Episode 150 - Grease 2

[Cameron H. 23786]

BEHOLD the spendor that is Girl For All Seasons...all the way to the freaking end!

 

https://youtu.be/_Rzqa3wtMhI

 

I still think it's bullshit that their act seemed to have a higher production value when compared to the other acts. I think the T-Birds got a lamppost, and all the other acts got nothing. Just seems like it's cheating. Oh, and having a teenage girl come out in lingerie because she represents "summer," that's also bullshit and wildly inappropriate.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Also, I found this. WHY WOULD YOU CUT THIS?

 

Hey, watch the fenders!

 

#watchthefenders

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

still haven't had a chance to watch grease 2 or listen to the ep but just to officially update ... minis + movies + episodes have passed the 20 full days total running time .. just in time for episode 150 .. great success!

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fNUxhVbJf9FOIHnE1yorJj383JS51T0cjF6XsaE8tA4/edit?usp=sharing

[paultab 225]

OK, on the topic of the talent show, some thoughts

 

Stephanie and Johnny winning is pure bullshit. First off, Johnny didn't enter on his own -- he had his T-Birds with him, they were announced as "the T-Birds," and they all rehearsed. It's Shooter's turn for some credit, damn it. On that same note, Stephanie didn't enter on her own either -- she just hijacked "Girl For All Seasons" at the end there to sing her song about turning back time, which brought the HOUSE DOWN despite the fact that it was going on completely in her head!

 

What was she doing during the parts where Rex Manning was singing? If you're in the audience of that talent show, is she swinging back and forth in a fugue state, or is she singing his parts in that low register women take on when they do impressions of men? (If there's a deleted scene of that happening, I would totally watch that, btw). Either way, it's an IMPROVISED SONG tacked onto the sandbagging of all of Connie's hard work!

 

Ooh, speaking of sand, or sandMEN (smoooth), the Preptones should still have gone on. Wet shirts or not, you can still sing.

 

(btw, not for nothing, but there is a callback to the "2 missed periods" joke that makes me think that joke was supposed to go to Paulette, because Connie says that they had to start with the other seasons because Paulette was always late, which cuts to a reaction shot from Paulette that I think indicated that for a second there, she thought Connie was putting her cycle on blast.)

 

Also, the prize changed in midstream. At first the winner was supposed to get 100 albums, but when it came time, Johnny and Stephanie were given a fifty/fifty split of the records, and crowned king and queen of the luau. In no high school would a talent show be arbitration for dance royalty.

 

I'm glad Pamela Adlon got props during this episode. Jason's reaction was a lot like mine, with the exception of the stuff about knowing Pamela Adlon.

[Soapstef 36]

 

I still think it's bullshit that their act seemed to have a higher production value when compared to the other acts. I think the T-Birds got a lamppost, and all the other acts got nothing. Just seems like it's cheating. Oh, and having a teenage girl come out in lingerie because she represents "summer," that's also bullshit and wildly inappropriate.

 

I think it was all about what the kids were willing to put into their production. We see in the movie that this is basically Sharons life as the director. She's always got a mountain of binders and folders which I assumed was music and direction notes.

I absolutely do not get Paulette's costume! That was straight up Fredrick's of Hollywood. Where's the school dress code?!

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I couldn't quite understand the structure of the talent show at all. It seemed like most of the acts were already mostly prepared before the auditions happened, and when the auditions went on the groups were expected to show an excerpt of the final product in order to get in to the show. Later, we find out that there aren't enough acts so everyone got into the show. But every time the Pink Ladies start in on 'Girl for All Seasons' their director gets very bent out of shape about not being able to run the show through from top to tail. Given that all rehearsal seems to happen right on the stage where the show happens (we see no evidence of anyone rehearsing outside of these times), and that it trades on the 'director sitting in the auditorium' trope, which is in no way a useful way of offering or receiving feedback, I would like to know what the point of all of these dry runs are? If it's a talent show, why are there so many tech rehearsals? I very much agree with Stef's point above about Sharon's obsession with the show (and really love Paul's point further above about the unfairness of the winners' decision), but I don't get why she's so into it. I am very fond of Sharon (she was in 'Supergirl', a terrible movie ripe for HDTGM that saw an early stirring in my youthful loins) but is she in this for the Roy Orbison records? And why do they keep teching the show? Surely a talent show should keep the content secret until the night of the performance? Why are there factions on faculty who identify 'these are my boys'/'these are MY boys'? I have worked in the theatre for 20 years and have no idea what they're doing with this piecemeal top-and-tail tech in street clothes, over the course of months.

[Molly L. 99]

The end of this ep was unreal, I'm dying...I only managed about 75% of the movie before I threw in the towel. I LOVED Grease as a kid (I watched it recently and stand by that). I remember people watching #2 at a birthday sleepover once when I was probably 9 or 10, and people were already saying it was a shitty movie.

 

Also one Christmas my parents gave me the Grease 2 soundtrack instead of the first one...I assume they didn't look at the track listing... I never listened to it and maybe never even opened it and was WILDLY disappointed. maybe I should look for it in my parents' house when I go home for Christmas and sent it to June if I can find it...

 

ALSO HOLD UP JASON IS IN GILMORE GIRLS??? Literally how did I miss this??? The movie/TV purist in me is trying to rewatch all of the series first because I know haven't seen it all chronologically, but this commitment is becoming more difficult...

[Soapstef 36]

The end of this ep was unreal, I'm dying...I only managed about 75% of the movie before I threw in the towel. I LOVED Grease as a kid (I watched it recently and stand by that). I remember people watching #2 at a birthday sleepover once when I was probably 9 or 10, and people were already saying it was a shitty movie.

 

Also one Christmas my parents gave me the Grease 2 soundtrack instead of the first one...I assume they didn't look at the track listing... I never listened to it and maybe never even opened it and was WILDLY disappointed. maybe I should look for it in my parents' house when I go home for Christmas and sent it to June if I can find it...

 

ALSO HOLD UP JASON IS IN GILMORE GIRLS??? Literally how did I miss this??? The movie/TV purist in me is trying to rewatch all of the series first because I know haven't seen it all chronologically, but this commitment is becoming more difficult...

 

Molly...I will wrestle anybody on this board for that soundtrack if you find it! Lol. Happy Hunting.

[Molly L. 99]

Molly...I will wrestle anybody on this board for that soundtrack if you find it! Lol. Happy Hunting.

 

Hahaha oooohh, did I just hit upon a possible hot commodity? Last time I was there I did a crazy purge of my childhood shit, and I don't remember seeing it then, so there is hope...either that or we got rid of it years and years ago haha

[Molly L. 99]

Also, small thing -- why were the singer guys practicing in the locker room? Was it because of the acoustics (I feel like people who know stuff about music/sound say bathrooms have good acoustics)? Was it to keep other people from hearing them? If it was the latter, that's stupid, because it's probably one of the more consistently populated parts of a school, right? If it's the former....I don't know anything about music so OK lol

[Aoqi888 43]

Molly...I will wrestle anybody on this board for that soundtrack if you find it! Lol. Happy Hunting.

It's $5 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Grease-2-Original-Soundtrack-Recording/dp/B000001FDM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481515579&sr=8-4&keywords=Grease+2

Be warned, Let's Do It For Our Country only has the dude on it because the actress was sick when they were recording the soundtrack.

Oh my god, I know so much about Grease 2...

[The_Other_MikeD 68]

C+O: The nerd guy tells Michael that he should lock his locker because stuff gets stolen and then the Pink Ladies all leave their lockers unlocked.

 

Isn't Adrian Zmed the actual star? He is on screen much more than Michael.

 

I didn't go back to check but did Stephanie take her shades off when the goggled Cool Rider shows up?

 

And in response way up the board, Michael lived in the fallout shelter that the T-Birds use to sing Do It For Your Country in.

 

Finally, I think we were robbed of a scene where the hot teacher notices that all the T-Bird's papers were in the same excellent penmanship since they didn't seem to be rewriting their papers. The first paper was near calligraphy while the last paper had ink being thrown on it to resemble the authentic nature of Goose.

[OoofMaGOOF 348]

I'm so late to the party (I was out of town last week and just yesterday watched the movie, and listened to half the ep driving to work this morning)

 

Loving it so far and it's some of the best dynamic from this group I've ever heard. Anna Faris is so great and I would love to see her back on again!

 

I'm pretty much 100% with Jason. I'm very, very picky when it comes to musicals, but I LOVE Grease 1 unabashedly and it just brings me so much joy watching it. I'm actually listening to the soundtrack as I type this, and we had "We Go Together" played at our wedding reception.

 

But man oh man was this BAD. It was so overstuffed with musical numbers that, as Jason pointed out, had NO GODDAMN POINT!! This movie was almost 2 hours and could have been 1.5 if they cut out the unnecessary numbers.

 

At the same time...poor June! I think we all know what it feels like when a movie holds a special place in your heart and no one else wants to agree with you. At least Jason acknowledges that he understands why it's an important movie to her.

 

EDIT: Apparently I'm one of only a few that like Anna...

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

 

EDIT: Apparently I'm one of only a few that like Anna...

 

I liked her a lot for nearly all of the podcast, and found her tired/buzzed/goofy thing endearing. She lost me, right at the very end, when she said 'I'm bored now'. And she mispronounced June's last name. But really, I liked her a lot. I'd love to see her back, but maybe with a little more rest.

[JackChristensen 177]

 

I liked her a lot for nearly all of the podcast, and found her tired/buzzed/goofy thing endearing. She lost me, right at the very end, when she said 'I'm bored now'. And she mispronounced June's last name. But really, I liked her a lot. I'd love to see her back, but maybe with a little more rest.

 

Listening back, I liked her a lot more on a second spin. My first listen, I was dealing with some frustrating stuff with my kids and I think I was overly irritable. I still think my Daniel Tiger joke was funny though, and I don't regret that one. June singing along, and calling Jason "Motherfucker" at the end are some of my favorite moments on the show EVER!

[Elektra Boogaloo 3371]

Adrian Zmed facts: He ORIGINATED the role of Danny Zuko in the Broadway production of GREASE.

(I've had a lifelong boner for Adrian Zmed)

 

I saw him play Danny Zuko in the touring company of Grease. (Sally Struthers was the principal and she stole the show.) After having rather disliked him in "Grease 2", I found the scene where Sandy closes the door to the car on his dick rather satisfying. Ha ha.

 

and now that the T-birds are a biker gang, what are the rules or charter as I think they call it?

 

This bothers me so much. I don't know why I care so. But in "Grease" the T-Birds (or the Burger Palace Boys, as they were called in the original musical) drove cars. When they soup the car in "Greased Lightning" it's one of my favorite songs, so when they are all about motorcycles in Grease 2 it confused the heck out of me. I wonder if they were trying to get some of the cool "Easy Rider" sixties motorcycle vibe--since this one is set in the 60s not the 50s like everyone assumes.

 

Which begs the question, which movie fails more at being as cool as "Easy Rider"? Grease 2 or Easy Rider 2?

 

I do like Michelle Pfeiffer in this. Although I don't love "Cool Rider" just because I didn't thinks he was that great a singer. I was much more impressed with her in "Hairspray" (which, as I said in the minisode thread, is the better version of this. A musical about 60s counter culture with actual black people and mod clothing!)

 

 

 

I love that June loves this movie. I want them to do Lady Hawk and whatever Paul's favorite movie as a kid was, because it's fun to poke holes in people's childhoods' for me.

 

I think she is right that this one has a better message for the ladies. I love the Rizzo character but I dislike how they immediately pick on Sandy, and how they treat Patty Simcox, like she's such and asshole.

 

I'm also really glad that Anna was there to comment on the balls. Now we know June isn't into buns or balls. Update your charts, nerds!

 

ETA: Surprised some people didn't like Anna. I know she didn't have much to say, but I love her brother-sisterly relationship with Jason. You should definitely listen to his episode of her podcast if you haven't already. She's clearly just there to hang out.

[JoeyCrown 10]

Wasn't there a scene where the T-Birds decided they needed to go some place where the chicks "put out?" and then they get on their bikes but never actually get there? Or did they actually get there and I missed it?

[paultab 225]

Interesting find: Here's the Rob Hegel demo for Do It For Our Country, with him singing both parts, in character:

[jnoodlervoss 9]

One quick question,

 

When Frenchy meets Michael for the first time during the back to school song, she says "When your cousin Sandy said you were coming to America I said, "Any cousin of yours is a cousin of mine."

 

Does this means the Sandy from Grease 1 is Michael's cousin? If I remember correctly, Sandy is from Australia, so did they just think that the Australian and British accents were close enough to make the characters related?

 

I guess what I am asking is whether making them cousins, not closer relatives, was a conscious decision because the accents didn't quite match. Or is this just a lazy way to introduce a Michael and tie this story it back to Grease 1, so Sandy's and Michael's accents didn't matter at all. The family connection obviously didn't matter as this was the only mention of (I think), so why even include it? This was just something I heard right at the beginning and I kept waiting for this detail to become more relevant.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

One quick question,

 

When Frenchy meets Michael for the first time during the back to school song, she says "When your cousin Sandy said you were coming to America I said, "Any cousin of yours is a cousin of mine."

 

Does this means the Sandy from Grease 1 is Michael's cousin? If I remember correctly, Sandy is from Australia, so did they just think that the Australian and British accents were close enough to make the characters related?

 

I guess what I am asking is whether making them cousins, not closer relatives, was a conscious decision because the accents didn't quite match. Or is this just a lazy way to introduce a Michael and tie this story it back to Grease 1, so Sandy's and Michael's accents didn't matter at all. The family connection obviously didn't matter as this was the only mention of (I think), so why even include it? This was just something I heard right at the beginning and I kept waiting for this detail to become more relevant.

 

The dumbfoundingly-exhaustive Grease2.net has a lot of good stuff on there, including good trivia and filming locations, but also had an interesting screencap of a cut scene between Michael and actor Tom Poston, who, according to the site, likely plays Mr. Olson, Sandy's father and Michael's uncle.

 

 

This just doesn't make sense. Obviously, as you've noted, Sandy was Australian in the original film, and her family are supposed to be going back to Australia at the beginning of the film. The Australian thing was added in for the movie because of Olivia Newton-John's own accent: the original musical didn't have an Australian lead. I grew up in Australia, so interestingly, most Australian productions would make Sandy Australian, just to save one person from having to put on a bad American accent. The cultural differences are a big thing to play on in both movies and lead to real fish out of water kinds of scenarios (hence the 'how to make friends and influence people at a bowling alley' book Michael reads), so making Michael foreign probably traded on that. I guess when they cast Maxwell Caulfield, they figured there was no point in asking him to change his charming accent, so he was English, which to most is excusably viable to be cousins with an Aussie. I think the main reason Sandy is mentioned is to set up a pre-existing in with the Pink Ladies: in 'Grease', Sandy and Danny have had their summer romance, which ties them to each other and brings Sandy into the Pink Lady/T-Bird sphere. For 'Grease 2', if Michael didn't have a hook to get him involved with the cool kids, he'd likely miss all the action. So, by starting with Frenchie, Michael is indoctrinated into the Rydell culture immediately, even though both Frenchie and the uncle connection is forgotten by mid-film.

 

The picture of Tom Poston as the uncle is also very curious: obviously he was cut out for a good reason (not even an 'uncredited' credit on IMDb) but if he is Michael's uncle and is very clearly both American and well-established in town (what with a bomb shelter and the like), he surely can't be Sandy's father? But why mention that Sandy's his cousin and that he is living with his uncle without assuming that he's taking about the same family? I think the image of Poston with Michael (clutching the bowling etiquette book there, Cameron H!) shows a scene where the uncle gives some kind of advice about being friends with Americans, but the confusion about the different cultures (American uncle, English nephew, Australian cousin) might have tipped them over the edge in cutting the scene.

 

it feels like a real shame they cut this scene: look at the soldiers on the coffee table there! This uncle is clearly a total nut, what with his bomb shelter and half-assed parenting and playing with toy soldiers: his advice to Michael on the bowling night would have been well worth hearing.

 

Like many things in this movie, it doesn't make sense and the filmmakers were clearly just hoping no one noticed.

 

In this really interesting piece from the AFI website, we get some sense of the cast movements. In case this turns into TL:DR, highlights are: Andy Gibb! 'Greasier'! 'Annette Funicello!' Twin coincidences! 'Son of Grease'! And 'Entertaining Mr Sloane' - anyone familiar with that play will know exactly who Maxwell Caulfield would have been cast as in that.

 

One week prior to the 16 Jun 1978 opening of Grease, the 2 Jun 1978 HR announced that producer Allan Carr had begun work on a sequel titled Summer School with screenwriter Bronté Woodard. The 25 Mar 1980 DV announced that Carr, along with producer Robert Stigwood, would begin production in 1981 on a script written by Robert Klane. A 30 Apr 1980 HR news item revealed the working title had been changed to Son of Grease, and was set for a summer 1981 release. Andy Gibb was cast alongside Martin Mull, Jane Curtin, and Robert Klein. Sid Caesar and Eve Arden would reprise their roles from Grease, while the film’s stars, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, were expected to make cameo appearances. A similar brief in the Jun 1980 issue of Los Angeles magazine suggested that the project was being developed at Universal Pictures, although Paramount Pictures had produced the first Grease film. The 30 Apr 1980 HR claimed that the sequel would encapsulate the musical trends of the 1960s, and Los Angeles reported that the story would take place ten years after the events of the 1978 film. According to a 29 Jun 1980 LAT news brief, Mike Chapman would oversee the music on the film, although he does not receive onscreen credit. The Jul 1980 edition of Teen Mag suggested that, contrary to earlier reports, Travolta and Newton-John had not yet been confirmed, and a 25 Aug 1980 HR article stated they would not appear. At this time, Paramount ceased development on the sequel, then titled Greasier, with “no definite plans” to continue forward. Despite a scheduled Jun 1981 opening, the studio reportedly questioned the success of a second film in the wake of Grease’s high box office gross.

 

However, early the following year, a 20 Jan 1981 HR brief suggested that Paramount had resumed preparations on the picture, claiming that Robin Johnson, a sixteen-year-old actress represented by the Robert Stigwood Organization, was in consideration for the female lead alongside Andy Gibb. On 2 Aug 1981, DVreported that principal photography would begin under the working title Grease II, on 2 Nov 1981, in anticipation for an 18 Jun 1982 release in 1,000 theaters. The 26 Aug 1981 HR stated that Rex Smith had assumed the lead role, but 18 Sep 1981 and 2 Oct 1981 DV news items noted that Timothy Hutton and Rick Springfield, respectively, were considered for the part. The Jun 1982 edition of Life magazine also included Shaun Cassidy among the contenders, while the 18 Sep 1981 DV stated that Kristy McNichol had been asked to co-star as “Stephanie Zinone.” On 9 Oct 1981, HR confirmed earlier reports that Maxwell Caulfield would make his motion picture debut as “Michael Carrington,” alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, who had been selected among strong competition. Caulfield ended his performance in a London, England, stage production of Entertaining Mr. Sloane in order to begin filming the picture, which had been renamed Grease 2. The 28 Oct 1981 Var reported that Annette Funicello was originally cast to play “Miss Mason,” while Alice Ghostley would reprise her Grease role as “Mrs. Murdock.” A 13 Nov 1981 HR brief claimed that Tom Poston had also joined the production. However, Funicello, Ghostley, and Poston do not appear in the film. Production notes indicated that, in addition to Caulfield, Lorna Luft, Peter Frechette, Leif Green, and identical twins Liz and Jean Sagal made their motion picture debuts in Grease 2. The Sagal sisters reportedly auditioned separately in New York City and Los Angeles, CA, and were both cast coincidentally. Didi Conn reprised her role as “Frenchy,” while Alison Price, who production notes claimed had been featured in an unidentified role in Grease, was cast as Rhonda Ritter.

[NornCutson 8]

All I remember from NORTH & SOUTH was one scene where Kirsty Alley was supposed to be horny and she communicated that by lifting up her hoop skirts and rubbing her butt against a tree.

 

 

A little off topic but...if HDTGM ever does a tv show, it should 100% be North and South.

North and South is fucking insane. It's a Civil War soap opera starring baby Patrick Swayze with all these super famous people randomly showing up. Elizabeth Taylor runs a whorehouse. Robert Mitchum is someone's Irish dad. Johnny Cash plays John Brown. It's a genuinely weird thing.

Book III is bullshit though.

[NornCutson 8]

I love this!

 

I can't decide which is funnier: a horny nun trying to get laid at a bowling ally or a really oblivious nun who just thinks that everyone is really happy to bowl.

[JackChristensen 177]

All I remember from NORTH & SOUTH was one scene where Kirsty Alley was supposed to be horny and she communicated that by lifting up her hoop skirts and rubbing her butt against a tree.

 

I feel like I HAVE to see that [just that scene].

[Aoqi888 43]

All I remember from NORTH & SOUTH was one scene where Kirsty Alley was supposed to be horny and she communicated that by lifting up her hoop skirts and rubbing her butt against a tree.

I don't remember that exact moment but it wouldn't surprise me. North & South is filled with stuff like that.

See also: Patrick Swayze blowing a giant snot clump at the camera while he's on a crying jag. Or literally any second that the main bad guy is on screen. He goes full ham and it's amazing. Sometimes my dad and I scream his lines at each other.

 

 

I feel like I HAVE to see that [just that scene].

 

I can't even begin to explain how nuts the whole series is. I'll sum it up like this...(SPOILERS sort of)

North & South is a TV show where a Southern accented David Carradine gets a sword to the face in the middle of his house and is also the last time Jimmy Stewart acted on film.

[Cameron H. 23786]

So, I was thinking about "Cool Rider" and trying to determine what exactly Zinone's criteria for a dating a guy is beyond simply "owning, and having the ability to operate, a motorcycle." As others have already stated, just based on that, anyone of the T-Birds should have been able to meet those standards. And honestly, she doesn't give us a lot of specifics. However, she does say that she's looking for "a dream on a mean machine with Hell in his eyes" and that "he's gonna be wild as the wind." But, don't these particulars more or less disqualify Michael as her "Cool Rider?" With his goggles on, how does she know if there's "Hell" in them or not? And a guy who quickly rides away every time the T-Birds give him the stank eye doesn't exactly sound like a person who is as "wild as the wind."

 

The only other things she sings about specifically is that she wants "a man growing out of the seat" and that when he's around "the ground will be shakin'."

 

So, based on the few details we're provided, I have to say that I think the person who comes closest to Zinone's ideal "Cool Rider" might actually be 1980's X-Men villain Bonebreaker.