jimj409
Back when I was 21, I went with a few friends to see another film (I forget which, now) that had sold out, leaving us with this film as an option that we took.I was so pleasantly surprised that a film I would otherwise never have bothered with turned out to be so resonant with me.I expected a teenybopper rock'n'roll picture. This film is nothing close to that. This is a gritty, hard-edged slice of life. It is full of realistic human emotion and genuine observation of actual "rock'n'roll" lifestyle, which for the vast majority of rockers means nightly sharing of a van and a motel room and splitting up a few hundred bucks five or six ways before expenses. The scene in "Motel Hell" where Fox doles out the money (after enumerating the expenses including "forty-five dollars for that tire, and eighteen for the Chinese feast") just struck such a ringingly true chord with me.The secondary drama, which plays out as you understand that the primary drama (will the band make it?) is already moot (Fox knows that the Barbusters have no chance; Jett continues to chase the dream regardless) commences with the discovery of their mother's illness.The interplay between Jett and her mother in the hospital as the mother lays dying and they reconcile their long-hardened differences is surprisingly well-played, especially on Joan Jett's part. I expected great acting from the superb Gena Rowlands; I expected zero from Jett and was blown away instead. I'm surprised she never got any other real roles; I found her to be extremely easy on the eyes and quite a lovely and talented actress. Whatever.The film has a terrific ending. No, they don't make it to the big-time, but you never expect that to happen anyway. It is simply a satisfying ending that matches the size and scope of this terrific film, which was never intended to be anything more than a look at a Cleveland family who has two members who happen to play in a road band.Catch it once in your lifetime.
juella90
Light of Day is one of my favourite Rock n' Roll films. Not the most popular choice, I'll grant you. A lot of people might question that, but let me explain my point of view. Most rock films deal with the rock star lifestyle. You know all the clichés: sex, drugs, booze, limos, groupies, hotel room demolition and general decadence (not that there's anything wrong with that; Spinal Tap is another favourite of mine!). In other words they deal with what is essentially UNREALITY for the vast majority of rockers out there. Instead they deal with a fantasy or an ideal, with what all us rockers would like to think is waiting for us just around the corner. Light of Day, on the other hand, deals with real life, and what Rock n' Roll means to several ordinary people. Several ordinary people dealing with ordinary, everyday problems; work, relationships, family, estrangement, disillusionment. Music is their refuge. As Patti Rasnick (played by Joan Jett) says "Music is all that matters. One hour on stage makes up for the other 23", and that is essentially the theme of the movie; No matter what life throws at us, we'll get through it as long as we have music. A theme that is reinforced by the final musical performance of the movie (I wont give too much away, don't worry).There is absolutely no glamour to be found in this movie whatsoever; and that's one of the things I love about it! Its pure, unglamorous REALITY. Travelling in a van, playing dives, boosting food to survive another day on the road and doing it all for the love of Rock n' Roll, and knowing that the alternative is just too f**king odious to seriously contemplate... Okay sorry, I'm getting a bit heavy handed with my review here, but anyway, in conclusion: forget Family Ties (I haven't even seen an episode of that show in about 15 years, who gives a damn?), Michael J. Fox does an awesome and realistic job in Light of Day (all the members of The Barbusters played live in the performance scenes), the plot has a subtlety and realism missing in practically every other rock film I've seen, and the songs are great! Yes, I recommend this film to anybody who's ever played in a travelling band, or just loves Rock n' Roll.BTW, in case my American friends are wondering: "favourite", "glamour" and "travelling" are not spelling mistakes. ;-)
BlazeFox
I'm a huge Nine Inch Nails fan. Nice movie.. but the real thing that I took notice to is the music by Exotic Birds. This is one of the bands Trent Reznor used to play in. Way before he ever started []\[] [] []/[]Trent is a master keyboardist. It wouldn't suprise me to see him scoring a movie. Oh wait.... NBK.. heh, kinda forgot.-BlazeFoxKitsune =^.^=
