It could be easily said that it's just an ironic coincidence that this
film appeared just a year after "That 70's Show" made it's debut.
It also wouldn't surprise me one bit if they watched the show and took notes. When I went to see this movie in October of 1999 , it had already been out for weeks (to less than wonderful raves) but still I just "had" to check it out.... and I'm not even that big of a KISS fan, my brothers are... but even they opted out.
I honestly felt, as i watched this, like I had just paid full price for an extended episode of "That 70's Show". The lead boy might as well have been Eric Forman and the others could be Michael Kelso, Casey Kelso & Steven Hyde.
The story is set in 1978, when KISS were truly the "Hottest Band In The World" at that time. The bible thumping mother who bands together with other protesting parents against the impending KISS concert, is to me a female version of Red Forman but worse.
She's just like quite a number of parents and clergy back in the late 70s, adults thought that the four letters in the group's name stood for "knights in satans service" and that their whole thing with the make up was part of an evil kind of worship.
The lead teen's mother discovers his tickets to the show and burns them, right in front of him! Now he and his friends have to jump through hoops to get into the show. These two factors make up the whole of the story.
Some things are funny, like having to deal with a younger boy in Ace make up who just may be able to help them. Amusingly while the early 1970s instrumental song, "Popcorn" by Hot Butter plays over the scene.
Later, they go into a strip club and one of them tries to win money for tickets by stripping himself. Another scene has unfortunate bathroom humor that I'll skip here, as I didn't find it funny at all and when used in movies, I feel it's desperation on the writers' part.
The battle between parental guidance and teen rebellion should have been played more for laughs, than in the semi-serious fashion it was.
Although many families did go through this battle of the generations back then, for a comedy, overall, it slightly interferes with the humor and the fun.
To sum it up in quick fashion, there were a few things I liked here... what few funny moments there were, the music, the bit of nostalgia (although I'm not that nostolgic myself).
Otherwise, since it felt to me like it was copied off "That 70's Show" & the other detracting factors I've mentioned, it's only something I'd rewatch if I was actually in the mood to see it again.
4 out of 10, I just feel it could have been much better. (END)
It also wouldn't surprise me one bit if they watched the show and took notes. When I went to see this movie in October of 1999 , it had already been out for weeks (to less than wonderful raves) but still I just "had" to check it out.... and I'm not even that big of a KISS fan, my brothers are... but even they opted out.
I honestly felt, as i watched this, like I had just paid full price for an extended episode of "That 70's Show". The lead boy might as well have been Eric Forman and the others could be Michael Kelso, Casey Kelso & Steven Hyde.
The story is set in 1978, when KISS were truly the "Hottest Band In The World" at that time. The bible thumping mother who bands together with other protesting parents against the impending KISS concert, is to me a female version of Red Forman but worse.
She's just like quite a number of parents and clergy back in the late 70s, adults thought that the four letters in the group's name stood for "knights in satans service" and that their whole thing with the make up was part of an evil kind of worship.
The lead teen's mother discovers his tickets to the show and burns them, right in front of him! Now he and his friends have to jump through hoops to get into the show. These two factors make up the whole of the story.
Some things are funny, like having to deal with a younger boy in Ace make up who just may be able to help them. Amusingly while the early 1970s instrumental song, "Popcorn" by Hot Butter plays over the scene.
Later, they go into a strip club and one of them tries to win money for tickets by stripping himself. Another scene has unfortunate bathroom humor that I'll skip here, as I didn't find it funny at all and when used in movies, I feel it's desperation on the writers' part.
The battle between parental guidance and teen rebellion should have been played more for laughs, than in the semi-serious fashion it was.
Although many families did go through this battle of the generations back then, for a comedy, overall, it slightly interferes with the humor and the fun.
To sum it up in quick fashion, there were a few things I liked here... what few funny moments there were, the music, the bit of nostalgia (although I'm not that nostolgic myself).
Otherwise, since it felt to me like it was copied off "That 70's Show" & the other detracting factors I've mentioned, it's only something I'd rewatch if I was actually in the mood to see it again.
4 out of 10, I just feel it could have been much better. (END)