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I wandered into this movie after seeing a crappy poster of a guitar on railroad tracks, a bunch of names I didn't recognise and a quote which didn't seem to me to really say anything worth noting.

So when it started, you could say the expectations weren't overwhelming.

But in a word... "sweet".

First time writer/director John Schultz can't be said to be overtly commercial or even stylish. This film doesn't depend on characters, an entangled web of subplots or humor, it's all about the music.

It's a story of a couple of guys who start a band. One of them, the lead singer, is too nervous to face an audience, so he plays with his back to the crowd, and rehearses in a cupboard. The drummer, your standard gen X dunderhead stereotypical pizza delivery character, is a moon unit. The bass guitarist is a juvenile delinquent and the lead guitarist (played by the outstanding and underrated Kevin Corrigan) is so stoned he's barely conscious.

As the lads get their shite together they come across all the usual hurdles to success, no gigs, shit equipment, no money, internal feuding, broken down vans and mothers who keep interrupting rehearsal with milk and cookies.

Somewhere along the way they actually get their shit toghether and start to make some local waves. It's then they encounter the mysterious Linus, a producer with a track record of turning no names into superstars. The enigmatic Linus could take them to the top, but will he? And can even he do anything to help these social midgets?

The positives: The music is great. The tunes are catchy and *will* stick in your head. The performances are mixed, but in the main are top notch. Corrigan is a stand-out. The script doesn't try to be anything but a teenage coming of age movie, and it reaches that mark efficiently.

The downside: The poster.

Yes, it's low budget. Yes, it's a little fancyful. But who gives a fuck? It's a band movie. As if The Commitments was the slightest bit realistic...

It's fun, damn it. And if you've seen the dark satire that is Bruce McDonald's Hard Core Logo (or are about to - you should, it's awesome), Bandwagon is the opposite end of the spectrum. It's bright, it's funny, it's fun, it's catchy, just an damn enjoyable way to spend a few hours of your life.

link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=412&reviewer=1
originally posted: 11/06/98 21:01:34
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