Episode 182 - Rock Star: LIVE!

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

I thought I didn't have any more to talk about with this movie, but I really want to talk about how it should be a crime to use Timothy Olyphant that little in a movie.

[Smigg. 509]

Okay, a little more from my notes, in the tribute band's rehearsal room, they have a sign that reads "Rock & Roll Ain't Blood Pollution!"

 

What kind of sense does that make?! They've taken an AC/DC song title, "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", slapped the tribute band's name "Blood Pollution" (which is also the name of a Steel Dragon song). The problem is, it just makes it sound like a bad review. "Rock & Roll is a lot of things, but Rock & Roll Ain't Blood Pollution".

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

 

That wasn't Mats. I believe if was AC (or one of the other band members). I actually rewound this part, because I couldn't believe he was on liver dialysis on the road. Unlike the more common kidney dialysis, liver dialysis isn't something patients need regularly for years, as it is usually needed by patients with liver failure waiting for transplants. This guy should've been in a hospital, not chugging back hard liquor after a show.

Goddamn, was it not? By the time I concocted that theory, my rental had expired. I couldn't find clips or even photos of that scene anywhere, and I was NOT going to rent it again.

 

JLS theory: Withdrawn.

 

(Incidentally, I watched Jacob's Ladder for the first time last night. I can't tell if it's just because we knew the twist, but my wife and I basically agreed that it was telegraphed for the last 45 minutes or so)

You should get up to the stage and sing over him. Maybe they'll fire him and hire you on the spot. Choose your moment, though. The temptation would be to sing over something like "Inter State Love song," but you should really wait for "Dead & Bloated."

Doubt they'll play "Piece of Pie" since it wasn't a big hit, but that'd be my audition piece. But I don't have the requisite trackmarks for effective Weiland cosplay.

 

Which part of Shannon Hoon could you best replicate? The falsetto or urinating on the fans in the front row?

To quote Dave Chappelle: "If a man cannot pee on his fans, I don't want to be in show business."

 

This November will be the 25 year anniversary of that particular audience micturation. How's everyone going to celebrate?

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

Y'all this movie spoke to me. I loved it. Seriously... I missed it when it came out and I would have been so into it, the fact that it's bad (and it is) wouldn't have mattered.

 

I can't help but thinking how there is a small hidden relevance in this movie: Cosplay.

Cosplay is intensely popular right now as many of you know and perhaps experience first hand. The act of crafting costumes, wigs, and makeup for these people is a true art form and some of them are seriously talented. That is exactly what Chris Cole was doing, but way before it was fashionable (outside of Trekkie conventions?) It hasn't been until the last decade that cosplay has gone mega mainstream. Accuracy is paramount, which is exactly Chris's #1 concern through the first act of this film. He's a cosplay trailblazer.

 

Is there a "RockCon"? Too bad I don't have a magic machine that I could ask and could tell me.

Closest thing I could find was "Rock and Shock Fest," which focuses more on horror movies and death metal.

 

Seems like you'd have a bunch of people showing up as KISS or Marilyn Manson or someone iconically recognizable in costume. Otherwise, it'd be a bunch of dudes in long hair, sleeveless t's, and jeans.

[hotironskillet 137]

I can't believe that Jason failed to mention that the band's manager was Wormtail. He usually never misses the chance to make a Harry Potter reference.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I don’t think I have anything to add to this discussion. The movie was more “dumb and boring” than “crazy and insane.” However, I thought I’d throw this question out to the forum.

 

What band do you feel the most confident that you could to replace a member?

 

For me, maybe, They Might Be Giants, Weezer, or Barenaked Ladies.

 

ETA: TMBG might be too good of musicians actually...

Not sure if this counts as a band per say but I can do a mean Fred Schneider impression so B-52s call me.

 

Other than that the only instrument I can play in the trumpet so I guess Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Real Big Fish.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I need to get this minor thing off my chest. The porno theater at the beginning is playing three movies called Das Bootie, My Favourite Rear, and All That Jizz. Now in case you didn't know these are all parodies of movies; Das Boot, My Favourite Year, and All That Jazz respectively. Now in of itself that's fine it's just a joke but if we stop and think about it there are several things wrong with it. First, while the first pornographic parody, Bat Pussy, was released in 1973 the pornographic parody didn't reach wide spread popularity until 90s. So it's not impossible that a theater was showing three of them in 1986 it is just unlikely. Second point, it's 1986. The movies that they are parodying are from the early 80s and late 70s and no longer in the public consciousness. On top of that none of them are great stories to turn into heterosexual pornographic films. Third point, the brief scene we do see inside the theater has a police officer disrobing at a pool while several swimsuit clad women watch. In none of the films whose names are parodied are scenes featuring cops or pools! So while we may get a good laugh out of All That Jizz that means this world has people that go to see a pornographic bio pic of Bob Fosse featuring cops, bimbos and a pool and that's a world I don't want to be a part of.

[tomspanks 9039]

I thought I didn't have any more to talk about with this movie, but I really want to talk about how it should be a crime to use Timothy Olyphant that little in a movie.

 

Is it just me or is he getting more attractive with age?

 

So while we may get a good laugh out of All That Jizz that means this world has people that go to see a pornographic bio pic of Bob Fosse featuring cops, bimbos and a pool and that's a world I don't want to be a part of.

 

Could it have been a Star Wars cantina scene parody?

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Is it just me or is he getting more attractive with age?

Definitely not just you

 

[SaraK 1980]

Definitely not just you

 

 

I third this. He is 100% of the reason I started watching Santa Clarita Diet

 

[grudlian. 4725]

As someone familiar with Timothy Olyphant from Deadwood, he's definitely better looking in all these gifs than that. It could be the clothing/hairstyle required by a period western isn't that flattering, but I don't think that's it.

[tomspanks 9039]

Hmm, I was sure by now Cam h would have posted some shirtless Olyphant pics

[Cameron H. 23786]

Hmm, I was sure by now Cam h would have posted some shirtless Olyphant pics

 

I mean, if that’s what you want...

 

 

 

Pervert.

 

 

j/k here you go!

 

 

[Thrashtan 4]

In the podcast I noticed there was a tiny verbal slip of Paul calling the band steel dragon “steel panther” which is a real and quite popular 80s style hair metal band that performs hilarious songs in that style. What’s funny about you mentioning that band is that the lead singer of steel panther (Ralph Saenz) actually appears in this film. To quote his Wikipedia page,

“Saenz appeared briefly in the 2001 film Rock Star, seen in the glass booth auditioning when Mark Wahlberg's and Jennifer Aniston's characters walk into the audition. He glares at the two before Wahlberg's character takes his turn to audition.”

Just a funny little meta connection I noticed between the film and your discussion on the podcast. Love u guys, and keep on rocking in the free world.

[Thrashtan 4]

Another interesting tidbit about Rockstar is, as previously stated in the episode, the film was loosely based on the replacing of Rob Halford in the band Judas Priest with Ripper Owens when Halford quit the band and according to the wikipedia page of the film there is a quote from the bassist of judas priest Ian Hill about the film which says,

 

"When Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill was asked about his reaction to Rock Star in an interview in PopMatters magazine Hill responded "Well, it was a true work of fiction, you know? When we heard about the production company were going to make a movie based, as far as we knew, about Ripper joining the band we offered our help. We said 'If there's anything you want to know, talk to us at the time.' And certainly our communication was cut off and that was it and they went off on their own tangent." Hill added "I mean, I quite enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining, you know?" Hill was quoted as saying "It had nothing to do with Rob Halford, Ripper Owens and Judas Priest, it's got nothing to do with that, whatsoever. It was fiction. Apart from the fact that 'Local Boy Makes Good'? That was the only true aspect of the movie." Hill was quick to add "I watched it once. I don't have the urge to watch it again."

 

It would seem that this film could have been actually interesting had they gone the more historical biographical route and actually told the story of Judas Priest, but instead they opted to go with the insane nonsensical story that they thought was somehow better. Just another case of Hollywood having a more interesting story that could have easily been told, but instead choosing one that fails to capture the interest of anyone whatsoever.

[Smigg. 509]

Okay, back to my copious amounts of notes that I have here.

 

I noticed the overusage of the "Metal Horns", actual metal guys don't use them that much. If anything, doing it as much as the people in this movie did just makes you look like a poseur. However, that's just tangential to the thing I wanted to talk about, who actually invented the metal horns? There are two men staking their claim.

 

The first being the late, great Ronnie James Dio of Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Elf (not the movie) fame. His version of the introduction of the metal horns comes from his Italian heritage, he was always see his grandmother giving the "Devil Horns", which from my rudimentary understanding of Italian culture, is something you do to ward off bad people, Dio thought that looked cool, "metal", so would do it on stage.

 

The other is Kiss bassist, and notorious huckster, Gene Simmons, who claims to have invented it entirely by accident, after a show he was waving to the audience, but he was still holding his pick with his middle two fingers, and noticed people in the audience were doing it back to him, and said that it looks like a demon. He also tried to trademark the gesture, in a move similar to Paris Hilton's claiming "That's hot" as her's.

 

However, James Hetfield of Metallica may have debunked both of those claims, and joked that it was none other than Spiderman who started it.

 

 

This picture does lead me to an important thing to say. If you insist on doing the metal horns, KEEP YOUR FUCKING THUMB IN! Thumb in, that's the metal horns, thumb out, that's the sign language for "I love you", if you're telling someone you love them in sign language, then keep that thumb out, and tell people you love them because that's a beautiful thing, however, you want to show the world you're metal, thumbs in.

[Smigg. 509]

Not sure if this counts as a band per say but I can do a mean Fred Schneider impression so B-52s call me.

 

Other than that the only instrument I can play in the trumpet so I guess Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Real Big Fish.

 

Looks like we've got an HDTGM band in the making

 

Cam Bert on the Trumpet

Smigg on the Bass (and possible vocals)

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I don’t think I have anything to add to this discussion. The movie was more “dumb and boring” than “crazy and insane.” However, I thought I’d throw this question out to the forum.

 

What band do you feel the most confident that you could to replace a member?

 

For me, maybe, They Might Be Giants, Weezer, or Barenaked Ladies.

 

ETA: TMBG might be too good of musicians actually...

I can't hit all her high notes but I think I could rock the shit out of Paramore if I replaced whats-her-face.

[Smigg. 509]

I can't hit all her high notes but I think I could rock the shit out of Paramore if I replaced whats-her-face.

 

Hayley Williams

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Hayley Williams

Oh I know her name. I just don't really care about her that much lol.

[Smigg. 509]

Oh I know her name. I just don't really care about her that much lol.

 

I only know about her because of guitar hero, because you could unlock actual rock stars, and the amount of times I ended up having to play Paramore, and she comes bounding out and me thinking "Fuck sake, again?!"

 

Do you know who I wanted to unlock?!

 

 

Zakk fucking Wylde!

[Smigg. 509]

Oh yeah, I don't recall anybody bringing this up, but George Clooney was an executive producer on this movie!

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I only know about her because of guitar hero, because you could unlock actual rock stars, and the amount of times I ended up having to play Paramore, and she comes bounding out and me thinking "Fuck sake, again?!"

There's a bit of inside music drama that she was involved in that has made me side eye both her and her husband. Not saying that she was 100% at fault or even like a monster or anything, and I'm pretty sure they've all moved on, but when you know shitty stories about people they never ever ever leave you.

[Smigg. 509]

There's a bit of inside music drama that she was involved in that has made me side eye both her and her husband. Not saying that she was 100% at fault or even like a monster or anything, and I'm pretty sure they've all moved on, but when you know shitty stories about people they never ever ever leave you.

 

Yeah, I get exactly what you mean, I've had a couple where I've seen stuff about them, and just thought "Fuck them" and not wanted to have anything to do with any of their work.

 

One being Graham Linehan, who co-created Father Ted, and later The IT Crowd, I loved those shows, then he revealed himself to be an absolutely vile person, now I can't watch any of them.

[tomspanks 9039]

Something that I remembered. In the studio, when Bobby is being let go from the band, and it's revealed that he's gay, Izzy asks "you're gay?" and Bobby says something like "No, I have pierced nipples and a house in Morocco because I'm John Wayne." Does anybody know what this means? He implies that gay men like pierced nipples, fine whatever, but the house in Morocco? I didn't think Morocco was a LGBT-friendly country. And the John Wayne part? Were there rumors that he was gay or maybe he had a house in Morocco? I dunno, this one sentence really stumped me.