The Rocker...side-splitting film theatrics. Rainn Wilson a "hoot"!

New York Dolls Big Apple pix...

Last month, I caught the high-energy premiere for - "The Rocker" - at a Film Festival in Las Vegas.

Now that slapstick promos are starting to stream across the Internet, I anticipate the side-splitting comedy will be opening soon at a Theatre near you.

The red-carpet affair was a blast!

Rainn Wilson - sizzlin' hot comic of the moment - caused quite a stir when he arrived in full regalia - outlandish over-the-top Rock Star attire - in what was billed as "The Largest Limo" in the free world...with a rag-tag band of friends in tow - a midget, scintillating showgirls, a Centurion, Magician, uh-huh!

Post: 07/13/2008

For those who grew up on Rock Music, the film is a must-see. After all, its a dead-on send-up of the entire "Rock" generation, which delights.

Lainn's wild characterization and skitzy screen persona hit my funny bone, no problemo!

And - in addition - "Rocker" managed to conjure up a handful of delicious memories from the far reaches of my psychedelically-enhanced grey matter!

Back in the seventies - a hip dude I knew - was a roadie with the J. Geils Band. So, of course, he liked to party-hearty. On the weekends - or when he had some down-time off-the-road - the two of us would get all gussied up in pink spandex pants, flimsy silk shirts with ruffles down the front, and boots with four-inch heels; then, trek down to Max's Kansas City in downtown NYC.

Inside this den of iniquity, ragged Rockers and underground Stars from the Warhol Factory, hung out nightly and well into the witchin' hour.

During that time-frame, the New York Dolls were all the rage!

In "Rocker", Lainn plays a dynamic hard-driving drummer for an up-and-coming band. Just as the leading-edge musicians are about to sign a lucrative contract sure to guarantee a launch into the stratosphere of sound, the band is forced to dump Lainn's character from the line-up in favor of a nephew of the record exec who's going to be pulling the career strings.

The rejection is not taken lightly; in fact, the jilted skins expert slumps into a twenty-year funk and it does not appear he'll ever snap out of it.

Then, one day, his nephew's is in dire need of a drummer for their garage band.

The opportunity is met with a lot of consternation, at first; but, the faded rock dinosaur finally commits.

The band's first stage appearance is on the verge of resounding success, when Lainn's character suddenly "flashes back" and goes overboard. His fatal reach for the immortal abyss turns into a catastrophic failure; consequently, he ruins the first gig.

In fact, the band crumbles; goes kaput.

But, there is a resurrection and a finale a filmgoer won't want to miss.

Lainn steals the movie, hands down; partly due to his amazing comic-timing, but also because he's been given well-scripted material to springboard off of.

One of my favorite lines in the film occurs when the rocker notes that the music business can be a tough row to hoe.

"They play Celine Dion in the elevator. That doesn't make it right."

But, a relatively new face - in the role of a sleazy Band Manager (played to the hilt) - is the one to watch out for. That actor is going places, no doubt.

Christina Applegate turns in a well-keyed performance as a young mom protective of her naive teenager.

All the supporting players are believable, likable, and round out the entertainment value of the well-produced film.

Rock on, eh?

Christina Applegate plays squeaky clean...