Grease

This giant of seventies cinema hardly needs an introduction: Grease is the definition of a classic. Even if you haven’t seen it, you’ll know the songs, especially if you have ever done karaoke with your mum – every tune is a solid singalong, from the rocking Greased Lightnin’ to the power ballad that is Hopelessly Devoted to You. It’s almost guaranteed the whole of L3 will be singing along too. However, the magic of Grease isn’t just its soundtrack (although that really is a force to be reckoned with). Look past the cheesy dancing and the somewhat confusing casting (fun fact, Stockard Channing was 33 when she played 18-year-old Rizzo), and you can find a story with real heart. Through the messy love story of Danny and Sandy, the film delivers a powerful message about authenticity, and having the strength to step outside social norms and your peers’ expectations in order to pursue what (or who) you truly want. It’s a very important teaching which still resonates today… okay, let’s be honest, nobody’s coming to this film for a moral lesson. Whilst the plot is no doubt heartwarming, the real selling points of the film are the unforgettable dance numbers, the high drama of the drag race (not the RuPaul kind, unfortunately), and the colourful cast of characters, who can be slightly cartoonish but are always loveable. So, whether you’re more of a T-Bird or a Pink Lady, make sure you grab your friends, warm up your vocal cords, and come on down to the Student Cinema on Saturday, Week 3 for an electrifyin’ summer night.

Lily Sharp

Yes! "Grease" is back - dance away to all the original tracks with the stars! Hopelessly Devoted to You, You're the One That I Want, Sandy, Greased Lightning and many more... (What about Stayin' Alive! Oops, wrong film... - Ed).

On a summer visit to California, Aussie teenager Sandy (Newton-John) meets Danny (Travolta), and they 'fall' for each other. When her parents decide to stay in America, Sandy enrols in Rydell High, where she is taken up by the Pink Ladies, the clan pacesetters in female fashion (Fashion ?!? - Ed.) and sexual bravado, who reveal that Sandy's respectful suitor is none other than the Leader of the T-Birds, Danny Zucco, ol' cross-eyes himself.

A fairy-tale musical that was a tremendous success at the box-office and in the pop charts, one of the first films (along with Saturday Night Fever) to be directly aimed at the now thoroughly exploited youth market.

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