This is one of those movies where you watch it and wonder who it was made for. It exists in this weird zone where it doesn't really have a direct target audience.
The premise of a disaffected teenager starting a punk band with two of her cousins and finding unexpected fame sounds like it would be a good teen movie, but Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is also crazily dark, features someone dying from a drug addiction, and contains literally every curse word under the sun. I mean, it's a good movie and all, but you can see why it was destined to become a cult film at best, and certainly not a big hit.
It reminded me a bit of another music-themed movie from around the same time that was also about young musicians and the dark side of fame, Eddie and the Cruisers. That one had better music, but Stains definitely had the more compelling narrative.
Yes, the plot's familiar, and there are plenty of movies about the predatory nature of executives, the fleeting nature of fame, and the simplicity/stupidity of fads and how quickly they burn out. But this film tackles it in a way that's grittier and a little more impactful than most. It's also cool (and sometimes alarming) to see a fair few famous actors back when they were very young - most notably Diane Lane, Laura Dern, and Ray Winstone. Also cool: it featured dialogue that was sampled in an Avalanches song (Born to Lose, off their most recent album).
The premise of a disaffected teenager starting a punk band with two of her cousins and finding unexpected fame sounds like it would be a good teen movie, but Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is also crazily dark, features someone dying from a drug addiction, and contains literally every curse word under the sun. I mean, it's a good movie and all, but you can see why it was destined to become a cult film at best, and certainly not a big hit.
It reminded me a bit of another music-themed movie from around the same time that was also about young musicians and the dark side of fame, Eddie and the Cruisers. That one had better music, but Stains definitely had the more compelling narrative.
Yes, the plot's familiar, and there are plenty of movies about the predatory nature of executives, the fleeting nature of fame, and the simplicity/stupidity of fads and how quickly they burn out. But this film tackles it in a way that's grittier and a little more impactful than most. It's also cool (and sometimes alarming) to see a fair few famous actors back when they were very young - most notably Diane Lane, Laura Dern, and Ray Winstone. Also cool: it featured dialogue that was sampled in an Avalanches song (Born to Lose, off their most recent album).