Rock Star

Plot synopsis:
The story opens with a rock musician and singer, Chris Cole, being interviewed. He recalls his early days in music, when he lived in Pittsburgh and was the lead singer of a band called Blood Pollution, a cover/tribute act that performed songs by an infamous heavy metal band called Steel Dragon. While a member of Blood Pollution, Chris was also a singer in a local church choir and had a pretty girlfriend, Emily Poule, who managed his band. Chris also worked as a photocopier technician.Chris and his compatriots go to a Steel Dragon concert. In the parking lot they paper every car in sight with flyers for their next gig. At the show, Chris and his friends have stage-side seats. They are refused backstage passes by the bands live manager, Mats. During the performance, Chris mildly annoys Dragon's lead singer, Bobby Beers, by singing along with the songs as well or better than Beers himself.Following the show, Chris and his bandmates return to their car and find a flyer for their rivals, another Steel Dragon tribute band called Black Babylon. The members of Black Babylon have callously replaced Blood Pollution's flyers on every car. The two bands face off in the parking lot and fight after trading insults.At a Blood Pollution practice session (which they hold in the basement of a porn theatre), Chris and his guitarist, Rob Malcolm, argue over the manner with which they'll play a Steel Dragon song live. Chris obsesses over a specific guitar riff and Rob can't understand why.The band plays a gig in a steel foundry. The show goes well until Chris notices that Rob is once again defying the singer's wishes and reinterprets a guitar part. After an initial warning from Chris, Rob begins to solo wildly in defiance. Chris casually picks up a microphone stand and smashes Rob's amplifier head, disabling it. Rob tackles Chris onstage and the two fight. Emily, at the soundboard, calls it a night and encourages the audience to buy the band's merchandise on the way out.A few nights later Chris shows up for band practice and sees that his fellow members have invited Bradley, lead vocalist for Black Babylon, to the session. Bradley has also brought updated equipment. Rob tries to explain his side, saying that Chris has become impossible to work with due to his obsession with playing only Steel Dragon songs and his demanding perfectionism while playing them live. Chris also refuses to write his own material and accept any of the band's original compositions as well. Chris becomes furious and leaves, saying he'll never return to the band. When Rob asks Emily to stay on as their manager, she refuses and leaves as well. In the car outside, Chris discusses the incident with Emily, who tells him something better will come along.The next day Chris receives a phone call from Kirk Cuddy, guitarist and founding member of Steel Dragon. Chris is incredulous at first, even hanging up on Kirk. Kirk patiently calls back and is able to convince Chris of his identity and even plays a clip of Chris singing at a recent gig over the phone. The video of the gig was given to Cuddy by two of Blood Pollution's groupies. Kirk tells Chris to come to Los Angeles and meet him.Chris goes to LA with Emily. They are met by Kirk's personal assistant, Tania, who takes them to Kirk's mansion. Chris and Emily meet the band and Kirk offers Chris a chance to audition for the lead singer spot in the band. At that moment, Bobby Beers bursts into the studio and begins an argument with Cuddy. Cuddy points out that Beers missed most of the shows on the last tour and has missed several recording sessions. Beers, in a moment of dramatic revelation that shocks Chris, argues that he's being thrown out of the band for being gay. Eventually, Beers storms out of the studio. Chris sings one of Dragon's songs, has a few false starts and watches the band confer inside the control room. After a few moments, he's offered the position. He adopts the stage name "Izzy."During his first show with the band, Chris quickly wins the respect of the crowd, opening with "Blood Pollution" one of Chris' favorites & a song the band hasn't played in a decade. Chris takes a nasty spill while descending the stage's elaborate staircase, however, he continues to perform admirably. At the wild party thrown after the show, Tania seduces both Chris and Emily. Chris discovers the next morning that Tania is a transvestite.When the band packs up to travel to their next gig, Emily isn't allowed to travel with Chris on the tour bus and is relegated to riding with the band members' girlfriends and wives in a limousine. As they trail the bus, the girls tell Emily that the band often cavorts with groupies on the bus. Emily holds her opinion that Chris would never betray her and the girls scoff. One goes to so far as to say that she has a special relationship with her husband's accountant.The tour goes on for the larger part of a year. Chris, newly introduced to the rock icon lifestyle, spends a large amount of money on drugs, cars and other excesses. Tired of following Chris all over America, Emily leaves and heads home, upset that Chris spends too much time partying with the band and not as much time devoted to their relationship. She agrees to meet him in Seattle. When she arrives there, she meets Chris, who is drunk enough not to know where he is. Emily tells him she's going to stay in Seattle and open a cafe with a friend of hers and that her relationship with Chris is over. When the tour finally ends, the band goes on hiatus.Six months later Chris shows up for a new recording session at Kirk's house. When he shows the band a concept sketch for their next album cover as well as some new songs, Kirk takes an arrogant stance, telling Chris that he and their other guitarist, A.C., are the only songwriters. Chris is puzzled and Kirk goes further, saying that they'd hired Chris merely to sing, not to be a part of the creative force of the band. Chris is stunned and during the vocal recording of a new song, defiantly sings it as if it were a rap tune. Kirk admonishes him and the recording session goes on with Chris singing the song properly. Chris later meets Mats in a bar and reflects on how the same manner of obsessive behavior he'd shown toward Rob and Blood Pollution was now being visited upon himself.Steel Dragon goes out on tour again to support the new album. Chris, feeling he's been duped, only puts out a half-hearted effort at most shows. One night, while performing, Chris notices a fan singing along with him, a reflection on how he'd sang along with Bobby Beers. Chris invites the fan to join him on stage and asks him if he'd like to finish the show; the young man enthusiastically accepts and Chris walks off stage, the rest of the band hardly noticing. He says goodbye to Mats and leaves.A few years later, Chris has traveled to Seattle and has reinvented himself as an alternative rock musician. He reunites with Rob and the two form a new group, playing smaller shows in bars and coffeehouses. Emily has also moved to Seattle and opened the coffeehouse she'd talked about with an old friend. While walking in the street, she spots a flyer for one of Chris shows. She goes to it and he spots her from the stage. He walks over to her and kisses her and the two reconcile.Over the closing credits, we see that Steel Dragon's popularity has dropped off considerably with the advent of the Seattle Sound in music. Bobby Beers has also reinvented himself; as a Celtic dancer.

Tags: cult

Review:
And by the time Wahlberg's character was in his first concert with the band, I really thought Rock Star could be one of the coolest movies of the year.But at about the halfway point, I was lost.
The second half is held together by some predictable sequences, all telling the story of a guy indulging in the rock star life, which we've all heard and seen a thousand times.
And like I said before, the concert scenes are awesome.So for people who love great 80s Rock, this movie will be a lot of fun.
Surprisingly well-acted, well-written movie about hard rockin'-but-decent young man getting that much-hoped-for ticket to stardom: his favorite heavy metal band wants him to replace their lead singer.
We have seen all this before (in better movies), but this human story does capture the world of rock and roll with a brutally honest and insightful edge.
"Rock Star," originally titled "Metal God," stars Mark Wahlberg as Chris "Izzy" Cole, a Pittsburgh office supplies salesperson who dreams of becoming Bobby Beers, the fiery lead singer for the heavy metal rock group, Steel Dragon.
Wahlberg, a former singer/model, has made movies like "Fear," "Boogie Nights" "Three Kings," and most recently Tim Burton's lacking remake "Planet of the Apes." I am starting to admire the young actor more and more.
"Rock Star" is not a great movie-see "Almost Famous" if you want a remarkable film about rock and roll-but for Marky Mark, it's a turning point in his career..
The performances were great, as was the music, and the main characters were likeable.My only complaints are: (1) the story was definitely lacking; the movie wrapped up very abruptly- in fact the writing became pretty lax in the second half, as though the writers weren't sure what to do with the plot.
The highlight of the film was possibly a great outtake where Mark Wahlberg is lipsynching to a rock song on stage and suddenly someone plays "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
Mark Wahlberg poured on his likable boy-ish charm and performed with believable admirably, something he has been known to do since the release of BOOGIE NIGHTS.Stephen Herek, no stranger to musically-themed movies, takes the audience through the wonders of the breakneck lifestyle of an extinct species, the Hair-Metal Rock God. Wahlberg's "Izzy" acts as the film's host plays the everyman who gets to see his wish come true.
His likable character quickly wins over the heart of the viewer, who wants to see him succeed and gets the chance to give him the Metal "goat horn" hand-sign several times over.The only real complaint with the story is that the supporting cast, namely the other members of the band, were not fleshed out, or even introduced, properly.
Let's all hope that films like ROCK STAR not only give a credibility to a style of music that helped define a generation but also spark a very-needed revival..
As anyone who follows heavy metal (or reads previews) knows, "Rock Star" is loosely based on the true story of salesman-turned-heavy-metal-frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens, who was tapped to fill in as lead singer for Judas Priest when Rob Halford left the band.
However, the similarities end there - when Judas Priest pressed for increased creative control over the project, the producers opted to distance themselves from the band and change the story and the exploits of  "Steel Dragon" are a composite of several apocryphal rock legends.
Be Careful What You Wish For. Mark Walhberg in a great role, idolises a rock star to the extent of knowing all his songs, imitating him to perfection, and dressing like him.
Overall a really good movie with great performances from all the cast as well as the two leads, Mark Walhberg and Jennifer Aniston.
If anybody ever dreamed of being a rock star or a groupie they should watch this movie to see that the lifestyle, although glamourous for a while, is very lonely and ultimately not what you may want..
Rock Star tells the story of the lead singer of a tribute band who get's to live out his dreams on a much grander stage.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Timothy Spall and Timthy Olyphant it certainly doesn't lack star power.As you'd imagine being a movie about classic/glam rock the soundtrack is fantastic, right up there among the best of them though shatter any illusions you may have that it was Wahlberg singing.It's big, it's stylish and to my knowledge it's pretty damn accurate so why am I not rating this higher?
I like the cast, I'm an old school rocker myself and on paper this should be a guaranteed tick in the win column from me.The construction of a movie is simple, you need a beginning a middle and an end and Rock Star has that but in a rather disjointed way.
The films construction is my biggest grip, it comes across more like a Behind the Music episode than an actual movie.
The protagonist walks away having learned several life lessons but the viewer (Or rather in this viewers case) it felt more empty than it should have.Rock Star is an interesting enough look at a subject rarely touched upon by the mainstream Hollywood movie industry but perhaps needed an additional 30+ minute to really flesh it out.The Good:Great castAwesome soundtrackSome brilliant visualsFirst movie ever to make Timothy Spall a successful "Good guy"The Bad:Olyphant feels wastedOddly builtI struggled to feel for our leadsThings I Learnt From This Movie:Jennifer Aniston holds the secret of eternal youthThey could/should have found Wahlberg a better wigBallet is where rock stars go to die.
Instead of being totally immature and jealous and breaking up with him in a screaming match with accusations flying everywhere, she calmly tells him that this is his time and his dream and although she is sad that she doesn't have a bigger part in it, she is content to go do something she wants to.Also, I watched this movie on DVD and I would totally recommend this way to view it.
Also, that the lead singer of Steel Dragon turned out to be gay.So, if you like rock movies I would totally recommend this one!!.
If the plot of the film consists in the story of a METAL fan singer, who sings in a METAL band who pays tribute to another METAL band called Steel Dragon, and one day he's giving the opportunity to front the latter band, why on earth have this movie been called "Rock Star"?.
From the title change of Metal God to the 'safe' middle of the road 'Rock Star' to the lame soundtrack this movie plays out badly.
And I was really into the true life story of Ripper Owens, the kid who got to sing for Judas Priest, which this movie was partially based on.
Jennifer Aniston even regretted making it, and when a star badmouths her own movie, you know it's a bad sign.If you're like me, there's no use trying to talk sense into you.
2001's "Rock Star" is loosely based on the metal band Judas Priest, who hired the lead singer of an Ohio JP tribute band, Tim "Ripper" Owens, after losing their original singer, Rob Halford, aka 'the metal god' (taken from the Priest song "Metal Gods"), which explains why the movie was originally to be called "The Metal God".
All the major plot points of this film parallel the Judas Priest story; only the names and times have been altered.In "Rock Star" the band is Steel Dragon (fictional of course), the singer of the tribute band is Chris 'Izzy' Cole (Mark Wahlberg) and the man he's replacing is Bobby Beers (Jason Flemyng).
Jennifer Aniston plays Izzy's girlfriend Emily and the Steel Dragon band members include Dominic West (who's excellent as always), Jason Bonham, Jeff Pilson and Zakk Wylde.
Timothy Spall and Dagmara Dominczyk also have prominent roles as Steel Dragon's road manager and public relations manager respectively.The Ripper Owens story is an excellent tale for a film and this is a good movie, but the times are a bit off.
Ripper Owens didn't leave Judas Priest until 2003 whereas Izzy obviously leaves somewhere around late 1991/early 1992."Rock Star" is just an enjoyable experience, especially if you're personally familiar with the 80s/early 90s' metal scene.
In the film Chris accomplishes his dream and by the end has had his fill of the whole 'rock star' phenomenon with all its ridiculous trappings; he was older & wiser now and understandably wanted to write his OWN songs (as he wasn't allowed in Steel Dragon, neither was Ripper in real life) and opts to explore his art.
***END SPOILER*** FINAL WORD: "Rock Star" may not be great but it's certainly an enjoyable film on the late 80s/early 90s music scene.
Well i will start off saying i'm a singer so i know a lot about the music in this movie.Mark Walberg does a great job of acting in this movie.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I think it would've been way better if he quit the band and joined/made a different hard rock/metal band where he could do whatever he wanted and avoid all the negative aspects of a rock star life and thus set a good example for future rock stars.
Seriously, this movie could've been a masterpiece if it wasn't for the stupid ending.Overall, I think this is a movie worth checking out if you like movies about the rock star business.
The various lawyers got involved, and all the direct references were deleted, but although, 'The names have been changed...' this movie is still about that!I think it's interesting seeing some of the inner workings of Judas Priest, and if you are a fan of the band, or even of the genre, you will enjoy it.
Mark Whalberg plays Izzy the wannabe rock star who is the lead singer of his band.
A miracle graces Izzy's life as he takes over the lead vocalist in his ideal band "Steel Dragon"...Izzy's girlfriend/ manager in this film (Jenifer Aniston) comes along to follow her boyfriend in the outrageous and scandalous life style of a rock star.
Things were going smoothly for Izzy and this movie, as Izzy is living his dream rocking out with "Steel Dragon", with millions of fans now idolizing him ironically as he once idolized the same band a few short years earlier.
It shows hope and ambition to be a memorable film as Izzy shows to be the lead singer of "Steel Dragon", but in the end the movie sells out and becomes forgettable and ordinary, as Izzy retires from his dream to pursue the so called "love of his life".
This movie will definitely become a cult classic, and when that time rolls around, Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg will be proud to have it listed on their resumes.
The great external layer with hard rock music and great acting by Mark Wahlberg is used to show the deeper meaning of the film.
I loved the hair do's and the clothes and the fun attitudes of Rock and Roll.This movie perfectly captured a guy with a dream.
If you like 80's metal/hard rock, the soundtrack will probably be great..
Mark does a fantastic job as Chris Cole - lead singer of the Steel Dragon tribute band.
In some ways the film was a caricature of Rock Stars and not hard edged enough to be believable.Mark Wahlberg's acting is quite good.
He does it with the wonder and innocence that make you not only believe him, but also make you really care about his character.Jennifer Aniston, who hasn't impressed me in movies up to this point, is surprisingly good as the girlfriend/manager.
Peppered with some 80's tunes (let's face it - Bon Jovi would have any 80's music fans rocking in their seat), the movie really rocks with the original Steel Dragon songs and Wahlberg's performance of them.
Jennifer Aniston is mildly annoying as a girl who believes with all heart that her boyfriend (Mark Wahlberg in a bad wig)who is in a tribute band to a famous metal band will someday hit the big time.
Wahlberg and Aniston both phone in their performances, which flat out stink.Both unbelievable and ridiculous, this movie tries to be nostalgic for the hard-rocking, more innocent times of the 80's, when all people wanted to do was rock and roll.
But it falls embarrassingly short, and the story falls apart.Only loyal Aniston and Wahlberg fans will want to watch this movie, although it is good for some (unintentional) laughs..
Rarely have I ever seen a movie being able to portrait the dream of being in a rock band as good as this.
This film is great with some of the best songs preformed by Bon Jovi and kiss.The film is about a man named Chris(Mark Wahlberg)Who is the biggest fan of a band named Steel Dragon.And then when he gets the gig for lead singer his world changes upside down.With great acting by Jennifer Aniston this film is a must see for rock lovers!!4/5 stars.
Only good thing is i felt Jennifer Aniston portrayed her character as Emily well like she does in most of her movies..
The best music genre is mixed into a glimpse of life on the road an finding your true self.'Rock Star' is loosely based on the story of Tim "Ripper" Owens.
Since only part of the script is weak and the music is perfect, 'Rock Star' is a great time to have..
Then a surprise call from Steel Dragon guitarist Kirk Cuddy (Dominic West) for Chris to audition for the band as he fires the lead singer Bobby Beers.Mark Wahlberg has good likability as the dreamer and does a good rock star imitation.
I liked it and I don't really know why.The plot follows Mark Wahlberg as the lead singer in an eighties tribute band to the (fictional) rock gods, Steel Dragon.
Apparently, a similar situation actually happened during the seventies (and before I was born, hence I'm not totally up on it).From there we see what his life is like 'living the dream' of drugs, rock and roll (and 'the other' obviously).The thing is, based on that briefest of plot summaries, you can probably guess the highs and lows (and probably eventual outcome) of the film.
I found it a kind of semi feel-good movie for adults.It doesn't reinvent the wheel in terms of story-telling, but the characters have their own charm (and special kudos to Mark's on screen parents, who, despite being 'all grown up and respectable' like to headbang with the best of them down at the gigs and mosh pits!)..
He is later found via video just like the real life band Journey found Arnel Pineda (except this was long before Arnel).The movie seems to be made up of a collection of real stories which give you a small taste of being in a rock and roll band.
The real story of the departure of long time Judas Priest singer Rob Halford along with his coming out and the hiring of Judas Priest tribute band singer Tim "Ripper" Owens inspired this movie.
The movie starts out well and Mark Wahlberg does a reasonable job of playing an 80's metal front man but the story just isn't there.
Surrounded by a cast that's almost as hairy as the one in his last movie, Mark Wahlberg plays Chris, a rock fan turned band member.
It's a typical rock movie with no real surprises, but it manages to hold your attention with decent acting (even Jennifer Aniston which REALLY surprised me) and (for the most part) GREAT music.
I think people who are involved in music like play in bands will really relate to this film.
Rock Star is a great movie, especially for fans of the 80's hair band era.
- but, unfortunately, at the helm of director Stephen "I Haven't Made a Good Movie in Years and Am Still Riding on the Coattails of 'Bill & Ted' and 'Mr. Holland's Opus'" Herek, "Rock Star" looks like a laughable, silly picture.Oh, and Jennifer Aniston's annoying performance as Mark's girlfriend only adds to the fun..
I generally like Mark Wahlberg and I love Jennifer Aniston, but I was robbed, I want my $8.00 back.
This is a movie for every fan who's dared to dream to be a rock stars.
Maybe it was because I think guys with long hair are great to look at, and because Mark Walberg was pretty hot, Jennifer Anniston was entertaining to watch and the music was really good.
Well, if you are like me and came right out of the 80's hair band era, you will love this movie!
Good Hard Rock music, poor soft movie !.
This is definately one of the best period movies ever made.Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris Cole, a singer in a tribute band to Steel Dragons.
Based on the real life story of Tim "Ripper" Owens of Judas Priest, this is one film that will actually make you feel like the rock star in the film.The period pieces in this film are great, however, some of the music does not fit the film.
Owens was a devoted fan and a member of a Judas Priest tribute band who in 1997 replaced Rob Halford as Priest's lead singer.Cole in Rock Star pulls the same trick but is Wahlberg the actor really interested in anything Wahlberg does?
Wahlberg does his part to redeem himself from his blank expression of a performance in "Planet of the Apes" here, playing a tribute band singer turned rock star with a very genuine feeling authenticity that allows you to sympathize with the charcter, even if he is-like EVERY other character in the movie-poorly written and underdeveloped.
And by the time Wahlberg's character was in his first concert with the band, I really thought Rock Star could be one of the coolest movies of the year." Guess what????