Thank God It's Friday (1978)

Fresh and Exciting

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Comparisons are often inevitable between some films when they cover the same subject matter. The difference between Robert Klane's "Thank God, It's Friday," a dreadful disco musical with Donna Summer, and director John Badham's disco classic "Saturday Night Fever" is not only a difference in days but also star wattage. Alas, not even Travolta could have salvaged "Thank God, It's Friday." Indeed, nobody could have saved this dreck. INcredibly, Debra Winger got her start in this forgettable film. Furthermore, whatever "Saturday Night Fever" did to promote disco fever, "TGIF" could just as easily undo. The incredible thing is that the director, Robert Klane, is a talented writer who won an Emmy for comedy series "Tracey Takes On." The action of "TGIF" occurs in and around the Zoo, a lavish, mirror-plated, space-age discotheque located in Southern California. As the film opens, swirling with aerial shots of the city's night life, an assortment of characters, all played by a youthful cast of unknowns, flock to the Zoo for various reasons. They go to win a dance contest, debut as a vocalist, pick up guys and/or gals or enliven a dreary marriage.The Armyan Bernstein screenplay is an overdone, episodic shambles that never really gets its act together. Whereas "Saturday Night Fever" used the disco scene to offer insights into its hero, "TGIF" exploits the disco scene as an excuse to bring together its more than 10 characters. Far too many characters populate this shoddy dance musical, and it doesn't help matters much that they're not on screen long enough for the audience to identify with them. "Saturday Night Fever" had one unifying character, while "TGIF" contains a number of one-dimensional shadows drifting into and off of the dance floor.If this isn't bad enough, consider the cast and the acting. Yeech! Everybody here hams it up. To get their points across, the guys use sparring gestures. The gals stand around and look dazzling but do nothing short of wearing their warpath well. There is even a John Travolta imitator who looks like a Martian version of Count Dracula, yes, Jeff Goldblum! Goldblum is a womanizer who owns the Zoo.Only a teenager mentality could appreciate the level of Bernstein's humor. One scene has a man dance wildly across the roofs of cars only to fall through the roof of a convertible. Another has a sawed-off, pot-bellied man using the same profane line every time that he runs into somebody. One of the film's running jokes is a sports car owned by Tony Di Marco (Goldblum). He parks it and with loving care wraps it up, then whenever anybody drives into the Zoo, they accidentally smash into it, reducing it to a heap. Hah! Hah! Hah! "Thank God, It's Friday" isn't a total loss. Emmy winning lenser James Crabe's color photography is nice to look at, as are the strobe light effects. Donna Summer provides momentary relief from the predictable plot when she sings "Last Dance for Love," and later when the Commodores appear on-stage.Suffice to say, director Robert Klane directed this mess with his left foot. Even the choreography looks uninspired. If you really like to disco, let dis-movie-go.

Debra winger, Jeff Goldblum,the disco queens herself Donna Summer??That's right! You bet your sweet !!! LOL The new DVD has been digitally transferred to High Defenition!! It looks and Sounds GREAT !!Let's go back to Los Angeles 1978 ! Great soundtrack, Diana Ross, The Commodores, The Village People, Oscar winner songwriter for Last Dance Paul Jabara, Pattie Brooks, basically the entire Casablance label was featured in this film!This movie was rated PG, even tho it includes graphic drug use in many scenes, but back then I guess it was normal.I recommend this fun movie for a rainy Friday night!

If you ever tried to sneak into a club while underage, you will definitely be able to relate to our young dancers. The writing is intelligent, the movie was well-paced & exciting. The cinematography was beautifully done.Even if the hilarious antics of the actors, don't make you laugh, the music will be like a trip through a time machine.Donna Summers is beautiful, talented & funny. Unlike Last days of Disco, this movie actually has a reasonably good storyline, with excellent acting throughout.I definitely recommend this movie.

More disco to the people! TGIF was a favourite TRIPLE album (actually two lp's plus a maxi single with Donna Summer singing Je t'aime (moi non plus) for 13 minutes) of mine long before I lay my hands on a copy of the film. The music is fantastic and the film is ... well ... unique.The cover art and screen shots on the soundtrack album had intrigued me for years and watching the film was certainly no disappointment: Lots of weird characters, a weird plot and highly enjoyable. I particularly find the idea of having a dancefloor DJ doubling as a live radio DJ hilarious. Have you ever worked with radio, as a DJ or simply have a secret craving for obscure, dusty vinyl disco records - this is the film for you.Everybody seems to be having a good time making the film. and Donna Summer are quite funny when she breaks into the DJ's booth and try to imitate - Donna Summer...Finally - did the 1970's discos really close at midnight? :-)