CliqueClackRock of Ages had me rolling … my eyes
‘Rock of Ages’ wants to rock you like a hurricane, but you may just end up rolling on the floor with laughter at the absurdity of it all.
While the movie itself may be uneven, swinging wildly between camp and straight-forward drama, with a plot that was made to fit the songs rather than the other way around (and why was the most obvious song, “Oh Sherrie,” dropped from the movie?!?!), the Blu-ray is top notch. The overall presentation is lush in sound and picture, and you also have the option of watching the R-rated extended version which includes, among other bits and pieces, the deleted lap dance scene between Sherrie and Stacee set to “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” Supposedly dropped due to pacing, the number is actually quite spectacular and should have been the film’s most talked about moment. Perhaps it will now. Cruise swinging from a stripper pole is not something you will soon forget.
As for the extras, they are pretty much nirvana for any 80s hair band fans. Bret Michaels hosts a 30-minute featurette, “Rock of Ages: Legends of the Sunset Strip,” featuring 80s music veterans like Pat Benatar, Sebastian Bach, members of Styx, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Night Ranger, Winger, Def Leppard, Dokken, White Snake, Foreigner, Poison, Journey, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, Vixen, Extreme, and W.A.S.P. giving an oral history of the times, and shows off the personalities of those who lived through the era. Michaels also hosts “The Stories We Sing” which allows some of the participants of the first featurette to talk about the inspiration behind their hit songs. Hough and Boleta host the eight-part “Defining a Decade” which covers the making of the movie from all aspects as well as a brief history of the original show. It runs about 35 minutes. There’s also a music video for “Any Way You Like It” featuring Mary J. Blige and Constantine Maroulis, access to all of the movie’s musical numbers, and … a commercial for Visit Florida. Huh? An UltraViolet code is also included for downloading or streaming a copy of the movie.
Rock of Ages may not be a great movie, but it is watchable … in both a good and bad way, and it’s probably a movie best seen with a group of people who can appreciate a little camp with their rock and roll. The video is available in several formats which you can choose from below.
This review was based on the Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet combo pack provided to CliqueClack by Warner Home Video.
2 Comments on “Rock of Ages had me rolling … my eyes”
Oh, Sherrie did have a “cameo” in the flick. It was started – only the first couple of notes – and interrupted. It was done as a joke, if you weren’t looking for it, it was easily missable.
And I don’t think that particular storyline came out of nowhere; there were a couple subtle nods along the way.
Regardless, I will admit I enjoyed the movie much more the first time around than the second.
I know “Oh Sherrie” had a brief moment in the movie, but it was a featured song in the show. It just seemed to be the one song that should have been featured in the movie.
The gay thing did have some innuendo here and there, but I still didn’t really expect them to go there in the end (and I still don’t know if that is part of the original show).
It’s still probably a movie best enjoyed with a large group of people who will add some Rocky Horror-style commentary to it.