Bad Meaning Good case study #6: 'Rock N Roll Nightmare'

Wednesday, November 18 2009

R_r7_r_

In April of 2009, myself and DJ Intel launched the 'Bad Meaning Good' monthly movie event at The Burlington in Chicago (which takes place on the first Monday of every month). The idea behind the night is to screen cult classics, exploit movies, unintentional comedies and every other kind of film we collectively decide is so bad that it's actually good. In the ongoing search for the perfect 'Bad Meaning Good' film I've decided to take on a weekly (or AT LEAST once-per-week) blog entry in which I'll review, summarize and rate bad movies of every variety imaginable. The goal is to reach somewhere in the range of 75-100 posts within a year, at which point I'll look for a place to publish a first volume of 'Bad Meaning Good' reviews in book form. Stay tuned...


Bad Meaning Good case study #5:
'Rock N Roll Nightmare' (dir. John Fasano)

Summary:
'Rock N Roll Nightmare' (aka 'The Edge Of Hell') is a 1987 would-be star-making vehicle for one Canadian national treasure Jon-Mikl Thor and by God, is it ever one HELL of a bad movie. Thor plays the frontman for The Tritonz, an aspiring hair-metal/glam outfit taking up temporary residence in a rural Ontario farm house with the mind to turn it into a recording/rehearsal space, thereby allowing Thor the freedom to traverse the bottomless depths of his internal songwriting reservoir free from the temptations of big city excess. Upon arrival the band is met by all manner of hell-spawn oddities and what ensues is the stuff of by-the-numbers slasher fare, albeit on what could generously be described a limited budget. Not all is as it seems though and a final act twist reveals that what is actually taking place could indeed be part of a far greater struggle between the forces of good and evil at large.

Conflicting online reports quote the film's budget within the range of $50-100,000 dollars and it would appear that production value be damned, a woefully significant portion of that budget was spent on hair product alone. The movie is a tacky 80's hairdresser's wet dream and no human head is spared a hideously unflattering fate over the film's duration. The wardrobe stylists were likely allotted the remainder of that budget and promptly spent it on polka dot blouses, shiny silver blazers, metal-studded leather underwear and whatever other ghastly clothing abominations Thor deemed necessary to strike that perfect visual balance between professional wrestler and latent homosexual hair-rocker.

The film positively REEKS of being Thor's personal vanity project and functions as much as a mock demo for his gloriously over the top butt-rock songbook as it does any sort of actual story or coherent narrative. Between extended bouts of rocking, the band mostly spends it's time fucking and dying in that very order. Little else takes place at all. (Rest assured though, the boobs per minute ratio remains ridiculously high throughout.)

As the movie approaches its climax, Thor is brought to an impasse with the devil himself and what follows is a fight scene so mind-fuckingly inept in execution that it makes Ed Wood look like Peckinpah or 'Hard Boiled'-era John Woo by comparison. To think that the balance of good and evil or the very fate of mankind itself could possibly be determined by a standoff between an inert, rubber-starfish-flinging artificial demon and a hairy, muscle-bound, greased-up, poor man's Dee Snider... Well, needless to say what happens here is the stuff of shitty movie legend and I'd better not go into further detail and risk spoiling the visual riches therein. This is something that truly needs to be seen to be believed.

How 'Bad Meaning Good' is it?:
It's staggering to think that a film as artless and incompetent as 'Rock N Roll Nightmare' could have POSSIBLY cost more than $10-20,000, much less upwards of $50-100,000. However, what it lacks in economic efficiency it more than makes up for in good, old fashioned, enthusiastic DIY spirit. I don't think the word "amateur" even begins to describe what's going on here. Truthfully though, who gives a shit? When cost-cutting measures require demonic spirits and other assorted monsters to be replaced by sock puppets and inanimate rubber creatures, the fun is really only beginning...

And how about those villains? The baddies in this film are mostly rubber hand puppets and slimy, phallic, one-eyed penis-beasts. It's totally fucking bizarre and gnarly-all-over. We get a lot of Evil Dead-styled POV shots, presumably from the perspective of these creatures and a lot of scenes where love-making sessions are interrupted by demonic possessions and laughably harebrained kill sequences.

... And we haven't even touched on the overwhelming creep-out factor that Jon-Mikl Thor brings to the table. This dude exorcised a lifetime's worth of sexual frustration during the production of this movie by ensuring that the bare breast quotient remained bountiful and near-consant. He wrote groupies for his band into the story, he wrote topless scenes for all the female characters... Hell, he even wrote he and his female counterpart a brutally lengthy sex scene in the shower that lingers on his bare ass for a painfully long time before mercifully moving on (one of the only scenes in the movie that is not in any way amusing).

What else do we have? We have a woman being turned into a skeleton by spending about 20 seconds in an oven... We have the worst Australian accent ever committed to celluloid (which comes and goes seemingly at random)... We have shots that often linger for up to 5 seconds past their comfortable conclusion... We have lost metal classics like "We Live To Rock" and "Energy" (What, you mean you don't remember those?)... We have a near constant stream of unforced continuity errors and production flaws... What we have is the makings of a bona fide 'Bad Meaning Good' classic, that's what we have.

'Bad Meaning Good'-O-Meter:
8.7

Tags: Bad Meaning Good, Bad Meaning Good Case Studies


Post Comment




Comments

Posted By: viagra online

zzmwfuol viagra online 0347 cialis en ligne =-] cialis tlLKw viagra DdrBKM viagra hot

Posted By: generic viagra

bxvxag generic viagra >:]] propecia :-O accutane 8]]] cialis CxKkaW

Posted By: viagra

qmwktrhj viagra :-O cialis :-O buy cialis now >:]] how does viagra work KpDpx

Posted By: viagra online

nxuzhfg viagra online =-] cialis mBSsKZ cialis online %-[[[ viagra =-] http://buycialist

Posted By: viagra

kyrmyups http://buccialis.com/ cialis :-O viagra 8]]] [url=http://scheapcialis.com/]cialis[/url] VGVMg

Posted By: Max920

First [custom jerseys][1] tends to bring an exciting new practical experience given our budget. Order conventional cycling jerseys wholesale rich in good ensuring combined with ranked support services!Barstools2u . com offers the important skilled profess

Posted By: Wallis920

Unique [custom jerseys][1] always brings a whole new knowledge for all. Obtain great nfl jerseys interbank rich in excellent quality promising also leading client care!You will find the best high quality professional sports nhl jerseys at the cheapest bar

Posted By: Zelda920

jersey

Posted By: fake grass

Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. fake grass

Posted By: alex

Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specially the last part I care for such info much. I was seeking this particular info for a long time. Thank you and good luck. http://projectma

Posted By: Buy dvds online

Nice post.Thank you for taking the time to publish this Modern Family Seasons 1-3information very useful!I’m still waiting for some interesting

Posted By: Yves Saint Lauren

Air Force Bases Air Force Bases Cheap Timberland Cheap Timberland Sunglasses Hut Sunglasses Hut

Posted By: Anonymous

I really such as the hold out which has gone into producing the post. I should certainly be optimistic to inform my weblog buddies about Underbust Corsets</stro

Posted By: timberland shoes

Thanks,Timberland shoes! Tang nodded her head and set this area experienced the cabin.

Li around the right side from the shuttle is going to be available to spread out the cabin drill in i

Posted By: Anonymous

Wie ein Autokredit verglichen wird. Den Onlinekredit im Vergleich sehen.

Posted By: Anonymous

Warum Tagesgeldzinsen oft so niedrig sind. Einen Privatkredit abschliessen Wer eine [günstige Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung][3] abschliessen sollte.

[3

Posted By: Anonymous

Ein kostenloses Girokonto eröffnen Wie Factoring funktioniert. Warum eine kostenlose Mastercard beliebter wird.

Posted By: Anonymous

Wie Kreditkarten verglichen werden.

Posted By: moncler outlet

However, They did not notice that long-term to wear high heels would hurt the foot, now moncler shop compare with high-heeled.Discount ugg outlets are still paying

Posted By: Pittsburgh steelers jerse

How to solve this conflict problem ? Pittsburgh steelers jerseys would be a good choice for them.http://www.nfljerseys-forsale.com/cleveland-browns-c-13.ht

Posted By: Cheap Moncler

The autumn/winter 2011 runways were bubbling with Moncler Jackets UK throw backs. Moncler Coats Online did a brilliant job of bringing the youthful spirit of the w

Posted By: Moncler Mens

The 2011 Fall/Winter Moncler Mens with snow on the ground and frigid temperatures but ended with mercury on the rise -Moncler Jackets, sunshine and spring-like we

Posted By: belstaff leather jackets

belstaff leather Italia Belstaff</

Posted By: Customs Jerseys

ESPN custom nhl jerseys Australia will be divided once again by breaking poor is widening, but the custom soccer jerseys fans and <

Posted By: jore

The post is really an informative one. I have learned some valuable thing over here. Many many thanks for sharing such a nice post. yoga store | http://yogapositionguide.com/category/yoga-p

Posted By: enrison

Impressive article here, thanks for the good insight here. malleoloc ankle brace

Posted By: christian louboutin shoes

To be the fashion trend setter,How can you miss the new style of the christian louboutin shoes in 2011. There are fashionable and classical ones in our outlet.Lead the life fashion and welco

Posted By: Jordan Shoes

Air Jordan of our outlet store are offered at fire sale prices,including Jordan Shoes which is sale very well.I suggest that you should take this chance

Posted By: SteeleJohanna24

Different students can complete a hot enough theme referring to this good post but hundreds of them are short of time for this deal. Hence, every thesis service is able to assist people with the management di

Posted By: RebeccaWard29

There're no doubts that to buy custom writing of premium quality at expert custom papers writing company is pretty good solution for university students who don't ideas how complete their term papers.

Posted By: AdamsLorene19

The simplest way to determine the professionalism of the thesis service is to purchase some interesting dissertation thesis about this good topic from the custom dissertation</a