Good movie but grossly overrated

Did you people see the same film I saw?

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

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

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!

I was born in 1979, so I really can't say I know that time well. My generation sucks when it comes to being social and music, I was curious after seeing "Saturday Night Fever". Yea, disco to some, sucks. But they close minded folks you really don't want to be around. OK, polyester was hot has hell to ware, Carter was an idiot, people waited to fuel for hours, but people still knew how to have fun when times where rough.If you want to step into a time warp, this is it. It's a light hearted take in 1978 when disco was huge. You could be anyone, any color, any sex………anything and just be open with who you where. The music is great, it's got a great "happy" beat to it. Seeing people I have only heard of was really neat to see. Donna Summer and Paul Jaba make an appearance and Debra Winger from "Terms of Endearment" was one of the main stars looking for "Mr. Right". Also Jeff Goldblum is the greasy owner of the "Zoo" (Dose this guy ever age?). All in all it was entertaining. If your looking for something to challenge your mind or award winning, look some place else. If you want to feel better, relax a bit, this movie is for you.

I really like Thank God It's Friday because reminds me of my very young years. Perhaps this movie today does not represents much, but is itself a simbol of an era. At that time (1978) the movie was a fashion hit due to the disco vogue, becoming the Academy Award Winner as the best musical theme in 1978 (Last Dance). Donna Summer was at the top of her career, and Jeff Goldblum with Debra Winger were new debutants in the movie business, who years later became big Hollywood movie stars because of this movie. This movie is actually a lot much better and fun than many other musicals. The music itself has better quality than much of today's music which absence of quality, taste and talent is so evident (and presence of violence, terrible languaje and sex and drugs abuse is so evident as well). The only one thing I really don't like from this 1978's movie is the consumption of drugs, but at that time that was considered pretty tame. However the young people at that time watched the movie more for the fun to enjoy it and the fashion of the disco vogue, than the drugs use or abuse. This movie is much fun and it is a way to say : go ahead and have fun at least one time in your life!. Be young and be happy once everywhile! Dance and enjoy yourself! This is an Anmerican classic in my opinion because it is the mirror and reflex of an era. 1978's Thank God It's Friday obtained actually the Academy Award that Saturday Night Fever didn't get in 1977! And both are pretty much about the same stuff. However Saturday Night Fever focused more in the personal life of a dancer ("Tony", John Travota), but Thanks God It's Friday was made to focus in the common and real people having fun in the best Disco of the town, as we actually did in the discos at that time, with Tarzan included!.