Skatetown USA, Patrick Swayze's 1st feature role. Will Sony ever release it? (1 Viewer)

Good evening folks, My first movie "review" here of a flick not out on blu-ray but would love to see it released. It is the 1979 roller disco flick, Skatetown USA. A movie that is so bad, its so good and very enjoyable to watch in this day & age. One of those movies that is funny in ways the producers never intended it to be funny as was billed as
1. Rock & Roller disco movie of the Year
2. The Greatest Story Ever Rolled.

Here's a quote from Skatetown USA's trailer posted on YouTube by user "deadenddrivein":

"The third installment in the devil's unholy trilogy of godawful Eighties roller disco flicks meant to destroy mankind's collective sense of good taste once and for all. Naturally, I could not possibly recommend this movie any more highly. Let's just quickly run down the cast list, shall we? Flip Wilson, Ruth Buzzi, Billy Barty, Scott Baio, Maureen McCormick, Ron Palillo, Judy Landers, Patrick Swayze, Len Bari, Murray Langston, Melissa Sue Anderson...Jesus, my fingers are tired. All in polyester blends, all with feathered hair and all making with the disco roller boogie. Sadly, until Sony finally decides to pony up the bucks to license the soundtrack, this stunning trailer is all we gots."

As noted, this movie is long out of print and was never released on VHS, LaserDisc or DVD, I believe for music rights issues with the soundtrack (which was chock full of hit songs from the late 1970s.).

I did exchange some messages with Nick Redman at Twilight Time who would in all probability get the go-ahead from Sony (who hold Skatetown USA rights). He's definitely interested. This and Thank God Its Friday as well.



Now instead of re-typing everything from previous posts of mine on blu-ray.com and other boards, I'll recopy my blu-ray.com article here.

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Well folks, how many on Blu-ray.com knew that Patrick Swayze's first feature role film was this 1979 roller disco flick, Skatetown USA?
Yes its one of those films that is so 70s bad, its good. Naturally I couldn't recommend this film more as one internet wag put it.

I would love to see a full honest-to-goodnes BD transfer from the original negatives as this film would look fantastic. There was a blurb up on the Wiki page for Skatetown USA that Sony might be doing a Blu-ray release but that has since disappeared.

Anyway for some reason (music rights being the main suspect) this movie was never released on VHS or DVD. Apparently though the original negatives still exist, as well as some 35mm prints that are shown every so often at specialty film theatres.



You can see a old faded 16mm transfer on YouTube or order the same on a DVD thru some off-the-beaten-path DVD houses.

Links:

Patrick Swayze's Roller Disco Number on Skatetown USA (YouTube)


Skatetown USA Trailer

iVillage Article on Skatetown USA

OddCulture (Worst Movies Ever Made) Article.

BuzzFeed Article on Skatetown USA


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Enjoy and I'm still hoping that Sony would see fit to maybe consign this movie to Twilight Time for a blu-ray release. That is if they could ever get the music rights squared away.

I'd think the only way it will get released is as a MOD disc, unfortunately.

I have fond memories of the two disco films, Skatetown USA and Roller Boogie.

Two words: Shout! Factory.

Stephen_J_H said:

Two words: Shout! Factory.

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Skatetown USA doesn't seem like a title that is Shout's primary genre (horror movies). The closest thing to violence comes where Ace Johnson's (Patrick Swayze's) skate gang invades the Skatetown USA floor and throw everybody off so they can do their "Fame on Skates" choreographed dance. But I will suggest it to them.

On and the Westside Wheelers Skate Gang is about as menacing as the Pirate Piggies on Dora the Explorer cartoons.

I would agree if you were talking about Shout!'s horror imprint, Scream! Factory, but Shout! Factory output is actually quite varied.

Oh well, another Twilight Time announcement (November/December 2014) and no Skatetown USA as of yet.
(but what TT is offering looks quite good).

Drat, Drat and its Double Drat!!!

Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray? It's a extremly obscure, terrible film.

"Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray?"Another one of these comments... Always strange to read.

Didier R said:

Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray? It's a extremly obscure, terrible film.

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I think some of us would be happy if it was just released on DVD. The possibility of it ever venturing into the Blu-ray Domain just makes me giddy. But alas the music rights probably are holding up this holy grail for some.

It also has Greg Bradford, who played Steve the delivery boy on season 1 on The Facts of Life, and for that alone, I'm in for a copy:

Didier R said:

Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray? It's a extremly obscure, terrible film.

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That never stopped anyone before.

Didier R said:

Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray? It's a extremly obscure, terrible film.

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1. Patrick Swayze in his first feature role.2. Patrick Swayze's Roller skating sequences.3. A young Katherine Kelly Lang, need I say more?4. Chock full of 1970s stars, some no longer with us. 5. A virtual late 1970s time capsule.6. Roller skate/dance acts by various dance groups .7. The roller rink lighting effects would look killer on Blu.8. The soundtrack is something to behold, that is if Sony could get full rights. 9. Finally, it's just so bad, it's good (in ways not originally envisioned by the producers back in 1979).

Didier R said:

Why would anyone want to release this on blu-ray? It's a extremly obscure, terrible film.

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If we all liked the same thing it would be boring, i'm for diversity, as long as the image quality isn't compromised then bring it on, so long as it's widescreen and not fullscreen and so long as it's not too much "digitally enhanced" then yes put it out on blu ray.

A update on this cult classic Dirty Skating...err...Skatetown USA from one of the main actors in the film. None other than Scott Baio himself chipped in:

from Wiki:
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"
Scott Baio later recalled:
I have blocked that movie from my memory, it was so bad... That was that whole time where Xanadu and Roller Boogie and all that crap was coming out. That was one of those things where they sent me the script and I said “no,” but they just kept calling and offering more money! I mean, they offered me a lot of money. And finally I said, “Well, hell. What is it? Two weeks’ work? Whatever, okay, fine.” And it was… You know, sometimes money isn’t everything. [Laughs.] It was just bad. I mean, it was bad shooting it. I’m trying to think of any real stories that I have, but it was just insanity. When was that? ’79? It was just a guy making a film who didn’t know how to make a film, and I don’t even know what the story was!.. Skatetown, U.S.A., that was crapola.[6 "
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You know if it was that bad, tis got to be good....for some real (unintended by the producers) comedy.

Twilight Time, are you listening by chance??

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Terrible movie. Hopefully they will never release it.

Didier R said:

Terrible movie. Hopefully they will never release it.

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Everyone has their favorites. Saying you hope it is never released is rude.

I hope that the rights issued are cleared up, which I'm sure they will in time. Then let's have a good Blu-ray of this along with Thank God It's Friday and of course Roller Boogie and Xanadu. Their just fun movies.

ahollis said:

I hope that the rights issued are cleared up, which I'm sure they will in time. Then let's have a good Blu-ray of this along with Thank God It's Friday and of course Roller Boogie and Xanadu. Their just fun movies.

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Well we did get Roller Boogie (1979)


I just posted a brief note on Mr. Cogerson's Razzies page over on ultimatemovierankings.com (about Skatetown USA of course) and invited Mr. Cogerson over here to HTF. I think he would find this place interesting.


I pointed out that if the Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies) existed in 1979, Skatetown USA would have won Worst Movie Of The Year hands-down for 1979.


Hmmm, didn't the James Bond flick, Moonraker (1979) gather some "razzie" interest as well?

I saw a 35mm print a few years ago. It's a fun movie, certainly more enjoyable than Xanadu and Roller Boogie (which were shown that night as well). Patrick Swayze's skating scene is terrific.