# Bad Reputation (2018 film)

Bad Reputation is a 2018 American documentary film about the career of rock musician Joan Jett, directed by Kevin Kerslake and written by Joel Marcus. The documentary traces Jett's musical career from the formation of the Runaways through her subsequent partnership with songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna. Continuing with the creation of the band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts as well as the establishment of the record label Blackheart Records with Laguna, the narrative concludes with the induction of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2015.

## Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2018. The general release to theaters was made on September 28, 2018.

## Interviewees

* Joan Jett
* Evelyn McDonnell, author of Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways
* Don Bolles of the Germs
* Rodney Bingenheimer, DJ
* Iggy Pop
* Cherie Currie of the Runaways
* Chris Stein of Blondie
* Debbie Harry of Blondie
* Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day
* Annie Larkin, Joan Jett's sister
* Toby Mamis, manager of the Runaways, 1977–1979
* Kenny Laguna
* Meryl Laguna, Kenny Laguna's wife
* Bill Curbishley, manager of The Who
* Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill
* Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys
* Ian MacKaye of Fugazi
* Pete Townshend of the Who
* Gary Ryan, bassist with the Blackhearts
* Eric Ambel, guitarist with the Blackhearts
* Mike Ness of Social Distortion
* Thom Panunzio, music producer and engineer
* Elliot Saltzman, Blackhearts tour manager, 1980–2006
* Miley Cyrus
* Alison Mosshart of the Kills
* Michael J. Fox, co-star in the 1987 film Light of Day
* Thommy Price, drummer with Blackhearts
* Kevin Byrnes, retired U.S. Army General
* Dougie Needles, guitar player with the Blackhearts
* Carianne Brinkman, Blackheart Records executive and Kenny Laguna's daughter
* Laura Jane Grace of the band Against Me!
* Phanie Diaz of FEA
* Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
* Shepard Fairey, artist and activist
* Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary
* Michelle Cho, animal rights activist
* Kristen Stewart, actress in the 2010 film the Runaways

## Soundtrack

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A− |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | A− |
A companion soundtrack was released the same day as the film on Legacy Recordings with 17 tracks from throughout Jett's career.

### Track listing

* ↑ With Stacy Jones (Drums), Vashon Johnson (Bass), Jamie Arentzen (Guitar), Jaco Caraco (Mandolin), and Mike Schmid (Piano)

#### Vinyl edition
## Reception
### Critical reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the documentary an approval rating of 79% based on 38 reviews and an average score of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Bad Reputation offers fans and novices a solidly entertaining overview of Joan Jett's trailblazing career, albeit one that might leave some viewers craving a deeper look." Metacritic, another aggregator, gave the film a score 66 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

### Accolades

| Year | Presenter/Festival | Award/Category | Nominee | Status |
| 2018 | Cleveland International Film Festival | Music Movies Competition | Kevin Kerslake | Nominated |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Music Documentary | Bad Reputation | Nominated |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary | Joan Jett | Won |