54 (1998)

Although 54 (1998) refers to New York City’s Studio 54 (a disco den of debauchery for the rich and famous from the 1970s to the early ’80s), the motion picture is positively skinless. In other words, the members on audience members may fail to rise while watching the rise and fall of this notorious club. With the exception of Mike Myers’s portrayal of entreprenuer Steve Rubell, Mark Christopher’s movie mistakenly focuses on fictional characters — Shane O’Shea (Ryan Phillippe), Ricko (Mark Ruffalo) and Harlan O’Shea (Skipp Sudduth) — rather than the studio’s more interesting real life cliental (Andy Warhol, Barbra Streisand, Bianca Jagger, Cher, Debbie Harry, Diana Ross, Halston, and Liza Minnelli, among others). But the biggest glitch in this R rated flick is the un-skinematic treatment of its comely cast. If you’ve got Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Erika Alexander, Lauren Hutton, Heather Matarazzo, and Sela Ward on board, Mr. Skin thinks you should ask them to flash their assets on screen. Instead, the ladies keep their clothes on. At least, the mamtastic Ms. Hayek dons a skintight silver dress that shows off her curvaceous figure. As Anita Randazzo, the raven-haired hottie touts her tight tummy and heaving cleavage. Despite turning a profit at the box office, the movie was a miss with critics. In addition to bringing in two Razzie nominations, it earned a nod from the 1998 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. In an effort to salvage the pic, a bootleg version was released. But all it needed was more skin!