Tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1978

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2004)

As soon as this film began, you knew it wasn't going to win any Oscars, but you didn't mind as the film is so enjoyable from start to finish and is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.
Set in 1978, the movie centres around a quartet of male teenagers from Cleveland, Ohio, that are fanatics of the rock band KISS, and have tickets to see them in Detroit.
Hawk, Lex, Jam and Trip are the foursome hoping to rock out at the concert, but after Jams 'god-bothering' mother finds the tickets, she burns them much to the horror of our four hero's. Deflated and depressed, the Guys then win tickets to the concert via a Detroit radio phone-in, and head out on the highway for the night of their lives.
After an altercation with some disco loving stella's a guido's, they arrive in Detroit, to find that the tickets were not won after all as Trip, (the undisputed arsehole of the group),hung up the phone bfore the DJ could take his details. Once again without a ticket to the concert and with their car stolen, The four are at a loss, knowing that their favourite band are within spitting distance.
The teen rockers decide that it's now every man for himself between now and concert time with each then having their own hilarious adventure. I personally can relate to this story as it was only a few years ago that a similar scenario happened to me i.e another city/band playing/no ticket.
The acting is great, with Edward Furlong giving a brilliant performance as Hawk. Blessed with the looks of a young Michael J Fox circa Back to the Future, Furlong carries the lead role with confidence and believability. James DeBello, is hilarious as Trip, the true stoner of the group, and his moronic ways of thinking makes you laugh out loud. Lex, was played well by Guiseppe Andrews, though his character did seem superfluous to the proceedings at times. Sam Huntington as Jam gives us probably the strongest performance of the four leads. The character of Jam is a troubled one, and the audience, watching this movie, will love him, pity him and at times want to strangle him too, but the scene where he finally confronts his dominating and narrow-minded mother is the best acting in the whole film. Lin Shaye's portrayal of the mum from hell cannot go overlooked, and she is certainly one of the best character actors ever.
If you like your rock music, or if you remember being a teenager that liked rock music, or even if you just like 'hold your gut laughing' teen-comedies, then Detroit Rock City should almost certainly be on your 'to watch list'. Oh! and by the way, This movie has one of the best Kick ASS soundtracks I've heard in a long time, comprising of Kiss (obviously), Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, Styx, The Sweet, UFO, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult and erm Popcorn by Hot Butter.
Enjoy!!!