Some of you remember the 80s, some of you were born in the 80s, and some of you think the 80s are only good for having trail-blazed the ironic fashion and facial hair you now wear with pride. All of you, however, should know the music of the 80’s. The heart-pounding-hair-band-anthems of that decade immortalized on MTV with girls dressed like prostitutes and men dressed like women. If your love for this time goes deeper than a passing reference to Bret Michaels on a bad VH1 reality show, then the new movie Rock of Ages should not be missed. Let’s hope.
Here’s the thing, I’m sure all of you know by now that Rock of Ages was (and is) a musical on Broadway. Full disclosure: I don’t love Broadway. I go to shows and literally sit in my seat wrangled with anxiety the second I sit down. I don’t just open my Playbill, lean back and enjoy. I sit and wonder how I am going to make it through an entire show without getting bored, or hungry, or having to pee (this doesn’t happen with movies, I’m guessing it’s the access to a blue raspberry Icee, and the fact that no one on screen will notice if I step out to the bathroom).
Everything was different for me when I saw Rock of Ages. There were waiters in the aisle during the entire show, selling liquor and encouraging the audience to party right alongside the cast. I got to pound Coors Light and shoot, what I can only assume was some kind of girly liquor (since it was pink), from a test tube, all while listening to covers of some of the greatest songs from the 80s. That is what Rock of Ages is. It’s a musical that has the audience dancing in the aisles because they are in on the joke (and generally pretty drunk)… it’s performance art / theater, drenched in 80’s nostalgia. And with the exception of still being mad at myself for not making the damn connection between the female lead’s name and the closing song. (I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming…), it was by far the best time I’ve ever had in a musical.
When they bring it to the screen, I don’t know how they will translate and capture that same element of fun, irreverence, and self-deprecating 80’s fabulousness - even with Alec Baldwin being awesome and Tom Cruise once again playing a arrogant-crazy-meglomaniac (I guess trying to strike gold twice after Tropic Thunder). Parts of the latest trailer look a bit like they tried to squeeze the film Chicago out of dancers at the Crazy Girls strip club circa 1986, which worries me. I hope the producers didn't over think it. I hope they didn’t try to make it be more than it needs to be, and I hope they didn't cast Julianne Hough without a thorough audition process.
And if they did do everything I’m afraid they did, I hope they at least find a way to serve me a Jello-shot or two during the movie.
Question: Is there going to be some sort of introduction video for the new editors? Before this many of the community members already knew the two dudes, but as much as I've liked the first articles by saydella it's kind of weird that I have no idea who he/she is.
Link is broken! Oh YouTube. You're so cute, complying with copyright violations. ;) Also...
I will invest in this technology.
@Brendan: http://www.screened.com/forums/general-discussion/8/ok-ask-away/19889/
Haha yes I loved Rock of Ages! The power went out during the performance my friend went to, and the whole crowd just simultaneously burst out into "Don't Stop Believing". Magical. I hope they can capture that same kind of spirit in the movie theatre too, since watching this alone or with a small group of friends wouldn't have the same effect.
As someone born in the 90s the 80s appears to have been a mix of cocaine and booze and hair spray for everyone.
I normally hate musicals, Sound of Music and Singing in the Rain can be rocked to but the other stuff not so much. This looks actually pretty good nice mixture of star power and the music doesn't look to bad. Wish they had kept Cruise silent or not have him sing in this trailer keep that mystique.
Who knows, maybe it will become another Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Two questions:
1. Does anyone actually think Tom Cruise is singing?
2. Who was the young blonde (not Malin Akerman)?
@saydella: Hmm, so what you're saying is that the perfect place to see this would be at the Drafthouse theatre near me, where they serve food and booze during the movie? Sounds like a plan!
On another note, Coors, eh? I can dig it. What're your thoughts on the blue ribbon winner that is Pabst?
Eh. Looks like the movie will be a pretty uneven split between a semi-funny Alec Baldwin/Tom Cruise crazy old rockstars thing and an unbearable rock romcom subplot with the younger stars. The music, as someone else said, seems very glee-ified. I also find it impossible to suspend my disbelief that a legendary rock star's entire career could be built on covers.
kinda creepy that these folks at the top of the articles have been lurking around for ~2 weeks and we have no idea who they are... besides that I liked the article as much as I like the 80s and musicals: A bunch
Alec Baldwin? Sign me up
@Fleck0: If it makes you feel better, we've been lurking longer than that...
It feels like they sat down with an ok script and decided to pump it full of celebrities to make a profit, IE nothing I'd want to watch(also, the 80's and I are on bad terms).....but I digress, it might make for a good date movie
@saydella: The issue I have and which I think a lot of other people have is there has been a major transition but we're kept completely in the dark. One of the most important aspects of Screened is how community driven the site is but with regards to new people the community is being neglected.
While the dramatic shift in tone on Tested.com was jarring we were left in no doubt who the new people were and what direction the site was being taken in. In contrast to major announcements and a site redesign all we have to go on is obscure forums threads. Said threads will work for the most committed people but people like me who only tend to check the front page are very unlikely to see that.
Of course the people who are a bit less committed like me are also the ones most likely to disappear if new and confusing things are happening without any explanation.
This isn't in any way an attack on any of the new staff, it is simply the case I don't know the new staff, I don't understand the short term changes that are occuring before the big changes, that you understandably can't announce yet, happen and I don't like the lack of acknowledgement and explanation there has even been a change. I want to know the new staff, I want to understand the short term changes and I would really appreciate efforts being made, no matter how small to keep the wider community in the loop to some degree.
A poor analogy but imagine if Rorie was your boss and he left the company and no one told you who the new boss was. You don't necessarily dislike the new boss, you just don't know who they are apart from seeing them fleetingly and seeing the memos they put out you have no knowledge of them at all. To feel comfortably a part of something we all need to understand that something.
I'll see this because Alec Baldwin incredibly awesome but I'm a bit worried about Tom Cruise's so called "singing" in the film.
awww it's just rock glee, i was almost excited. i do enjoy singing rock songs obnoxiously though.
@Brendan said:
Really? This is the first post? Does it really matter, because saydella can be shrouded in her mysterious cloak forever for all I care.
Fuck this noise. Read the comments, thought people were over-reacting, but this is absolutely Glee-style butchery made for ironic jerks who tout their false nostalgia as some kind of hollow joke.
Well, that's a bit harsh. Really, the covers of those songs just sound terrible.