Grease (1978)

One of the most beloved of all musicals and for good reason. Befitting its genre, Grease is a wonderfully escapist spectacle that still maintains a sensitivity to real world concerns and the emotions of teenagers. It features irresistibly catchy songs and marries them to intricate choreography and just the right amount of kitsch aesthetic. Of course, there’s a crowd pleasing story of young love holding everything together.

John Travolta is the perfect choice as the lead, coming off the massive success of another beloved musical, Saturday Night Fever, in a role that cemented him as a sex symbol of that generation with all the right moves on the dance floor. Olivia Newton-John was an inspired casting as female lead Sandy, considering she was a relative unknown at the time.

After summer holidays, the kids are back at high school. The self consciously rebellious Danny’s (Travolta.) undisputed position at the top of the social pecking order comes under threat though when his chaste Aussie summer fling Sandy unexpectedly enrols as an exchange student. Young love is pitted against cliquey politics through some of the most memorable musical numbers ever.

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