DISCO ITALIANA Interview: Alan Jones Talks Severin's Box Set
Watching movies isn’t always fun if one is a critic but the idea that it should be is a nice one.
No matter how seriously we approach the medium of film, no matter how many greatest-films-of-all-time lists are generated, no matter how hard we work at the serious and important business of film criticism, theory and history, we are confronted with a simple truth time and again: The films that survive the longest, often do so because they are so much fun.
Such films can humble the haughty, comfort the masses and serve as a reminder that no matter what critics think of any film or genre, it may very well take on an important place in the hearts of people and history of the medium.
Severin’s new box set Disco Italiana proves the above. What other reason can possibly account for the continued interest in one of music’s most derided genres and scenes, much less the movies cum marketing vehicles that rode its coattails?
Disco Italiana features the Blu-ray debut of three Italian disco-sploitation films, American Fever (1978), Grease Rock (1979) and a film that must be a contender for most awkward film title of all-time, John Travolto: The Face with Two Left Feet (1979). The set contains five plus hours of special features and a John Travolto (yes, you read that right. Travolto, not Travolta) soundtrack CD.
In addition, Severin is also releasing the film Music Machine (1979) separately for those who just want to dip their toe in the disco pool, and offering a huge book on the genre and the scene that spawned it by author and expert Alan Jones, Disco Mania: Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them. There are signed copies still available as of this writing.
If it seems like a lot of attention to lavish on movies even many fans of weird cinema have never heard of, it’s also worth noting that disco as cultural phenomena became ubiquitous. What had started as a chic big-city club dance scene hit the unwashed masses like a tidal wave of polyester and you couldn’t listen to the radio or even watch TV without hearing it. Even the Star Wars theme was rewritten as a disco song. It was a short-lived but absolutely dominant craze.
By the time Saturday Night Fever (1977) hustled the box office and released one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, the days of disco were already numbered. Within a short time, disco fell heavily out of public favor and fashion. How far did it fall?
On July 12, 1979, disc jockey Steve Dahl ran a promotion for Chicago radio station WLUP, offering roughly a buck off entry to the Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers baseball game for everyone who brought a disco record. Some 20,000-25,000 people were expected but north of 50,000 showed up to add to the pile near the pitcher's mound and watch as Dahl literally blew it up. This ensuing cultural backlash disco inspired lives in infamy, even today.
As amusing as such overblown antics sound, they do showcase something important about the changing nature of American musical culture. Judged by it’s surface qualities only, disco could seem the perfect soundtrack for a society that would soon be crowned the “me generation.”
But the truth is more complicated than, a fact well showcased by Saturday Night Fever. Just as Tony had bigger dreams than ruling the clubs, the masses were ripe for a reason to party following the failure of 60s idealism. They wanted to be reminded they were still beautiful.
However fucked up the world was becoming, they could put on their best threads and charm their way past the velvet rope. And once they hit the floor, they could disappear into a hypnotic world of rhythm and movement and, if they were brave enough, take center stage and enjoy momentary applause that felt like things might still be okay. You know, fun.
There are hours of extras on these films and many of them feature the ubiquitous Alan Jones. Jones has been a cultural observer par excellence, turning his gaze on genre film and a host of other subjects. But you will be amazed at how much he knows about the London and US disco scenes.
He has that singular quality one hopes for in a critic and journalist, an expansive and adventurous heart, and he loves nothing more than to drag his readers and listeners into the worlds he explores. I'm always happy to have a chance to bend his ear so that he can bend your mind. Pleae enjoy our conversation below.
Do you feel this content is inappropriate or infringes upon your rights? Click here to report it, or see our DMCA policy.
