Not exactly rocking the boat ...

This just in: It's cool to like old rock 'n' roll.



Now, we've had too many examples of Trailer FAIL* to say that these two- to three-minute bits tell us everything about a film. But let's do some simple addition: That trailer + the writer/director involved = Yawn.

*This one comes to mind.

I mean, seriously. Rock 'n' roll vs. the establishment? True story or not, that setup's about as compelling as the one about women vs. gender roles, or the idea that war is hell. Next!

Not to say this film will be bad or anything. I'm sure there's some great music in there, and it looks like The World's Greatest Actor (and I type that with zero irony ... I really mean it) has himself another meaty role.

Just it brings back memories of Almost Famous, another overrated music movie (I touched upon that here), and doesn't seem -- operative word there is "seem" -- to compare to the best recent example of music-related film-fiction.

One final note, and this is the major point here: I'm still waiting for someone -- anyone -- to do for the genre of heavy metal* what has been done for the likes of '60s/'70s rock or early country or jazz or soul or hip-hop.

*And no, this doesn't count as metal.

If there's one music genre that is completely misunderstood by the populous, it's metal. Is it esoteric stuff? Absolutely. I wouldn't take a girl to a Between the Buried and Me concert on a first date or anything. But NOBODY can listen to it and make any rational argument against its merit as music of the highest advancement. Plus, ya know, it'd be nice if people understood it just enough so as not to label As I Lay Dying fans Satanists (click the link to get the joke there).

But no, the whole thing still is mostly shunned in the Western world and often banned elsewhere. Therefore, the ingredients of compelling film drama all are in play: Dedicated, committed, creative musicians working on misunderstood art, making little money doing it, and touching people in ways that Indie Rockers only wish they could.

There. End of rant. Now somebody make that movie, instead another on the British Invasion.

(And when you do make the metal film, could you leave Metallica out of it entirely? Thanks.)