Clubland

Mainstream commercial ditziness rules the rockers in this corny and badly acted Almost Famous wannabe, which tells the story of the rise of a small garage band to fame and fortune in the Hollywood club scene. This film announces its trite message about the temptations of life in the fast lane early on, then churns out enough eye candy acting, bubblegum rock and butterscotch cinematography to make Flashdance look like a Godard film, before the inevitable fall of the band at the hands of cartoon gangsters and rock promoters. A film that would have benefited from handheld cinematography, deep and studied characters and a true grunge atmosphere, Clubland is living proof that a string of pretty, one note characters and situations does not make for a cool riff. Not recommended. (R. Ray)