with Roller Boogie is a celebration of that brief time that roller disco was ruling the youth culture. Unless you like the music scene, rollerskating, or want to see this variety of current and former performers from television stroll on the screen and do their bit one better avoid the film.

But the music and the choreographed skating numbers are the thing here and the plot such as it is just gets in the way. Scott Baio from The Valley is manager of skating brother and sister Greg Bradford and Maureen McCormick and he's brought them to that Mecca of roller disco palaces Skatetown USA to take on the champ Patrick Swayze who has a large and menacing posse. In fact Swayze will do just about anything to win so Baio has to be on his toes.

Flip Wilson owns Skatetown USA along with Billy Barty and Flip has some scenes as his drag character Geraldine. A whole lot of other familiar TV faces make an appearance and hopefully their paychecks cleared the bank.

Greg Bradford was and remains the ultimate surfer boy. He and Swayze are both talented dancers and the competition is fierce. This was Swayze's film debut. His acting chops were displayed later in his career.

Unless you are nostalgic for the era, Skatetown USA is not your film.

Skatetown, U. S. A. Is a nostalgic trip to the glittering world of 1970s roller discos, where style overshadows substance. The film follows a dreamer drawn into Skatetown's vibrant skate scene, including a gang led by the charismatic Ace (a young Patrick Swayze). While Swayze and the era's disco-inspired visuals add charm, the plot is predictable, characters are underdeveloped, and dialogue feels cheesy. Early appearances by future stars like Scott Baio provide intrigue, but the film lacks depth. Best enjoyed as a campy, retro time capsule, it earns 4/10 for its kitschy appeal and historical value.