Eddie and the Cruisers
Uhhhh....
sharewas so just thinking that ! Damn now I want to watch it, if I can even find it ... EATC was fantastic, at least it was when I saw it way back when ..
shareI enjoyed The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll, but seriously....???
1. Story begins with a reporter interviewing a washed-up rocker after 20 years.
2. Story is told in flashback, focusing on the mystery of what happened to the lost studio tapes.
3. Story centers around 2 friends who need each other to write music.
4. The 2 friends end up chasing the same girl.
5. And of course the ending...
EATC was the best rock n roll movie ever. A little cheezy at times, but it had a lot of heart. Killer soundtrack. You can pick up a copy for around $5 on eBay... Just, whatever you do, don't watch that awful sequel!
You're right that the basic plot of "The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll" was obviously taken from "Eddie and the Cruisers" but there are significant differences:
1. Story begins with a reporter interviewing a washed-up rocker after 20 years.
In "Eddie" the reporter interviews the keyboardist/lyricist and can't interview the frontman because he (supposedly) died 18 years earlier. In "The Perfect Age" the reporter interviews the frontman. And there's no mystery whatsoever about one of the band members being dead, but possibly still alive and harassing the members to get ahold of the tapes to their never-released album.
2. Story is told in flashback, focusing on the mystery of what happened to the lost studio tapes.
"The Perfect Age" doesn't focus on the lost studio tapes like "Eddie" does. It rather focuses on why the band vanished into obscurity, emphasizing the pitfalls intrinsic to the 'rock star' lifestyle. The very name of the band, Lost Soulz, tells you everything ya need to know. The movie's basically a warning (note the living shell of Spyder at merely 47 years of age); it's also so much more.
3. Story centers around 2 friends who need each other to write music.
This is much more emphasized in "The Perfect Age." In "Eddie" the band seemed to be doing quite well without Frank (Berenger) and Frank's main contribution seemed to be writing words (which, come on, it's not that big a deal for rock ditties), although he played keys too. In "Perfect Age" it's emphasized that Eric's songs would've died in the basement without Spyder who convincingly made his songs soar though his words and superb vocal/performing talents. Eric needed Spyder to make his songs palatable and market them to the masses.
4. The 2 friends end up chasing the same girl.
We don't really see any rivalry between Eddie and Frank over Joann in "Eddie," although she lightly flirts with both. In "Perfect Age," on the other hand, Eric & Spyder's rivalry for Rose's attention ends up being the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, thus ending the band altogether.
5. And of course the ending...
The climaxes are actually very different. In "Perfect Age" no mysteriously dead band member ends up being alive and living in hiding. The frontman in "Perfect Age" turns out to have had the tapes all along and simply gives 'em to the reporter to do with as he would. In "Eddie" the frontman's supposedly dead and it's the female who has the tapes, which are given to the manager of the band to finally release them.
One of the biggest differences between the two movies is that "Perfect Age" is a road movie in disguise whereas "Eddie" is dramatically stationary, the story taking place entirely in New Jersey (except the college sequence occurring just across the border in PA).
I'm just posting this to show that "The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll" ain't no carbon copy of "Eddie and the Cruisers," although it takes its basic plot from it (not that you necessarily said it was a carbon copy). The films have serious similarities, but also great differences. They both have their pros & cons, but they shoot for greatness and in some small ways attain it. They're equally worth checking out.
My 175 (or so) Favorite Movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/ share
^ All good points. It's been a while since I've seen this movie, but you made me want to watch it again.
Yes, movie theaters are full of plot rip offs, but if stories are told in different ways then that makes it worthwhile for me. I'm sort of an Alice in Wonderland nut, and I've scoured ebay for every version I can find, some great, some not-so-great, but each unique. And you're right, Perfect Age is unique in its point of view and character themes.
On the subject of Eddie rip offs, have you ever seen "Looking for an Echo" directed by Martin Davidson? It's like an alternate version of EATC, where the successful lead singer doesn't "burn out", but instead he "fades away". in other words, no dramatic exit, no cars flying off bridges, he just slowly eases into retirement. The movie picks up some 20-30 years later and is all about his life as a washed up singer.
I can tell you are quick to pick up on different angles, alternate perceptions, etc. So that one might be a good flick for you to check out if you haven't already.