Hey folks, Harry here.... Frosty Skywalker and Moe Green checks in with looks at ROCK STAR, which... has a great trailer in theaters right now... Has Wahlberg made another winner? From all accounts it seems to work.... but people seem to have wanted it to be 'harder' than it was. Check it out....
Hi Harry, Frosty Skywalker again. Saw Rock Star tonight, the new Mark
Wahlberg flick with Jennifer Aniston.....
Do not think I hated Rock Star, I enjoyed the movie, I thought Mark Wahlberg
was good as Chris, a devoted hard core "Steel Dragon" fan. Steel Dragon is
the make believe band in Rock Star, whose singer is kicked out and is
replaced by a tribute band's singer, i.e. Mark Wahlberg. Once in the band,
we see what life is like from the inside of a major metal band in the late
80's. The film basically starts in 1985 and goes until a few years after that.
So here is my thought, if you go for Rated R, really go for it. The only real
problem with Rock Star is it is PG-13, except with some breasts. That is the
only thing. Breasts. Unfortuantely they are not Jennifer Aniston's, but
groupies and random women. Now you might be thinking, well this is a test
print, and there will be changes....not this time. I saw the final print,
complete with credits, all music and dialogue perfect.
Rock Star wants to be a date movie for women, and a dream fantasy for men,
and what have we all learned about movies? If you try and capture both
audiences, the adult male fan, and the date crowd, you walk in the middle of
the road and you end up never capturing either.
That is my beef with this film being rated R. There were so many other roads
they could have showed, and they only opened doors and then walked on. If
the film was rated PG-13, I guess I could have lived with the choices more,
but once you go R, I expect a greater level of detail. Also the film was
about one hour and forty five minutes, and during the end credits they show
scenes and dialogue from all parts of the film, and they showed deleted
scenes. Maybe if the film was two hours....I don't know....I kept trying to
think what would have made this film great? What would have pushed it over
the bump from just good? And it comes back to choices. If they had chosen a
dirtier path, maybe that would have been enough. Once you throw in the
possibility of Rock Star being a date movie, you lose the respect you are
trying to capture from the metal market. The film is just too PG. The film
screams for more sex and drugs.
They show the sunset strip in Hollywood in the late 80's, we all know what
went down there. Most of us have seen Behind the Music on Guns 'N Roses....no
wait that is the one I am waiting for....most of us have heard the stories,
the drugs, the sex....in Rock Star we do see one scene on the strip, and yes
there is drugs and some sex, but that is it. Once I got a taste of that life
in the movie I started falling in, the movie was finding it's form and then
BOOM! back to PG land.
I did not hate the movie, and I did not love the movie. I thought that Rock
Star was right in the middle.
Frosty Skywalker
p.s. If you want a quick smile while watching the film, when Mark Wahlberg
shows up at the home of Steel Dragon's guitarist he is looking at guitars and
memorabilia, one of the pictures on the wall is of Derek Smalls (Spinal Tap)
and either the whole band of Steel Dragon, or just the guitarist, either way
a great reference
And here's Moe Green....
Harry
Went to the test screening tonight of Rockstar in Glendale. Man, who do you
and your readers go to so many of those. What a pain in the ass, getting in
line early, things to fill out, rules, grouchy dopes who run 'em.
I thought I should write this before I forget what I saw. I don't reckon it
with still with me long, because the movie is pretty forgettable. If you've
seen the preview you know the whole story. The 1980's Marky Mark a dreamy
eyed kid (basically the same character he plays at the start of Boogie
Nights, without the dick) in a hair band cover band. That famous band fires
the lead singer and they hire MM to take his place, he deals with fame, etc.
The best part and they gave it away in the ad was he buys the Batmobile.
For the first half, I had a smile on my face, cute stuff, nice fantasy come
true. But slowly it gets bogged down in seriousness, concerning his girl
friend (the not at all attractive Jennifer Annistin - I can't believe so many
guys dig her). Eventually he has to chose between the shallowness of fame and
groupie chicks or the "gee-wiz'
neat-o-ness of his high school love. I was bummed out over the fact that he
ends up with her and not groupies and drugs.
The movie has no visual style. I was more urban in the 80's, so I missed the
Hairband thing (I was in to Prince and the Beastie Boys) but I have been
educated with VH1's Behind the Music and I know there was much more hedonism
going on then in this movie. So like Almost Famous it's so lite, there is not
much of a coolness factor. And the music sucks. And there are a lot of long
songs, original ones, they are very boring to listen too. The cast is
adequate, though you don't get to know many of the supporting characters. And
the end is rushed upon us, it makes no sense (he has an appithany!!). Bottom
line: it's kinda cute. It's not very funny (I found myself wishing it were
funnier and forcing myself to laugh, in desperation). It's not that cool or
sharp or perceptive. Basically when I wake up tomorrow all I'll remember is
the Batmobile.
From LA
MOE GREEN
Reporting
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