Rock 'n' Roll Film Reviews by R.D Francis
Rock music and radio station-based flicks; look under "critic reviews" for B&S About Movies, for each.
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- DirectorSteve BaldersonStarsJonathan NationDoug BurchSallieu SesayPlagued by a heavy drug addiction and his failing voice, The King is desperate to make things right with himself, his deceased brother, and God. His attempts to get back on track are thwarted, however, after he helps the cops bring down a powerful crime syndicate-putting his family in danger and sending him on a journey that will change his life forever.Your introduction to an "Exploring: Elvis Fantasy Flicks" feature discussing films inspired by or about the legend of the King. So many "Elvis" movies to discover!
- DirectorSam Taylor-JohnsonStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonKristin Scott ThomasAnne-Marie DuffA chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.Your introduction to a three-part "Exploring: The Beatles Influence on Film" feature discussing films inspired by or about the Fab Four. Covers 33 films!
- DirectorDavid MarkeyStarsSonic YouthKim GordonLee RanaldoDavid Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.Clicking through the review directs you to an "Exploring: 50 Gen-X Grunge Films of the Alt-Rock ‘90s" feature.
Many thanks to the Jimmy's World and Aussie Zone blog communities -- regarding all things Gen-X -- for the repost and their users' shares. - DirectorAsh AvildsenStarsAndy BiersackBooboo StewartBen BruceA young rock band, half of its members from England and half from the U.S., drops out of college and moves to the Sunset Strip to chase their dreams.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorAdam SmallPeter StuartStarsM. Otis BeardDennis DanellBrent LilesA documentary following the 1982 tour of punk bands Youth Brigade and Social Distortion.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorUlli LommelStarsCarole BouquetRichard HellUlli LommelNada, a beautiful French journalist on assignment in New York, records the life and work of an up and coming punk rock star, Billy. Soon she enters into a volatile relationship with him and must decide whether to continue with it, or return to her lover, a fellow journalist trying to track down the elusive Andy Warhol.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsPhil DanielsHazel O'ConnorJon FinchA rock singer is determined to rise to the top of the profession, letting nothing stand in the way of that goal.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorStuart St PaulStarsJon LovitzCraig FairbrassLaura AikmanFrancis Rossi and Rick Parfitt from legendary English rock group Status Quo witness a gang murder in Fiji. They flee with crucial evidence; have they played their last gig?From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies, aka Bula Quo! starring Brit-rockers Status Quo.
- DirectorHerbert CurielStarsHerman BroodNina HagenLene LovichBank robber tries to go straight by becoming a rock'n'roll star. Takes place in and around Amsterdam's punk/new wave scene, with appearances by Nina Hagen, Les Chappell, and Lene Lovich.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsCharles Martin SmithClint HowardLeslie KingA group of high school friends form a rock band.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorDavid MarkeyStarsJennifer SchwartzHilary RubensJanet HousdenThe rise and fall of an all-girl punk rock band in Hollywood in the 1980s.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorLarry BuchananStarsSandy KenyonJoe CampToni SawyerThe story of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin, and how their message for their generation made them targets of a US government plot.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorAlan SacksStarsRay SharkeyJoan JettDerf ScratchA filmmaker tries to finish editing a movie about all-girl rock band Runaways.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorUlu GrosbardStarsJennifer Jason LeighMare WinninghamTed LevineSadie is desperately looking up to her older sister Georgia who is a famous C&W artist. Her desperate need to be accepted by her sister is constantly complicated by her drug and alcohol problems.Stars John Doe of X, part of a "John Doe Week" of films.
- DirectorMike MacFarlandStarsLane CaudellDeborah RaffinDanil TorppeA story of a struggling rock band that is trying to get on the road to stardom.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorWolfgang BüldStarsNenaMarkus MörlEnny GerberThe girl Tina is sick of her Bavarian hometown. She wants to go with Tino who has to leave the village alone for dubious reasons. Tina follows him with her friend Robby on his scooter.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJim WolpawStarsStanley MatisMargo DionneAllen OliverTerrorists, political conspiracy, drugs and bad music. Just another night at the Heartbreak hotel.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies, aka "It's a Complex World" indie flick.
- DirectorDennis AbeyStarsPeter DenyerFreddie JonesSheila SteafelIn the late 1970s, rock 'n' roll was banned from television. One young man, our hero, led the battle against the TV ban. He searched the country for the biggest rock groups to perform at a concert in support of his cause. But the enemies of rock 'n' roll had other plans.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- CreatorBrian ClemensStarsJohn KarlenMichael ParksSusan StrasbergA 90 minute late-night mystery and suspense anthology series which ran on ABC (American Broadcasting Company), between 1973 and 1978."Rock-a-Die, Baby" (1975) starring Kim Milford -- listed under "unknown" episodes on series' list.
- DirectorAlan SmitheeStarsSean Patrick FlaneryDiane LaddMonet MazurTwo musicians are unknowingly drawn into a supernatural scheme.Metalsploitation fun with a Christsploitation twist!
- DirectorRichard BaskinPaul JustmanStarsRachel SweetSusan BarnesDiane BellamyA young trio of musicians, called The Third Dimension, enter a battle of bands in an old hotel called the Rock N' Roll Hotel.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies. A lost, mostly never-seen film.
- DirectorBeverly SebastianStarsTray LorenDonna ScogginsCana CockrellA crazed rock singer returns from the dead to murder members of his former band.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies, also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Heavy Metal Horror Night" feature.
- DirectorJames GoldstoneStarsGeorge SegalTimothy BottomsRichard WidmarkA blackmailer threatens to sabotage roller coasters at various American amusement parks if he isn't paid a huge ransom.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies. Sparks appears on stage!
- DirectorDan GoldenStarsBilly BurnetteRick DeanMaria FordCountry music sensation Billy Burnette (Fleetwood Mac) makes his movie debut in this sexy suspenseful thriller in the tradition of body heat. Travis (Burnette) arrives like a hot wind on a steamy summer night, he's a mystery man who sings his passion at the local road house. The stakes are rising and someone is bound to lose. It's an erotic game of cat and mouse, that will keep you guessing until the final, sizzling scene.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies. Fleetwood Mac-connected.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsDiane FranklinRoger WilsonJon GadsbyThere's a new wager between Heaven and Hell. Devil bets God that if God were to pick two young people to be the new Adam and Eve, they'd sin again. God accepts and sends a college couple to various eras, starting with the Garden of Eden.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMat WhitecrossStarsAndy SerkisTom HughesClifford SamuelA biography of Ian Dury, who was stricken with polio at a young age and defied expectations by becoming one of the founders of the punk-rock scene in Britain in the 1970s.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies. An Ian Dury bio.
- DirectorGlenn JordanStarsBrooke AdamsGeorge GaynesGaille HeidemanThe ghost of a Victorian-era musician haunts a modern-day rock star in this modest TV movie.A two-fer review with "Rock-a-Die, Baby," both starring Kim Milford.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsChris PedersenBill CoyneJennifer ClayWhen household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society.Punk rock classic!
- DirectorNick MoranStarsCon O'NeillKevin SpaceyPam FerrisA music-infused drama about Joe Meek, the flamboyantly gay, tone deaf, songwriter-producer behind the '60s hits "Have I the Right," "Just Like Eddie," "Johnny, Remember Me" and "Telstar."From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorZale DalenStarsPeter BreckGermain HoudeJello BiafraWelcome to Terminal City, a decaying world where the citizens wallow amidst a mind-boggling profusion of discarded consumer goods; a ruthless world where television is exploited to its fullest to sell yet more needless junk to eager consumers; a bewildering land where the unreal is real and the real, unreal. Alex Stevens is hurled into this bedlam where he finds himself pitted against the maniacal Ross Gilmore, Mayor of Terminal City, and the evil Bruce Coddle, agent of Gilmore's Social Peace Enforcement Unit.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Phil Savath Night" feature.
- DirectorJ.S. CardoneStarsRoger WilsonJill SchoelenScott McGinnisA group of friends start a rock band, but as they start their rise in the music world, they get mixed up with drugs.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorSara SugarmanStarsPhil DanielsJamie BlackleyPerry BensonAging rock group use a young fresh faced punk band to front new recordings to fool the music industry.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week I" feature at B&S About Movies. The return of '80s rockers, The Alarm.
- DirectorWolfgang BüldStarsGaye AdvertJack AirportArturo BassickA contemporary documentary covering the Great British punk rock explosion of 1977.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Punk Night" feature with four punk films.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsSoo CatwomanSteve StrangeRobin BanksDocumentary on the London punk-rock scene, circa '78.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Punk Night" feature with four punk films.
- DirectorLech KowalskiStarsStiv BatorsTerry ChimesThe ClashDocumentary chronicaling the rise and fall of the punk movement with rare interview footage of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Also concert and news footage.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Punk Night" feature with four punk films.
- DirectorDerek BurbidgeStarsWall of VoodooStan RidgwayMarc MorelandLive performances from dozens of leading early-1980s musical acts - rock, punk, ska, reggae - it's all here.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Punk Night" feature with four punk films.
- DirectorJack BravmanJohn FasanoStarsAdam WestJon Mikl ThorTia CarrereA mother resorts to voodoo to get back at those who killed her son.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Musician Slashers Night" feature.
- DirectorBill RebaneStarsTiny TimItonia SalchekDean WestJill, visiting home from college, arrives to find her parents missing, and their home vandalized. Soon, matters take a turn for the worse, when she finds herself stalked, and her friends disappearing one by one.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Musician Slashers Night" feature.
- DirectorDon EdmondsStarsRick StylesChip GreenmanRich PembertonA rock band called "The Clowns" comes under suspicion of murder when several prostitutes are killed by individuals made up like members of the band.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Heavy Metal Horror Night" feature.
- DirectorKrishna ShahStarsE.J. CurseGeno AndrewsSam MannA freshly-out-of-the-grave band of Hard Rock Zombies is thirsting to take their sweet revenge, as they give the performance of a lifetime.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Heavy Metal Horror Night" feature.
- DirectorClaudio FragassoStarsAlice CooperVictoria VeraCarlos SanturioA rock star returns to his childhood home to shoot a music video while a pack of wild dogs are on the loose killing off the local residents.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Heavy Metal Horror Night" feature.
- DirectorEric DionysiusEric MistlerStarsAC/DCPhil RuddBon ScottFilmed coverage of Australian band AC/DC's '79 appearance in Paris intercut with quasi-fictional interludes.The first film as part of a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMats Helge OlssonDerek FordStarsJeff HardingMichael FitzpatrickNaomi KanedaA film crew producing a rock music video decides to shoot at an abandoned factory above the snow line. When an avalanche strands them, a murderous family living in the factory attacks and kills many of them.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Heavy Metal Horror Night" feature.
- DirectorChris WindsorStarsClarence 'Big' MillerGeorge DawsonAndrew GilliesStrange events occur in a small town after a mild mannered butcher hires an unusual apprentice.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Phil Savath Night" feature.
- DirectorPatrick ReganStarsFabianMarilyn BurnsJon CedarTwo children who have psychic powers use them to avenge the death of their father, who was murdered by a biker gang.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Musician Slashers Night" feature. Yep, starring '60s teen idol Fabian!
- DirectorAllison AndersDean LentKurt VossStarsChris D.Chris ShearerDave AlvinTwo musicians and a roadie take money that is owed to them from a job. One flees to Mexico, and everyone has questions.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies. Also part of a "Joe Doe Week" of review.
- DirectorAlan J. LeviStarsDonna WilkesRichard JaeckelAntoinette BowerA psychopath escapes from a mental institution and starts a murder spree, which ends in the pursuing of a young handicapped girl, who once got a blood transfusion from him.Also part of a "Drive-In Friday: Musician Slashers Night" feature. Yep, starring '60s teen idol Frankie Avalon!
- DirectorDonald FarmerStarsCarol CarrMelissa MooreNikki RigginsOne of the girls in a rock band is fired from the band. She is, in reality, a witch, and possesses the body of the girl who replaces her in order to take revenge on the rest of the band.Also part of a Donald Farmer three-fer review of his DIY shot-on-video classic about a rocker out for revenge.
- DirectorDennis DevineStarsDiana KaranikasAngela EadsKay SchaberA female band, who are exponents of "death rock", retreat to a cabin for the weekend. They soon find themselves being knocked off by a masked killer who uses weapons they have mentioned in their songs.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies. More DIY shot-on-video rock fun.
- DirectorStuart SwezeyStarsAnthony AusgangJoe BaizaBob BertThe story of a group of 1980s punk artists who started organizing and playing desert shows that later inspired Burning Man, Coachella, and Lollapalooza.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies. Desert rock with Kyuss!
- DirectorHowie AskinsStarsJessica GrahamJoe Wanjai RossVanessa KayFay is a small town girl on a cross country road trip, trying to escape her own reality after the death of her father. When her muscle car breaks down during a drag race she finds herself stranded along route 66 in an isolated desert town. Short on cash, she makes a series of choices to make enough money to repair her car. After encountering a neurotic, drug abusing clown she finds herself sliding down a dark spiral. Soon thereafter, her road trip starts to devolve into a living nightmare. Trapped and desperate, she fights to regain her identity while navigating through a host of locals; a creepy motel clerk, an overzealous preacher, and a sexy temptress with horns and a tail.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorPeter RichardsonStarsNosher PowellAl PillayRonald AllenTerrorists and a rude waiter attack a politician and take over an exclusive London club.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsTaryn ManningHal OzsanEric RobertsWhen a mysterious groupie joins legendary cursed band, "The Dark Knights", a series of unexplained murders derails their comeback tour.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorSpencer SusserStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittDevin BrochuNatalie PortmanA young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMike CuencaStarsSofia GraceSarah LawrenceBrendan TakashAgainst the backdrop of a post-punk music festival, dozens of struggling thirty-somethings deal with a wide variety of social and philosophical issues in their respective lives, from generational angst to premature ejaculation.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorChusyStarsCharles EstenRodney CrowellThom SchuylerVisit the world of Nashville songwriters, whose melodies and lyrics reach millions of fans. With over 50 masters: Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Rodney Crowell, Kacey Musgraves, John Hiatt, Keb Mo, Liz Rose, Claude Kelly and more!From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJared BarelStarsAnnette O'TooleAmy CarlsonKate ArringtonFour forty-somethings each mired in some sort of mid life malaise reunite their 90's indie rock band.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsMichael PittLukas HaasAsia ArgentoA Seattle musician's life and career are reminiscent of those of Kurt Cobain.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorTony D'AnnunzioKarl RauschThe greatest untold story in Rock and Roll history as revealed by the musicians,artists and people that lived it.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorScott CrawfordStarsJeff AmentLester BangsAlice CooperExplores the seminal music magazine from its 1969 launch in Detroit to the untimely death of its publisher Barry Kramer in 1981.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorPatrick GrandperretStarsDenis LavantAntoine ChappeySophie SimonFrom a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorKen CameronStarsNoni HazlehurstColin FrielsAlice GarnerA frank portrayal of a year in the life of a divorced mother living in Melbourne, trying to cope with her daughter and her own relationship with a drug addict while trying to get into the music business.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorAndrew OvertoomStarsJackie BuscarinoEduardo AcostaKirsten BarrieMy Life with Morrissey is a dark comedy that chronicles the adventures of an off-kilter office girl whose life unravels when she meets her idol (British rock icon Morrissey) and sets off on a journey of obsessive self-delusion.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJeanie FinlayStarsJerry AdamsSharon Attaway NettletonGail Brewer-GiorgioThe story of Jimmy Ellis, an unknown singer plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that had him masquerade as Elvis, back from the grave.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorDaniel VernonStarsAlvin TaylorGreg ErricoJerry GoldsteinReleased in 1974, "Changin' Times" was a stunning album of songs recorded in extraordinary circumstances: it was the first-ever commercial album recorded inside an American prison by an inmate. Its creator was a musical prodigy, Ike White, who was jailed for life at age 19 for murder. With never-before-seen archives, the film charts Ike's journey from prison into industry adulation and life as a free man, eventually leading to his reinvention as a performer-for-hire called David Maestro.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorScott D. RosenbaumStarsLukas HaasKevin ZegersJason RitterA rock star retreats to his hometown after his sophomore album flops.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorKeith JonesStarsVeronika BromováDavid CajthamlVáclav HavelkaIn 1980s Communist Czechoslovakia an emerging generation took inspiration from alternative culture to create their own worldview, politics and eventually, a revolution. 25 years later, this unique generational perspective is explored for the first time. VINYL GENERATION: a story of art, revolution and vinyl...From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies. A Euro-documentary about vinyl retailing in oppressed countries.
- DirectorGio ArlottaStarsEmmanuel ChandaJacco GardnerNic MauskoviçThe formation of WITCH, Zambia's most popular rock band of the 1970s. It documents the life of its lead singer, Jagari, whose name is an Africanisation of Mick Jagger's.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies, also known as WITCH: We Intend to Cause Havoc.
- DirectorAlex SteyermarkStarsGina GershonLori PettyMarc BlucasPrey For Rock & Roll is the story of Jacki and her all-girl rock and roll band, Clam Dandy, who are trying to make it in the LA club scene of the late 1980s. After ten years of being ignored by record producers, Jacki and the band find hope in one producer who promises to see them play and consider them for a contract. Jacki resolves to play this one last gig and then throw in the towel if she does not find success. Personal tragedies, however, threaten to rip the band apart, rocking the foundation of friendship and trust the women have built together. Ultimately, the band must find its strength in the music that is their passion and the thread that holds them together, inspiring them to prevail.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsPaul CookSteve JonesJohn LydonA film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorLiam FirmagerStarsSuzi QuatroGermaine GreerCherie CurrieStory of trailblazing American rock singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro, who helped redefine the role of women in rock 'n' roll when she broke out in 1973.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsMalcolm McLarenSid ViciousSteve JonesFilmmaker Julien Temple chronicles the Sex Pistols' tumultuous rise to fame, as told by their manager, Malcolm McLaren.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorTim HunterStarsCrispin GloverKeanu ReevesIone SkyeA high school slacker commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMax TashStarsDavid PackerSteven EckholdtLarry CoxAn Ohio teen moves to L.A. to find fame as a rock musician and to find a drummer.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJefery LevyStarsStephen DorffReese WitherspoonJake BuseyAn alienated and misanthropic teenager gains sudden and unwanted celebrity status after he's taken hostage by terrorists where his indifference to their threats to kill him makes news headlines.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week II" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorRobert ThomStarsJennifer JonesJordan ChristopherHolly NearThe homely daughter of a rich, vain woman gets mixed up with a kinky, menacing pop singer and his weird friends.The first film for a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJohn SchultzStarsKevin CorriganSteve ParlavecchioLee HolmesFour young men hardly know each other, but here they are in the most volatile and tenuous of unions: a band. They find themselves hurtling through an exhilarating adventure on a collision course with self discovery, or self destruction.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJay DubinStarsVinny AppiceBlack SabbathEric BloomConcert film of 1980 East Coast U.S. performance by heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorWilliam WebbStarsAl MusicLantz DouglasMary McKinleyDisk jockey Mad Man Jack (AL MUSIC) needs to pump up his dwindling audiences at a local radio, and hits upon the idea of holding a competition to find California's most exciting girl. Jackie, Joyce and Chrissie are three young California girls hoping to gain a foothold in the acting profession, so they decide to perform nude in front of the window of the D.J. Thus, their paths cross, and a series of sports and stunts scenes follow, to the wild music themes: tennis, body-building, karate, flying, fish-driving, (sexy),car washing, foxy boxing, aerobics, motorcycle scrambling, baseball, wind surf, singing, roller-skating, Russian mountain gliding, wind-skating, hang-gliding, skating, cheer-leading, mud-wrestling, roller derby, and nude parachuting. Some of the skits are followed with mini interviews with the girls taking part in the events. It's immaterial who wins the competition - the California girls did, with their influence on radio music and film titles of the 1980s.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies. Also part of a "Radio Week" feature.
- DirectorCarlo LicontiStarsJoseph Di MambroLuke McKeehanOmie Craden1964. The Beatles are coming to Toronto. To win a music competition, a young man forms a rock group with his friends.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies. Also part of an "Exploring: Beatles Influence on Film" series.
- DirectorNigel Lesmoir-GordonStarsArthur C. ClarkeMichael BarnsleyStephen HawkingArthur C. Clarke presents this unusual documentary on the mathematical discovery of the Mandelbrot Set (M-Set) in the visually spectacular world of fractal geometry. This show relates the science of the M-Set to nature in a way that seems to identify the hand of God in the design of the universe itself. Dr. Mandelbrot in 1980 discovered the infinitely complex geometrical shape called the Mandelbrot Set using a very simple equation with computers and graphics.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies. Album art history and a Pink Floyd connection!
- DirectorRon OrmondStarsFerlin HuskyMinnie PearlDel ReevesOverlooked when the Tennessee legislature reapportioned the state, the 40-acre community of Shagbottom is discovered and notified to elect a state representative. The ensuing power struggle results in both fussin' and feudin'.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorAnthony Michael HallStarsAnthony Michael HallBobbie PhillipsLeslie DanonAspiring rock star works in an eraser factory and falls for the owner's daughter. To win her, he bets her father he can earn $100k in six months.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorWalter Michael BostSteven D. WhiteStarsAndrew TaylorEdith SnowFrank J. AardRock guitarist Dex Dregs [Andrew Taylor] used to believe that music was his addiction as well as his one shot at immortality--until he became a vampire. He's been able to keep it in check, but the drive for blood seems to be returning, this time with a venegance. A groupie, his guitar student, an annoying git at the cinema--Dex never knows who he will kill when the bloodlust overtakes him. He's also having a problem with remembering things like his date with girlfriend Linda [Meredith Leigh Sause] and with oversleeping so that he's constantly late for band practice, recording sessions, and paying gigs. The other band members are getting p.o.ed at him and Linda thinks Dex is doing drugs. Only fellow band member Mike [Mike Shaw] knows the truth, as Mike has taken on the role of renfield, cleaning up after Dex's indiscretions. When Dex kills an agent from a recording studio, Mike convinces him that he must take some time out in order to deal with this thing. Dex knows only that his vampirism has to do with a pocket watch bearing the initials W.W. and with a train wreck in which the only survivor, Wiley Wresting, walked away unscathed. Dex pays Wiley [Frank J. Aard] a visit and returns his watch. Wiley turns out to be a bit touched, but he tells Dex how vampirism runs in his family and how he (Wiley) overcame it by sheer will power. Dex returns home and swears off blood but after playing a gig one night, he collapses. When Linda tries to care for him, Dex feeds on her. Knowing that he can no longer remain around his family and friends, Dex quits the band and takes to the streets, playing for coins. A strange woman walks by one day and tosses into his guitar case a pocketwatch bearing the initials D.D.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies. A rock 'n' roll vampire loose in the North Carolina rock scene!
- DirectorRon OrmondStarsJerry ColonnaJean PorterJames EllisonA Hollywood film director has been sent to Hickory, Kentucky to find material and acts for a hillbilly picture. He is kidnapped by henchmen of a big-town city slicker who has taken over the operation of the town's annual jubilee, mostly using bottom-of-the-barrel acts from the swamps of Florida. A Hollywood trade-paper reporter sent to cover the event finally thwarts the gang's plans to loot the civic coffers and the local bank. Between staging the 15 acts from Florida, Jerry Colonna flits in and out as a hired emcee who also gets kidnapped.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMarvin BakerBret MichaelsStarsBret MichaelsMartin SheenKristi GibsonA psychological thriller (...or is it?) that takes you through the mind of convicted killer, Michael Raine, and his experiences on death row... or does it? Was he guilty of killing his girlfriend or was he a victim of a conspiracy to frame him for a crime he didn't commit? As the story unfolds...or does it? Jessica Foster, an assistant to the Governor of Tennessee begins to interview Raine while on death row, claiming that she's writing a book about the inmates...Or is she? Through various circumstances, Raine puts two and two together and builds a case that he believes can prove his innocence...or does he? Ms. Foster is the only one on the 'outside" who can give Raine a voice, but is she working for those who framed him? As time draws near to the date of his execution, in his most desperate hour Raine finds the missing pieces to the puzzle to prove his innocence, but is it too late...? Was this story told from Raine's point of view or from the book writers or from yours, the viewer - you decide. All I know is - Damn I want that defense attorney when I'm on trial! Part of the Death Row Universe. Nominated for the little_cc 'Movie of the Decade' & loved among all 5 Poison fans.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorBeth BStarsRon AtheyBob BertTim DahlLYDIA LUNCH - The War Is Never Over by Beth B is the first career-spanning documentary retrospective of Lydia Lunch's confrontational, acerbic and always electric artistry. As New York City's preeminent No Wave icon from the late '70s, Lunch has forged a lifetime of music and spoken word performance devoted to the utter right of any woman to indulge, seek pleasure, and to say "fuck you!" as loud as any man. In this time of endless attacks on women this is a rallying cry to acknowledge the only thing that is going to bring us together - ART...as the universal salve to all of our traumas. LYDIA LUNCH - The War is Never Over by Beth B is the first career-spanning documentary retrospective of Lydia Lunch's confrontational, acerbic and always electric artistry. As New York City's preeminent No Wave icon from the late '70s, Lunch has forged a lifetime of music and spoken word performance devoted to the utter right of any woman to indulge, seek pleasure, and to say "fuck you!" as loud as any man. In this time of endless attacks on women this is a rallying cry to acknowledge the only thing that is going to bring us together - ART...as the universal salve to all of our traumas. In 2017, Lydia Lunch and filmmaker Beth B joined forces to create LYDIA LUNCH - The War Is Never Over a retrospective of Lunch's confrontational, acerbic and always electric spoken word performance and music. The film frames Lunch's work through the lens of the various philosophical themes that have obsessed her for years to enlighten and empower women to voice the unheard and to break the cycle of violence toward women throughout the world. Lydia Lunch is the psycho-sexual transgressive who revoked patriarchal expectations of what a female performer might mean, while forging a vocabulary of rare emotional honesty, philosophy and humor. Director Beth B has known and worked with No Wave legend Lydia Lunch since the late '70s when they broke boundaries in New York City, confronting audiences with uncensored poetry, music and films. Reflecting on the groundbreaking defiance Lydia Lunch has personified for over 30 years, she is a survivor who creates a dialogue of universal truth through her music and performances. In 1984, she penned the subversive and prescient spoken word piece, "Daddy Dearest", defying the gag order and spoke out about the sexual abuse she suffered as a young girl at the hands of her father. Lunch continues to expose the patriarchy, sexual abuse, the cycle of violence, and corporate greed with stubborn resistance. In 1976, at age sixteen, Lydia Lunch arrived in the bankrupted ruins of NYC with the killer instincts of a born survivor, inspired by the ravings of Lester Bangs in Creem Magazine, the Velvet Underground's sarcastic wit, the glamour of the New York Dolls, and the poetic scat of Patti Smith's Piss Factory. Having escaped a disrupted and abusive childhood, Lunch's refusal to submit to anyone's will led her to forge her own reality on stage with the unprecedented brutality of Teenage Jesus And The Jerks - a central pillar of the No Wave music scene and a legendary name to this day. Everyone from Alan Vega and Martin Rev (Suicide), to the future luminaries of Sonic Youth, would embrace Lunch as the violent heartbeat of their art/music rebellion. When Brian Eno chose to produce the No New York compilation of 1978, Lunch was there as the shrieking voice and guitar fronting one of the most influential bands of the era: Teenage Jesus And The Jerks. LYDIA LUNCH - The War is Never Over includes interviews with Lydia Lunch as well as some of her collaborators and colleagues including: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth; performance artist Kembra Pfahler; Teenage Jesus bass player, Jim Sclavunos; Donita Sparks from L7; famed DJ and musician Nicolas Jaar; Art Critic Carlo McCormick; Filmmaker Richard Kern and a long list of other groundbreaking artists connected to Lunch's past and present. Filming in rehearsal and on tour with her band Retrovirus, the behind-the-scenes footage reveals a side of Lunch's personality that has been unseen. Her warmth and generosity in private interactions along with hilarious banter in the rehearsal studio with band members contrasts wonderfully with her brash, assaultive style of performance.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorBret MichaelsStarsCharlie SheenMartin SheenMark DacascosA cop, his partner, and his father uncover a plot by city elders to smuggle drugs from Mexico into Phoenix, Arizona.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMike GiosciaKurt St. ThomasStarsAbigail MorganMarc ArditoMichael Kevin WalkerA gang of school friends are reunited years after finishing their education. However, the happy celebration soon descends into nightmare as memories of a dark deed threaten to engulf them all.Starring John Doe; written and directed by a famed Boston rock DJ.
- DirectorWilliam OlsenStarsGarth McLeanMargaret CurrieKatherine HarrisonMartin meets Samantha, the sister of Nicole who is the leader of a band called "Chery Suicide". While Martin and Samantha are beginning a relationship, Nicole is trying to get away from her ex-boyfriend an insane punk rocker named Ivan. One night Ivan breaks in to Nicole and Samantha's apt. and they knock him unconscious. They run away in a taxi with Curtis the guitarist, Martin, and a blind street philosopher named Wally. They and the taxi driver make their way south to Virginia. In virginia they manage to buy instruments, a van, meet Lenny when their tire blows out, get chased by Ivan, give a concert, crash a Christian fair, and have a fun memorable time doing it.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorRafal ZielinskiStarsMichael BendettiAndrew ZellerJeff GreenmanThree boys drop out of military school. They get jobs working at a hotel, but it's about to go under. They decide to help the owner raise enough money to stay in business. They prove that sex sells by holding "Miss Purity Pageant" starring some of the females staying at the hotel.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorMichael ReichStarsMike PinkneySonja KinskiFlula BorgA lonely dog groomer searches for love but his true passion is making weird video art that nobody understands.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorPaul MaddenStarsSherrie RoseJames SummerAmy Lynn BaxterA less-than-elite group of college coeds pursue sexual adventure and bits of revenge, and actually do some of the work they are expected to do at a resort over the summer.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorLarry BuchananMaury DexterStarsFabianJocelyn LaneAstrid WarnerAfter serving four years of a six-year sentence on a manslaughter charge, a tough punk (Pretty Boy Floyd) escapes from prison and goes on a violent rampage.'60s teen idol Fabian in a non-singing, adult film role.
- DirectorDomonic ParisStarsRobin JohnsonBarbara BinghamPatti LeeAn all-female rock band and a group of "well-endowed" sorority sisters team up to save a sorority house slated for condemnation by the university.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorPaul LandresStarsDon 'Red' BarryMary Beth HughesWally VernonTwo talent scouts for a New York-based country music TV show called "Square Dance Jubilee" are sent out West to get authentic western singing acts. They find what they're looking for, but also get mixed up in cattle rustling and murder.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorJ.S. CardoneStarsRoger WilsonJill SchoelenScott McGinnisA group of friends start a rock band, but as they start their rise in the music world, they get mixed up with drugs.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsBridget FondaChristopher WalkenSkeet UlrichAt the discovery of his ability to work miracles, Juvenal becomes a media sensation, but now he's prone to those who want to exploit him.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies. Also part of a "John Doe Week" of film reviews.
- DirectorRon OrmondStarsJackie CooganEddie GarrTom NealAfter a live orchestra opens the show, master of ceremonies Eddie Garr greets the audience from a theater stage and tells them about his trip to Los Angeles, where out-of-work actors are always "acting" while working in their service-industry jobs. Garr then introduces The Diacoffs, a mother and daughter team who perform bicycle feats. Next, The Johnson Brothers, Duke and Harry, perform a juggling act with pins and hats. After Garr introduces comedian Jackie Coogan, the two provide humorous dialogue; however, Garr steals Jackie's punch lines. Harmonica players Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay perform next, followed by comedian Al Mardo with a trick pit bull. Next, when magician Ormond McGill performs his East Indian Miracle Show and makes five female baton twirlers appear from behind a trick door in the middle of the stage, Garr tries the trick. BettyJane appears with comedians Boyce and Evans, who are costumed as a horse and perform a comedy and dance routine. Next Paul Gordon rides various trick bicycles and unicycles. When Garr brings Lyle Talbot on stage and discovers that Lyle is a smoker, he introduces him to "Doctor" Jean Carroll, who promises a cure but actually only uses Lyle's smoking as the butt of her joke. Cowboy Eddie Dean then sings "Ole Lazy Moon" but is interrupted by Lyle, who fires his stage gun. Garr then joins them on stage and they sing a trio. The Lee Sisters perform a three-woman trampoline act next, followed by a ballroom dancing slapstick routine by Armando and Lita. Eddie then introduces comedian Iris Adrian to the audience. When Iris announces that she is looking for a romantic lead, Jackie introduces her to Tom Neal; however, her forward behavior stuns him. Next, The Bobby Harrison Trio performs a number of tap routines accompanied by piano, harmonica and accordion. Iris then introduces an act that parodies Charlie Chaplin's film "The Kid," which is followed by the Darling Sisters singing a number. As the show closes, The Russ Saunders Troupe performs a teeterboard acrobatic routine and then all of the entertainers return to the stage to perform segments of their routines.From a "Rock 'n' Roll Week III" feature at B&S About Movies.