I’m going to hate the music, but love the movie!
I like the fact that Kristin Stewart is Joan Jett, but I’m even more interested in seeing Dakota Fanning play Cherie Currie! From everything I’ve read, it’s based on Currie’s autobiography, so she’s the lead here. Looks like they’re touting up Stewart/Jett in the advertising since they’re both more famous. I hope that doesn’t backfire on them.
I had no idea that there was a Runaways movie in production. I’m going to IMDB to see who plays Kim Fowley. Dakota looks a LOT like Cherie, huh?
Quite a bit, actually.
Really, though, is there a need for this? Yes, the Runaways were a great band (I’m old enough to have seen them) but in the end they were a svengali band with little staying power. Joan Jett can really raise the roof (even now) but making them out to be a scene-altering sort of band? No.
Yes.
How many svengali bands had not one, but two members (Joan Jett and Lita Ford) who went on to be pretty famous in their own right and have long and successful careers? And The Runaways were the first (famous) all-female rock band. And it’s an interesting story. And it will evoke a specific time and place in rock music history. Lots of movies have been based on less.
You’re saying that The Runaways were NOT scene-altering? Since when? Do you have any idea how many bands they influenced? Well, I don’t either, because I’m not into that kind of music, but I know it was a lot. Maybe others who like crunchy rock can chime in.
Huh, I wonder what happened to my post?
Anyway, off the top of my head, and not limited to “Girl” bands…
Saharah Hotnights
The Donnas
The Detroit Cobras
The Gore Gore Girls
White Stripes
Germs
Libertines
Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
I’ll chime in.
Micki Steele, who fronted after lyricist Kari Krome’s initial attempts at singing, eventually went on to join The Bangles.
Lita Ford has had a successful career in metal/hard rock, recording with Ozzy and inspiring many women to pick up the guitar and rock out; likewise for Joan Jett.
Joan Jett’s fierce attitude, iconic look, and dedication to doing things her own way (she started her own record label after The Runaways broke up, and scored a #1 hit with I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, which spent 6 weeks at the top of the charts. Joan wrote, played, sang and produced the album herself. She is cited as a major focal point and inspiration for the Riot Grrrl movement in the 1990s, which helped bands like L7, Le Tigre, The Donnas, Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, 7 Year Bitch, Babes In Toyland, The Breeders, Hole, PJ Harvey, Veruca Salt and The Slits get their start and get known outside of their home cities.
The Runaways are like a lot of other great, influential rock bands in that they weren’t that successful in their brief career, but they influenced many because the songs, the image, the attitude all resonated with people who, while in the margins of so-called “real life”, had the drive to do their own thing with the unrestrained passion they saw in their predecessors. I fit them in with bands like MC5, The Stooges, Venom, Chrome and The Germs (Jett produced their only album) for influence without much commercial success.
Also, the conflicts between Jett and Lita Ford (and Sandy West), the substance abuse, the loss of their Svengali after just a year and a half or so, and the way that these very young people took up their own mantle, is an engaging and inspiring story. I’m looking forward to this movie; I just hope it doesn’t pull any punches.
I assume everyone interested has seen Edgeplay?
There was a lot of infighting over the final cut and in retrospect it appears at least some of it was due to Jett wanting to make the above-mentioned film.
When does this come out? I can’t wait to see it.
It debuted at Sundance on Sunday. Joan Jett played at a local bar, but at $200 a ticket, I demurred.
Their music has held up a lot better than I thought it would at the time. I was not a fan back in the 70’s, but now I have Best Of The Runaways on my ipod and I turn it up when Cherry Bomb or C’mon comes up in the shuffle.
4 of us went to see the Runaways play at the Uptown instead of attending senior prom. Still think we made the right choice.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB!
Drove out to see Joan Jett last summer but she was rained out. Hope she comes around this summer.
Gonna have to drag my wife to see this flick.
I totally want to see this movie.
The Runaways had a big impact, just in a very non-traditional way - i.e., it wasn’t the length of their run as a band and all the great albums and tours. It was how some of them built off of their initial experience and how the band inspired other bands…
I knew this was in the works, but I had no idea it was *so *in the works.
I was hay-uge Runaways fan back in the day. It was me, and like one other guy, in my little rural, middle of nowhere, town who had even heard of them. Everybody thought we were weird. We showed them, huh?
I haven’t checked out the trailer yet (no video here at work) but the idea of Dakota Fanning (who, in my mind’s eye is still 11 years old for some reason) playing Cherie Currie (who spent many a starring role in my filthy mind) is a bit unsettling at the moment.
No kidding!I couldn’t quite get a good look from the trailer so I’m having a real hard time getting it straight in my mind’s eye. However, if Ms. Fanning can pull it off it will be a further credit to her already considerable talent. Ms. Stewart however makes me want to do violence.
The Runaways were important because they were one of the first edgy rock bands with women performers.
The bad ass Rocker image used to be primarily male. Chick bands in the sixties sang melodic harmonies and kept a feminine image. The Dixie Cups, Shirelles, and Aretha Franklin did fantastic music completely different from male bands like The Rolling Stones. Janis Joplin was one of the earliest bad ass female rockers. Even Janis Joplin wore feathers and boas.
The Runaways made it acceptable for women to Rock out just like the guys.
I hope it hits nationwide by the 14th of February. It could be my Valentines movie (if I don’t decide to go see The Wolfman instead).
Please check back after you’ve seen the movie and tell me what you think of Stewart as Jett. There seems to be such a huge backlash against her because of her character in the Twilight films. I knew about and liked her years before Twilight. My first exposure was Jodie Foster’s daughter in Panic Room and I knew she was an actress to watch. In a way I feel bad for her that she took the Twilight gig, she’s much better than the crap she’s getting for a playing a mope. Maybe The Runaways will show people, hey, there’s this thing called “acting” which is what people do when they want to portray different characters. Kristen Stewart is not Bella, it’s a role.
Unless there’s some other reason you’d like to do violence because of a young girl’s existence.
I’ve never seen Twilight (though of course I know about it). To be sure, it is an irrational dislike and stems from hearing so much about it and then finally seeing pictures of her and The Smelly One and being even more puzzled at the popularity. (Totally unfair on my part but I’m also willing to give her a chance!). Let’s “talk” after I see it 
Fair enough.
(The Smelly One?)