Hey Folks, Harry Here. I had ZERO confidence that Robogeek would so much as like this film. A little profile on Robogeek. First off, as robots go, he's quite conservative, meanwhile Robo does have some incredibly bizarre leanings to things such as Moon Pies and The Travel Channel. He dresses, when venturing into the world outside of his Robo-VacuChamber, with shirt tucked in, his wig has every hair in place... AND he often wears.... A TIE! That's right a TIE! I believe this robot even partakes in such strange and bizarre ritualistic activities such as shoeshines and cuticle care. He is not a KISS fan. In fact, it's tough to find a single pop song in the Eighties or Seventies that he is fond of. There are some... but not many that I've found. I took him along to the second screening as a placebo. And he was contaminated by the film. He's now a spurter of it's praises. I'm stunned. Oh well... I also thought he'd hate THE BIG LEBOWSKI and FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS... Every now and again, Robogeek confirms his cool status!
ROBOGEEK BRAVES "DETROIT ROCK CITY"
The 70s trouble me.
In fact, they downright disturb me. Profoundly. Always have, always will. I can't entirely explain it. It's just the way ol' Robo's wired, I guess.
For instance, to me, RIck Linklater's inspired "Dazed and Confused" is a horror film. A brilliant one, in fact, because it so masterfully transports the audience to the last place I'd ever want to go -- an American high school in the 1970s.
Ugh. I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it...
Anyway, as you might imagine, I had next to no interest in seeing "Detroit Rock City." In fact, it struck me as one of those movies I should Avoid At All Cost.
But then a funny thing happened. I started hearing all sorts of good things about it, largely right here on AICN. And then, a few days ago, a few people I generally trust -- Harry, Moriarty, and Tom Joad, among others -- all told me how great it was, and how I needed to get over my irrational 70s phobia and just go see it.
If it wasn't for the collective urging of such people, I never would've gone to see this movie in a million years. But I went Tuesday night, with El Cosmico in tow, just so I'd have someone I could rant to over how much I despise Apple's new iBook. And, besides, Cosmico actually knows the names of everyone in KISS. He harbors all sorts of disturbing knowledge, actually.
Now before I get into the movie, I have to pause for one of my tangential rants. Recently a reader commented that he always made sure to read my reviews just in case I might be pissed off, which this person seems to find entertaining. Well, sir, you are in luck today!
See, this free sneak preview screening -- like far too many, these days -- occurred at a Cinemark theater. The Tinseltown mega-multi-plex nightmare on South I-35 here in Our Fair City of Austin, Texas.
Loyal readers know where this is going, and can probably skip down a couple paragraphs. The rest of you, prepare for a concentrated dose of Robo-wrath.
I despise Cinemark. With a passion. Never once in all of my Robo-existence have I been satisfied by the quality of presentation at any single screening I've attended at any Cinemark theater. Not once. More often than not, this has to do with the sound, or lack thereof. For one thing, THX seems to be against Cinemark's religion -- at least in the U.S. (they seem to have no problem installing it in foreign markets). In my book, a movie theater without THX is, well, impotent. And Cinemark needs Viagra bad.
What's worse is that Cinemark can't even competently use the sound they _do_ have, especially this theater in particular. During the "Summer of Sam" sneak, for instance, they actually had the sound turned completely _off_ during the first minute of the film, and then it kept clicking on and off for several minutes afterwards. (How do you even _do_ that?) Earlier this year, when I went to see "Payback," they didn't even turn the _stereo_ on, much less their digital surround, and the entire movie ran in low-volume center channel mono -- despite me complaining _three_ times. (I was finally promised a full refund for me and my guests, but after the movie let out, the entire theater staff had mysteriously vanished, and I'm still owed that refund.) I could go on and on, but I've got better things to do. All I know is that a whole lot of people need to be fired.
Anyway, this screening was plagued by a familiar lack of basic competence on behalf of the Cinemark theater staff. The sound was simply Not Right, and way too quiet. For the first few minutes of the film in particular, it was virtually silent -- only a whisper. And this is a movie that demands big, full, kickass digital surround in all its majestic glory. But, like every movie I see at a Cinemark theater, it would've sounded better on even the most basic home theater stereo system. Bastards.
This is the one thing I gotta give George Lucas credit for -- he cares about the quality of presentation (especially sound), and has the cojones to do something about it. If only he cared half as much about... but I digress! ;-)
Okay, hold on. Let me go eat a Moon Pie and listen to the appropriate track from the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" soundtrack. Just a sec.
...
Ah, there we go. Much better. I needed that.
All right. Where was I? Oh, yeah! "Detroit Rock City" really took me by surprise, and is a disarmingly engaging and thoroughly entertaining movie.
In other words, Harry is _not_ on crack, nor was he deluded by his experience at the movie's premiere.
In a weird sort of way, "Detroit Rock City" is kinda like "Dazed and Confused" meets "Lord of the Rings" by way of Robert Rodriguez. I know that doesn't make any sense to you, but it's the best way I can describe it. And I mean that in a Good Way.
See, this is one of those films -- like that gleefully brilliant comedy (_not_ horror film) "Lake Placid" -- that no matter how hard I try to convince people how wonderful it is, they'll just stare at me in troubled disbelief. And, you know, I can't really blame them. I had a hard time believing "Lake Placid" and "Detroit Rock City" are as good as they are until I saw them for myself.
There are a ton of movies out in the marketplace right now, and there are certainly others that deserve your attention more than this (most especially "Iron Giant" and "The Sixth Sense"), but this is an unexpected gem that I urge you to seek out if you get the chance. It's a nice lean movie that clocks in at 95 minutes -- though I was itching for an extra minute or two at the end that would offer a clever "where are they now" vignette (which I think the movie is just begging for).
I haven't seen "American Pie," nor do I intend to. There's a whole horde of teen-flicks that I am just far too removed from their target demographic to indulge. But "Detroit Rock City" is not really one of those. It's, dare I say it, targeted at those of us who have unwittingly emerged into the VH1 demographic (ack!), but who experienced the 70s. And it is, like "LOTR," a period adventure fantasy -- albeit a far less ambitious or resonant one. Not a great movie, but a really good one.
One of the things I love so much about this film is the utter simplicity and elegance of its plot -- it's about a group of four high school friends who want one thing and one thing only: to get into the KISS concert in Detroit. I'm a sucker for such a brilliantly focused, centered premise. In fact, this movie pushed a lot of the same buttons that "The Big Lebowski" did -- a movie that had a similarly singular plot: The Dude on a quest to get his carpet back. ("It tied the room together, man.") In fact, now that I think about it, "Detroit Rock City" and "The Big Lebowski" would make a great double feature. I could imagine one of the characters (I won't tell you which one) in "DRC" growing up to become The Dude, or at least very Dude-esque.
The cast, across the board, is dead-on solid ensemble that turns in some very nice work. Edward Furlong, Sam Huntington, James DeBello and Guisseppe Andrews really gel as the core foursome -- loser high school students by day, basement KISS cover band by night. Natasha Lyonne, Lin Shaye, Shannon Tweed, Nick Scotti, Miles Dougal, Robert N. Smith, and David Quane all do wonderful supporting work, as well. But the biggest treat of all, for yours truly at least, was Melanie Lynskey.
Long-time readers no doubt recall my minor fixation (some would say psychotic obsession) with Peter Jackson's staggeringly brilliant "Heavenly Creatures," which has most visibly extended to actress Kate Winslet, whose career has gone gangbusters since. However, I've been itching to see more of the _other_ brilliant actress from that film, but haven't seen here nor there of her since. "Detroit Rock City" ends that Melanie drought, and it was a delight to see her. She's absolutely blossomed, and gives an incredibly endearing, sincere, and sweet performance.
As you might imagine, I am not and never have been a KISS fan. (I mean, _think_ about it.) I would never make a KISS concert the object of a quest, rivalling the One Ring. But after seeing this movie, I felt the change; not only did I want to go to a KISS concert, I wanted to go to one BAD.
And I think that pretty much sums it up right there.
KISS ROCKS!!!
[NOTE TO PARENTS: This movie is rated R for language, brief nudity, and drug use.]
- robogeek@aint-it-cool-news.com
P.S.: If any punkass in Talk Back posts with a stupid subject like "I'm first" or "FEAR ATTRACTS THE FEARLESS," please letter-bomb the hell out of them with spam!
