Mark Wahlberg plays Chris Cole, a local guy from Pittsburgh who is a copy-machine repairman by day (still living at home), and the lead singer of Blood Pollution, a Steel Dragon tribute band, at night. (Steel Dragon is a heavy-metal hair band living it big in the 1980s.) Cole prides himself on getting everything exactly right when he's onstage, every note, every costume, every shade of mascara; he even gets a nipple ring right after Steel Dragon's lead singer does. Chris's dream turns into reality when Steel Dragon fires its lead singer and brings Chris in to audition for the job. He gets the gig, but he also gets a lot more than he bargained for.
Wahlberg is brilliant as Cole, playing the role to perfection, both as the young dreamer and the rock star living to excess. Jennifer Aniston is also excellent as Emily, his longtime girlfriend and manager who stands by him for as long as she can. The music nails the 1980s heavy-metal explosion, both in the original songs that Steel Dragon plays and the incidental music, from such groups as Kiss, Jon Bon Jovi, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Motley Crue, and Dio. As good as Wahlberg and Aniston are, Timothy Spall, as Steel Dragon's manager, nearly steals the picture. ROCK STAR is an invigorating, intoxicating, thrilling ride of a movie; at times it even feels like it's the true story behind Spinal Tap. (In fact, it is loosely based on the true story of Ripper Owens and Judas Priest.) As an added bonus, the film features, in small roles, musicians who have played with such metalheads as Dokken, Slaughter, Ozzy Osbourne, and more.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French
Subtitles - English, French, Spanish
Stars
Mark Wahlberg: American actor, BOOGIE NIGHTS,
Jennifer Aniston: American Actress, FRIENDS
Dominic West: Actor, 28 DAYS, THE WIRE, CHICAGO (2002)
Timothy Spall: British Actor, TOPSY-TURVY (1999)
Rachel Hunter: Model
Heidi Mark: TV Actress
Carrie Stevens: Playboy Playmate
Jason Flemyng: British Actor
Dagmara Dominczyk: Actor, COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2001)
Timothy Olyphant:
Stephan Jenkins: Lead Singer, Third Eye Blind
Director
Stephen Herek: Director/Screenwriter
Producer
Robert Lawrence: Producer/Editor
Toby Jaffe: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Screenwriter
John Stockwell: American Supporting Actor
Composer
Trevor Rabin: Composer, formerly of YES
Additional Music/Songs
Ritchie Blackmore: Musician/Deep Purple
Director of Photography
Ueli Steiger: DOP\"THE HOT SPOT"
Executive Producer
George Clooney: American actor/director
Executive Producer
Steven Reuther:
Additional Music/Songs
Sammy Hagar: Singer/Songwriter
Review 1:
"...Mark Wahlberg gives one of his better performances..."
Source: USA Today
p.14D 01/25/2002
Review 2:
"...[Wahlberg] becomes the spirit of heavy metal....Not since BOOGIE NIGHTS has Wahlberg created so winning and personal a character..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.61-2 09/04/2001
Review 3:
"...Aniston and Spall lead the supporting cast with considerable conviction..."
Source: Variety
p.38-47 09/03/2001
Review 4:
"...The film uses its easy sense of humor to convey what is sometimes lost in rock films, the sense of fun involved in playing and listening to the music..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.1 09/07/2001
Review 5:
"...The film is front-loaded with plenty of funny, authentic-feeling snapshots from the life of an earnest steel-belt metalhead..."
Source: Film Comment
p.76-7 09/01/2001
Review 6:
"...[Spall] is charming....Mr. Stockwell and Mr. Herek balance mockery with affection..."
Source: New York Times
p.E10 09/07/2001
Review 7:
"...There are good performances and the period is well captured..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.31 09/07/2001
Review 8:
"...One-time teen-pop idol Mark Wahlberg is a good metal-mimic, and manifestly enjoys the strutting and the squealing..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.56-7 12/01/2001
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