DVD Review: MTV's "Turn the Beat Around"

Born way too late for the Disco era? No prob. This retro-dance flick takes you there...well, sort of, in a combo Flashdance, Fame, Saturday Night Fever setting.

The TV movie features "So You Think You Can Dance Canada's" Romina D'Ugo as Zoe, a music video dancer who shakes her booty while mopping up her stepdad's carpet store until she gets her big break.

Zoe's signif other, played by cutie Adam Taylor Brooks, is also a dancer and the two seem a great match until Zoe meets Michael (David Giuntoli), a rich, hot club owner whom she inspires to open a retro-Disco club.

Complicating Zoe's lovelife is Malika (Brooklyn Sudano), a music video choreographer and ex-love of Michael's who latches on to Zoe's dancer boyfriend. Will the club be a hit? Who will Zoe end up with?

Special Features: "Making of Turn the Beat Around" doesn't have any behind-the-scenes footage but is just clips from the film introduced by the various actors and filmmakers. The actors just explain their characters and the story. Oddly, star Romina D'Ugo is being interviewed by a swimming pool with what looks like a tool shed prominent in the background!

There are no Outtakes and the "Deleted Scenes" are mostly extensions of existing scenes or scenes that expand the roles of extraneous characters.

There are a couple worth note: one in which mean girl Malika and club owner Michael establish that they once had a thing and another in which Zoe and Malika have a feisty confrontation over Zoe's boyfriend.  

Wrapping Up: The guys in this TV film are hot (moreso than the girls) and those actors who dance in the movie, can actually dance but the so-called disco choreography looks nothing like the real era. For that, go rent Saturday Night Fever!  Now THAT was disco! The cover songs aren't as hot as the original numbers were and don't match the dances being performed to them.

The plot of this TV Movie has promise but you never really get to know the characters; especially Zoe's homelife could use more heat and conflict.  The only real conflict in the film is over boyfriends and there is no real obstacle to the goal of opening the new disco club.  It just happens... If you just happen to catch this TV film scheduled in re-runs you might watch or if you just like dance films in general... go rent it. I don't think it's worth a buy. MTV has done better.