It's delightful, it's delicious, it's dlevy!

I saw Rock of Ages tonight, and I feel like I could write an entire master’s thesis on the film. Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan of the film genre I call “shlock opera” (think The Apple or Xanadu), you’ll find a lot to like in this film.

But I couldn’t help thinking that director Adam Shankman was consciously paying tribute to these films. And while I find that entirely hilarious and satisfying, given that not a single one of those shlock operas was a success (or even warmly remembered except by lovers of camp), it doesn’t seem like the best tack to take on a big budget film musical.

Anyway, now I’m watching Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the film that most closely resembles Rock of Ages in terms of celebrity casting, ridiculous (mis)use of great songs, bad editing, plot holes, self-reference, and more. I believe all of the films I’ve made reference to in this post are available on Netflix Watch Instantly. I recommend them all… just not all at once.