"Give me back my drumsticks....please."

This weekend I bought one of my favorite movies, Detroit Rock City, at a reasonable $3.99, a price, the critics would agree with. For those of you who have never seen this movie, it is classic road film about four Ohio teenage stoners in 1978 trying to make their dream come true, the dream to see KISS live in Detroit Rock City. Jam, Hawk, Trip and Lex are members of Mystery, their after school version of KISS. The movie centers on drummer, Jeremiah “Jam” Bruce (the kid from jungle2jungle). Jam faces a number of challenges including a chain smoking, less than perfect mother, who belongs to MATMOK (Mother Against The Music Of KISS).
The film follows the boys as they endure 24 hours of torment watching their dream go up in flames, literally. But that doesn’t stop them. The night includes kidnapping, stolen cars, bank robberies, strip clubs, and church confessionals. The boys each have one pivotal moment in the movie. Jam’s comes when he confronts his mother at a MATMOK protest. If you watch the movie only for this speech it’s worth it. How many of us would love to parents what we really think?
The best part about this movie is you don’t even have to like KISS to like the movie. I think each of us can relate to this movie. How many of us would do anything to see Jack Johnson or someone in concert… for me, it would be Kenny Chesney. Many criticize this movie because of its similarity to Rock’n’Roll High School filmed in 1976. However Adam Rifkin does a great job of depicting the times for filming in 1999. The opening credits are a montage of pop culture. The music is also a great anthology of 1978 so whether you parents were KISS fans or KC and the Sunshine Band its there.
I recommend this movie to all teenagers.
Blair

P.S.
I was watching Dazed and Confused and noticed a few things. You know that Nextel commercial “Goodnight John Boy?” It is completely from that movie. Another thing is when ever Matthew McConaughey goes on a talk show he always talks about his life motto of “Just keep livin” that was also his character David Wooderson’s life motto.