Rating: 
Summary: ?
Review: If your divorced next door neighbor in his 20's married a 13 year old girl, you might consider moving, or having him arrested for child molestation. But this movie shows how anything can be made palatable, because you are made to believe that Jerry Lee Lewis (once divorced) marrying his 13 yr. old child-bride cousin was innocent love, and that they were just facing a big bad world. I mean, Joey Buttafucco served prison time for having an affair with a girl older than Jerry Lee's wife! But the movie kind of forces you to set aside such thoughts, and I admit I found it entertaining in a fictional way. (Legendary opera "Madame Butterfly" is about a 15 year old girl marrying an adult man. It's funny what we tolerate, when and where.) But to compare it to the real Jerry Lee Lewis: a man who shot his bass player in the chest; a man who "Rolling Stone" magazine asserted--with strong evidence--murdered his 5th wife, is ridiculous. This movie is a monumental puff piece. Often outright fiction. But Jerry Lee made great music. He had/has charisma. Dennis Quaid does a fine job acting. Hey, I even bought the soundtrack album.
Rating: 
Summary: this movie rocks!
Review: JERRY LEE LEWIS IS THE MAN OF ROCK AND ROLL! THIS MOVIE IS GREAT AND I LOVE IT! " I SHINE LIKE GOLD WHEN I PLAY THAT PIANO"
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't do justice to the subject
Review: Jerry Lee Lewis's rise to fame and marraige to his 13-year-old cousin are given a superficial treatment. Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, and other cast members do a good job, but the screenplay glosses over certain details of his life without going into much depth.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't do justice to the subject
Review: Jerry Lee Lewis's rise to fame and marraige to his 13-year-old cousin are given a superficial treatment. Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, and other cast members do a good job, but the screenplay glosses over certain details of his life without going into much depth.
Rating: 
Summary: Fireball with no direction?
Review: Maybe Hollywood should just give up trying to produce a decent musical biography. "The Jolson Story" did not tell the real story at all and was saved by lavish (and now embarrassing) production numbers. The recent "Little Richard" made-for-TV movie also took major liberties. "The Benny Goodman Story" with Steve Allen from 1955 was a moderate success.
Well, Al Jolson, Little Richard, and Steve Allen are all important names to Jerry Lee Lewis, but it's too bad that when it comes to bringin' his own story to the big screen, he most likely shares the same disappointment all three must have felt when they watched the finished product. Once again, it's looks like the powers-that-be had to exaggerate where it was absolutely unnecessary.
Exaggeration is the word for Dennis Quaid's performance as "The Killer". The actor's genuine affection for the legend is obvious, but somehow the portrayal runs askance - the subject is treated as a one-dimensional, slow-witted, overgrown adolescent who doesn't even realize his own talent. His ability is projected as compulsive rather than creative. Thankfully, Jerry Lee himself stepped in to insist on recording the soundtrack himself - unbelievably (it is reported) that Quaid wanted to perform the songs himself! Winona Ryder, as the 13 year old bride, is the only convincing performance.
Instead of making the early concerts look as realistic (and as exciting) as possible, somebody decided to make these spontaneous events look like outtakes from "Bye Bye Birdie".
Books like "Killer!" by Jerry Lee Lewis and Charles White (Arrow, UK), "Hellfire" by Nick Tosches (Dell, USA), the recent "The Devil, Me, and Jerry Lee" by Linda Gail Lewis with Les Pendleton (Longstreet, USA), and ofcourse Myra Lewis' and Murray Silver's "Great Balls Of Fire! - The Uncensored Story Of Jerry Lee Lewis"(St. Martin's Press, USA) describe in great detail the the kid who played "God Is Real" with a beat.
For those who know nothing of Jerry Lee, this is not a bad place to start, but make sure that videos such as "Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am" (Hallway Productions, Inc./J2 Communications) follow up soon.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT ALBUM OF REMAKES, WITH A TOUCH OF HISTORY
Review: Nobody can deny that The Killer is one of the greatest rock & rollers of all time. Despite the controversy, his blacklisting, the drugs and booze, the death and violence that has surrounded him, he has always seemed to be able to put out great music on his piano. In recent years however, his energy has waned and his voice has shown some wear. This does not stop him from touring though, and he recorded this album of remakes of his most significant rock & roll hits for the movie about the start of his career based on Myra Gayle's book by the same name.The new recordings are very close to the originals, keeping the same basic arrangements and famous solo sections (mostly). The new band has a bass guitar, which the original did not, which adds a bit of fullness to the sound. The roughness and relative weakness of the Killer's voice is noticeable in some songs more than others, but in songs like "Crazy Arms" and "Lucky Old Sun" it works, probably because he's had so much experience singing them. The song "I'm on Fire" (not the Springseen tune) is very different from the original (which was produced in 1962 and included horns and a backup girl chorus). The weakest cut is "High School Confidential." His vocal shortcomings are most obvious here, and the desperate manic energy of the original is lost. This album also includes remakes of earlier versions of two songs that inspired Jerry Lee, "Big Legged Woman" and "Whole Lotta Shakin..." These songs show just how rauchy old rhythm & blues could be. They are done with spirit and style, and if they don't get you groovin' you got a hole in your soul! If you look haed enough, you can find all sorts of Jerry Lee recordings that still have thet erotic humor in them. Finally, there are two original cuts here from "back in the day": "Great Balls of Fire" and "Rocket 88," the latter an ode to big, cool cars and drinking and driving that many consider to be among the first rock & roll songs ever recorded. These cuts help put the remakes into perspective and show that a son can rip even if it's not digitally mastered, stereophonic, etc., etc. It's too bad the album could not include all the music from the movie. There were some great '50's instrumentals and a couple of other Jerry Lee tunes that really added to the movie. Most especially, during the end credits, the Killer does a solo with his piano called "Lewis Boogie" that is just delicious. If you are a Jerry Lee fan, or just love '50's rock & roll, this is a great album to have, but don't miss the movie (I have reviewed it on Amazon as well) for a great time and more music!
Rating:
Summary: Very good music
Review: Questa colonna sonora ti permette di sentire la musica "dentro". Solo allora capisci perchè Jerry Lee Lewis suonava come un indiavolato. Un consiglio: ascoltatelo
Rating:
Summary: A "Must Have"
Review: Really great sound... maybe the best Jerry Lee Lewis recordings... His piano performance is better than ever, so if you are a fan or just like oldie music, this is a "must have"
Rating:
Summary: MAKE THOSE FIVE IRONIC STARS! WHAT A HOWLER!
Review: Some friends and I tried to develop a "Bad Movie Tuesday" where we would have a roaming party once a week and watch truly bad movies (Sort of our own private Mystery Science Theatre 3K)...this was one of the first I suggested. I've always maintained that the key to enjoying this over-the-top bio pic is to imagine that Quaid based his whole performance on Foghorn Leghorn. Winona here began the slide into disappointing movies that has stalled the beauty's career, and Alec Baldwin's "Cousin, you still got that coin I gave ya?" spiel is priceless. Even the musical numbers seem dopey. Prepare to laugh...
Rating:
Summary: Terrible Film - Wonderful Soundtrack
Review: The film this soundtrack comes from is uneven and disjointed.
At times comic-book frivolous, with bad lip synch from its stars; at times an unvarnished look at a man with some issues. But oh, the music. The story is that Quaid was going to sing all the music himself. The Killer objected, and the studio as a courtesy gave him a last-minute audition to play his own music, one shot in a studio working with session guys he didn't know. Apparently, Jerry Lee rose to the challenge, the studio suddenly realized why it was worth making a movie about Jerry Lee Lewis, and now Mr. Quaid's voice is only heard in the background on some duets. Jerry Lee laid down fresh recordings of his classics, and the old man still has it. Great recordings of great songs by the only man who should play them. Follow that act, if you can.
|
