I had originally wanted to include What We Do is Secret (2007) in this article, but I could not bother to get past 10 minutes of it before dismissing it as a documentary (it's not). I thought it was a fictional movie, but this is actually an rock biopic of the punk band The Germs. I'm sure it would've been a wonderful film if I loved the Germs, but I just wasn't that interested in it. I ended up returning the DVD as soon as I rented it.
However, we have these two music-related films to talk about:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS
fabulousstains.com
![The Fabulous Stains - Professionals [Video Version]](https://a4.typepad.com/6a0133f3b98a81970b0133f3b9f94c970b-200pi "The Fabulous Stains - Professionals [Video Version]")
I've never seen this wonderful little music drama, despite its cult-classic status. I reckon the main reason was because the film's been out of print for so long - and when it was made available on DVD last September, by Rhino Home Video, I got a chance to finally see it.
I was not disappointed with this release, the video image's been digitally remastered (which should surprise no one since Rhino's been at this re-releasing archival music and video editions for many years now) and the soundtrack is, how can I put it, music to my ears.
The movie is about three teenage girls (two of them being homeless sisters) who formed The Fabulous Stains and ends up going on tour with The Looters (which I thought was called "The Losers", which I prefer) and the all-washed up band The Metal Corpses (whose singer reminds me of Dee Snider).
What's kind of interesting to note here is the movie is way ahead of its time, I wouldn't be surprise if the Riot Grrls were inspired by this movie or even The White Stripes (the singer is dressed up in a red outfit with white stripes in their hair).
As for the soundtrack, it's pretty quintessential 80s music, a mixture of the rock-punk sound of The Looters, the hard-rock sound of The Metal Corpses, the reggae music of their tour manager Lawn Boy, and the new wave-punk rock of The Stains. It has a bit of everything for everyone.
If you were hoping to buy the soundtrack, there seems to be some sort of legal problem between Ode Sounds & Visuals, Rhino Entertainment Company, and Paramount Pictures. Which is a shame, as I suspect the movie was delayed for reissued for so long because of the very same problem. If you want a look and see, the soundtrack is listed on Amazon, but the download option's been removed.
Fans of the Sex Pistols and 80s music will want to check out this fabulous film. I leave you now with The Fabulous Stains doing their cover song of the Looters' "Professionals" (which will explain why their music turned punk-ish).
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
repo-opera.com
Repo! The Genetic Opera has a ridiculous name, and even a more ridiculous concept of a "genetic opera". If you have been asking for more musical death since Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, you will enjoy this gloomy rock opera movie.
The movie is set, I think, in the future, where health is a concern. If you were desperate enough, you would accept organs from GeneCo ... however if you miss a payment/refusal of payment, they send in the Repo Man.
The DVD advertisement boldly stated that the makers of "Saw" is responsible for this movie. Which I think actually hinders, instead of helping the film. The gruesome blood, violence, and sex in this movie isn't taken so serious - especially when it's framed by comic book-styled sequences and over-the-top exaggerated acting.
I find myself asking, is this supposed to be funny? Apparently, I need to be more depressing to find this black comedy to be funny. Although, I didn't find the movie/musical to be all that enjoyable, I suspect if you are dressed up in seven shades of black (read: goth), you will absolutely love this movie. I personally can't recommend it to people who enjoy daylight.
For the soundtrack, they are making it available on Valentine's Day (February 14th), how sweet, right? I mean what better way of saying I love you than with an actual heart organ and the Repo! Soundtrack. Repo! The Genetic Opera is out now on bluray and DVD.
Trivia: An interesting thing about the movie is that Paris Hilton plays Amber Sweet, a girl who's addicted to drugs and sex... quite a stretch for her, huh?
Other non-music-related movies
Having just watched the too-many-characters-to-keep-track-of movie by Guy Ritchie called Rocknrolla, I will have to say that he's been disappointing me since Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells. Rocknrolla is just a mess of the film, and the voice-over dialogue only made it worst. The characters are all odd balls and I basically didn't sympathized/identify with any of the characters - an epic fail of a film.
Of course it has its moments, but the gruesome tone at the end of the film contrast many of the not so serious moments in the whole film (if you've seen Snatch or Lock Stock, it has that kind of "crime humor" you'd expect).
If you are looking for a 'serious' type of movie, the "PG-13" movie called Taken (in theaters now) is quite good, although it is hard to believe that a mid-50 actor like Liam Neeson can pull off some of the fighting and agility of its main character.
The story is quite simple: slave traders kidnapped the main character's daughter and he basically takes on a small nation to get his daughter back. Although nothing too complicated (point a to point b), the movie is still compelling to watch ... especially as Neeson acts his way into taking down four guys while handcupped without so much as breaking a sweat (yeahhhhh right).
Trivia: to bring it back to 'professionals', the script writer of Taken is none other than Luc Besson, who wowed us with his Léon the Professional, starring big-nosed Jean Reno, wonderfully evil Gary Oldman, and a very, very, young Natalie Portman.
However, we have these two music-related films to talk about:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS
fabulousstains.com
I was not disappointed with this release, the video image's been digitally remastered (which should surprise no one since Rhino's been at this re-releasing archival music and video editions for many years now) and the soundtrack is, how can I put it, music to my ears.
The movie is about three teenage girls (two of them being homeless sisters) who formed The Fabulous Stains and ends up going on tour with The Looters (which I thought was called "The Losers", which I prefer) and the all-washed up band The Metal Corpses (whose singer reminds me of Dee Snider).
What's kind of interesting to note here is the movie is way ahead of its time, I wouldn't be surprise if the Riot Grrls were inspired by this movie or even The White Stripes (the singer is dressed up in a red outfit with white stripes in their hair).
As for the soundtrack, it's pretty quintessential 80s music, a mixture of the rock-punk sound of The Looters, the hard-rock sound of The Metal Corpses, the reggae music of their tour manager Lawn Boy, and the new wave-punk rock of The Stains. It has a bit of everything for everyone.
If you were hoping to buy the soundtrack, there seems to be some sort of legal problem between Ode Sounds & Visuals, Rhino Entertainment Company, and Paramount Pictures. Which is a shame, as I suspect the movie was delayed for reissued for so long because of the very same problem. If you want a look and see, the soundtrack is listed on Amazon, but the download option's been removed.
Fans of the Sex Pistols and 80s music will want to check out this fabulous film. I leave you now with The Fabulous Stains doing their cover song of the Looters' "Professionals" (which will explain why their music turned punk-ish).
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
repo-opera.com
The movie is set, I think, in the future, where health is a concern. If you were desperate enough, you would accept organs from GeneCo ... however if you miss a payment/refusal of payment, they send in the Repo Man.
The DVD advertisement boldly stated that the makers of "Saw" is responsible for this movie. Which I think actually hinders, instead of helping the film. The gruesome blood, violence, and sex in this movie isn't taken so serious - especially when it's framed by comic book-styled sequences and over-the-top exaggerated acting.
I find myself asking, is this supposed to be funny? Apparently, I need to be more depressing to find this black comedy to be funny. Although, I didn't find the movie/musical to be all that enjoyable, I suspect if you are dressed up in seven shades of black (read: goth), you will absolutely love this movie. I personally can't recommend it to people who enjoy daylight.
For the soundtrack, they are making it available on Valentine's Day (February 14th), how sweet, right? I mean what better way of saying I love you than with an actual heart organ and the Repo! Soundtrack. Repo! The Genetic Opera is out now on bluray and DVD.
Trivia: An interesting thing about the movie is that Paris Hilton plays Amber Sweet, a girl who's addicted to drugs and sex... quite a stretch for her, huh?
Other non-music-related movies
Having just watched the too-many-characters-to-keep-track-of movie by Guy Ritchie called Rocknrolla, I will have to say that he's been disappointing me since Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells. Rocknrolla is just a mess of the film, and the voice-over dialogue only made it worst. The characters are all odd balls and I basically didn't sympathized/identify with any of the characters - an epic fail of a film.
Of course it has its moments, but the gruesome tone at the end of the film contrast many of the not so serious moments in the whole film (if you've seen Snatch or Lock Stock, it has that kind of "crime humor" you'd expect).
If you are looking for a 'serious' type of movie, the "PG-13" movie called Taken (in theaters now) is quite good, although it is hard to believe that a mid-50 actor like Liam Neeson can pull off some of the fighting and agility of its main character.
The story is quite simple: slave traders kidnapped the main character's daughter and he basically takes on a small nation to get his daughter back. Although nothing too complicated (point a to point b), the movie is still compelling to watch ... especially as Neeson acts his way into taking down four guys while handcupped without so much as breaking a sweat (yeahhhhh right).
Trivia: to bring it back to 'professionals', the script writer of Taken is none other than Luc Besson, who wowed us with his Léon the Professional, starring big-nosed Jean Reno, wonderfully evil Gary Oldman, and a very, very, young Natalie Portman.
02/01/2009 22:19:52 ♥ vu (
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