Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Gordon-11 This film tells the story of a young man from Jersey City, who goes to Manhattan to work for the fanciest club that people can almost touch heaven.I watched the director's cut in the Taipei Queer Film Festival, and I was truly engrossed by the story. The young Ryan Philippe is magnetic in his role, as he gets transfixed by money, glitter and fame. He pays a high price for his lifestyle, ultimately causing rather sad events. Acting is great by the now big stars, but at that time unknowns. The story makes people ponder upon the priorities in life, and the need to choose between glitter and fame versus friendship and wholesomeness. The music is uplifting and fits the film well. I truly enjoyed it!

Python Hyena 54 (1998): Dir: Mark Christopher / Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Selma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Mike Myers, Breckin Meyer: Dazzling film remembering Club 54 as the place to be. Set in 1979 with Ryan Phillippe venturing to Club 54 upon seeing a photo of soap star Neve Campbell in a newspaper. Club owner Mike Myers hires him as a bartender. The club demands a distinct appearance and upon removing his shirt, Phillippe is granted entry while his friends remain outside. Other key roles belong to Selma Hayek as a dancer whose bus boy husband steals money from the club. Campbell surfaces as a woman who hates her job and uses the club to escape the spotlight but her footage is almost unnecessary since it more or less disjoints the screenplay. Director Mark Christopher films it as an event with spectacular art direction. Mike Myers delivers the film's best performance as the corrupt club owner trying to avoid the I.R.S. He has both charm as well a loathing appeal where he can use employees at any means. Breckin Meyer plays Hayek's husband who is the real culprit when dirty deeds are passed. In the end it will all catch up with him as his empire crumbles. During the final credits we are given a glimpse of real celebrities that appeared in the club and represented its happening. It is a film about time and what occurs within it or how it stood still during club hours. Score: 9 / 10

Syl Ryan Philippe plays Shane from Jersey City, New Jersey. He tells the story of his life at 54 during the last days of the era. Mike Myers is fine as Steve Rubell. There are plenty of familiar faces here. Perhaps, I'm disappointed that Sherry Stringfield was barely used in the film. I enjoyed seeing the twin towers in New York City. I definitely understood where Shane was coming from in actuality. New York City always looks better from the New Jersey side. I grew up in New Jersey where you aspire to be there. New York City in the seventies and eighties were exciting, fun, and gritty. I wouldn't have mind living then there. it's not the same New York City anymore. Club 54 was the ultimate place to be in the city. this film does a fine story in telling the story of 54 in the final months. Every party ends somehow and it did for Steve Rubell.

ptb-8 If you have a great home sound system and a big plasma TV then 54 can be a spectacular home experience. Unlike the real thing. STUDIO 54 as a disco scene is legendary but lemme tell ya, in Sydney in 1988-1994 we had the gigantic real thing: massive and spectacular dance parties (no NOT raves) but massive disco nights in a place that held 5000 people and staged Busby Berkeley sized massive dance entertainment. See any Kylie Minogue concert today to get a sense of we had for free at the time! They were called RAT parties and BACCHANALIA events. Often our own big disco clubs competed and it was massive and musical and a throb of wild night fun unlike anything I have seen in any movie anywhere. STUDIO 54 as a small movie version of what we know as gigantic and real in our own Australian lives and makes us look like Hollywood epic disco. What is in this film is quite puny and tacky compared to the real thing here. I thought the film was a good but could have been great disco drama. There has always been a call for a great BIG disco film or a dance party spectacular and Saturday NIGHT FEVER and 54 and even parts of WEST SIDE STORY about as close as we will get I guess. Ryan Phillippe is cute and Adonis and well cast as the pretty chipmunk bar boy, Brecken Myer believable in their NY suburban angst.... as is all the cast esp the girls Selma Hyack and gorgeous Neve Campbell...however the dialog at the end of the film where they reconcile is truly lame and lets the film down. I real life these characters would both end up as prostitutes. But it is Mike Myer pulling off another creepy performance (see CAT IN THE HAT for the other) that is the core of the film. Studio 54 as depicted in this almost-there setting looks like a stinky old cinema with nut-case clients and ghastly B grade celebrities. (Do The Time Warp, anyone?)I am glad I wasn't there for real as what happened here was real and astonishing. I hear there is a very sleazy and sexually explicit directors cut of 54 and that would be more to the mark as this is an almost-Disney version of what we can see had greater depths of nude depravity... all to a pulsating disco beat!