So this is a review of "EDGEPLAY" a film about the life and times of the Runaways. If you are a fan, it's an interesting watch. I would say watch it before the RUNAWAYS if you want a little before had knowledge or watch after if you wanna see how it compares to the real grittiness of the life and times of the band.
Review Article by Vague Magazine Below(source)
EDGEPLAY: A FILM ABOUT THE RUNAWAYS
I WANTED TO SEE THIS MOVIE, BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT TO LIKE IT AS MUCH AS I DID. WHAT CAN I SAY, I LOVE A TRAIN WRECK. THE FILM WAS DONE BY VICKI-TISHLER-BLUE. THAT’S THE NAME ON THE FILM BUT WHEN INTERVIEWED SHE IS JUST VICKI BLUE. IT’S FOOTAGE OF THE RUNAWAYS IN STUDIO AND ON STAGE, WITH INTERVIEWS FROM THE GIRLS NOW .
THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE AND CAN FEEL THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE IS THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF JOAN JETT. HER NAME IS NOWHERE ON THIS FILM, NOT EVEN A MUSIC CREDIT. THERE’S FOOTAGE OF HER BUT LITTLE TALK FROM HER BANDMATES ABOUT HER.
KARI KROME IS REALLY THE NEUTRAL OBSERVER. SHE WAS IN THEN BOWED OUT BUT SHE WAS AROUND FOR MOST OF IT. SHE SPEAKS MORE FROM FACT THAN FROM SCANDLE, SHE REALLY DIDN’T GO FOR THE SHOCK VALUE AS CHERIE DID.
LITA FORD SAT BEACH FRONT, LOOKED LIKE HER HOUSE SHE SEEMED TO BE DRINKING SOME SORT OF ALCOHOL THROUGHOUT HER INTERVIEW, THE LONGER THEY TALKED TO HER THE MORE SHE LOOSENED UP AND HELD NOTHING BACK. SANDY WEST HOWEVER DID HER INTERVIEW IN AND ABANDONED BUILDING WAS SHOWN PACING AROUND BETWEEN TAKES SMOKING NERVOUSLY, BUT WAS TOTALLY RELAXED TALKING ABOUT HER CAREER IN THE RUNAWAYS. JACKIE FOX WAS INTERVIEWED AND HER FOOTAGE WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE. IT WAS A GOOD CONTRAST TO THE OTHER INTERVIEWS, IT MADE HER STAND OUT A LITTLE MORE AND SHE SEEMED TO BE VERY COGNITIVE OF THOSE DAYS UNLIKE A FEW TIMES THE GIRLS WOULD JUST SAY I DON’T REMEMBER, I’M TOTALLY BLANKING OUT. AND OF COURSE CHERIE CURRY TOTALLY “ON SET” WITH COSTUME CHANGES LOOKING LIKE THE DRAMA QUEEN SHE IS. CHERIE WENT FOR ALL THE SHOCKING STORIES CLAIMING TO HAVE SLEPT WITH JOAN WHO WAS “REALLY REALLY GOOD” AND SANDY WHO WASN’T HALF BAD AND THE RUNAWAYS ROAD MANAGER.
KIM FOWLEY, EVER PRESENT, EVER ANNOYING. SO PROUD OF HIS EXPLOITATION SKILLS SITS AND TALKS LIKE A GOD EXPLAINING WHAT IT IS TO BE ALIVE. LISTENING TO HIM GO ON AND ON ABOUT HIMSELF AND WHAT HE’S DONE JUST BRINGS PICTURES OF PHIL SPECTOR GREETING YOU AT THE GATES OF HELL.
I MISSED RODNEY BINGENHEIMER, I THOUGHT FOR SURE HE’D BE INTERVIEWED. THE GIRLS TALK ABOUT HOW THEY MET BINGENHEIMER AND HOW HE TOOK THEM TO KIM FOWLEY TO HOOK THEM UP IN THE RUNAWAYS.
SO YOU HAVE JOAN JETT HOOKING UP WITH SANDY WEST AND THAT CLICKING. KARI KROME HAD BEEN PLAYING BASS BUT BOWED OUT TO BE A SONG WRITER. THEY TRIED OUT JACKIE ON BASS BUT THEY DIDN’T LIKE EACH OTHER SO SHE WAS OUT. THEN LITA AUDITIONS ON BASS. BUT DURING A BREAK LITA BRINGS OUT HER GUITAR AND SANDY AND LITA JAM TO HIGHWAY STAR AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH IT, LITA IS BROUGHT IN TO PLAY LEAD GUITAR AND JOAN WOULD PLAY RHYTHM GUITAR AND SANDY WEST ON DRUMS. -OK MAYBE JACKIE FOX WASN’T SO BAD. MAYBE THEY SHOULD TRY HER OUT AGAIN. THEY CALLED JACKIE FOX AGAIN TO AUDITION. THIS TIME SHE WAS IN THE BAND. CHERIE CURRIE WAS PICKED OFF A BARSTOOL AT THE “SUGAR SHACK” (A TEEN CLUB IN THE VALLEY) BY KIM FOWLEY. SHE WAS DRINKING A COKE AND HE SAID “DO YOU PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?” WHICH WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF “WHAT’S YOUR SIGN” IN THOSE DAYS AND SHE WENT FOR IT THAT WAS THE LINE UP THEY WORKED WITH.
EVEN THOUGH AT ONE POINT LITA SAID “WE WENT THROUGH BASS PLAYERS LIKE TOILET PAPER ROLLS” BUT THEY DON’T MENTION
MICKEY STEELE OR KIM SHATTUCK BOTH SAID TO HAVE BEEN IN THE RUNAWAYS.
SOME OF THE MEMORIES ARE SLANTED WHEN RE-TOLD BY ANOTHER BAND MEMBER. LITA AND CHERIE’S STORIES ARE ALWAYS 180 DEGREES FROM WHAT THE OTHER SAYS. LITA SEEMS MORE CREDIBLE. LITA TALKS ABOUT CHASING THE DREAM KIM FOWLEY PLANTED IN HER HEAD. SHE SAYS “THE BIG STUFF, YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TRAVEL THE WORLD MAKE A LOT OF MONEY” SHE PACKED UP HER GEAR AND WENT TO HOLLYWOOD. SHE SAID SHE SAW IT IN HER HEAD THE WHOLE ROCKSTAR PACKAGE ‘PLAYING ARENAS, TOURING, IN MY HEAD I WAS ALREADY THERE MAN”
THE TOURING WAS HARD. THE BAND CRAMMED INTO A STATION WAGON LIVING ON QUARTER POUNDERS AND GETTING ON EACH OTHERS NERVES. CHERIE SEEMED TO ALWAYS BE THE CENTER OF TENSION. THE GIRLS SAY FOWLEY REALLY TREATED HER LIKE HIS DOG. THEY CLAIM HE WASN’T AS BAD TO ME AS CHERIE. BUT SHE SEEMED TO PISS SOMEBODY OFF AT ALL TIMES. SHE REFEREED TO HERSELF AS THE RUNAWAYS VISUAL ICON. AT ONE POINT DID HER OWN PRIVATE PHOTO SHOOT, WHERE THE PICTURES WERE WHAT SHE CALLED “RISQUE” THE PHOTOS ENDED UP IN A MAGAZINE WITH A STORY ABOUT THE RUNAWAYS. JACKIE FOX SAYS “WE DIDN’T TALK TO HER FOR LIKE FIVE DAYS..”
JACKIE SEEMED TO BE THE FIRST ONE MOST AFFECTED BY ROAD LIFE. LITA LAUGHS AND SAYS “JACKIE TRIED TO KILL HERSELF CAUSE SHE COULDN’T SEE HER OWN GYNECOLOGIST”. FOX SAID IT WAS BECAUSE HER BASS WAS BROKEN (ON PURPOSE?) AND NO ONE WOULD TELL HER WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO IT. THEY SAID SHE TOOK A SHEAR OF GLASS TO HER ARM.
THEN DECIDED TO LEAVE THE BAND.
A LOT OF CLAIMS OF DRUG USE AND PEOPLE BEING “OUT OF IT” CHERIES CONSTANT DRAMA AN AFFAIR WITH THE ROAD MANAGER THAT LEAD TO HER HAVING AN ABORTION. SHE HAD NO TROUBLE JUST CHATTING AWAY ABOUT IT. WHEN THE RUNAWAYS RETURNED FROM JAPAN THEY WERE IN NEED OF A BASS PLAYER. ENTER VICKI BLUE. SHE AUDITIONED AND WAS WELCOMED INTO THE BAND. IT WAS HER FIRST BAND AND LITA DESCRIBED HER AS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND TOOK HER UNDER HER WING.
CHERIE’S DEMISE COMES AND GOES WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. CHERIE CLAIMS LITA WAS TWO HOURS LATE TO A PHOTO SHOOT, LITA CLAIMS IT WAS CHERIE WHO WAS LATE. LITA FLIPS OUT GOES AFTER CHERIE AND PUSHES HER UP AGAINST THE WALL AND TELLS HER TO PICK “FAMILY OR THE BAND” CHERIE CHOSE TO LEAVE AND THEY SIMPLY PUSHED JOAN UP FRONT TO CARRY THE VOCALS. THE GIRLS REVEALED THEY HATED THE WHOLE CORSET AND FISHNET THING SHE WAS DOING AND CALLED HER JAILBAIT.
THE MOVIE TALKS WITH SANDY WEST’S MOM AND CHERIE’S. BOTH STEWING OVER WHAT KIM FOWLEY DID TO THEIR DAUGHTERS. A FUNNY NOTE CHERIE MAKES A SORT OF PLEA FOR SOMEONE TO SHOOT KIM FOWLEY, SHE SAYS “HE SHOULD BE SHOT, MAYBE SOMEONE WILL”
ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE MOVIE THE FOCUS GETS TIGHTER ON SANDY WEST, VICKI BLUE AND KARI KROME, THEY SEEM TO THINK A REUNION WOULD BE A GOOD THING. SANDY’S TELLING STORIES ABOUT THE DEPTHS SHE’S HAD TO SINK TO INCLUDING BEING A KNUCKLE MAN FOR A DRUG DEALER AND WORKING IN CONSTRUCTION. LITA’S INTERVIEW WAS STRAIGHT OUT LIKE SHE HAD NO REGRETS BUT SHE HAD NO INTENTION OF DOING A REUNION TOUR EITHER. SHE LOOKED COMFORTABLE IN FRONT OF THE OCEAN TELLING TALES. SHE COULD STILL KICK YOUR ASS THOUGH THAT’S FOR SURE.
IT’S SANDY WEST YOUR SORT OF FEEL FOR SHE GETS VERY EMOTIONAL WHEN TALKING A BOUT A REUNION WITH HER BAND MATES INTO THE CAMERA SHE ASKS “IS IT. SO MUCH FOR ME TO ASK TO DO A WORLD TOUR? TO MAKE A RECORD? I DON’T KNOW IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?” PROBABLY. IF THIS IS VICKI BLUES FIRST ATTEMPT AT FILM MAKING SHE MAY HAVE FOUND HERSELF ANOTHER CAREER. THE FILM IS DEDICATED TO SUZI QUATRO WHO APPEARS BRIEFLY AND TELLS A STORY OF JOAN STALKING HER. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT. IF YOU’RE A RUNAWAYS FAN OR NOT IT’S A CURIOUSITY THAT PULLS YOU IN. IT’S WORTH THE WATCH.
