So, this new Runaways flick. The Crate Digger recently saw it and had a swell time. To begin with, I got to see it at a small, art-house cinema that offers a top-shelf selection of American craft beers. Sipping finely brewed suds while listening to “Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cherry Bomb” at top volume was a small but unforgettable slice of heaven.
As for the movie itself, it’s far better than your average rocker-biopic, yet not a stone-cold classic by any means. Afterward, I jotted down some notes (likes, dislikes, insights, etc). I figure it's my duty to share these with my fellow classic-rock fanatics. Dig in!
But before you do: find yourself wanting to listen to all the music I freak out about week in and week out? Well then, simply use your Rhapsody subscription! Don't have one? Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we're all about.
More Runaways History, Less Cherie Currie and Joan Jett's Love Affair
It's true! Nineteen-year-old Kristen Stewart sucks face with little Dakota Fanning (who was just 15 whenThe Runaways was filmed). That's far out — and borderline illegal. Call me asexual, but I'm more concerned with the story arc. There's some faulty construction. The film is titled The Runaways, yet it too often ditches the band's story for the drama surrounding Currie and Jett. If you didn’t know anything about the group, then the movie's narrative would have you believe The Runaways broke up after Currie’s departure. But they soldiered on, even recording two more albums, Waitin' for the Night andAnd Now ... The Runaways, both of which contain some killer rock. In all fairness, director Floria Sigismondi’s movie is an adaptation of Currie’s memoir, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, which is more about her, obviously. But then comes the million-dollar question: why not call the flick Neon Angel?
Killer Performance Scenes, Believe It or Not
I'm no John Carpenter, but concert/club performances have got to be the hardest scenes to pull off when filming a rocker biopic. The majority of them flat-out suck. But not those in The Runaways. No ma'am. Sigismondi is an accomplished director of music videos, so she knows what she's doing. The concert/club scenes are awesome, totally authentic rock 'n' roll glamour.
Michael Shannon Owns Kim Fowley
Several critics claim Michael Shannon's portrayal of Svengali manager Kim Fowley steals the show. I won't go that far, but I'm tempted to. If you don't know anything at all about the bigger-than-life Fowley, then chances are you'll dismiss Shannon as 100% ham. But he's not. Go to the Dangerous Mindswebsite and check out Richard Metzger's recent interview with Fowley. Study the guy's mannerisms, ticks and quirks; there are many. Shannon nailed every one with precision accuracy. More importantly, Shannon captured Fowley's outlandish mix of dreamer, joker, con man and vile devil. Great stuff.
Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart
On paper the child star everybody loves to hate and that girl from the Twilight franchise make for an awful Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. And while their looks are a little too Hollywood clean, both did their homework and turned in killer performances that are extremely physical in nature. Fanning in skimpy lingerie howling and rockin' out is one wild spectacle.
These Girls Really Were Teenagers
Books can do things movies can’t and movies can do things books can’t — this is something we all know. What The Runaways really showed me (which no piece of rock journalism ever has) is the tension existing between these kids’ ability to rock and their tender, young ages. It made me think back to the girls who attended my junior high and high school, and imagining one of them getting on stage — donning lingerie, no less — and wailing in a deep, menacing tenor, or one of them shredding likeLita Ford when she was just 17. That's insane!
From Cheap Trick to The Sex Pistols
Two scenes made me realize Sigismondi thoroughly researched 1970s pop culture. In the first, Jett, like any teenager swept up in a pop fad, frantically produces a homemade Sex Pistols T-shirt, complete with spray paint, safety pin and ripped collar. In the second, one of the Runaways — I’ve forgotten which one, sorry — sports a wicked-sweet Cheap Trick T-shirt. Together, these isolated moments very cleverly sum up The Runaways’ precarious image in the late 1970s. Nowadays, the group is often framed as punk rock. Back in the day, however, they were an entity unto themselves, producing a slyly unique fusion of arena rock, punk energy, glam and power-pop. The Runaways were beyond genre, really, which kind of made them difficult to market (Fowley didn’t help matters). Interestingly enough, the industry had similar issues with both Cheap Trick and AC/DC early in their careers. Were they mainstream rock or punk?
The Dazed and Confused Factor
This is a continuation of what I was just ranting about. Dazed and Confused, which joined the prestigious Criterion Collection in 2006, is one of the most culturally astute period pieces in Hollywood history. (Using Dylan's “Hurricane” during the Emporium scenes? That’s pure brilliance.) More than that, Dazed and Confused looks awesome; every single scene is meticulously crafted to evoke a particular period in American pop culture. Sigismondi has to be a fan, because The Runaways feels profoundly inspired by its predecessor's dedication to the details.
Where the F*#K Is My Girl Lita?
Poor Lita Ford. She played way too minor of a role. The only significant scenes I can recall portray her as a bully, yelling at Currie for acting like a stoned prima donna. To add insult to injury, Jett is the one who is framed as the band's guitar hero. The main reason for this has to do with what I pointed out up above: the movie's primary focus is Currie and Jett. Yet I suspect there are deeper cultural reasons that I'll try my best to unpack. Ford's post-Runaways career, that of half-naked hair metal pinup, doesn't jibe with the band's ever-evolving legacy as feminist-punk forerunners of the riot grrrl movement. However inaccurate, this has become the band's dominant image, and it leaves no room for a woman who allowed herself to be objectified by scummy dudes who also owned Mötley Crüe and Ratt records. This is stupidity. Ford’s contributions cannot be ignored. It was her powerful guitar playing, not Jett’s, that made The Runaways so hard to peg. Her style has more to do with Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Perrythan Johnny Thunders. She's the one who supplied the heavy-metal heft; she's the one who turned them into a true rock 'n' roll beast. Without her, the group would've been just another glam-punk hybrid with bubblegum hooks. (Trivia: Joan Jett and Lita Ford weren't the only Runaways to have successful careers post-breakup. The group's original bassist was one Micki Steele, who eventually found fame with The Bangles.)
The End
Confusing scene near the end. Flash to the early 1980s: Joan — after The Runaways have crashed and burned, apparently — tries to kick-start her muse. She jumps about her bed (in a dingy rock pad in L.A.) while working out the riff/lyrics to “I Love Rock N' Roll.” Next thing you know, the soundtrack kicks in the actual tune, as if to announce the birth of solo star JOAN JETT. Did Sigismondi actually mean to imply that Jett went straight from The Runaways to scoring her calling-card hit? If so, it's not accurate. Jett recorded an unreleased demo in 1979, with the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and Paul Cook backing her. She then released her solo debut (aka Bad Reputation), before re-recording the song in 1981, this time with the Blackhearts. What's more, the scene also appears to imply that Jett wrote the song. But she didn't. This band called the Arrows first recorded it in 1975. Oh well. Doesn't totally matter. Joan's version slays.
But before you do: find yourself wanting to listen to all the music I freak out about week in and week out? Well then, simply use your Rhapsody subscription! Don't have one? Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we're all about.
More Runaways History, Less Cherie Currie and Joan Jett's Love Affair
It's true! Nineteen-year-old Kristen Stewart sucks face with little Dakota Fanning (who was just 15 whenThe Runaways was filmed). That's far out — and borderline illegal. Call me asexual, but I'm more concerned with the story arc. There's some faulty construction. The film is titled The Runaways, yet it too often ditches the band's story for the drama surrounding Currie and Jett. If you didn’t know anything about the group, then the movie's narrative would have you believe The Runaways broke up after Currie’s departure. But they soldiered on, even recording two more albums, Waitin' for the Night andAnd Now ... The Runaways, both of which contain some killer rock. In all fairness, director Floria Sigismondi’s movie is an adaptation of Currie’s memoir, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, which is more about her, obviously. But then comes the million-dollar question: why not call the flick Neon Angel?
Killer Performance Scenes, Believe It or Not
I'm no John Carpenter, but concert/club performances have got to be the hardest scenes to pull off when filming a rocker biopic. The majority of them flat-out suck. But not those in The Runaways. No ma'am. Sigismondi is an accomplished director of music videos, so she knows what she's doing. The concert/club scenes are awesome, totally authentic rock 'n' roll glamour.
Michael Shannon Owns Kim Fowley
Several critics claim Michael Shannon's portrayal of Svengali manager Kim Fowley steals the show. I won't go that far, but I'm tempted to. If you don't know anything at all about the bigger-than-life Fowley, then chances are you'll dismiss Shannon as 100% ham. But he's not. Go to the Dangerous Mindswebsite and check out Richard Metzger's recent interview with Fowley. Study the guy's mannerisms, ticks and quirks; there are many. Shannon nailed every one with precision accuracy. More importantly, Shannon captured Fowley's outlandish mix of dreamer, joker, con man and vile devil. Great stuff.
Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart
On paper the child star everybody loves to hate and that girl from the Twilight franchise make for an awful Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. And while their looks are a little too Hollywood clean, both did their homework and turned in killer performances that are extremely physical in nature. Fanning in skimpy lingerie howling and rockin' out is one wild spectacle.
These Girls Really Were Teenagers
Books can do things movies can’t and movies can do things books can’t — this is something we all know. What The Runaways really showed me (which no piece of rock journalism ever has) is the tension existing between these kids’ ability to rock and their tender, young ages. It made me think back to the girls who attended my junior high and high school, and imagining one of them getting on stage — donning lingerie, no less — and wailing in a deep, menacing tenor, or one of them shredding likeLita Ford when she was just 17. That's insane!
From Cheap Trick to The Sex Pistols
Two scenes made me realize Sigismondi thoroughly researched 1970s pop culture. In the first, Jett, like any teenager swept up in a pop fad, frantically produces a homemade Sex Pistols T-shirt, complete with spray paint, safety pin and ripped collar. In the second, one of the Runaways — I’ve forgotten which one, sorry — sports a wicked-sweet Cheap Trick T-shirt. Together, these isolated moments very cleverly sum up The Runaways’ precarious image in the late 1970s. Nowadays, the group is often framed as punk rock. Back in the day, however, they were an entity unto themselves, producing a slyly unique fusion of arena rock, punk energy, glam and power-pop. The Runaways were beyond genre, really, which kind of made them difficult to market (Fowley didn’t help matters). Interestingly enough, the industry had similar issues with both Cheap Trick and AC/DC early in their careers. Were they mainstream rock or punk?
The Dazed and Confused Factor
This is a continuation of what I was just ranting about. Dazed and Confused, which joined the prestigious Criterion Collection in 2006, is one of the most culturally astute period pieces in Hollywood history. (Using Dylan's “Hurricane” during the Emporium scenes? That’s pure brilliance.) More than that, Dazed and Confused looks awesome; every single scene is meticulously crafted to evoke a particular period in American pop culture. Sigismondi has to be a fan, because The Runaways feels profoundly inspired by its predecessor's dedication to the details.
Where the F*#K Is My Girl Lita?
Poor Lita Ford. She played way too minor of a role. The only significant scenes I can recall portray her as a bully, yelling at Currie for acting like a stoned prima donna. To add insult to injury, Jett is the one who is framed as the band's guitar hero. The main reason for this has to do with what I pointed out up above: the movie's primary focus is Currie and Jett. Yet I suspect there are deeper cultural reasons that I'll try my best to unpack. Ford's post-Runaways career, that of half-naked hair metal pinup, doesn't jibe with the band's ever-evolving legacy as feminist-punk forerunners of the riot grrrl movement. However inaccurate, this has become the band's dominant image, and it leaves no room for a woman who allowed herself to be objectified by scummy dudes who also owned Mötley Crüe and Ratt records. This is stupidity. Ford’s contributions cannot be ignored. It was her powerful guitar playing, not Jett’s, that made The Runaways so hard to peg. Her style has more to do with Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Perrythan Johnny Thunders. She's the one who supplied the heavy-metal heft; she's the one who turned them into a true rock 'n' roll beast. Without her, the group would've been just another glam-punk hybrid with bubblegum hooks. (Trivia: Joan Jett and Lita Ford weren't the only Runaways to have successful careers post-breakup. The group's original bassist was one Micki Steele, who eventually found fame with The Bangles.)
The End
Confusing scene near the end. Flash to the early 1980s: Joan — after The Runaways have crashed and burned, apparently — tries to kick-start her muse. She jumps about her bed (in a dingy rock pad in L.A.) while working out the riff/lyrics to “I Love Rock N' Roll.” Next thing you know, the soundtrack kicks in the actual tune, as if to announce the birth of solo star JOAN JETT. Did Sigismondi actually mean to imply that Jett went straight from The Runaways to scoring her calling-card hit? If so, it's not accurate. Jett recorded an unreleased demo in 1979, with the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and Paul Cook backing her. She then released her solo debut (aka Bad Reputation), before re-recording the song in 1981, this time with the Blackhearts. What's more, the scene also appears to imply that Jett wrote the song. But she didn't. This band called the Arrows first recorded it in 1975. Oh well. Doesn't totally matter. Joan's version slays.
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