September 26, 1998 -- "The Last Days of Disco" is the third in a recent series of films concerning 1970's nostalgia and the second I have seen this year (actually the first to come out, since this was released in May) to dwell on the events surrounding the demise of New York's Studio 54.

This film is not quite on a par with those two earlier films, "Boogie Nights," and "54," but it is on a par with "Metropolitan" and "Barcelona." The reason I mention the latter two films is that they were directed by Whit Stillman, who also wrote and directed this film. Some of the same actors from those two films also appear in this one.

"The Last Days of Disco" shares the same strengths as Stillman's earlier films, very smart dialogue and excellent ensemble acting, and the same weakness, a rambling, sloppy story line and the same tiresome 20-something angst about the injustice of society not supplying these people instant, effortless success, wealth and fulfillment. Life is so unfair. Grow up. Deal with it.

Three of the best characters in the film are Alice (Chloe Sevigny), her roommate Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and one of the managers of the disco, Des (Chistopher Eigemen (who also played Nick Smith in "Metropolitan" and Fred in "Barcelona"). They are forever discussing their relationships, their lots in life and the meaning of disco, among other things. Their discussions, along with those of most of the other main characters are both witty and insightful.

The only trouble with the dialogue is that all the characters talk pretty much the same, except for the three characters noted above. Several of the many characters in the film sound the same and it is hard to tell some of them apart. They seem to have interchangeable personalities.

The film is enjoyable, however, because of that great dialogue, good performances by the leads, and a great soundtrack. I always liked disco music and this film, naturally, has plenty of it. This film rates a B.

"The Last Days of Disco" appears to be the third in a sort of stealth film series by Carmike Cinemas, owners of the local theatres. Generally speaking, Laramie gets movie releases from a short list of the top 10 grossing films nationally. Since the week of Sept. 13, however, we've gotten some critically-acclaimed films of the sort that usually play in art houses in bigger cities. It started with "Cousin Bette," based on the Henry James novel, and continued with "Mrs. Dalloway," based on the Virginia Woolfe story.

The problem is, if these films are part of a series of art films, they are not being promoted as such. These films also received little national promotion. I went to see "Mrs. Dalloway" recently (it was incorrectly spelled "Mrs. Dialaway" in the newspaper advertisement) and was unable to see it because the projector was broken. Last Saturday afternoon, during the football game, I was the only person in the theater to see "The Last Days of Disco."

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.