User Reviews

Fairly routine talking head doc about the brief life of the crazy club that people still talk about. Some neat archival footage, but overall there's not THAT much to talk about. 3 years of debauchery then jail time. What you get is a bit of stretched out run time, but still ultimately interesting enough to make it worth checking out.

For me, who never (unfortunately) got to experience Studio 54, this documentary provides a unique insight into the phenomenon. Unique insights are provided in this film, particularly with contributions from surviving creator Ian Schrager. In combination with archival recordings, his and others' information, the result is thorough.

However, one thing annoyed me when I watched the documentary; the unique images from the nightclub change so quickly that it is difficult to see them properly. It's a shame, because the nightclub could show the A list of celebrities who visited the nightclub to enjoy a fantastic night on the town. It might also have been great if some of these celebrities such as Diana Ross, Grace Jones or Elton John could have contributed with why they also chose Studio 54. But in any case, a well-made documentary that provides insight and learning about the famous nightclub.

Matt Tyrnauer's fine documentary about the famed NYC Dance Club. I liked that they didn't make it simply about the "glory days" of the club (complete with wall to wall disco music; The tunes are there, but, they are tastefully integrated). It is more a portrait of club owners Steve Rebell and Ian Schrager with Studio 54 as the hook. The fact that Schrager is there to tell the story (although, he remains coy about certain details) is what elevates above other docs on the club, and it will likely remain the most definitive movie on the club for that reason.

Also, credit that it doesn't spend the bulk of its runtime covering the 'glory days' and the celebrity culture aspects (although there's plenty of both). It shows the birth of the club all the way from it's conception to the fall - and even afterwards.

P.S. Bonus points for largely respecting the Aspect Ratio of most of the vintage footage.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In late 1970's New York, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were two lower middle class college graduate friends, who had separate idea about the career paths they wanted to carve out for themselves. But eventually, they came together to spearhead what would turn out to be their most spectacular endeavour: Studio 54, the Manhattan nightclub that pushed the boundaries, and was a spectacle like no other. But unlicensed drinking, drugs and tax evasion resulted in the pair's imprisonment, and the demise of the club. Upon their release, they attempted to relive their former glory, until Rubell's death in 1989 from AIDs.

For those who weren't around to actually experience it first hand, the iconic Studio 54 has generated a kind of mythical quality about it that film has tried to capture, with even a 1998 film starring Mike Myers made about it. It defined the disco era, and evoked a genuine sense of glamour and wonderment that imitators have failed to capture, whilst also simmering in an underbelly of excess and debauchery that was equally integral to its nature (and was eventually its undoing.) Its overwhelming appeal was to the gay and transgender community, who were persecuted mercilessly on the New York streets, but who discovered a community of acceptance and love inside, both in the spirit of the people and the music.

Despite being the closest of friends, Rubell and Schrager are still portrayed as polar opposites, Rubell a wild, crazy closet homosexual who lived like any moment could be his last, while Schrager is a more practical, level headed guy who oversaw the more grounded side of things. With this in mind, it is overwhelmingly Rubell's influence that shines most brightly in the club, injecting the flamboyance that only a gay mind could muster, and still made it so iconic after so many years. Theirs is a true life tale that wouldn't have been as good if it had been made up, and understandably set the template for many fact based films.

Director Matt Tyrnauer manages an impressively condensed 98 minutes to fit in this illuminating real life tale of triumph and tragedy, filled with a pulse pounding soundtrack that may make you want to dig out your old records afterwards. ****

This was cool! Loved the fashion and music. I find this era very interesting. Go check it out

This is a first hand look into the inside of the amazing Studio 54. Co-Founder Ian Schrager looks back and gives an intimate run-down of the disco's creation and rise to complete wonderland, and it's ultimate demise as it came crashing down quicker than a snort of blow. This documentary explores the experiences, first hand accounts, from many of the employees caught up in the whirlwind of this Xanadu on New York's 54th Avenue. The photo's and videos from inside the club are as much eye-opening as they are fascinating. Studio 54 was a place to feel safe and feel free, a place to live life to it's fullest every night and escape the prejudices, injustices, and cruel world of reality outside its doors. It drew the likes of Liza Minelli, Michael Jackson, Liz Taylor....and so many more from the global A-List of Celebrity in the late '70's. It was a time and experience like no other in recent history, and the place to be (if you could only get in the door). Don't miss this exceptional inside account of the iconic discotheque Studio 54.

Chemistry and night life. The story being told in this documentary is more about how people live and breath than what makes them tick or some breakdown of any particular matter of interest. It's just telling you how it was, which I love whole heartedly. Enthralling!

I've seen a lot of documentaries on Studio 54. For the most part, they have been exercises in schadenfreude (I'm way more punk rock in my musical tastes than disco). I've always disliked Studio 54 for how it discriminated against "the common" person. This documentary, however, really humanizes Ian Schraeger. This is not a documentary of hero worship, and I appreciate how Rubell and Schraeger are portrayed, with both their talents and warts. Overall, I very well done documentary.

Noted for its celebrity guest list and its restrictive entry policies - Studio 54 was launched (in 1977) at the very peak of the disco dancing music trend.

In 1980 Studio 54 was shut right down after its two founders (Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager) were both convicted of tax evasion.

Through stills, archival footage, and interviews - This fairly entertaining documentary takes a close-up look behind the scenes at one of the most popular NYC nightclubs of the latter 20th century.

Yet another par to sub-par doc on what is incredibly interesting material; didn't say much more than I already knew; better than the terrible '54' with Mike Myers, but only give this your time if you're a completist on the subject.

Solid documentary on what the rise and the fall of the historic Studio 54.

Ian Schrager was the co-owner of the famous Studio 54, which was more or less the first mainstream gay nightclub (which was the best going for it) where many straight celebrities also frequented...

But all those famous actors and musicians and authors had their own private hideaways and rarely mingled with the customers beautiful enough to be let inside the door, mainly by the more outspoken (and openly gay) owner Steve Rubell, who died many decades ago so we're left with Schrager (and his bizarre speech impediment) as he's editing a Studio 54 book within his very own Studio 54 documentary...

Which is the problem because with all the lawbreaking and drug-taking and not paying taxes and inevitable jail-time, you get more excuses from Schrager than interesting facts: he even blames Ronald Reagan at one point (predictable for Netflix)...

A more honest and open expose would be much better for a place that was supposedly all about being open and real... this kind of "talking head interview" self-promotion goes against what Studio 54 was supposed to be all about... it's as if the surviving former employees were in-check to only talk about the things we already know about: disco, celebrities, drugs...

But those aspects, again, are more defended than defined in a doc as standard as the mediocre 54 film from the 1990's starring Mike Myers as Rubell, as Schrager (who actually resembles Ted Bundy) was not mentioned at all...

And it's no wonder he was the silent partner as he's not very interesting, unlike Rubell (Schrager also seems to be the most criminally-minded partner of the pair)...

And ironically, whenever Schrager runs out of things to say, archive Rubell interviews take the place... making, in this case, the dead far more entertaining than the living since, after all, Steve WAS the spokesman.

Fantastic documentary. A must-watch for people interested in the 1970's disco club scene.

You must see!! Fantastic documentary about an amazing history with upon downs about two friends with big dreams.

I grew up in that era and my sister (also her friends) loved the old dusco nights. This docco explores the real story about Studio 54 (forget that 54 movie from 20 years ago coz the old disco lass didnt die from a overdose on the dance floor!). From the rise to the mega fall from grace , rhis film also explores the rise and fall of the disco scene as well. Never dull moment here folks

Two college pals from Brooklyn Steve Rubell and Ira Schager not only took The Big Apple but the world by storm when they opened Studio 54 in 1977. Overnight these brash entrepreneurs took the club scene to another level with it's opera house bones that provided a balcony to watch the beautiful people in full hedonistic tilt as well as special sections for A listers to snort coke and perform other illicit activities as the boys pulled all the stops to make the club a success which they did from the opening night, maintaining a dizzying pace until the Feds cracked down three years later when silent partner Jack Dushey sang like a canary to the Feds. Then suddenly as it had begun it ended for this brazen duo and they were off to prison on tax evasion convictions.

Documentary filmmaker Mark Tyrnauer's (Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood) fascination with celebrity nostalgie de las boue is once again in full evidence as he takes us back to the epicenter of the 70s Disco era and its meretricious glamor and sybaritic lifestyles of the beautiful people making the scene at the time; the plague of AIDS, that would decimate so many attached to the club still at bay. They were dancing on a volcano almost as volatile as the bathhouses in NY and Frisco. It remains a weak telling however as it depends more on still photographs, gossip and the guarded testimony of surviving former co-owner Ira Shaeger trying to paper over Rubell, Dushey and their all consuming greed (skimming up to 80% a night) as an insatiable desire to "succeed." Given the voluminous amount of celebrities who were part of the scene Tyrnauer offers little in terms of interviews then and now, outside of a precious snippet with a young Michael Jackson pre- superstar period. Instead he relies on former club flunkies playing coy, protecting themselves, acting like it was all fun and games as they clipped the cash strap city of NY for millions.

Rubell the extrovert of the duo's high energy enthusiasm had a certain likability in the early days that was soon corrupted by sex, drugs and rubbing elbows with the in crowd. He soon became dictatorial out front insulting customers and turning them away while remaining obsequious to the celebs. He would die of AIDS in 1989 like their famed lawyer Roy Cohn had in 1986; both in deep denial about their disease. Some things were just impossible to lie your way out of.

Shaeger, a man who clearly understood the price of everything and value of nothing was destined to land on his feet as he bought protection in prison and ratted out others to cut his sentence in half as he sits today in a multi-million dollar Southhampton mansion along with having a newly minted pardon from President Obama. With this insulated, unctuous character as the main source of Studio 54 the doc is a shallow as the crowd it catered to in its hay day, offering the viewer nothing that we did not already know last century.

Anyone who loved The 70's, Dancing and Celebrity should watch this. I've watched at Least 10 times and the book is AMAZING too. My Hats Off to the producers and Ian Schrader.

We've seen the movie...we've seen the same old snapshots of the celebrities but this digs so much deeper with the actual owners point of view

A superb documentary on an iconic nightclub, or rather disco. I wished there was more.

Really fantastic footage, photos and interviews.

Talk about a load of junk.

The documentary is ok, interesting but not compelling.

The subject matter is garbage.

A disco was open for 2 years and celebrities came. Whoa, stop the presses, this is revolutionary!!!

Two gay guys contradict the desire for equality and acceptance by choosing who can enter based on appearance and notereity. Disgusting.

Whatever Schrager's personal attributes are that earned a presidential pardon from Obama, they don't come through in the interviews for this documentary. And why do do presidents give pardons? It's a ridiculous endeavor. You committed a crime, society thought it should be prosecuted, you were prosecuted. End of story.

Studio 54 did not change the world and the owners were criminals and elitists.