Music DVD Documentaries - Reviewing Edgeplay and the Cream Will Rise

After watching and enjoying Dig!, a documentary chronicling the rivalry between The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre, I thought I'd try out some more music dvd documentaries. I settled on Edgeplay, a film about the late 1970s band The Runaways, and The Cream Will Rise, about 1990s 2-hit wonder Sophie B. Hawkins. Neither were extraordinary or even very good, and only one of them was even watchable.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Edgeplay focuses on the formation and subsequent career of the "1st all girls rock band," The Runaways. Their beginnings were not organic, as the original members were all strangers and were somewhat recruited. Manager Kim Fowley went around LA nightclubs looking for girls who could play instruments.

The band included future 1980s rock stars Joan Jett and Lita Ford, also featured Cherrie Currie as lead singer, Sandy West as drummer, and Jackie Fox on bass.

The documentary was directed by Vickie Blue, who became the band's second bass player once Jackie Fox quit the band while on tour in Japan. Everyone from the original band agreed to be interviewed for the film except for Joan Jett. Throughout the film it becomes obvious that the girls were manipulated and taken advantage of. It's not that surprising actually, as Jackie Fox seemed to be the only person in the whole film capable of forming an intelligent, coherent thought. Lita Ford appeared to just be so excited she was in front of a camera that she went on and on but hardly said anything to enhance the film.

Along with the interviews there was some old concert footage and other footage that had the home video feel to it. Listening to the band members talk wasn't the most stimulating experience. The material itself was fascinating, so it's unfortunate that nobody was able to present it in an interesting manner. Also Jett's absence was painfully obvious. It sounded like she was the most level-headed of the group so it was too bad we didn't get to hear her account. During the film nobody ever mentioned why Jett chose not to participate, but it's ironic since she herself was in a film based on The Runaways called We're All Crazy Now that was never released.