Fun for the fans, if maybe no one else

Rating: Null/10 (11 April 2002)

This movie really isn't for mass consumption: it's for fans of KISS, or people with friends who are fans of KISS, and thusly are forced to watch it. And contrary to the opinions of the last reviewer, we DO exist, and there are millions of us. And I am one of the most militant KISS fans in existence, which most people find humorous since I was born ten years after "Alive!" came out. That being said, I enjoyed the heck out of this movie. There are fan-only in jokes, such as the drummer's girlfriend being named Beth. It's just a load of fun, as I may be in a minority among the people who can actually relate to the characters: a teen aged male musician. And the obsessive characters are alot like me: knowing all of the band's birth names, for instance. I laughed like a madman the whole way through, particularly during the scene in the strip club. This is supposed to be an over-the-top scene, but actually makes Edward Furlong's character more relatable- the first time I sang with my band in front of a largish audience, I had to fight not to throw up. This scene shows you the extremes of what stage fright feels like. But probably the greatest point in the movie is the "looking down the massive tongue" shot during the concert. As a huge fan of Gene, that one shot made the movie. The only real problem I had with the movie was the tendency toward historical inaccuracies. AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" plays at one point, although the film takes place in 1798 and that song wasn't released until 1979, and KISS didn't start their sets with "DRC" in '78. Gene wasn't even playing the right bass. But those are things that probably only I would've noticed and thusly don't really effect the film. Also, the main character in the movie is the drummer. This only bugs me because I'm a bass player, and the bass player in MyStical is the one who screws up and hangs up too early in the first place. But anyway, if you're a KISS fan, I don't need to tell you to see this movie since you probably already have. If you aren't a KISS fan, you probably shouldn't bother. But, whether you like the band or not, buy the soundtrack. With the exception of Marilyn Manson's horrid rendition of "Highway to Hell", it's gold from first track to last.