Gene Simmons Movies
Gene Simmons is best known as the co-founder and arguable leader of the rock band Kiss (he's the one who wears the "demon" makeup and spits blood on-stage, among other antics). After the band became popular in the late '70s, Simmons embarked upon a relatively short-lived acting career that began with the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978). He made his solo acting debut as a villain in Never Too Young to Die (1986). He went on to play villains in more films until his acting began interfering with his music. Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Israel but was raised in the U.S. After graduating from college, he spent a few months teaching sixth grade, but then left to become a musician. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- R
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Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge's comedy about a flower-extract plant owner contending with an ever-growing avalanche of personal and professional disasters. An employee at the factory has just suffered an unfortunate accident on the assembly line, but little does the put-upon owner realize that things are about to get much worse. As the injured employee threatens to sue and it begins to look like his company will be bought out, the frazzled owner attempts to catch the culprit responsible for stealing wallets from the coat room and begins to suspect that his wife is sleeping with the gigolo he hired to seduce her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, (more)
- 2008
Reflecting the Japanese fascination with western culture, this musically-charged comedy concerns Souichi, a sweet natured, slightly backward pop fan who aspires to recording stardom. He naively moves to the city of Tokyo expecting to hit the charts overnight as a pioneer of soft, sentimental romantic ballads. Naturally, that doesn't happen, but Souichi encounters even greater success with an oddball gig that involves donning demon makeup and a black cape as a front man for the band Detroit Metal City. By day, Souichi remains the ineffectual and timid young man well-liked by everyone; by night, he's a crass, loud, frightening monster named Johannes Klauser II who earns his paycheck screaming rants onstage about rape and murder, to the delight of thousands of shrieking goth metal fans, some of whom actually believe he is a demon incarnate. His life grows problematic when he reencounters and falls hard for a university crush, Ms. Aikawa (Rosa Kato) - an equally timid, beautiful young pop critic who will almost certainly disapprove of his lifestyle after dark - if she ever finds out. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenichi Matsuyama, Rosa Kato, (more)
- 2007
Filmmaker Mike Pasley examines the pressures faced by kids who aspire to become professional gamers in a time when one of the biggest sports industries in the world is the one that most folks seem to know the least about. In the world of professional gaming, only a few players will manage to rise through the ranks and achieve true success. The decisions these gamers must make as they fight their way to the top would be enough to make most people twice their age take pause, yet despite knowing that the outcome of these decisions may remain with them for the rest of their lives, they're willing to risk it all in order to capture that elusive dream. As with any profitable industry, the gaming world is plagued by corruption, drugs, and shady financial dealings. In this film, Pasley focuses not only on the gamers who were exploited and abused in this multi-million dollar industry, but the true heroes that sometimes emerge as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Fed up with being shot down by good-looking guys again and again, Meg decided to undergo a fashion makeover. The Griffins are so impressed by the results that they instantly form themselves into a family singing group. They are booked on Saturday Night Live, where Meg makes a rather abrupt transition from girlhood to womanhood. Those keeping track of the series' cultural references should have their hands full in this episode, which includes "quotes" from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, King of the Hill, The Wizard of Oz, The Empire Strikes Back, Coyote Ugly, MAD TV and the collected works of Garrison Keillor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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As the tongue-flicking, blood-spitting bat-lizard bassist with hard rock icons KISS, Gene Simmons has toured the world, sold millions of records, slept with thousands of women, and made more money than most folks can count. None of this has made Simmons the least bit humble or modest, and Gene Simmons: Speaking in Tongues follows him on a speaking tour of Australia, where Simmons offers his opinions on music, money, women, and just about everything else. Also included is a visit to Simmons' home, footage from the release party for his solo album A**hole, a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot for his music video "Firestarter," and much more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The music-themed documentary KISS Loves You travels back to the mid-1990s -a point when the famous arena rock band KISS had begun to lose much of its initial popularity and longtime fans were pining for the group's 1970s heyday. This enthusiasm blossomed into numerous KISS fan clubs, which prompted the four original band members - Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley - to reunite for a period of time. KISS Loves You observes a number of KISS fans as they follow the rock outfit through the vicissitudes of this period. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2003
An animated comedy, created by Gene Simmons of KISS fame, about a rebellious rock star's son who dreams of having a normal life. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In this follow-up to the "Road to Rhode Island" episode, Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) sees a commercial for "Kiss-Stock" while watching "Kiss Forum" on Rhode Island Public Access. He decides that since he and Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) have always been huge fans of the group, they'll go to the festival, leaving Brian (MacFarlane) to look after Stewie (MacFarlane). Stewie, who has grown obsessed with the BBC children's program, "Jolly Farm Revue," immediately runs away from home. He's decided to take up residence at Jolly Farm. He sneaks onto a plane with a British family, and as Brian arrives to bring him back home, the plane takes off. To make matters worse, Stewie has gotten on the wrong plane, and the pair end up in the Middle East. Stuck with no money and no way home, Stewie and Brian perform a musical number to distract a merchant so they can steal a camel. They also steal a hot air balloon, have an encounter with the Pope, and visit a hash bar in Amsterdam before Stewie reaches Jolly Farm, which is not everything he dreamt of. Meanwhile, at "Kiss-Stock," Lois brings shame upon Peter when he learns that she doesn't know the words to "Rock & Roll All Nite." This episode features the voices of Andy Dick, Jon Favreau, Lauren Graham, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, and Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Small-town insurance adjustor Macbeth (Cary Elwes) is swindled into signing over a one-million-dollar policy to trailer park harlot Sally (Mary Steenburgen), who then hires a seductive hit woman, Jupiter (Elaine Hendrix), to kill him. But the ruthless Jupiter, who specializes in slaying cheating husbands, falls for hapless, poetry-reciting Macbeth, so Sally goes to Plan B. Before long, the entire town of deeply disturbed eccentrics is involved. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cary Elwes
Former Prada model and Road Trip co-star D.J. Qualls makes a bid for leading man status in this nerd-makeover comedy. Qualls stars as Dizzy, a dorky but delinquent high school student who's determined to get expelled from his hellish high school -- but ends up landing in jail instead. There he meets the intimidating, street-smart Luther (Eddie Griffin), himself a former geek, who takes Dizzy under his wing to teach him the art of being cool. Soon Luther and his pals have broken Dizzy of his meek, maladroit ways, and Dizzy is ready to start a new life at a new high school under a new name: Gil Harris. When Gil arrives at East Highland High -- his former inmate reputation known to all -- he quickly ingratiates himself with the cool kids and lays to waste any jocks who stand in his way. He even manages to date the school's most coveted girl, Danielle (Eliza Dushku). But when a face from his past shows up, it seems that his facade as the big man on campus may be about to crumble. The New Guy also stars Zooey Deschanel and Lyle Lovett, and features cameos from rockers Henry Rollins, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Lee. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- D.J. Qualls, Eliza Dushku, (more)
- 2001
Christmas is approaching. Stewie (voice of Seth MacFarlane) isn't particularly looking forward to playing the baby Jesus in Quahog's annual passion play. Peter (MacFarlane) only seems interested in watching the annual airing of "Kiss Saves Santa." Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) drags him to visit Joe (voice of Patrick Warburton) and Bonnie (voice of Jennifer Tilly), where they find Joe in an unpleasant mood. Stewie learns of Santa and his "constant surveillance of every child on Earth." Peter accidentally gives all of the family's presents to charity. Lois takes the news surprisingly well, and the Griffins head to the mall to buy new presents, leaving Brian (MacFarlane) behind to look after their Christmas Eve turkey. At the mall, the family fights with other last-minute shoppers, and Stewie is shocked to have a chance to sit on the lap of his new nemesis. "Santa, you make it too easy," he taunts. But when he learns that Santa will give him whatever he wants (in Stewie's case, plutonium) in exchange for being "good," he changes his tune. Meanwhile, back at the house, Brian runs into some trouble, thanks in no small part to Peter's purchase of a novelty fire extinguisher. Her Christmas dinner ruined, Lois' calm veneer cracks and she goes on a rampage through town. This episode features the voices of Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss of Kiss. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2000
At Any Cost is the story of the rise and fall of a "one hit wonder" singing group. Lance and Mike, a pair of brothers living in Austin, TX, make a bid for the big time by forming a rock band called Beyond Gravity. Lance's wife Chelsea is recruited as the band's bass player, while the brothers' best friend Ben is appointed manager. The group's optimism and idealism is quickly ground down by failed performances, the foot-dragging of the label that signed them, Ben's ruthless and obstreperous business practices, and above all, by Mike's substance abuse. Just when it appears as if the group's fortunes will change, tragedy strikes. At Any Cost was produced for VH1 as part of that cable channel's "Movies That Rock" series. In an unusual move, the producers created the group Beyond Gravity before the film was made, the better to fit the plot line progression to the group's songs, rather than the other way around. The film's soundtrack (and its subsequent CD) also features the talents of Andreas Johnson, Barenaked Ladies, and Eagle-Eye Cherry. At Any Cost was first broadcast on August 16, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Mills, Cyia Batten, (more)
Are you ready for the hottest band in the land? It's 1978 in Detroit, and pretty much any teenager who isn't a total wimp is totally stoked for the upcoming Kiss concert (as anyone who ever listened to Kiss Alive! knows, Detroit has always loved this band). But four proud members of the Kiss Army find themselves without tickets to the show, and one has to deal with a mother who is convinced that Kiss and their music are evil incarnate. Will they be able to foil scalpers, security, and paranoid parents to witness the fire-spitting, blood-puking, hard rock frenzy that is Kiss on stage? Detroit Rock City stars Edward Furlong, Sam Huntington, Natasha Lyonne, Giuseppe Andrews, and James DeBello as the representative members of the Teenage Nation; the original four members of Kiss (Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss) play themselves, and Simmons also co-produced. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Furlong, Giuseppe Andrews, (more)
- 1994
"Indian Outlaw" helped country singer Tim McGraw climb his way through the charts and into the psyches of country lovers everywhere, though some of the lyrics in the single ignited a controversy within the Native American community. Tim McGraw: Indian Outlaw includes three versions of the song itself--the radio version, an extended dance remix, and an instructional dance video--as well as "Welcome to the Club" and "Memory Lane", two other McGraw tunes.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Most surfer dudes come off as clean-cut types, but not the two surfer lead men in this film. Involved in drug trading, these guys go after a major deal that turns sour when a friend wisens the narcs to their exploits. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, DeDee Pfeiffer, (more)
- 1988
- R
Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler are among the Heavy Metal artists interviewed in The Decline of Western Civilization 2: The Metal Years. This follow-up to filmmaker Penelope Spheeris' classic 1981 "punk" documentary The Decline of Western Civilization is a bit more reflective and word-dominated than its predecessor, but no less entertaining. One striking aspect of the film is its before-and-after comparisons of the impact of MTV. Heavy Metal newcomers tend to overpraise the cable service, while the "oldsters" implicitly decry the mainstreaming-and in some cases, homogenizing--of their best work. Interestingly, Spheeris' own style has become more mainstream in the years since Decline of Western Civilization, thanks to experience gleaned on such dramatic films as Hollywood Vice Squad (1986) and Dudes (1987). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Joseph Perry, Steven Tyler, (more)
Character actor Charles Martin Smith directed this quirky horror film about a dead rock star who wreaks vengeance on a small town. When a rock musician is banned from performing at a high school Halloween dance and ends up perishing in a hotel fire, he vows vengeance on the town and comes back from beyond the grave to obliterate the population. He does this through one of his most rabid fans, the nerdy Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), a high school outsider. He is such a fan that he plays the rock star's final album "Songs in the Key of Death" in reverse, looking for instructions on how to live his life. The rock star willingly obliges Eddie with helpful hints and soon Eddie is able to face down the high school bullies and gain the attention of an attractive girl. But soon Eddie begins to suspect that the ghost is using him. With the ghost intent on destroying the town, Eddie uses his newfound self-confidence to stand up to the ghost and save the town from destruction. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Price, Tony Dean Fields, (more)
- 1986
- R
In this James Bond parody, the evil villain is also an evil villainess, Velvet Von Ragner (Gene Simmons), an androgynous, leather-bound cross-dressing criminal genius out to finish off all of L.A. by contaminating the city's water supply. Standing in the way of his/her success is undercover agent Drew Stargrove (George Lazenby), but he does not stand for long. Once he has been slain, his son Lance (John Stamos) takes up the fight assisted by Danja Deering (Vanity) who has the requisite sex appeal for her job. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Stamos, Vanity, (more)
Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer) is a modern-day bounty hunter who goes after notorious terrorist Malak Al Rahim (Gene Simmons) in this action feature. Nick is called on after Malak disrupts Los Angeles with a series of fatal bombings. William Russ plays Nick's friend and retired LAPD lieutenant Danny Quintz, with Robert Guillaume as CIA agent and former partner Philmore Walker. Nick tries to avoid being one of many caught in Malak's murderous bloodbath. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Gene Simmons, (more)
- 1985
A performance video with Kiss, as they perform all their head-banging hits in this live concert. ~ All Movie Guide
Best-selling author Michael Crichton wrote and directed this science fiction thriller that combined the influences of Blade Runner (1982), comic books, and Crichton's ongoing fascination with the dangers of high technology. Tom Selleck stars as Sergeant Jack Ramsey, a single father in the near future, when robots have largely replaced humans in performing menial labor. However, the robots occasionally malfunction, threatening human life and requiring a specialist like Jack, who terminates the haywire "runaways." Investigating a particularly nasty series of recent cases, Jack and his new partner Karen Thompson (Cynthia Rhodes) discover a connection between the runaways and Charles Luther (Kiss frontsman Gene Simmons). Luther, a maniacal genius, is masterminding a plot to create an army of killing machines. With time running out, it's up to Jack and Karen to match wits with Luther and save humanity. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Cynthia Rhodes, (more)
- 198z
A documentary that features some rare and private footage of the band. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1978
This made-for-television film, an unusual collaboration between hard rock group Kiss and children's television kings Hanna Barbera, became one of NBC's highest-rated programs of 1978. The plot, reminiscent of the average episode of Scooby-Doo, begins with crazed inventor Abner Devereaux (Anthony Zerbe) getting fired from his job at California's Magic Mountain amusement park for ignoring safety standards in his quest to create bigger and better attractions. Devereaux retreats to his underground lab and plots a revenge scenario that coincides with the arrival of rock group Kiss (playing themselves) to perform a concert at the park. Using his knowledge of animatronics, Devereaux creates android duplicates of Kiss and uses them to create havoc. However, he soon discovers he's in for a fight because the group has secret talisman amulets that give them special powers. Thus, the stage is set for a superhero-style showdown between Kiss and Devereaux's squad of animatronic henchmen. Although it is a live-action effort, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park is cartoonish in the extreme as it dishes out plenty of bad jokes and low-budget special effects. It was a considerable ratings success, but also unfortunately branded Kiss with a "kiddie group" image that took years to shake. As a result, the members of the group consider Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park an embarrassment. Nevertheless, it remains a cult favorite with the group's fans and aficionados of odd television. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
