Back in the saddle with The Runaways

Yep. I'm back. The laptop is gone and "ol' trusty" my pc is back in my control. That means that I'll be writing more, posting more and uploading more.
So what better way to dip my toe back in than reviewing the Runaways movie that I watched this morning and give you all a small surprise in the comments.

Silly me.
I was expecting a film about the Runaways to be about........well the Runaways.
Instead the current biopic should be named the Cherie and Joan show because Sandy, Lita and Jackie barely get a look in.
Their roles as members of one of the best all girl rock bands ever are shockingly over-looked in preference to keeping the spotlight on the bands two leading ladies.
By the closing credits I was wondering how many old wounds this would open as it's a well recorded fact that the band started to disintegrate when the attention started to focus on Cherie rather than the band as a whole.
Now it's as if history is repeating itself, only this time Joan is along for the ride and the remaining living members are left to pick up the pieces as bit players.
This however is my only real criticism of the movie, because the plus points actually far outweigh any of the negative ones and that's saying something for the genre of the rock and roll biopic. A scene that has done little to engender any real favour over the years.
Of course I'm sure that the hardcore fans will pick over the factually incorrect points relentlessly until they have persuaded themselves that the film is a worthless piece of trash. A bit like picking at a scab, but it's far from the atrocity exhibition that some will no doubt claim.
If you keep in mind that this is a fictional account of a factual period in time and don't sweat the very few inaccuracies then you will enjoy it just fine.
The two lead roles played by Dakota Fanning (Cherie) and Kristen Stewart (Joan) are superbly re-enacted. Both have taken their jobs very seriously indeed and this is without a doubt Fanning's coming of age movie, and the one that could help ease Stewart out from under the Twilight franchise.
Their portrayals are virtually beyond criticism. Both are immersed in their characters and on screen have expertly taken on Cherie and Joan's persona's perfectly. They are living and breathing Runaways for the duration of the film.
The film itself actually looks amazing and huge kudos have to go to the wardrobe department and the hairstylist as they, above anyone else, have managed to do a tremendous job in revisiting the seventies. Everything looks perfect. Line up pictures of the real Runaways next to their screen doppelgänger and you can barely see the join.
If you wanted any more accuracy in portraying the times then you would need a DeLoreon with a flux capacitor fitted to it.
.. and finally the soundtrack. It's all killer and no filler. Obviously you have The Runaway hits, but there's also some Stooges, Sex Pistols and more to wrap your ears around.
It's as if they had a trawl through my record collection so I'm not complaining. It saved me the hassle.
Everything considered I'm honestly very impressed with it. I had my reservations, like most fans, but they've all been blown away.
So get down to your multiplex to check this one out. I'd bet that for people of our age, and younger, it will be a far more entertaining night out at the cinema in comparison to going to see the so called summer blockbusters that will be coming our way.
More Runaways in the comments, and check out the Death Party blog for tonnes more Runaways and Joan Jett rarities.

Some links
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Runaways/298373477854?ref=ts&v=wall
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Jett-and-the-Blackhearts/65715626006?v=wall