Review of Prey For Rock `n` Roll

Introduction

As a supposedly objective reviewer I really shouldn`t be confessing that I really wasn`t looking forward to watching this movie. It seemed to have all the right ingredients for a cliché-ridden American Rock`n`Roll movie of the worst sort. Featuring a female band I was expecting a slightly grungier version of `Josie and the Pussycats`. I should put that misconception right immediately.

This movie is a thoroughly believable, gritty drama that is peppered with some hard-assed Iggy and the Stooges type rock and roll - and that is imbued with a spirit and attitude that anyone who has done any time on the boards of the old gig circuits will immediately recognise.
Whilst none of the songs here quite make the grade, for me this just adds an air of authenticity to a movie about a band headed by a singer who`s just hitting 40, having spent the last 20 years fighting for a break.

Based on Cheri Lovedog`s autobiographical play of the same name, `Prey For Rock & Roll` is the story of 40-year-old rock-chick Jacki and her all-girl rock and roll band, Clam Dandy. They`ve been putting themselves around the gig scene of LA for some 10 years without much success - and this film opens with them anticipating their first break with a small independent. Feeling worn out by the scene, Jacki decides to play one last showcase for the man and then `retire` to run her tattoo parlour full-time if they don`t get the deal.

Needless to say, this is the flimsy plot upon which hang many other rock-soap threads, including some real tragedies that threaten to break the band apart.

Gina Gershon (best known for her leading role in `Showgirls`) is superbly cast as the sexy punk singer of the all-girl band Clamdandy - looking like a mean cross between Steve Tyler, Iggy Pop and Chrissie Hynde.

She`s ably supported by gay-guitarist Faith(Lori Petty, of Tank Girl and A League of Their Own); Sally (Shelly Cole) as the bands kick-ass drummer (and Faith`s lesbian lover), and Drea De Matteo of The Sopranos as Tracy, the group`s wealthy drug-taking bass player and catalyst for most the bands problems.

One night, the band come home and discover that Sally`s brother, Animal (Marc Blucas - having played a very similar role in the Britney Spears vehicle `Crossroads` unless I`m very much mistaken, and more recently in `First Daughter`) has been released from jail.

We soon discover that he did time for killing his stepfather who was abusing his younger sister, Sally (the drummer - you keeping up?).

Whilst Jacki is established early on in the film as a lesbian, she finds herself attracted to the younger Animal (another tatoo fan) and whaddya know... romance blossoms.

When Tracy`s super-creepy boyfriend ends up raping the vulnerable Sally, Jacki and Animal decide to take revenge.

Meanwhile, further tragedies abound - and the deal that they`ve been waiting for may not be all that it seems!

Video

I`m unsure what the original ratio was but here we get a standard 4:3 picture. There`s little sign of pan and scan, or undue cropping so it won`t spoil things too much though is a little unusual these days for a (relatively) recent movie. It seems a reasonable transfer, though there is a certain amount of `stylised` grain throughout. It`s certainly in better shape than the frame grabs here which look a little washed out...

Audio

Such a good stereo track that I was convinced it was a `surround experience` -until I pressed my ear against each of the rears to discover that this was just stereo after all. It`s a good mix though - particularly when mixing the ambience of a live gig with the warmer semi-whispered narration.

Features

Nada. But this was just a `Version one Press Disc` (whatever that might be) on a DVD-R so difficult to know whether the final release will have anything worthwhile.

Conclusion

I genuinely expected the worst from this movie - and was actually bowled over that it managed to side-step most the usual pitfalls of the genre and turn in a pretty compelling melodrama that was both reasonably believable and enjoyable to watch.

Of course, it`s by no means a perfect movie. Generally the songs are pretty weak - with some toe-curling lyrics and uninventive structures, and in truth the stereotypes abound.

But for the most part I would have to say that Gina Gershon completely won me over with her performance. Getting the balance between hard-assed rock `n roller and nice human being isn`t easy and yet she succeeds in creating a character that I ended up caring enough about to get drawn into the plot.

It`s nicely directed (Alex Steyermark), giving off a low-rent vibe that is perfectly in keeping with its content.

The Press Disc I had had no additional features though there might be something on the finished release.

Very worthwhile and recommended if down and dirty rock n roll appeals. And even if it doesn`t you might still find something to like in this modern melodramatic rock-soap.