CineFile Video

Plot outline: A fast-paced docu-comedy alternating between film-within-a-film hazardous stunts done by Grant Page (the Aussie stuntman who was co-ordinator of dangerous things for “Mad Max”), and a concert film of Sorcery, a KISS-esque D&D-themed hard rock band. Occasionally the two threads intertwine.

We Cinefiles were lucky enough to attend a 35mm theatrical revival screening of this just a few days ago, and while some of us had seen the film before, we’d forgotten just how wicked awesome the thing is. The film’s director, journeyman Brian Trenchard only had 15 days to shoot the whole thing back in ‘78, and not only is it wildly entertaining, but it shows just what you can pull off with a shortened budget if you’ve got your filmmaking chops together (the film looks like it would’ve taken three times as long as it actually took to film, with probably three or four cameras shooting the entire time.)

Trenchard-Smith not only was present at the screening, but he had invited us to the thing in the first place via e-mail. Here’s what he wrote upon reflection about his own creation:

It’s an oddball piece. Quite lively but quite wacky and strange. As you know I’ve made a lot of trailers over the years. In its way, this is like a 90 minute trailer. I had this idea in the shower one morning. Australian Stuntman meets American Rock Band…much stunt and much rock takes place, the kids will tear up the seats. Perhaps I should have stayed unwashed that day. To my immense surprise, my 6 page treatment was financed by a Dutch company within a month and I was on a plane to LA immediately. It had to co-star Verhoeven favorite actress Monique Van Der Ven, and be ready for screening in Dutch theatres in 4 months. Who was I to say no? When my father-in-law saw the end result, he said that he had not experienced so much noise since he was under bombardment in the Pacific.”

By far, the most palatable song that Sorcery does in the movie is their tribute to Grant Page, fittingly enough called “Stuntrocker.” It shows a lot of melodic promise, and if only all their songs were as good as this one, they might’ve gone far —

Sorcery - Stuntrocker (MP3)

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 24th, 2007 at 3:53 pm and is filed under Movie Music Archives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.