Back in 2009, my friend Melissa and I did a whirlwind four day trip to New York City. We crammed as much sightseeing into those four days as we possibly could and had a blast!
We also took in a Broadway show, and that show was Rock of Ages, starring Constantine from American Idol.
Fast forward to this year when I saw the previews for the movie version of Rock of Ages, and I knew that I needed to see it and my movie date needed to be Melissa.
I hadn’t seen Melissa in about seven months (because I’m horrible with keeping in touch with people), so we caught up over souvlaki and popsicle martinis at Ela! first, then headed to the theater to get prime seats for the big show.
Now, be fore-warned. This movie won’t win any Academy Awards, but appreciate it for what it is, and that’s a good time! It’s pure fun! What’s not to like about a movie with dancing and all my favorite 80’s rock tunes?
The star-studded cast includes Julianne Hough (who was in the remake of Footloose), Russell Brand, Mary J. Blige, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Tom Cruise. Constantine, the original Drew, also makes an appearance, which I very much enjoyed! I thought Tom Cruise did a good job portraying the strung-out rocker. I was a little disappointed with Diego Boneta, who they cast as the movie-version of Drew. He didn’t have the long flowing locks of a true 80’s rocker, and he wasn’t as scruffy as I would have liked. I found he was much more convincing as Joshy Zee, the pop star, than Wolfgang Von Colt, the rocker.
I was amused and entertained by the reaction of the guy sitting next to us (who had obviously be dragged to the movie by his girlfriend). I think he thought the whole thing was a bit ridiculous. Once Sherry broke into song on the bus leaving Oklahoma I heard him snicker, and his snickering and comments continued throughout the movie.
I’m so glad I went with Melissa because we got to reminisce about our New York trip. When we saw the Broadway version, we were singing along and dancing in our seats, and the middle-aged ladies sitting next to us asked us at the end of the show how we knew all the songs? Apparently they thought we were too young to know them. They’d obviously never been to the Alehouse.
If you’re looking for a good time and good music, check out Rock of Ages. I left the theater with 80’s music in my head, wanting big hair, and with the strong desire to go to the Alehouse.
A Freckle in Time 