The rise of punk scenes on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 70's saw a fascinating change in how music was marketed, not just what kind of music but how. Media was turning its focus towards a bottomless underground collective, each group as exciting as they were nameless. As marketing teams noticed the sheer mass of talent and joyous rage, the film industry saw the opportunity to capitalize not only on a couple artists but a genre, and ever since The Blank Generation punk, new wave, and no wave movies were churned out and sold based on their soundtracks. Some movies employed punk rockers as actors, such as Richard Hell in Susan Seidelman's acidic debut film Smithereens (1982). Many of them were documentaries (such as Urgh! A Music War (1982)) and others were just movies that crammed every aural nook and cranny with cheaply-licensed songs (such as Get Crazy (1983)). You'll notice that both of those movies came out after the initial explosion of punk had died off and post-punk and new wave had taken over (which may have been better music but more distanced from the raw emotion that started the movement). Many of these movies have been locked up in copyright issues for years, such as those two, because of how cheap music licensing was in the 70's and 80's and how expensive it is now. The technique rose again in the early 90's once grunge, college rock and jangle pop came to the fore, with movies like Singles and Reality Bites doing good business because of their OST's (lasting into the late 90's, when straightforward rock music giving way to rap rock and nu metal). It's an interesting reminder that subcultures are generated by corporations just as much as genuine volition. It came back in the mid-2000's, with Garden State being the maidenhead of the indie-rock soundtracks (and actually having some good music on it), and is still going to a certain extent. I'll return to the first wave in good time (I've got the intriguing Incident at Channel Q coming in the mail), but for today we've got one of the rarest and most legendary: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains.
I call this article a "special report" because I had the extraordinary privilege of seeing this at a midnight screening at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA. The theater had secured an extremely rare print from a private collection, and I can't think of a better way to get acquainted with this movie than the original print with all fading, dirt and grain. Set for a theatrical release, Stains had a troubled production and spent a year in editing, being pulled from wide release after a disastrous test screening in Denver. Aside from scattered festival screenings it's studio, Paramount, dumped the movie to late-night cable, where it slowly gained a cult following and the admiration of rock figures such as Jon Bon Jovi and Courtney Love. It didn't get a video release until 2008 with Rhino Entertainment. I can't begin to tell you how lucky I was to see this movie on the big screen, and tonight you can too, at midnight at the Coolidge. It's the last night they're doing it, so let me give you all the reasons to see the thing right here, right now.
Diane Lane (only 14 when she auditioned!) plays Corrine Burns, whose mother has just died from lung cancer. She keeps smoking. She had been interviewed for a TV news special on teens in her backwater mill town, and in the process blew up at her fast-food boss and lost her job. Being interviewed for a follow up on her now broke and basically homeless state, she says she's going on tour with her band, The Stains. It's just her, her sister Tracy (Marin Kanter) and their cousin Jessica (Laura Dern), who prefers to be called Peg, to the chagrin of her mother Linda (Christine Lahti). At a local show they see The Looters (an electrifying Ray Winstone as Billy and members of the Sex Pistols) and are transfixed, only to see that they are merely the support group for the washed up Metal Corpses headed by Lou Corpse in terrible makeup (Fee Waybill of The Tubes). Corrine gets a deal with Billy to play on their American tour, despite the Stains only having three rehearsals, and they hop on the bus, driven by a fascinating Rastafarian (Barry Ford).
Their first show is some 70's styled club in Pennsylvania (though the movie was shot in British Columbia), and from the first note it's apparent the Stains can't play. At all. After being laughed off stage, Corrine storms back on and takes her outer clothes off, revealing an outrageous hairdo and a see-through blouse with no bra. Though catcalls erupt, some of the women are awestruck. What follows is a brilliant anger catapult, with Corrine verbally abusing a man in the front row and espousing the Fed Up Teenage Girl manifesto ("I'm perfect! But nobody in this shithole gets me, because I don't put out!"). She tears of stage, and Billy recognizes her raw spirit, encouraging her to practice more and hone her music. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes - the guitarist for the Metal Corpses, who spent the first part of the movie hiding behind hilarious sunglasses and sleeping off highs, is found dead in the ladies' room*. Sent into scramble mode, Billy calls his agent to get them a support group, as he's not interested in the Stains opening for them despite his supportive words.
Something curious happens in the wake of the death of the Corpses's guitarist. The female newscaster who did the interviews on Corrine from the beginning of the movie covers the scene and gets Corrine's take on events, which are complete lies made to impulsively grab attention and notoriety. The newscaster gets a grand idea. She begins following the Stains and encouraging young girls to see them in makeup, creating a feminist movement out of thin air. Corrine gets Tracy and Peg/icca to dress like her, and the band does improve dramatically, but she remains stupid and impulsive. The problem arises in that a Stains fanbase, calling themselves Skunks, is erupting at an alarming rate, fueled by the media coverage following the tour, and neither Corrine, the Looters or the bus driver know what to make of it. Things only get more insane as Billy's slimeball agent gets involved, but I shouldn't spoil the rest.
The plot is familiar, now much more so from the parade of fallen music idol movies and Spinal Tap imitators over the years. However, the strength of the movie isn't just in the set-up but rather in the conflict, density, and character depth that drive the film towards its loaded conclusion. The character dynamics in Stains are terrifically rich, and both Corrine and Billy, as well as many of the lead supports, are deeply drawn and entirely engaging. Diane Lane is astounding here, this being only her second movie, energetic and completely fearless. The movie would have been a lot less compelling if she didn't completely sell her vitriolic, kick-in-the-pants role. I'm not sure Thora Birch has ever seen this film but I wouldn't be surprised if she based Enid in Ghost World off of Corrine. I've always loved Ray Winstone and he's perfect as the pissed-off leader of a second-tier punk outfit far from their home. His presence and assured movement radiates from the screen, and he adds a great deal of depth to a role that could have easily been one note. Fee Waybill is excellent as Lou Corpse, turning in a simultaneously repulsive and fragile performance for a non-actor. Barry Ford's Rastafarian bus driver is perfectly placed, and I wouldn't dare spoil his character's secrets here. And Christine Lahti, though not in much of the movie, brings a lot of sober heart to a somewhat out-of-control story. I've only seen her in three movies (the others being Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty and Bill Forsyth's Housekeeping, which I'll get to in good time) and already I'm entranced by her worldly sensitivity and appealing down-to-Earthyness. She's something of another Catherine O'Hara (another actress I don't see nearly enough), and if they played sisters in a movie I'd pre-order tickets before it was even filmed.
The script is dense and full of emotion, coming from Nancy Dowd (Slapshot, Coming Home), who actually took her name off the film because of her dissatisfaction with the production and sexual harassment issues. She didn't see the film in its entireity until she caught it on cable years later. Her story of punky teenage girl rebellion has similarities to Times Square (another wonderful and hard-to-find movie from the early 80's), where two runaways amass a small cult of defiantly-dressed followers, though that movie was more naive in its message and at least got released properly. The director is record producer Lou Adler, turning down Airplane! to make this and coming off of Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke. For somebody who wasn't trained in film school and had only directed one movie prior, Stains looks great. The shots are knowing and sensitive to the drama of the story and characters, and the movie does a great job of making rainy, dismal British Columbia stand in for rural American doldrums. He also does a great job of filming the music performances, of which there are naturally many. Adler spent about a year editing the movie by himself, and the continual trouble shows its face now and again. I normally don't want movies to be longer but this is one that could have used a few more establishing scenes and another edit from an industry professional. The only other problem I can think of is the slimeball agent, whose character is completely stock and could have been much more interesting, though everything else in the movie is so captivating I didn't care all that much.
Despite it's production trouble, unlikely talent (including producer Joe Roth, who went on to head Disney!) and somewhat rushed pacing, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains is one of the wisest, richest, and most engaging movies I've ever seen about music. The central conflicts between teenage feminist rebellion, the dark side of rock stardom, and the pains of growing up are brilliantly played out and could inspire endless discussion. The performances are marvelous and Lane and Winstone should have won awards for their work. The fact that Paramount pulled the movie from release angers me immensely, considering how everybody involved with the film thought it was going to be a hit. The DVD release is a godsend to fans of punk on film, and there are plenty of cheap used copies on Amazon if you're curious. And for those of my friends still in Boston the Coolidge is doing one last screening of the super-rare 35mm print tonight at midnight, and if you have any interest I would suggest supporting their excellent series and coming out to the show. I couldn't find the movie for free on YouTube but I did find this 11-minute documentary of the movie and its impact, so have a look. Perhaps we can all love Stains, but nobody in this shithole will get us because we don't put out.
~PNK
Their first show is some 70's styled club in Pennsylvania (though the movie was shot in British Columbia), and from the first note it's apparent the Stains can't play. At all. After being laughed off stage, Corrine storms back on and takes her outer clothes off, revealing an outrageous hairdo and a see-through blouse with no bra. Though catcalls erupt, some of the women are awestruck. What follows is a brilliant anger catapult, with Corrine verbally abusing a man in the front row and espousing the Fed Up Teenage Girl manifesto ("I'm perfect! But nobody in this shithole gets me, because I don't put out!"). She tears of stage, and Billy recognizes her raw spirit, encouraging her to practice more and hone her music. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes - the guitarist for the Metal Corpses, who spent the first part of the movie hiding behind hilarious sunglasses and sleeping off highs, is found dead in the ladies' room*. Sent into scramble mode, Billy calls his agent to get them a support group, as he's not interested in the Stains opening for them despite his supportive words.
Something curious happens in the wake of the death of the Corpses's guitarist. The female newscaster who did the interviews on Corrine from the beginning of the movie covers the scene and gets Corrine's take on events, which are complete lies made to impulsively grab attention and notoriety. The newscaster gets a grand idea. She begins following the Stains and encouraging young girls to see them in makeup, creating a feminist movement out of thin air. Corrine gets Tracy and Peg/icca to dress like her, and the band does improve dramatically, but she remains stupid and impulsive. The problem arises in that a Stains fanbase, calling themselves Skunks, is erupting at an alarming rate, fueled by the media coverage following the tour, and neither Corrine, the Looters or the bus driver know what to make of it. Things only get more insane as Billy's slimeball agent gets involved, but I shouldn't spoil the rest.
The plot is familiar, now much more so from the parade of fallen music idol movies and Spinal Tap imitators over the years. However, the strength of the movie isn't just in the set-up but rather in the conflict, density, and character depth that drive the film towards its loaded conclusion. The character dynamics in Stains are terrifically rich, and both Corrine and Billy, as well as many of the lead supports, are deeply drawn and entirely engaging. Diane Lane is astounding here, this being only her second movie, energetic and completely fearless. The movie would have been a lot less compelling if she didn't completely sell her vitriolic, kick-in-the-pants role. I'm not sure Thora Birch has ever seen this film but I wouldn't be surprised if she based Enid in Ghost World off of Corrine. I've always loved Ray Winstone and he's perfect as the pissed-off leader of a second-tier punk outfit far from their home. His presence and assured movement radiates from the screen, and he adds a great deal of depth to a role that could have easily been one note. Fee Waybill is excellent as Lou Corpse, turning in a simultaneously repulsive and fragile performance for a non-actor. Barry Ford's Rastafarian bus driver is perfectly placed, and I wouldn't dare spoil his character's secrets here. And Christine Lahti, though not in much of the movie, brings a lot of sober heart to a somewhat out-of-control story. I've only seen her in three movies (the others being Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty and Bill Forsyth's Housekeeping, which I'll get to in good time) and already I'm entranced by her worldly sensitivity and appealing down-to-Earthyness. She's something of another Catherine O'Hara (another actress I don't see nearly enough), and if they played sisters in a movie I'd pre-order tickets before it was even filmed.
The script is dense and full of emotion, coming from Nancy Dowd (Slapshot, Coming Home), who actually took her name off the film because of her dissatisfaction with the production and sexual harassment issues. She didn't see the film in its entireity until she caught it on cable years later. Her story of punky teenage girl rebellion has similarities to Times Square (another wonderful and hard-to-find movie from the early 80's), where two runaways amass a small cult of defiantly-dressed followers, though that movie was more naive in its message and at least got released properly. The director is record producer Lou Adler, turning down Airplane! to make this and coming off of Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke. For somebody who wasn't trained in film school and had only directed one movie prior, Stains looks great. The shots are knowing and sensitive to the drama of the story and characters, and the movie does a great job of making rainy, dismal British Columbia stand in for rural American doldrums. He also does a great job of filming the music performances, of which there are naturally many. Adler spent about a year editing the movie by himself, and the continual trouble shows its face now and again. I normally don't want movies to be longer but this is one that could have used a few more establishing scenes and another edit from an industry professional. The only other problem I can think of is the slimeball agent, whose character is completely stock and could have been much more interesting, though everything else in the movie is so captivating I didn't care all that much.
Despite it's production trouble, unlikely talent (including producer Joe Roth, who went on to head Disney!) and somewhat rushed pacing, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains is one of the wisest, richest, and most engaging movies I've ever seen about music. The central conflicts between teenage feminist rebellion, the dark side of rock stardom, and the pains of growing up are brilliantly played out and could inspire endless discussion. The performances are marvelous and Lane and Winstone should have won awards for their work. The fact that Paramount pulled the movie from release angers me immensely, considering how everybody involved with the film thought it was going to be a hit. The DVD release is a godsend to fans of punk on film, and there are plenty of cheap used copies on Amazon if you're curious. And for those of my friends still in Boston the Coolidge is doing one last screening of the super-rare 35mm print tonight at midnight, and if you have any interest I would suggest supporting their excellent series and coming out to the show. I couldn't find the movie for free on YouTube but I did find this 11-minute documentary of the movie and its impact, so have a look. Perhaps we can all love Stains, but nobody in this shithole will get us because we don't put out.
~PNK
*One of my favorite moments in the movie is really subtle. Once Jerry Jervey is found dead, most of the time is shots of people looking into the bathroom. A bunch of people come by, look into the bathroom, talk about how he's dead, and have diverse reactions. We only see Jerry for about five seconds at the end. It's a nice reminder that, in a fame-driven world like rock, the fact that people are looking at the subject is more important than the subject itself, which is more often tragic than not.
No comments:
Post a Comment