Stars: Edward Furlong, Natasha Lyonne, Lin Shaye, Melanie Lynskey, James DeBello, Giuseppe Andrews, Sam Huntington

Director: Adam Rifkin

Summary: A coming-of-age comedy about four teenagers on a mission to attend a KISS concert in Detroit. They let nothing get in their way to see their favourite band live... Set in the late 1970's.

The year is 1978: the KISS Army is at the height of its powers. Enter card-carrying members Hawk (Furlong), Trip, Lex and Jam- four Detroit teenagers who will do anything to go to the KISS show. As we follow them through one day, we see the insane lengths these shaggy-haired young chaps will go to in order to see their favorite rock-and-roll superheroes at a Detroit arena. The band themselves show up in full regalia as their 1978 selves, but Lyonne steals the show as a sweet young disco mama.

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It's hard to call Detroit Rock Citya "coming of age" movie--since it's hard to argue that any of the characters do any genuine growing up. But even though it's about four young metalheads trying to get to a Kiss concert, the movie actually has more in common with sincere portraits of adolescence than it does with raucous teen comedies. The four heroes are members of a teen metal band called Mystery (written in the same font as the letters of Kiss, lest anyone mistake their source of inspiration). After the drummer's religiously zealous mother burns their tickets to a long-awaited concert in nearby Detroit, the boys go anyway and try to get tickets through theft, skullduggery, and entering a male stripper contest. The jokes are broad and the movie culminates in an orgy of male adolescent wish-fulfilment, but here and there some loving attention is paid to the details of 1970s teenage life--the haircuts, clothes, and toys the film-makers probably had when they were kids. Edward Furlong (John Connor from Terminator 2, now grown up) as the band's singer exudes his particular lopsided charm; the rest of the cast play their parts with similar high spirits. Though Detroit Rock Citywas probably meant to be a no-holds-barred comedy in the vein of American Pie, the end result is curiously wistful; no one's going to mistake it for The Last Picture Show, but something sincere and elegiac lurks in those bang-covered eyes. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

:On the DVD: Director Adam Rifkin gives a chaotic but funny commentary about a subject clearly dear to his heart; Gene Simmons is more level-headed but no less fascinating in his own commentary as he talks about his transition from a naive nine-year-old immigrant from Israel to the extravagant showman of Kiss. Hardcore Kiss fans will also appreciate another commentary track in which the other members of the band are interviewed on the telephone by associate producer Tim Sullivan. There's a good "making of" featurette with contributions from all involved. Four deleted scenes show how certain sections were cut for length, and you can also watch the complete "Detroit Rock City" concert footage. Also included are two original music videos: Everclear's cover of "The Boys Are Back in Town", and "Strutter" by The Donnas. The movie's trailer and cast and crew biographies round off a good DVD package. --Mark Walker

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Commentaries, Cutting Room Floor, Behind The Scenes, Music Videos, Play Original Theatrical Trailer, Cast And Crew, Angle Shots On Kiss Concert Only
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1999
Release Date:	April 24, 2000
Runtime:	91 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	E D V 9037
Keywords:	City, Rock, Comedy, General, Wide, Screen, Detroit, Detriot
Genre:	Comedy