What is your favorite guilty pleasure movie?

We all have those movies from our childhood we cannot stir clear from once we are older.  They make their way back into our lives time and time again.  Most of the time we can quote these films, or at least parts of them, because we know them by heart.  We know the upcoming scene even if it has been three years since we bothered watching the film.  I will admit with this one I watched this and the end of its predecessor the weekend before my birthday this year.  This was due in good part because they were both on one of the movie channels and played back to back and because I love this film.  My cousin Tiffany showed me this film for the first time and I believe I kept her VHS copy of the film until my dad bought me my own copy.  I basically held her copy of Grease 2 hostage when we were younger.  Should I regret that?  No.  Should I feel bad for this?  Probably so, but when you are looking for a dream on a mean machine with hell in his eyes you don’t play by the rules!

Day 26: A movie that is a guilty pleasure – Grease 2

If you really wanna know what I want in a movie. I want a sequel that makes my heart flutter and makes me dreamy sigh.  Yes, that was my lame attempt at a play on words to part of the song “Cool Rider.” Grease 2 is a soundtrack I regret not putting on my iPod now that I think of it.  All those nights in college I could have been in the dark room developing a photograph were squandered away!  Seriously though, I know that most people are either Grease 2 people or they are not.  In my cousin’s mind they are Grease 2 people or they are wrong.  I cannot say I disagree entirely with her because I cannot understand how anyone could not love this sequel. Instead of cars there are motorcycles, which kind of seem a bit more badass than the original in my opinion.  Then again a good classic car is nothing to sneeze at either, but this did start my attraction to motorcycles over the years.  Never enough to make me own one, but appreciate those that crossed my path all the same.

The cast of characters are by far some of my favorites.  First we will start with the one and only Miss Stephanie Zanoni.  To me it does not get much cooler than seeing Michelle Pfieffer as a pink lady.  I think that’s the crazy part about this film.  In Grease the main character I could truly relate to, and have probably turned into over the years, is and was Frenchy.  Stephanie was an inspiring character in many ways.  She was determined to do whatever it was she wanted to do and not fall into a mold or routine.  In a lot of ways Stephanie was the feminist of the film and that might be quite possibly why I always admired her growing up.  The other pink ladies (Paulette, Sharon, and Rhonda) have there stand out moments and lies of course, but my favorite remains Stephanie.  Though there is nothing better than Sharon yelling out, “We’re going to die and I’m wearing my mother’s underwear!”

Likewise, I truly enjoyed the T-Birds in this film though.  Granted, Johnny is an egotistical jackass as some points, but I would be lying if I said I did not have a small crush on him, much like my one on John Travolta, after viewing the film the first time.  Johnny’s growth throughout the film was amazing.  I was glad that he finally found himself being able to let go and not be as controlling at the beginning of the film. Despite the horrible song “Do It For Our Country” DiMucci is one of my favorite character if only in name alone.  Granted that is not the only reason I enjoy the character, but it is kinda creeptastic that he was trying to trick Sharon into having sex with him. And while everyone from the 90s refers to Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin I will always refer to him as Goose.

And while technically he was a T-Bird and probably should have been included in the paragraph above, I’m devoting a whole paragraph to just Michael. Michael Carrington. What is there to say? It is the reverse of the first film and the guy finds himself changing for the girl. What I really feel is different about this film in particular though is that is does not feel as forced. Not that I find the first to be forced either, but that is not the point right now. Michael continues to be the loveable nerd we get to know. He just also discovers hair gel and teaches himself how to restore and ride a motorcycle. Plus he later becomes Rex Manning and that’s important.

In the end, Grease 2 is always going to be a film that people love or love to hate. I believe that was the theory that Drew Barrymore and Brian Herzlinger decide and that is good enough for me. You’re Grease 2 or you’re not and both are okay. Just know that I’ll be over here acting cool, looking cool, and being cool because that’s the Pink Ladies pledge. Til death do us part think pink!