Detroit Rock City

source: Detroit Rock City

Now this is a bad movie if I've ever seen one. In one of film's greatest years, 1999, Detroit Rock City contends with Runaway Bride and Wild Wild West for the bottom spot in a barrel of junkies. The plot is masterful. Four scrawny high school youngsters finally have their chance at seeing the hard rock theatrics of KISS for…the third year in a row. So when their tickets are toiled by an ultra-religious, chain-smoking mom, the pals scramble themselves in getting to Detroit, and I'm sure you can figure out the rest. Well, not exactly; the movie does go to extreme measures in explaining how the four band members (no, not Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter) go about getting these tickets: losing your virginity in a confessional; saving a smoked-out bimbo and your mom's Volvo (from the Soprano's Steve Schirripa, nonetheless); preventing a robbery in the midst of botching one for a 12-year-old's debt; and of course, stripping down to your bare essentials for MC Ron Jeremy after shuttling a full blender with bourbon-leftovers. Sounds funny, doesn't it? Perhaps Detroit Rock City does have a point with all this tomfoolery in how extreme sometimes these fans can go. And we do understand this movie is a comedy; it is supposed to be filled with slapstick. But does Detroit Rock City aim to the proper audience? It is rated R, meaning the only way prepubescent adolescents-the audience as I see it, to which many will eventually hail this one a classic-will voyeur is through illegal terms. Detroit Rock City also fails at giving itself the late-1970's touch. The camera's texture quality is way too clear and way too bright, missing the necessary flair from films like This is Spinal Tap and Sid & Nancy. This would've allowed audiences to feel `more at home' with the times. Simply costuming kids into pre-90's grunge-wear and settling others into `disco infernos' does not do the trick. Environment does mean something you know; I doubt Detroit looked this glamorous in '78. If there's anything positive coming from this movie it's the kick-ass soundtrack of hard late-70 to early-80's rock. Van Halen, AC/DC, you name it, it's all here. Of course we can't forget KISS, the band aptly subjected throughout. What the film noticeably fails to manage are questions concerning why the Knights of Satin's Service (it's really just KISS) were so frowned upon by moms around the nation. Sure, the loud rock and devilish makeup might be a part of that; encouragements for youth to explore themselves and have a good time might be fair reasons as well. But, what is KISS saying in the music we hear throughout the film towards this highly rebellious group? What separates these anthems of `rock[ing] and roll[ing] all night and partying everyday' from the rest of the music? Most likely, these questions will remain in a music communication class and not in the films that should answer them, simply because it is KISS and they rock and we must do everything in our God-forgiven power to see them. 1.5/5 stars

"Detroit Rock City" has the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a movie which includes songs from "Kiss" (Detroit Rock City, I stole your love, Love Gun, etc), "KC and the Sunshine Band" (Boogie Shoes), "Hot Chocolate" (Everyone's a winner), "Joan Jett"(Love Hurts) and many more. The soundtrack carries the movie along a fun ride especially if the songs are already familiar to you. "Detroit Rock City", written by Carl V. Dupré and directed by Adam Rifkin, is the story of four high school kids and fans of Rock & Roll band Kiss. They're all "potheads" (said Natasha Lyonne's character) and have their own band where they worship Kiss! Hawk, the lead singer with a badass attitude, Jam, the mama's boy who plays the drums, Trip, the dumb stupid guitar player and Lex, the serious dude. ***SPOILER*** The story takes place in 1978 where the four friends are about to go see "Kiss" in concert live from Detroit when Jam's mom burns their tickets and sends him to boarding school. Hawk, Trip and Lex get a hold of other tickets from a radio contest and try busting their friend out to leave for Detroit for the concert. But when they actually arrive, they learn that they can't have the tickets while there's only a few hours before the concert and there's no way they'll miss it. So they each go their separate ways. Hawk enters a dancing contest in a strip bar to find money to pay a Kiss ticket form some street guy. Jam is caught in the streets by his mother whose leading a manifestation against Kiss and finds an unexpected romance as he confesses at church. Trip tries to mug the wrong kid for a Kiss ticket and gets in trouble with the kid's big goon brother who forces him to rob a convenient store. And finally, Lex wanders around the stage where Kiss are about to give their concert, hoping to escape the security guards and enter. The four friends meet again only a few minutes before the concert with only one last shot to see Kiss on stage. Wil they succeed ? This movie is highly entertaining, not only for the music but also for the funky styles and events which occured during the 70's. It's the time when Disco and Rock & Roll were rivals in music culture which is used in many jokes like "Disco blows dogs for quarters, man!" and "The Village people! There a fag band!". The characters, maybe a little under developed, often find themselves in goofy situations where they'll do anything just to see a concert. Good performances by Edward Furlong, Sam Huntington, Giuseppe Andrews and James DeBello delivers a hilarious comedy for either teens or grown adults who've lived through the seventies ! My older cousin once had a haircut like Trip and laughed out loud when he watched this movie. Finally, a simple plot to a simple movie makes it worth a good viewing. Watch out for the music too ! 8/10.

This is basically a long advert for KISS (who, to their credit, did a couple of good songs, but had a following of squares who would have been into disco if only they had known to dance and who NEVER were considered cool at the time -- sorry, Gene!) with all the trimmings of a modern teen comedy -- a bit of vaguely funny humour, some unraucuous sex, a bit of rebelling against your comic - book evil mom, and a bit of smoking dope and cussing -- and, unfortunately, a script so linear it would bore a ruler. It's not totally god awful or anything, but I have better things to do with 90 minutes. I dread the future when the inevitable "bunch of cool kids in the first decade of the third millenium trying to get into a Britney Spears concert" flick is going to be released.

Sometimes you get exactly what you expect. A film produced and by and as a vehicle for a rock band in the middle of a comeback is not to be expected to rank high in artistic merit- and in this case it certainly doesn't. In fact, as expected, the soundtrack is a much better investment than the movie itself, which like the 70's rock and roll lifestyle it attempts to portray, is characterized by excess, drugs, and over-the-top antics, but unfortunately is not nearly as much fun. Utilizing a script by Carl Dupre horrible enough to make a fellow screenwriter cringe, and wasting the talents of Edward Furlong, the sole highlight of this rock and roll period piece gone wrong is the music, most notably the elaborate recreating of a 1978 KISS concert.

Now this is a bad movie if I've ever seen one. In one of film's greatest years, 1999, Detroit Rock City contends with Runaway Bride and Wild Wild West for the bottom spot in a barrel of junkies. The plot is masterful. Four scrawny high school youngsters finally have their chance at seeing the hard rock theatrics of KISS for…the third year in a row. So when their tickets are toiled by an ultra-religious, chain-smoking mom, the pals scramble themselves in getting to Detroit, and I'm sure you can figure out the rest. Well, not exactly; the movie does go to extreme measures in explaining how the four band members (no, not Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter) go about getting these tickets: losing your virginity in a confessional; saving a smoked-out bimbo and your mom's Volvo (from the Soprano's Steve Schirripa, nonetheless); preventing a robbery in the midst of botching one for a 12-year-old's debt; and of course, stripping down to your bare essentials for MC Ron Jeremy after shuttling a full blender with bourbon-leftovers. Sounds funny, doesn't it? Perhaps Detroit Rock City does have a point with all this tomfoolery in how extreme sometimes these fans can go. And we do understand this movie is a comedy; it is supposed to be filled with slapstick. But does Detroit Rock City aim to the proper audience? It is rated R, meaning the only way prepubescent adolescents-the audience as I see it, to which many will eventually hail this one a classic-will voyeur is through illegal terms. Detroit Rock City also fails at giving itself the late-1970's touch. The camera's texture quality is way too clear and way too bright, missing the necessary flair from films like This is Spinal Tap and Sid & Nancy. This would've allowed audiences to feel `more at home' with the times. Simply costuming kids into pre-90's grunge-wear and settling others into `disco infernos' does not do the trick. Environment does mean something you know; I doubt Detroit looked this glamorous in '78. If there's anything positive coming from this movie it's the kick-ass soundtrack of hard late-70 to early-80's rock. Van Halen, AC/DC, you name it, it's all here. Of course we can't forget KISS, the band aptly subjected throughout. What the film noticeably fails to manage are questions concerning why the Knights of Satin's Service (it's really just KISS) were so frowned upon by moms around the nation. Sure, the loud rock and devilish makeup might be a part of that; encouragements for youth to explore themselves and have a good time might be fair reasons as well. But, what is KISS saying in the music we hear throughout the film towards this highly rebellious group? What separates these anthems of `rock[ing] and roll[ing] all night and partying everyday' from the rest of the music? Most likely, these questions will remain in a music communication class and not in the films that should answer them, simply because it is KISS and they rock and we must do everything in our God-forgiven power to see them. 1.5/5 stars

Hilarious...not a brainy or brilliant picture but it carries some off-the-wall moments that make it all worthwhile. The dialogue is unflinchingly crude and certain scenes will just catch you off-guard...definately worth your time. Don't worry if you aren't into KISS...it's more about their journey TO the concert.

I am a Kiss fan, have been since 1974. I know how to play every song on my guitar and they were my main reason for wanting to pick one up. I've stood by them through thick and thick all those years ago, even in the early 80's when they were going nowhere here in the states. But this movie... (and I love movies!) it's a nightmare and embarrassment to see. I went to the theatre to see it and walked out afterwards, I was lucky, no one saw me leaving. I bought the DVD. Gene talks about himself as usual and promotes upcoming toys and ventures that he's working on. I know he likes himself, but WOW! There are some funny bits in the movie, Furlong is on the giving end of those. His bit in the nightclub is very good. The rest of the cast is just over doing it to the point of going out of charachtor. It's good to see Joe Flarety in a small role. Shannon Tweed is sexy as ever and so is The Hedgehog himself: Rockin' Ron Jeremy! The film has it's good spots but they are far and few in between. I know some over obsessed fans like the "Trip" fella. They need help. It's good to rock and roll all nite, but some people take it too far. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone cause it's a fan's only movie. There aren't many of us left either. I hope the next movie about the band (there's supposed to be a movie about the begining of the band's existance) is done with some respect to the fans. This was worse than the teenage sex romps that are the rage nowadays. We should have gotten better. A lot better. Ciao

I really don't see why this movie tanked and why it is hated by many. Maybe its poor box office performance was due partly to its R-rating, being that it appeals to a predominantly teenage demographic. But I found it to be funny, entertaining and downright awesome! This is not a nostalgic piece. Other than the music, this film's characters seemed to be fished out of contemporary society. So the older viewers might not enjoy it QUITE as much. I have to say, my only disappointment was that Kiss only got to perform once, at the very end. Other than that, this is just a wildly funny comic ride with good performances from the main cast, as well as the supporting--Lin Shaye stands out as the ultra-protective, Bible-toting, chain-smoking mother who regards Kiss as "Knights in Satan's Service." Joe Flaherty, of SCTV fame, also has a funny cameo. What can I say? I laughed a lot. I bobbed my head to the music. I had fun. That pretty much does it for me. My score: 7 (out of 10)