I've had a crush on John Travolta since the first moment I ever laid eyes on him. I was probably six. I'm now thirty and as I sit here watching him converse with Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, my heart pitter patters just the same.
Judging by the way I get ribbed for liking him so much, I recognize that for some reason he's gone out of fashion. I can't understand this. I think it might be the Scientology but I'm willing to overlook it.
Like every girl my age, I first saw him as Danny Zuko in Grease. What is there to even say about that movie? We've all seen it and millions love it. Some pretend they hate it but for some reason I just can't believe anyone that says that. He oozes cool in it. I watched it over and over and over, never tiring of it. These days it is very much a comfort film and I still know every last word of it.
Once I got a bit older I was allowed to watch Saturday Night Fever. Anything good enough for Gene Siskel is good enough for me, alright? I know this film is pretty iconic but I feel that even still it's kind of underrated. Most people I know just think of it as that disco movie but it's so much more than that. If it weren't for all the cheesy Bee Gees songs, it's even a bit Scorsese-esq. It has its funny moments but it's also got a tragic feel to it. If you haven't seen it in awhile, revisit it. And drop the judgements and just let yourself enjoy the dancing and the music. It's fuckin' great.
But by far, of all Travolta's films, my very favourite is Blow Out directed by Brian De Palma.
An understated JT plays Jack Terri an audio technician that records sound effects for movies.
He's currently working on some bad horror films and needs new wind, etc. so he goes out one night to get some new stuff. The scene in which he's out on the bridge collecting new sounds is up there as one of my favourite scenes in any movie ever. I just love the feel and look of it.
Anyways, so he's out there getting all sorts of stuff when he hears a car screeching around the corner. There's the sound of a tire blow out and the car careens off the road and into the creek below.
He runs down to the creek and dives in. There's a dead man in the car and a woman, Sally, trying to escape with her life. He manages to get the girl out and they end up in the hospital.
It turns out that the man that was in the car was the governor and a possible presidential candidate. Soon JT begins to suspect that this "accident" wasn't really an accident and he goes about trying to discover the truth with Sally.
My second favourite John Travolta movie is Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. Like I needed to mention who made that film. Actually, I don't think I even need to say anything about this movie at all. Everyone has seen it and most people can agree that it's a classic. Thank heavens for QT bringing my baby back into the spotlight!
Back in high school, I was downtown and I found a beautiful John Travolta calendar. Each month had a different vintage, dreamy JT and I kept that on my wall until I moved to Vancouver. After it expired, I would just alternate my favourite picture every few months. I even mentioned him in my yearbook grad quote. Is that gross? Probably. I also mentioned my cat. That's the kind of person you're dealing with here.
Not only was he a total babe back in the day but he has such a nice demeanor. He seems like a truly genuine person and it makes me love him even more.
Some people like to try and squash my John Travolta love by mentioning two words: Battlefield Earth. Guess what? Not gonna work my friend. My love runs deep and Battlefield Earth isn't gonna change it!
I am keeping my fingers crossed that someone comes along someday soon and brings him back in the way Tarantino did. He belongs in my heart and on screen playing the cool guy forever.
Grease
1978
Rotten Tomatoes - 84%
IMDB - 7/10
Saturday Night Fever
1977
Rotten Tomatoes - 94%
IMDB - 6.7/10
Blow Out
1981
Rotten Tomatoes - 89%
IMDB - 7.1/10
Pulp Fiction
1994
Rotten Tomatoes - 94%
IMDB - 8.9/10
-Amanda
