The Secret Disco Revolution

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The Secret Disco Revolution

2012

1h 25m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

43%

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21 Reviews

41%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Alice Echols, Michael Musto, Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston and others appear in filmmaker Jamie Kastner's exploration of disco music's empowerment of women, blacks and homosexuals.

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Kyle Smith

New York Post

"The Secret Disco Revolution" laughably fails to turn Barry White and Donna Summer into the Che Guevara and Emma Goldman of the dance floor.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 28, 2013

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David DeWitt

New York Times

Faddish taste may be interesting for some, but for others it will devolve into the banal, as cultural history as well as entertainment.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jun 28, 2013

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Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

The veil is lifted on this secret movement, one that everyone else thought was just about dancing and doing coke.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 27, 2013

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Pat Padua

Spectrum Culture

Disco deserves better.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 30, 2018

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John Fink

The Film Stage

The film's strongest moments are in its case for what brought down disco including its broad expansion via radio.

Rated: B

Aug 8, 2016

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Glenn Dunks

Glenn Dunks

While there is plenty of interest in Kastner's documentary, anybody with more than a passing knowledge of the disco era will know most of it already.

Rated: C-

Sep 5, 2013

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Audience Member

Perhaps because I remember the disco era, and I loved the music, I liked this movie more than I should have. Some of the interviews are intriguing, the music is incredible, and the video footage (from the files) is great. The best section deals with Studio 54--a trip all by itself.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

I watched it sober. Not the recommended approach to an argument that disco is the musical embodiment of the feminist critique of patriarchy. In a different mood I might have been able to consider Donna Summer's Love to Love you Baby as a rejection of the three-minute sex act!

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

Great film about disco. Awful premise. Great footage and interviews with some of disco's creators and haters. Definitely can get thru 1 hour and 24 minutes and feel good about it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

THE SECRET DISCO REVOLUTION has a great premise at its core--investigating disco fever from a socio-political perspective--something disco truly deserves. Sadly, DISCO gets all wrapped up in the music biz and hedonism and loses its way. A VH-1 doc at best. Another missed opp at the bijou :(

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Miz B W

Maybe disco was really just about having a good time. Getting all academic about it seemed over the top for me. Although the whole gay liberation perspective actually made sense to me. I was too young during the disco era to be aware of anything like that.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/15

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Audience Member

The disco documentary is contains too funky music from the beginning to the end.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

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Jamie Kastner

Director

Peter Keleghan

Narrator

Jamie Kastner

Screenwriter

Jamie Kastner

Producer

Derek Rogers

Cinematographer

Greg West

Film Editing

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Synopsis

Alice Echols, Michael Musto, Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston and others appear in filmmaker Jamie Kastner's exploration of disco music's empowerment of women, blacks and homosexuals.

Director: Jamie Kastner
Producer: Jamie Kastner
Screenwriter: Jamie Kastner
Production Co: Cave 7 Productions Inc.
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2014
Runtime: 1h 25m

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