'Cuz we're gonna boogie oogie oogie
Till you just can't boogie no more
Boogie no more'
Although I was born in the 70's and and moved into my teens in the late 80's, there are certain parts of each of the two decades I am thankful I missed. When I think of roller, I think of skates, and when I think of boogie... I think disco. The two combined sometime in the 70's for a short-lived, yet much photographed pass time. If you google the fad you can see celebrities from the time, Cher, Scott Baio, Patrick Swayze, Charlene Tilton and Brooke Shields were all captured partaking in what became Roller Disco.
Saturday late nights, TCM has been airing the TCM Underground with some great classic (and not so classic) movies, many from the 70's and 80's. A month or two ago, they had a freakishly odd, but entertaining double feature of Heavenly Bodies and the 1979 Linda Blair Flick Roller Boogie. I never made it through Heavenly Bodies, but from the opening sequence of Roller Boogie (above) with Cher belting out Hell on Wheels as Jim Bray and company skated along the Boardwalk in their short shorts, I was hooked.
The acting was poor, the writing and story silly, but it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. All that spandex along with Jim Bray (in his one and only film) shirtless most of the movie, it was a fun ride. Not up there with Showgirls as a movie I pull out when I need a good time, but a repeat viewing might be in order sometime down the road.
Although Jim Bray lead a posse of shirtless cuties, I had a particular fondness for actor Christopher S. Nelson. Perfect as the rich frat boy, you knew from the first second the character of Franklin was introduced, he was heading for an embarrassment nudity scene. Admittedly short on the nudity factor, it was still a fun little scene which in addition to briefly showing Nelson's cute behind, also featured Linda Blair in what has to be the perfectly purple spandex ensemble that beautifully sums up the era and the movie... Check out the clip below.
Christopher S. Nelson
