Detroit Rock City
directed by Adam Rifkin
starring Edward Furlong, Giuseppe Andrews, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, KISS...
Hello hello! This is October 9, 1999, and I am writing to you live from Hastings, England (it does sound pompous, but it's like the smallest seaside town you've ever seen. Only one cinema, currently showing Runaway Bride, American Pie, and The Haunting. And who knows, Detroit Rock City might just fit the profile and make it here! (American made, teenage audience...)
This is one of those films Melanie did in spite of her agent's good advice (this is not Hollywood!! Nooo!!! Oh well, too late). Well, having been a closet fan of KISS for... errr, as long as she could remember, Melanie could only be tempted by this story of four teenagers who will do just anything to get their way into a sold-out KISS concert back in 1978, when the real Mel (she's called Beth in the film) was celebrating her first year in the dreadful world outside. Unfortunately and as the pictures below sadly show, she is NOT one of those four teenagers, and that's a shame. Please Mel, don't take roles that mean less than 10 minutes screen-time!!!
This film was shot between October and December 1998, and took Mel from LA to New York and Toronto (something tells me that this girl likes to travel).
Who else stars on this film ?
Ah well, you know Edward Furlong (the veeeeeery attractive guy from Terminator 2. Not that it was his best film, but shame on me, I haven't seen the others, though I wanted to). Anyway, I have plenty to choose from now, between John Water's Pecker, I-don't-know-whose-American History X, and this Detroit Rock City here.
Update: and I chose American History X (directed by Tony Kaye, whom I totally despise - read the Uncut article about him and learn all about pretentiousness and lack of whatever conscience), cos it got released earlier. I actually wonder if there is more slow motion than normal speed in that film (haha). And I'm still trying to get the message, of course (great editing, Ed! - not Furlong, Norton - Could we have even more scenes where your character is glorified ? No, I don't suppose we can...) Who did this anyway ? A redeemed skinhead ? I'm still trying to figure out why this film is supported by Amnesty International... Maybe they support Birth of a Nation as well... Oh right, this one has another co-star from Detroit Rock City. It's Giuseppe Andrews, who plays one of Danny's (ie Edward Furlong) nazi buddies, but I don't know why I mention it, cos you can hardly see him. I mean I can't even remember his face (but the friend I went to see the film with could).
And you should start to know who Natasha Lyonne is as well - she's also in Mel's upcoming But I'm a Cheerleader! - and if you don't, well she was in the recent Slums of Beverly Hills, an American indie flick for which she got nominated by Movieline as part of their Alternative Oscar Ballot in the category Best Masturbation scene (although I can't see how she can beat Philip Seymour Hoffman in Happiness). And before these exciting adventures, Natasha also had a small role in Everyone says I love you, which also starred Edward Norton (who plays Edward Furlong's ex-con of a brother in American History X! See how it all ties up together ? There is a meaning to life! I told you so!).
We've also got Giuseppe Andrews starring as one of the four teenage fans of KISS. He started very young and has many appearances behind him, and even more in production or just upcoming: a few episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 (figures), Independence Day (like Foreign Correspondents star Yelena Danova!), Unstrung Heroes, Pleasantville, American History X (starring co-star from Detroit Rock City Edward Furlong, but I already said that)... And I'm not even naming half of it.
See you guys on October 22, when DRC opens in the UK, and I finally get a chance to see it !