Yeah, I know. It was really hard to bring myself to fess up to, but a fact is a fact. Up until about four nights ago when my wife and I watched The Runaways, which I had a really bad attitude about going into, I could not stand the Stewart. Media darlings automatically get my venom up, so I feel my distrust is warranted. But I know a good performance when I see one and I’llbegoddamned if I didn’t forget that I was watching Kristen Stewart, or ‘an actress’ the entire time. It felt like I was watching Joan Jett.

Now, I do not know Joan Jett. However, I’m 80’s progeny, so I know Joan Jett. I know the image, the voice, the look.

The sound. Loud, glorious, slightly destructive and completely confrontational.

In other words, I know what Joan Jett wanted me to know about her. And that is exactly what I watched the entire run of the film. I’m a harsh-ass bastard, especially to anyone who had anything to do with that piece of crap new moon I was forced to sit through last summer*. But I gotta give it up for what I see that’s good, and this was good.

Not to ignore the rest of the cast, because Michael Shannon was fantastic and Dakota Fanning – well, for someone so young she seemed to really encapsulate the countdown to the 80’s here. She had the style and the attitude and the chops to pull off a nice little downward spiral. Scout Taylor Hampton was perfect for Lita Ford – complete with her dialogue that must have been guest written by Rob Zombie, considering all she really said the entire time was ‘fuck shit fuck bitch’. As pointless as Lita Ford’s moon bangs and morose metal balladry.** The rest of the cast was good as well, but let’s face it, it was Shannon, Fanning and Stewart that really hit it home here and I’m simply shocked that this was the case (from Stewart).

Nice job guys. Kristen, I won’t be seeing any more Stephanie Myers movies but I won’t throw holy water at you as I pass anymore either.
.                    .                    .
Some interesting things about the film, to me, came in the way of time frame. I don’t really know anything about The Runaways. I mean, everyone knows Cherry Bomb. And like I said, I knew Jett’s music growing up. Also knew Lita Ford’s, but later and in a much more disposable sort’a way. I didn’t realize that The Runaways pre-dated and to some degree perhaps even helped influence a lot of the stuff I dig to this day. Did Kim Fowley’s exploitative business sense influence Malcolm McLaren, vice versa, or were they just separated at birth? And John Doe from X sat in as bass player with Ms. Jett’s original Blackhearts while trying to solidify a lineup. Coincidence?

I think not. Good music, no matter the Zeitgeist, sticks together.

………………….

* Still not sure if it was as bad as wolverine though. new moon was an agonizing trauma in which I was 100% aware of every single second that ticked by on the watch I don’t wear but was sure was broken. They should have re-named it Chinese Water Torture – The Movie. But where as that was agonizing wolverine was… was just such a piece of shit let down spiralling out from a character and a already established movie franchise that were cool. The movie actually ruined the character for me and I grew up with the guy being written by Claremont and Hama. Memorable tales pissed on by hollywood. Is it worse to be a bum, or to be a millionaire one moment and eating dog shit to survive the next?

** Loved the fact that there was no afterward about her.