Verdict
Summary
Prey For Rock & Roll feels authentic, if a little heightened with over-the-top thematic elements that only subtract from its telling. What makes it work is Gershon’s performance, and the overall aesthetic of the rock and roll lifestyle for struggling musicians who just want life to cut them a little break.
Plot:
An aging rocker who’s never “made it” is on the cusp of “making it” right at the point when she’s about to give it all up.
Review:
When I was in community college at the age of 21, I went out with a babe who was 15 years older than me and lived the life of a rock and roller. She was in two rock bands, played the bass in both, was fit, smoked, drank, and partied hard. The time that I was with her was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, and yet I totally didn’t belong in her world, but hey: We gave it a shot. Prey For Rock & Roll is very recognizable to me because it’s about a hot, aging rock and roll babe named Jacki (played by the pitch-perfect Gina Gershon) who has been in a rock band for decades, but still hasn’t “made it,” which means the record companies haven’t discovered them yet, despite being on the Los Angeles club circuit for so long that the their groupies have already grown up, gotten jobs, and moved on with their lives. Jacki’s band mates include the lesbian couple Faith (Lori Petty) and Sally (Shelly Cole), and the depressive, drugged-out alcoholic Tracy (Drea de Matteo), whose condition is getting worse by the day. Jacki herself is bisexual, but she seems to be the most grounded of the bunch, and she’s this close to packing it all in after earning only twelve bucks at the last gig they play. When Sally’s brother (Marc Blucas) comes home after being in prison for a ten-year stretch (for killing someone, apparently), Jacki is stunned that she finds herself attracted to him, despite the warning signs, but as it turns out, he’s not such a bad guy after all. Speaking of bad guys, the group has an abusive partner in the midst, and Jacki sets her sights on making sure the bastard never touches her friends ever again, which gets tricky and very against-the-law when she enlists her ex-con boyfriend to help her kidnap the guy and torture him to scare the living daylights out of him. Then there’s a bit of good luck: Jacki’s band has one last shot to be signed by a major record label, but fate twists its knife when one of her band mates is killed in a senseless accident.
Prey For Rock & Roll feels authentic, if a little heightened with over-the-top thematic elements that only subtract from its telling. What makes it work is Gershon’s performance, and the overall aesthetic of the rock and roll lifestyle for struggling musicians who just want life to cut them a little break. I didn’t love the film in any way, but it brought that time back to me: Dating a rocker babe was sexy, smoky, and heart-rending, and this movie understands that very well. From director Alex Steermark.
Now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Prey For Rock & Roll comes in high definition with archival interviews, an audio commentary, a behind the scenes photo gallery, interviews, and trailers.
