Cheap Trick Movies

 

Filmmaker A.J. Schnack draws from over 25 hours of audio-taped interviews to offer an intimate meditation on the life of the man who changed the face of rock & roll in the 1990s in this film that uses materials originally gathered for music journalist Michael Azerrad's book Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. From his early childhood to his discovery of music and his troubled attempts to make sense of his skyrocketing fame as a member of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain recounts his life in a series of previously unreleased recordings. By combining the interviews with footage of Aberdeen, Olympia, and Seattle -- three Washington cities that played a major role in Cobain's tragically short life -- director Schnack assembles a dreamlike journey into the mind of an oft-discussed but widely misunderstood legend. An ethereal score by Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and Nirvana producer Steve Fisk, as well as songs by some of Cobain's favorite recording artists including David Bowie and the Melvins, merge with evocative imagery to strip away the legend and portray the subject as a real man whose talents stood in stark contrast to his ability to deal with the hardships of fame. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A quarter of a decade after their infamous Live at Budokan concert, power-pop act Cheap Trick returns to Japan with this concert and documentary from 2004. Filled with stories throughout their career, Cheap Trick: From Tokyo to You - Live in Japan shows the band onstage and off while delivering quieter moments in the form of various unreleased acoustic performances and intimate interviews. Song highlights include Dream Police, "Surrender", and the fan-favorite "I Want You To Want Me". ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Cheap Trick celebrates its 25th anniversary with a hometown concert that features several guest stars, including the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, Everclear's Art Alexakis, and the Harlem High School Choir. This concert film captures that night. The set list includes more than two dozen songs, including "Surrender," "Dream Police," "The Flame," "I Want You to Want Me," and a performance of the theme song to That '70s Show. The DVD release of this concert includes vintage footage of the band with commentary by band members. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Fusing power pop melodicism with hard rock guitar crunch, Cheap Trick were one of the best American rock bands to emerge in the '70s, and this home video brings together live performances and studio-shot promo clips for 17 of the group's biggest hits. Selections include "Surrender" and "I Want You to Want Me" -- both shot during the concerts recorded for the Live at Budokan album -- as well as "Dream Police," "Don't Be Cruel," "The Flame," "She's Tight," "Tonight It's You," and many more. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A rock & roll singer searches for eternal life in this animated musical fantasy set in a post-nuclear dystopia. Similar to the earlier Heavy Metal (1981) in tone, this film attempts to incorporate mythical themes and mutant beings with music by Cheap Trick, Deborah Harry, Iggy Pop, and other popular acts of the time, with mixed success. Clive Smith's film was a disappointment at the box-office, but has since attracted a minor cult following. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Inspired by stories from the fantasy graphics magazine Heavy Metal, this five-part animated feature combines the talents of hundreds of artists and animators from 17 different countries. A glowing green orb called Loc-Nar that contains the sum total of all evil in the universe travels through space and time, spreading violence and discord in its wake. The stories that follow demonstrate Loc-Nar's malevolent presence throughout the universe. In New York in the year 2023, cabbie Harry Canyon picks up a fare who turns out to have Loc-Nar in her possession, and it turns out to be one trip he wishes that he had never made. In contemporary suburban America, a nerdy high school kid finds the orb in his backyard and is transported to a comic-book universe where he's a mighty warrior and famous spoiler of women. A robot created by an alien race falls in love with a secretary from Earth who was kidnapped by his masters, while she is at once fascinated and repelled by his sexual talents. And finally, Loc-Nar crashes into a mountain, and a world of fantasy and danger spontaneously appears in its wake, ruled by The Defender, a beautiful amazon who rides on a giant bird. The voice cast for Heavy Metal includes John Candy, Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Richard Romanus, and John Vernon. The sound track features selections by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Cheap Trick, Devo, and Grand Funk Railroad. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi