Staying Alive (1983)

It's five years later and Tony Manero's Saturday Night Fever is still burning. Now he's strutting toward his biggest challenger yet - making it as a dancer on the Broadway stage.

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writers:

Nik Cohn (characters), Sylvester Stallone,

Stars:

John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Tony Manero
Cynthia Rhodes	...	Jackie
Finola Hughes	...	Laura
Steve Inwood	...	Jesse
Julie Bovasso	...	Mrs. Manero
Charles Ward	...	Butler
Steve Bickford	...	Sound Technician
Patrick Brady	...	Derelict
Norma Donaldson	...	Fatima
Jesse Doran	...	Mark
Joyce Hyser	...	Linda
Deborah Jenssen	...	Margaret
Robert Martini	...	Fred
Sarah M. Miles	...	Joy (as Sarah Miles)
Tony Munafo	...	Doorman

Storyline

Tony Manero tries to make it as a professional dancer on Broadway in this sequel to Saturday Night Fever. Stallone makes a cameo appearance.

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Plot Keywords:

dancer | sequel | spandex | cult film | broadway manhattan new york city | 

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Taglines:

It's five years later for Tony Manero. The fever still burns!

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sobreviviendo

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$63,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Cinema Group Ventures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the Broadway stage production was "Satan's Alley".

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Goofs

When Tony tries out for the second show, he wears number 46. In one quick shot, he wears number 40, his number from the first tryout.

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Quotes

Joy: Hello, I'm Joy.
Tony Manero: And I'm happiness!

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Connections

Referenced in Return to Waterloo (1984)

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Soundtracks

"The Winning End"
Performed by Joe Esposito (as Joe Bean Esposito)
Written by Frank Stallone, Vince DiCola and Joe Esposito (as Joe Bean Esposito)
Produced by Frank Stallone and Johnny Mandel

User Reviews

I'm Speechless...

Watching "Staying Alive" will do that to you. A truly perplexing movie it raises all sorts of questions like "Why was this thing made?" and "Why would Travolta do this?" I guess those were pretty lean years for Barbarino, so we should cut him some slack. Now Sylvester Stallone, he should have known better.

"Staying Alive" is the sequel to the hit, and FAR superior movie, "Saturday Night Fever." This film is hardly a sequel people were crying out to see, and it doesn't surprise me in the least that it's a very obscure movie.

Travolta reprises his "Fever" role, as Tony Manero, the big-haired, tight-clothes, bad-accented dancer from Brooklyn. On his own and trying to make it as a dancer, he works his hardest to become a big star. Does he make it? Well you have to watch, and let me tell you it's a riveting ride.

Or not. "Alive" is a terribly funny movie, for all the wrong reasons. The play Tony ends up in is a particular highlight. Called "Satan's Alley," it's a man's descent into hell, full of laser lights, mist, and scantily clad women. This is the first Broadway movie I had heard of that was totally dancing, no singing, speaking, or character development. Kudos to the fact checker for the film, who had obviously seen a lot of Broadway shows. Even "Cats" was more coherent than that piece of crap.

But the real highlight is Travolta himself. As directed by Stallone, he bears more than a passing resemblance to Rambo in almost every scene of consequence. Every single time the guy dances in the movie one of two things happen. Either A) he gets really sweaty and greasy, or B) you get tons of shot of his disgusting package. Those dance pants are WAY too tight.

"Staying Alive" is a bizarre movie. You get the feeling Stallone and the rest of the crew thought they were making an incredible movie. It shows in every self-obsessed frame of this film; it takes itself way too seriously and ends up looking absolutely ridiculous. Recommended for fans of ridiculously poor movies.