Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 22, 2026

Michele Tarantini's "Grease Rock" a.k.a. "Brillantina Rock" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with author and critic Alan Jones; new audio commentary by critics Eugenio Ercolani and Nathaniel Thompson; and original trailer. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It is too obvious that Grease Rock a.k.a. Disco Crazy was conceived to be associated with its famous relative from the other side of the Atlantic, Grease. However, it is quite easy to identify parts of it where it also appears to imitate other similar but much smaller genre films, like The Lords of Flatbush, The Wanderers, Roller Boogie, and Skatetown, U.S.A.. Does it do so intentionally? Or are all of the supposedly imitated parts unintentional, unavoidable similarities? The Wanderers, Roller Boogie, and Skatetown, U.S.A. were completed at the same time as Grease Rock, in 1979, and one can just as easily speculate that they imitate each other, too. At the time, all such genre films were rehashing similar material because it is what audiences expected them to do. While produced in Italy, Grease Rock was overdubbed in English and marketed like an American film, so it is hardly surprising that plenty of its material looks suspiciously familiar.

However, substantially more material in Grease Rock makes it impossible to mistake for an American film. For example, its star, Robbie (Monty Ray Garrison), is a handsome Italian dancer who is addicted to Milan’s disco scene. He is also a biker, but his love for disco and the nightclubs where other addicts like him gather is unparalleled. While not the only one Grease Rock explores, this vital relationship between Robbie and Milan is the most consequential. It provides Grease Rock with an unmistakably Italian identity.

While feeding his disco addiction, Robbie spots Cindy (Auretta Gay), an American beauty from Baton Rouge, LA, who is temporarily in town with her father, a wealthy industrialist managing a major project. Robbie falls hard for Cindy and, after approaching her at his favorite nightclub, convinces her to go out on a date with him. To afford the date, Robbie then borrows money from his loyal friend Sandra (Cecillia Buonocore), who routinely supports his disco addiction. When the date with Cindy doesn’t go as planned, Robbie starts improvising and, shortly after, enters a high-stakes competition with rival and gang leader Rick (Mimmo Bua), who unintentionally helps him realize that he should be pursuing Sandra.

Michele Tarantini earned a reputation for its sexy comedies, arguably the best of which feature Edwige Fenech in her prime. However, Tarantini also directed several very good crime and adventure films, a few of which are now considered cult gems. (A Man Called Magnum and Massacre in Dinosaur Valley are two such cult gems worth tracking down).

Grease Rock shares plenty of the charm and energy of Tarantini’s sexy comedies, which is another reason it is not right to discard it as a shameless copycat. While pursued by her admirer, Gay even behaves like the gorgeous Italian actresses who made the sexy comedies enjoyable. However, Grease Rock takes its music extremely seriously, so the humor that garnishes it is mostly underwhelming.

When the final credits appear on the screen, it is easy to speculate that Grease Rock should have been a proper sexy comedy like the ones Tarantini loved directing, with a whole lot of music. While enjoyable, the current version of Grease Rock leaves the impression that it is rarely comfortable in its skin.

Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Grease Rock arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Grease Rock, sourced from its original camera negative. This 4K restoration is very easy to praise because it gives the entire film a stable, quite wonderful organic appearance. Some visuals reveal small fluctuations that affect delineation, clarity, and depth, but they are not related to problematic digital corrections. Color reproduction and balance are good. Some of the daylight footage looked slightly neutral on my system -- primaries and supporting nuances are somewhat desaturated -- but all visuals still maintain a good period appearance. Image stability is excellent. There are no cuts, debris, cuts, stains, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Bu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the former) and English (for the latter) subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to view the film with the English track. However, several small portions of the film have only Italian audio. The English subtitles automatically appear there if the English track is selected. Some unevenness is often easy to recognize, but this is how the English track was created. It features a lot of average overdubbing. However, the music sounds quite good. I did not encounter any audio dropouts, pops, crackle, or other similar anomalies.

Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Eugenio Ercolani and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Brillantina is the Word - in this new program, author and critic Alan Jones discusses the production and style of Grease Rock. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a trailer for the recent 4K restoration of Grease Rock. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

Grease Rock Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The connection between Grease Rock and Grease is beyond obvious. However, the former is not a shameless copycat. It is a typical Italian goofy comedy with some action and plenty of music. While enjoyable, it would have been a much better film if it had emulated Michele Tarantini's popular sexy comedies, whose wonderful energy and cheekiness make even the most predictable material charming. Severin Films presents a good new 4K restoration of Grease Rock, which is included in Disco Italiana, a three-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.